System, Apparatus And Method For Authenticating A Device Using A Wireless Charger

• US 20170237301A1
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Elad, Yuval, Nayshtut, Alex, Porat, Shahar
• Granted Patent: US 10,148,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

In one embodiment, a computing device includes: a power receiving unit to receive energy wirelessly from a power transmitting unit via a receive coil; a load modulation logic to modulate a load coupled to the receive coil to cause a message to be transmitted to the power transmitting unit via a first channel coupled to the receive coil; and a wireless communication circuit to communicate with the power transmitting unit via a second channel. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a power receiving unit to receive energy wirelessly from a power transmitting unit via a receive coil;

a load modulation logic to modulate a load coupled to the receive coil to cause a message to be transmitted to the power transmitting unit via a first channel coupled to the receive coil; and

a wireless communication circuit to communicate with the power transmitting unit via a second channel.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is to perform an authentication protocol with the power transmitting unit via the first channel and the second channel.

3. The computing device of claim 2, further comprising a secure detection client logic to:

issue an advertisement packet to the power transmitting unit via the second channel;

receive a challenge from the power transmitting unit; and

generate a response to the challenge and cause the response to be sent to the power transmitting unit via the first channel.

4. The computing device of claim 2, wherein responsive to authentication of the computing device by the power transmitting unit, the computing device is to establish a secure session with a service provider, using one or more credentials provided from the power transmitting unit.

5. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the power receiving unit is to receive the energy wirelessly and power the wireless communication circuit from an off state to an on state using the energy when the computing device is in an unpowered state, and responsive to authentication of the computing device, the service provider is to perform an action on behalf of a user of the computing device.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the load modulation logic is to control an impedance of the load to generate the message.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the message comprises a response to a challenge message sent from the power transmitting unit to the wireless communication circuit via the second channel.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the power receiving unit is to receive the energy wirelessly and power the wireless communication circuit from an off state to an on state using the energy.

9. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a power sequence manager to manage activation of one or more components of the computing device during a low battery condition.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an identifier of the computing device, and the wireless communication circuit is also to send the identifier to the power transmitting unit via the second channel during a registration process.

11. At least one computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed enable a mobile platform to:

after a wireless communication circuit of the mobile platform is powered on responsive to wireless receipt of energy via a first wireless channel from a power transmitting unit in proximity to the mobile platform, send an advertisement packet via a second wireless channel coupled between the mobile platform and the power transmitting unit; and

execute an authentication protocol with the power transmitting unit via the first wireless channel and the second wireless channel, to enable the power transmitting unit to authenticate the mobile platform, wherein responsive to successful authentication of the mobile platform, the power transmitting unit is to inform a service provider regarding the successful authentication.

12. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the mobile platform to receive a challenge from the power transmitting unit via the second wireless channel and communicate a response to the challenge to the power transmitting unit via the first wireless channel.

13. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the mobile platform to encrypt the response using a pre-shared key, prior to communication of the challenge to the power transmitting unit via the first wireless channel.

14. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the mobile platform to provide an identifier of the mobile terminal to the power transmitting unit with the response via the first wireless channel.

15. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the mobile platform to receive one or more credentials from the power transmitting unit responsive to the successful authentication, to enable the mobile terminal to interact with the service provider.

16. A system comprising:

a power transmitting unit to transmit energy wirelessly to a power receiving unit of a computing device via a transmit coil;

a load modulation detection logic coupled to the transmit coil to receive a message communicated by the computing device via a first channel coupled to the transmit coil; and

a secure detection logic coupled to the load modulation detection logic to authenticate the computing device based at least in part on the message.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the secure detection logic is to report authentication of the computing device to a service provider, the service provider to perform an action on behalf of a user of the computing device, responsive to the authentication of the computing device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the power transmitting unit is to transmit the energy wirelessly responsive to detection of proximal presence of the computing device based at least in part on an impedance change within the power transmitting unit.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the power transmitting unit is to cause a second communication circuit to be powered on, responsive to detection of the proximal presence.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second communication circuit is to communicate one or more credentials to the computing device, responsive to the authentication of the computing device, to enable the computing device to establish a secure connection with the service provider.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the secure detection logic is to authenticate the computing device via the first channel and a second channel coupled between the computing device and the system.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the system comprises a wireless charger for the computing device.