Code-based communication connection management

• US 8,041,951 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Pering, Trevor A., Epp, Edward C., Light, John J., Want, Roy, Sharp, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIA, SYED
• Application Number:
  US11/540,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• 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: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In some embodiments, an electronic apparatus comprises a communication interface, an input/output interface, a processor, and logic to collect, in the electronic apparatus, a first identifier associated with a first communication device and second identifier associated with a second communication device, logic to establish a communication connection between the electronic apparatus and the first communication device, and logic to initiate, in the electronic apparatus, a connection request for a communication connection between the first communication device and the second communication device. Other embodiments may be described.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate a communication connection between a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising:

collecting, in an electronic device separate from the first communication device and the second communication device, a first identifier associated with a first communication device and second identifier associated with a second communication device, wherein at least one of the first communication device or the second communication device is a thin device which lacks a display or an input/output mechanism;

establishing a communication connection between the electronic device and the first communication device; and

initiating, in the electronic device, a connection request for a communication connection between the first communication device and the second communication device,

wherein collecting, in an electronic device, a first identifier associated with a first communication device and second identifier associated with a second communication device comprises;

obtaining a first symbol from the first communication device and a second symbol from the second communication device;

decoding the first symbol to obtain the first identifier; and

decoding the second symbol to obtain the second identifier; and

wherein obtaining a first symbol from the first communication device and a second symbol from the second communication device comprises;

collecting, with the electronic device, an image of a first optical tag associated with the first communication device;

collecting, with the electronic device, an image of a second optical tag associated with the second communication device;

decoding the first optical tag to obtain the first identifier; and

decoding the second optical tag to obtain the second identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a first symbol from the first communication device and a second symbol from the second communication device comprises:

entering into an input/output mechanism on the electronic device a first character sequence associated with the first communication device;

entering into an input/output mechanism on the electronic device a second character sequence associated with the second communication device;

decoding the first character sequence to obtain the first identifier; and

decoding the second character sequence to obtain the second identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address for the first device and the second identifier comprises a MAC address for the second device, and further comprising establishing a communication connection between the first communication device and the second communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising terminating the communication connection between the electronic device and the first communication device.

5. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a communication interface;

an input/output interface;

a processor;

means for collecting, in the electronic apparatus, a first identifier associated with a first communication device and second identifier associated with a second communication device, wherein the electronic apparatus is separate from the first electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein at least one of the first communication device or the second communication device is a thin device which lacks a display or an input/output mechanism;

means for establishing a communication connection between the electronic apparatus and the first communication device; and

means for initiating, in the electronic apparatus, a connection request for a communication connection between the first communication device and the second communication device;

means for obtaining a first symbol from the first communication device and a second symbol from the second communication device;

means for decoding the first symbol to obtain the first identifier;

means for decoding the second symbol to obtain the second identifier;

a camera to obtain an image of a first optical tag associated with the first communication device and a second optical tag associated with the second communication device;

means for decoding the first optical tag to obtain the first identifier; and

means for decoding the second optical tag to obtain the second identifier.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a keypad for entering into the electronic device a first character sequence associated with the first communication device and a second character sequence associated with the second communication device;

means for decoding the first character sequence to obtain the first identifier; and

means for decoding the second character sequence to obtain the second identifier.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address for the first device and the second identifier comprises a MAC address for the second device, and further comprising:

means for establishing a communication connection between the first communication device and the second communication device; and

means for terminating the communication connection between the electronic device and the first communication device.

8. A method to facilitate a communication connection between a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising:

receiving, in an electronic device separate from the first communication device and the second communication device, a symbol from a first communication device, wherein the first communication device or the second communication device is a thin device which lacks a display or an input/output mechanism; and

using the symbol to establish a communication connection between the first communication device and the second communication device;

receiving, in the electronic device, a symbol from the second communication device wherein;

the symbol from the first communication device comprises a code that identifies a network address of the second communication device;

the symbol from the second communication device comprises a code that identifies a network address of the third communication device; and

wherein using the symbol to establish a communication connection between the first communication device and a second communication device comprises;

establishing a communication connection between the electronic device and the first communication device; and

initiating, from the electronic device, a request for the first communication device to establish a communication connection with the second communication device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first code comprises a media access control (MAC) address for the first device and the second identifier comprises a MAC address for the second device, and further comprising severing the communication connection between the electronic device and the first communication device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the symbol from the first communication device comprises an authentication code transmitted from the second communication device to the first communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein using the symbol to establish a communication connection between the first communication device and a second communication device comprises:

decoding the symbol to obtain the authentication code; and

comparing the authentication code to an authentication code associated with the third communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising assigning a trusted status to the second communication device when the authentication code from the second communication device matches the authentication code associated with the first communication device.

13. A method to facilitate authentication of an untrusted communication device comprising:

receiving, in the untrusted communication device, a symbol associated with a trusted communication device;

presenting the symbol via an input/output interface coupled to the untrusted communication device;

capturing, in the trusted communication device, an image of the symbol presented on the input/output interface coupled to the untrused communication device; and

using the symbol to authenticate the untrusted communication device;

wherein using the symbol to authenticate the untrusted communication device comprises;

decoding the symbol to obtain a code; and

comparing the code to a code used by the trusted communication device to generate the symbol.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving, in the untrusted communication device, a symbol from a trusted communication device comprises:

establishing a communication link between the trusted communication device and the untrusted communication device;

receiving, in the untrusted communication device, a link to a publicly available resource comprising the symbol; and

accessing the publicly available resource on the trusted communication device to obtain the symbol.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the publicly available resource is a publicly available web page which comprises the symbol;

and

accessing the publicly available resource comprises navigating to the publicly available web.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

presenting the symbol via an input/output interface comprises displaying the symbol on a monitor; and

obtaining the symbol at the trusted communication device comprises obtaining an image of the symbol on the monitor using in image capture apparatus on the trusted communication device.