Wireless device support for electronic devices

• US 7,436,300 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Aull, Randall E, Hauser, Peter E. H., Thompson, Bernard J, Rensberger, Gary M, Fosdick, Bradley L, Holan, Doron J, Bhesania, Firdosh K, Wen, Chih Jen, Glass, Andrew C, Dreher, Christopher M
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nam V
• Application Number:
  US10/987,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20060105712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 455 411- 415, 455/418, 455/412.1, 455410-411, 455/420, 455/466, 455/88, 455/86, 370/310, 370/313, 370/257
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• 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: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Disclosed are a unique system and method that facilitate establishing and maintaining a secure connection between at least one wireless input component and a host (e.g., PC). The system and method involve the wireless input component broadcasting a message that can be “heard” by any potential host located within a given distance from the wireless input component. The message can indicate that the input component is available for use or pairing with a PC. PCs in the area can respond to the message by notifying the user that a wireless input component is available and by generating a random PIN. The PIN can be displayed to the user on the respective PC. The user can be prompted to enter the PIN using the wireless device. When a match between the user'"'"'s response and the corresponding PC is determined, the two can be securely linked. In addition the invention provides support of wireless input devices at boot or start up.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates wireless device support for electronic devices comprising:

a transceiver—

Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub that is configurable to operatively connect to at least one host computer that communicates with at least one wireless input component to facilitate recognizing the at least one wireless input component at boot;

a pairing component that is configurable to securely connect the at least one wireless input component with the host computer, the pairing component comprising a message transmission component that broadcasts a message from the at least one wireless input component to the host PC to engage the PC into a pairing process;

a host generator that generates an input sequence selected from a plurality of input sequences and that presents the selected input sequence to a user, asking the user to enter the selected input sequence into the at least one wireless input component to facilitate matching up the at least one wireless input component with a desired PC; and

an input analyzer comprising a challenge-response mechanism that challenges at least one possible host in the area of the wireless input component, the input analyzer determines whether the response indicates the desired host.

2. The system of claim 1, the pairing component is configurable to further securely bond the at least one host computer to the at least one wireless input component without using another input component.

3. The system of claim 1, the transceiver—

Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub comprises a transceiver that is operative as a USB hub having USB—

human interface device (HID) emulation to interact seamlessly as one or more USB HIDs with wireless HIDs.

4. The system of claim 3, the transceiver is at least one of a Bluetooth transceiver or any other wireless bus transceiver.

5. The system of claim 1, the message is broadcasted at a low power level to limit a number of PCs that hear the message.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a broadcast receiver that receives messages or signals sent by depressing an interface component on the wireless input component.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device bonding component that synchronizes the host PC and at least one wireless input component without requiring input from a separate input device.

8. The system of claim 7, the separate input device comprises at least one of the following:

wired or wireless keyboard, wired or wireless mouse, wired or wireless joystick, remote control device, wired or wireless keypad, wired or wireless stylus, or any other wired or wireless device that exposes a human interface device (HID) interface.

9. The system of claim 1, the wireless input component comprises at least one of the following:

wired or wireless keyboard, wired or wireless mouse, wired or wireless joystick, remote control device, wired or wireless keypad, wired or wireless stylus, or any other wired or wireless device.

10. The system of claim 1, the transceiver—

Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub comprises at least two ports, wherein a USB—

human interface device (HID) logical device is connected to a first port and a USB Bluetooth transceiver logical device is connected to a second port.

11. The system of claim 1, the transceiver—

Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub comprises a Bluetooth human interface device (HID) stack that allows the transceiver-USB hub to translate a plurality of HID packets from a Bluetooth protocol to a USB protocol.

12. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer executable components of claim 1.

13. A system that facilitates wireless device support for electronic devices comprising:

a transceiver-USB hub that is configurable to operatively connect to at least one host computer that communicates with at least one wireless input component to facilitate recognizing the at least one wireless input component at boot;

a pairing component that is configurable to securely connect the at least one wireless input component with the host computer, the pairing component comprising;

a message transmission component that broadcasts a message from the at least one wireless input component to the host PC to engage the PC into a pairing process;

a random string generator that generates a plurality of strings comprising one or more characters and that presents the strings to a user, asking the user to enter the string into the computer to facilitate matching up the wireless input component with a desired PC; and

an input analyzer comprising a challenge-response mechanism that challenges at least one possible host in the area of the wireless input component, the input analyzer determines whether the response indicates the desired host.

14. A method that facilitates a secure wireless pairing process comprising:

broadcasting a message to indicate that a wireless input component is in an area and available;

detecting and analyzing the message;

notifying a user that the wireless input component is available for connection to a PC by inputting an input sequence selected from a plurality of input sequences on the wireless input component; and

determining whether a secure connection can be established between the PC and the wireless input component in response to receiving the selected input sequence.

15. The method of claim 14, the message comprises one or more signals that are transmitted to and received by one or more PCs located within a distance from the wireless input component.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising depressing a data input interface component located on the wireless device to initiate a message broadcast from the wireless input component, wherein the data input interface component comprises at least one of the following:

a button, a switch, a knob, and a key.

17. The method of claim 14, the message is a limited inquiry access code specific to wireless input components and to '"'"' in the area.

18. The method of claim 14, the message is transmitted at a transmit level low enough to mitigate displaying random dialogs on PCs other than on the PC intended for pairing while enhancing security.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising making the wireless input component visible to the PC after the secure connection is established.

20. The method of claim 14, the wireless input component is a wireless human interface device (HID).

21. The method of claim 14, the wireless input component is at least one of the following:

a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a stylus, and a helmet.

22. A method that facilitates a secure wireless pairing process comprising:

broadcasting a message to indicate that a wireless input component is in an area and available;

detecting and analyzing the message;

notifying a user that the wireless input component is available for connection to a PC comprises;

generating a random character string,

making the random character string visible on the PC while keeping the wireless input component invisible to the PC, and

requiring the user to respond to the message by entering the random character string using the wireless input component; and

determining whether a secure connection can be established between the PC and the wireless input component.

23. The method of claim 22, determining whether a secure connection can be established comprises:

collating responses to the message and capturing keystrokes from the wireless input component simultaneously;

matching the user'"'"'s response to the random character string generated by the PC; and

when a match occurs, establishing a secure connection between the wireless input component and the PC.

24. A method that facilitates a secure wireless pairing process comprising:

broadcasting a message to indicate that a wireless input component is in an area and available;

detecting and analyzing the message;

notifying a user that the wireless input component is available for connection to a PC;

determining whether a secure connection can be established between the PC and the wireless input component; and

detecting a reset push from the wireless input component; and

determining whether the user desires to delete a pairing between the wireless input component and the PC.

25. The method of claim 24, determining whether the user desires to delete the pairing comprises:

detecting a length of the reset push; and

comparing the length of the reset to push to a threshold to ascertain whether the reset push was intentional or accidental.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising performing one of the following:

deleting a shared key used for or by the wireless device when the push is intentional; and

re-synchronizing the secure connection when the push is accidental.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein an intentional reset push is of a greater length than an accidental push.

28. A system that facilitates a secure wireless pairing process comprising:

means for broadcasting a message to indicate that a wireless input component is in an area and available;

means for detecting and analyzing the message;

means for notifying a user that the wireless input component is available for connection to a PC by inputting a unique input sequence; and

means for determining whether a secure connection can be established between the PC and the wireless input component in response to receiving the unique input sequence from wireless input component made by the user,

a computer readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer executable components for facilitating a secure connection between a host and at least one wireless input device comprising.

29. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer executable components for facilitating a secure connection between a host and at least one wireless input device, comprising:

a first set of codes for causing a computer to access information associated with a message broadcasted from the wireless input device to at least one possible host in an area that indicates that the wireless input component is available for use;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to generate a shared key to challenge each possible host, at least one possible host responding with an input sequence selected from a plurality of input sequences, and with a response from the user comprising the selected input sequence that indicates which host is the desired host.