Validation for secure device associations

• US 7,370,200 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tourrilhes, Jean, Zhang, Kan, Kindberg, Timothy Paul James Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shan; April Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/769,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 380/249, 380/283, 380/247, 380/270, 455/411, 713168-171, 713/182
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user

Abstract

The present invention provides for validating an association between computing devices using a succession of human-perceptible stimuli such as sounds, lights colors or shapes. Commands are sent from the initiating device to the responding device in encrypted messages. Human-perceptible stimuli are formed at the responding device in response to at least some of the commands. The responder searches for messages that the responder is unable to decrypt and that are received in a time interval before messages that the responder is able to decrypt. The succession of human-perceptible stimuli may be harmonized, in which case, an association between the initiating device and the responding device is validated when the human-perceptible stimuli formed by the initiating device and the human-perceptible stimuli formed by the responding device are harmonized together.

Claims

1. A method of validating a device association using a succession of human-perceptible stimuli comprising:

sending commands from an initiating device to a responding device in encrypted messages;

forming human-perceptible stimuli of the succession at the responding device in response to at least some of the commands;

forming at least some of the human-perceptible stimuli of the succession at the initiating device, wherein an association between the initiating device and the responding device is validated when the succession of human perceptible-stimuli formed by the initiating device and by the responding device is perceptibly harmonized; and

searching for messages received at the responding device that the responding device is unable to decrypt and that are received in a time interval before messages that the responding device is able to decrypt; and

indicating an unsuccessful association when a number of messages are received at the responding device that the responding device is unable to decrypt and that are received in a time interval before messages that the responding device is able to decrypt.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating data other than commands between the devices after the association is validated.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising aborting further communication between the devices when the human-perceptible stimuli formed by the initiating device and the human-perceptible stimuli formed by the responding device are not harmonized.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initiating device informs its operator of the commands it is sending.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the initiating device informs its operator of the commands it is sending by forming the human-perceptible stimuli formed by the responding device.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the initiating device informs its operator of the commands it is sending by displaying the title of a song.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the succession of human-perceptible stimuli includes sounds.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the succession of human-perceptible stimuli includes flashing lights.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the succession of human-perceptible stimuli includes changing colors.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the succession of human-perceptible stimuli includes changing shapes.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying messages received at the responding device that the responding device is able to decrypt and that do not result in forming a human-perceptible stimulus.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising ignoring the messages received at the responding device that the responding device is able to decrypt and that do not result in forming a human-perceptible stimulus.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising delaying forming a next human-perceptible stimulus when a duration for forming a current human-perceptible stimulus falls below a minimum value.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising exchanging encryption keys between the initiating device and the responding device.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising exchanging network addresses between the initiating device and the responding device.

16. An initiating device for validating a spontaneous association with a responding device, comprising:

a controller rendering a harmonized succession of human-perceptible stimuli;

a user interface forming at least some of the human-perceptible stimuli at the initiating device; and

a transmitter sending encrypted commands from the initiating device to a responding device, the commands instructing the responding device to form at least some of the human-perceptible stimuli at the responding device wherein an association between the initiating device and the responding device is validated when the succession of human perceptible-stimuli formed by the initiating device and by the responding device is perceptibly harmonized.

17. The initiating device according to claim 16, the succession of human-perceptible stimuli including sounds.

18. A responding device for validating a spontaneous association with an initiating device, comprising

a receiver receiving encrypted commands from the initiating device, the commands for instructing the responding device to form at least some human-perceptible stimuli at the responding device;

a user interface forming at least some of the human-perceptible stimuli at the responding device wherein the human-perceptible stimuli formed at the responding device is perceptibly harmonized with human-perceptible stimuli formed at the initiating device; and

a controller searching for messages received at the responding device that the responding device is unable to decrypt and that are received in a time interval before messages that the responding device is able to decrypt wherein the controller indicates an unsuccessful association when a number of messages received at the responding device that the responding device is unable to decrypt and that are received in a time interval before messages that the responding device is able to decrypt.

19. The responding device according to claim 18, the human-perceptible stimuli including sounds.

20. The responding device according to claim 18, wherein the controller identifies messages received at the responding device that the responding device is able to decrypt and that do not result in forming a human-perceptible stimulus.

21. The responding device according to claim 20, wherein the controller ignores the messages received at the responding device that the responding device is able to decrypt and that do not result in forming a human-perceptible stimulus.

22. A computer readable media having stored thereon computer code, which when executed, performs a method of validating a spontaneous association between an initiating device and a responding device, comprising:

rendering a harmonized succession of human-perceptible stimuli at the initiating device;

forming at least some of the human-perceptible stimuli at the initiating device; and

sending encrypted commands from the initiating device to a responding device, the commands for instructing the responding device to form at least some of the human-perceptible stimuli at the responding device wherein an association between the initiating device and the responding device is validated when the succession of human perceptible-stimuli formed by the initiating device and by the responding device is perceptibly harmonized.

23. The computer readable media device according to claim 22, the succession of human-perceptible stimuli including sounds.

24. A computer readable media having stored thereon computer code, which when executed, performs a method of validating a spontaneous association between an initiating device and a responding device, comprising:

receiving encrypted commands from the initiating device, the commands for instructing the responding device to form at least some human-perceptible stimuli at the responding device;

forming at least some of the human-perceptible stimuli at the responding device wherein the human-perceptible stimuli formed at the responding device is perceptibly harmonized with human-perceptible stimuli formed at the initiating device;

searching for messages received at the responding device that the responding device is unable to decrypt and that are received in a time interval before messages that the responding device is able to decrypt; and

indicating an unsuccessful association when a number of messages are received at the responding device that the responding device is unable to decrypt and that are received in a time interval before messages that the responding device is able to decrypt.

25. The computer readable media according to claim 24, the human-perceptible stimuli including sounds.