Idiosyncratic emissions fingerprinting method for identifying electronic devices

• US 7,420,474 B1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barron Associates Inc
• Original Assignee: Barron Associates Inc
• Inventors: Bateman, Alec, Elks, Carl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeff
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US11/128,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 340/679, 340/682, 340/683, 340/5.8, 340/571, 340/678, 705/64, 705/59, 705/76
• US Class Current: 340/678
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns

Abstract

A method of producing idiosyncratic electronic emissions fingerprints from an electronic device is disclosed wherein emissions produced by the electronic device are collected and converted into one or more digital electronic fingerprints. The method contemplates a variety of emissions, such as electromagnetic emissions (including radio frequency emissions) and vibrational emissions (including audio emissions). The emissions fingerprints of various types extracted from an electronic device can be combined into more complex emissions signatures, and/or they can be combined with conventional electronic fingerprints or other idiosyncratic identifying data. A drift-test method for compensation and correction of emissions fingerprint drift is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An emissions fingerprinting method comprising the steps of:

(1a) collecting at least one type of emissions produced by an electronic device;

(1b) converting the emissions collected at step (1a) to emissions ID data; and

,

(1c) constructing at least one emissions fingerprint from the emissions ID data of step (1b).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one type of emissions collected at step (1a) is an electromagnetic (EM) emission.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one type of emissions collected at step (1a) is a radio frequency (RF) emission.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one type of emissions collected at step (1a) is a vibrational emission.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one type of emissions collected at step (1a) is an audio emission.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of placing inside the electronic device at least one sensor for carrying out step (1a).

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the sensors is an antenna.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the sensors is a microphone.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of combining at least two emissions fingerprints constructed at step (1c) to form an emissions signature.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(10a) obtaining non-emissions ID data identifying the electronic device; and

(10b) forming a signature by combining the non-emissions ID data obtained at step (10a) with at least one of the emissions fingerprints constructed at step (1c).

11. The method of claim 1 wherein Step (1c) comprises a peak detection algorithm.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein Step (1c) comprises a mean fast Fourier transformation (FFT) peak differential analysis.

13. A method for verifying identifying an electronic device, said method comprising the steps of:

(13a) collecting at least one type of emissions produced by the electronic device;

(13b) converting the emissions collected at step (13a) to emissions ID data;

(13c) constructing at least one emissions fingerprint from the emissions ID data of step (13b);

(13d) using the emissions fingerprint constructed at step (13c) to identify the electronic device; and

,

(13e) comparing the emissions fingerprint of step (13d) to an emissions fingerprint previously obtained for the electronic device, whereby if the two emissions fingerprints match the identify of the electronic device is verified.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the previously obtained emissions fingerprint of step (13d) is in the form of a fingerprint template.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

(15a) establishing an identity-tolerance parameter for the emissions fingerprint template;

(15b) establishing a drift-tolerance parameter for the emissions fingerprint template;

(15c) initiating protective measures if the variance between the emissions fingerprint template and the fingerprint constructed at Step (13c) exceeds the drift-tolerance parameter established at Step (15b); and

,

(15d) obtaining a new emissions fingerprint template from the electronic device if the variance between the emissions fingerprint template and the fingerprint constructed at step (13c) exceeds the identity-tolerance parameter established at Step (18a) but does not exceed the drift-tolerance parameter established at Step (15b).

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of combining at least two emissions fingerprints constructed at step (13c) to form an emissions signature.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

(17a) obtaining non-emissions ID data identifying the electronic device; and

(17b) forming a signature by combining the non-emissions ID data obtained at step (17a) with at least one of the emissions fingerprints constructed at step (13c).

18. The method of claim 13 wherein Step (13c) comprises applying at least one of:

i) a peak detection algorithm, and ii) a mean fast Fourier transformation (FFT) peak differential analysis.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the emissions collected at step (13a) includes at least one of:

i) electromagnetic radiation;

ii) vibrational emissions, and iii) audio emissions.