Random number generator in a battery pack

• US 7,554,288 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gangstoe, Gunnar, Sato, Hideyuki, Aas, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US11/373,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/110, 710/52
• US Class Current: 320/107
• 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: H04L 9/0662 with particular pseudorandom sequence generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869

Abstract

Apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for battery management. In one implementation, a method of communication provided. The method includes enabling determining when a battery pack is coupled to a device, the battery pack including a battery management system. The method also includes generating a random number at the battery management system, the battery management system including battery monitoring circuitry, a processor, memory and a random number generator. The method includes using the random number to provide authentication and if authentication succeeds, enabling communication between the battery pack and the device.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising:

enabling determining when a battery pack is coupled to a device, the battery pack including a battery management system;

generating a random number at the battery management system, the battery management system including battery monitoring circuitry, a processor, memory and a random number generator;

using the random number to provide authentication, at the battery management system, of the device; and

if authentication succeeds, enabling communication between the battery pack and the device.

2. The method of claim 1, the authentication further comprising:

determining whether the device is an authorized device.

3. The method of claim 1, the authentication further comprising:

performing one or more steps required to allow the device to determine whether the battery pack is authorized for use with the device.

4. The method of claim 1, the authentication further comprising:

encrypting the random number using a first encryption key; and

transmitting the encrypted random number to the device.

5. The method of claim 4, the authentication further comprising:

receiving an encrypted random number from the device; and

decrypting the received encrypted random number using a second encryption key.

6. The method of claim 5, the authentication further comprising:

comparing the generated random number with the random number decrypted using the second encryption key.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if authentication fails, limiting communication between the battery pack and the device.

8. The method of claim 7, where limiting communication includes preventing communication.

9. The method of claim 1, where communication between the battery pack and the device includes providing battery charge data to the device.

10. The method of claim 1, the authentication further comprising:

receiving an encrypted random number from the device, the random number encrypted using a first encryption key;

decrypting the received random number using the first encryption key;

encrypting the decrypted random number using a second encryption key; and

transmitting the random number encrypted with the second encryption key to the device.

11. The method of claim 1, where the random number is based on physical properties.