Wireless secure device

• US 7,224,801 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Ambuehl, Rolf, Abdo, Samer, Bodenmann, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cervetti; David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US09/974,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A method and apparatus for securely connecting one or more wireless peripheral devices such as keyboards, mice, gamepads, remote controllers, joysticks and one or more host systems such as personal computers or workstations, the secure connection reducing the vulnerability of wireless communications between a wireless peripheral device and a host system to accidental or malicious interference or eavesdropping.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method performed by a host system of securely connecting a wireless user input device to the host system, the method comprising:

generating an encryption key and a transmission sequence, where the transmission sequence includes a first portion that represents the encryption key and a second portion that is a confirmation sequence and wherein the transmission sequence is generated in accordance with a check mechanism for verification of the transmission sequence by the wireless user input device;

transmitting the transmission sequence to the wireless user input device;

receiving an input from the wireless user input device, wherein the input includes an encrypted input portion encrypted by the wireless user input device using an encryption key the wireless user input device generated from the first portion of the transmission sequence;

decrypting the encrypted input portion using the encryption key; and

determining if the decrypted input portion matches the second portion of the transmission sequence that is the confirmation sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the check mechanism comprises one of an error detection mechanism and an internal consistency mechanism.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an encryption key and a transmission sequence further comprises displaying the transmission sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to generating an encryption key,

receiving a password required to begin the process of securely connecting the wireless user input device to the host system,

receiving the password prior to terminating an established connection, and

if the password is not received prior to the termination of a secure connection, notifying a user that the established secure connection has been terminated without authorization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless user input device comprises one of a keyboard, a computer mouse, and a joystick.

4. The method of 1, wherein the step of generating an encryption key and a transmission sequence is performed responsive to a request to establish a host connection, the request performed responsive to a user activating a connection mechanism located on the wireless user input device.

7. A computer implemented method of attempting to establish a secure connection between a wireless user input device and a host system performed by a wireless user input device, the method comprising:

receiving an input at the wireless user input device, the input including a first input portion and a second input portion;

verifying the validity of the input by performing a check on the input at the wireless user input device;

responsive to a verification of the validity of the input, generating an encryption key from the first input portion and encrypting the second input portion with the encryption key; and

transmitting from the wireless user input device the encrypted second input portion for verification.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying by the host system at least a portion of the input.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising, in response to a failed attempt to verify the validity of the input, terminating an attempt to establish a secure connection.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmission sequence includes a first portion, which represents the encryption key, and a second portion that comprises a confirmation sequence, wherein the step of receiving the input comprises:

receiving from a user the first portion;

transmitting alternate reports representing the first portion to the host system for display as generic characters; and

receiving from a user the second portion, and transmitting standard reports representing the second portion to the host system for display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless user input device comprises a keyboard.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless user input device comprises one of a computer mouse and a joystick.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the check comprises at least one of an error detection mechanism, an internal consistency mechanism, calculating a checksum, and detecting a cyclic redundancy.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless user input device comprises one of a keyboard, a computer mouse, and a joystick.

15. A computer implemented system for securely connecting a wireless user input device to a host system, the computer system comprising:

the wireless user input device including;

a signal generator for generating an input, wherein the input matches a transmission sequence, and the input includes a first input portion matching a first portion of the transmission sequence, and a second input portion matching a second portion of the transmission sequence,

an encryption module for generating an encryption key from the first input portion, and for encrypting the second input portion with the encryption key, and

a transmitter for transmitting the encrypted second input portion to the host system wherein the wireless user input device is configured to verify the consistency of a transmission sequence in accordance with a check mechanism; and

the host system having;

a receiver for receiving data from the wireless user input device,

a signal generator for generating the encryption key and the transmission sequence, wherein the transmission sequence includes a first portion representing the encryption key and a second portion, and

a decryption module for decrypting the encrypted second sequence, and for determining if the decrypted second input portion matches the second portion of the transmission sequence.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless user input device further comprises a connection mechanism for initiating a secure connection process.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the host system further comprises a display unit for displaying the transmission sequence such that a user can view the transmission sequence and enter the matching input into the wireless peripheral device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein communication between the wireless user input device and the host system is unidirectional.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the transmission sequence is generated in accordance to one of an error detection mechanism and an internal consistency mechanism.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is configured to operate in a secured mode wherein the wireless user input device transmits encrypted data to the host system and a standard mode wherein the wireless user input device transmits unencrypted data to the host system.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the signal generator is configured to generate the encryption key based on a non-sequential encryption method.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein, to generate the encryption key, the signal generator is configured to perform one of:

scattering to convert an initial keycode into a subsequent keycode, using an expansion function to generate an expanded keycode, and using a dilution function on the expanded keycode for use in generating the encryption key.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein in order to verify the consistency of the transmission sequence, the wireless user input device is configured to perform one of calculate a checksum and perform a cyclic redundancy check.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiver comprises the signal generator and the decryption module, and is configured to decrypt data from the wireless user input device.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless user input device comprise one of a keyboard, a computer mouse, and a joystick.