PHYSICAL TOKEN BASED SECURED CHARGE MANAGEMENT OF A USER EQUIPMENT

• US 20180121683A1
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: GOLDBERG, Itzhack, MCGREGOR, Harry R., MESIKA, Yossi, MOORE, Christopher B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,169,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3215 using a plurality of channels network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3228 One-time or temporary data, i.e. information which is sent for every authentication or authorization, e.g. one-time-password, one-time-token or one-time-key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 : Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning

Abstract

Embodiments for physical token based secured charge management of a user equipment (UE) by a processor. A power charging session is authorized by firmware of the UE for charging the UE upon detecting one or more physical authentication tokens within a selected area of a power charging source or on the power charging source itself, or combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method for physical token based secured charge management of a user equipment (UE) by a processor, comprising:

authorizing a power charging session by firmware of the UE for charging the UE upon detecting one or more physical authentication tokens within a selected area of a power charging source or on the power charging source itself, or combination thereof; and

allowing an unauthorized charging session, prior to the authorizing, to charge the UE up to a pre-authorized charging limit comprising a predetermined percentage of charged capacity of the UE;

wherein the unauthorized charging session is allowed prior to the authorizing upon detecting, by the firmware of the UE, that an unauthorized power charging source has been connected to the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, further including adding the one or more physical authentication tokens to an approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens at the UE, wherein the one or more physical authentication tokens are a near field communication (NFC) sticker, a quick response (QR) code, barcode, or combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, further including entering a unique password into an application of the UE for adding the one or more physical authentication tokens to the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens.

4. The method of claim 3, further including synchronizing a database with the one or more physical authentication tokens added to the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens, wherein the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens is encrypted.

5. The method of claim 1, further including scanning the one or more physical authentication tokens by the UE to commence authorizing the power charging session.

6. The method of claim 1, further including requiring a re-authorization of a subsequent power charging session by firmware of the UE for charging the UE upon detecting a termination or disconnection of the power charging session.

7. (canceled)

8. A system for physical token based secured charge management of a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a hardware processor, operational within and between a distributed computing environment, that;

authorizes a power charging session by firmware of the UE for charging the UE upon detecting one or more physical authentication tokens within a selected area of a power charging source or on the power charging source itself, or combination thereof; and

allows an unauthorized charging session, prior to the authorizing, to charge the UE up to a pre-authorized charging limit comprising a predetermined percentage of charged capacity of the UE;

wherein the unauthorized charging session is allowed prior to the authorizing upon detecting, by the firmware of the UE, that an unauthorized power charging source has been connected to the UE.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor adds the one or more physical authentication tokens to an approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens at the UE, wherein the one or more physical authentication tokens are a near field communication (NFC) sticker, a quick response (QR) code, barcode, or combination thereof.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor enters a unique password into an application of the UE for adding the one or more physical authentication tokens to the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor synchronizes a database with the one or more physical authentication tokens added to the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens, wherein the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens is encrypted.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor scans the one or more physical authentication tokens by the UE to commence authorizing the power charging session.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor requires a re-authorization of a subsequent power charging session by firmware of the UE for charging the UE upon detecting a termination or disconnection of the power charging session.

14. (canceled)

15. A computer program product for physical token based secured charge management of a user equipment (UE) by a processor, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion that authorizes a power charging session by firmware of the UE for charging the UE upon detecting one or more physical authentication tokens within a selected area of a power charging source or on the power charging source itself, or combination thereof; and

an executable portion that allows an unauthorized charging session, prior to the authorizing, to charge the UE up to a pre-authorized charging limit comprising a predetermined percentage of charged capacity of the UE;

wherein the unauthorized charging session is allowed prior to the authorizing upon detecting, by the firmware of the UE, that an unauthorized power charging source has been connected to the UE.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further including an executable portion that:

adds the one or more physical authentication tokens to an approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens at the UE, wherein the one or more physical authentication tokens are a near field communication (NFC) sticker, a quick response (QR) code, barcode, or combination thereof; and

enters a unique password into an application of the UE for adding the one or more physical authentication tokens to the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further including an executable portion that synchronizes a database with the one or more physical authentication tokens added to the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens, wherein the approved list of authorized physical authentication tokens is encrypted.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further including an executable portion that scans the one or more physical authentication tokens by the UE to commence authorizing the power charging session.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further including an executable portion that requires a re-authorization of a subsequent power charging session by firmware of the UE for charging the UE upon detecting a termination or disconnection of the power charging session.

20. (canceled)