System and method for exchanging encryption keys between a mobile device and a peripheral output device

• US 8,670,566 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kirkup, Michael G., Brown, Michael K., Brown, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiferaw, Eleni
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHOLEMAN, ABU S
• Application Number:
  US11/432,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,860 Days
• Field of Search: 380270-277, 380/28, 713161-171, 713/168, 713/150, 713/184, 455/411
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing additional security for data being transmitted across a wireless connection that has been established using a known wireless protocol (e.g. Bluetooth) are described. An encryption key is exchanged between a computing device (e.g. a mobile device) and a wireless peripheral output device (e.g. a printer, a headset). In some embodiments, the encryption key is generated at the peripheral output device. Data associated with the encryption key is output at the peripheral output device, which can be input by the user at the computing device. The encryption key is then recovered at the computing device from the input, thereby completing the key exchange. The encryption key can then be used to encrypt and decrypt data transmitted over the established wireless connection, providing additional security.

Claims

1. A method of securely transmitting data between a computing device and a peripheral device using a recovered encryption key, the method comprising:

pairing the computing device and the peripheral device over a wireless connection;

placing a first of two devices into an additional security operational mode, the two devices comprising the computing device and the peripheral device;

triggering transmission of a command from the first of the two devices to a second of the two devices over the wireless connection to cause the second of the two devices to enter the additional security operational mode, or receiving a command transmitted from the second of the two devices over the wireless connection at the first of the two devices before placing the first of the two devices into the additional security operational mode;

generating an encryption key at the peripheral device;

at the peripheral device, converting the encryption key into a shorter alphanumeric string from which the encryption key is recoverable and outputting the shorter alphanumeric string, wherein the shorter alphanumeric string into which the encryption key was converted is printed to paper by the same peripheral device that generated the encryption key, provided in audio format, or presented on a Braille pad;

the computing device receiving, from a user interface provided by the computing device, the shorter alphanumeric string;

recovering the encryption key at the computing device from the shorter alphanumeric string received from the user interface provided by the computing device; and

transmitting data encrypted with the encryption key over the wireless connection between the computing device and the same peripheral device that generated the encryption key, the wireless connection established in accordance with a wireless protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shorter alphanumeric string comprises a hexadecimal number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a headset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a printer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the generating, outputting, receiving and recovering is performed before the pairing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol is Bluetooth.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.

8. A peripheral device configured to perform a method of securely transmitting data to a computing device using a recovered encryption key, the peripheral device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to:

pair the peripheral device with the computing device over a wireless connection;

place the peripheral device into an additional security operational mode;

trigger transmission of a command to the computing device over the wireless connection to cause the computing device to enter the additional security operational mode, or receive a command transmitted from the computing device over the wireless connection before placing the peripheral device into the additional security operational mode;

generate an encryption key at the peripheral device;

at the peripheral device, convert the encryption key into a shorter alphanumeric string from which the encryption key is recoverable and outputting the shorter alphanumeric string, wherein the shorter alphanumeric string into which the encryption key was converted is printed to paper by the same peripheral device that generated the encryption key, provided in audio format, or presented on a Braille pad; and

transmit, to the computing device, data encrypted with the encryption key over the wireless connection, and receive, from the computing device, data encrypted with the encryption key over the wireless connection, the wireless connection established in accordance with a wireless protocol;

wherein the computing device is configured to receive, from a user interface provided by the computing device, the shorter alphanumeric string, and recover the encryption key from the shorter alphanumeric string received from the user interface provided by the computing device.

9. The peripheral device of claim 8, wherein the shorter alphanumeric string comprises a hexadecimal number.

10. The peripheral device of claim 8, wherein the peripheral device comprises a headset.

11. The peripheral device of claim 8, wherein the peripheral device comprises a printer.

12. The peripheral device of claim 8, wherein the wireless protocol is Bluetooth.

13. A computing device configured to perform a method of securely transmitting data to a peripheral device using a recovered encryption key, the computing device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to:

pair the computing device with the peripheral device over a wireless connection;

place the computing device into an additional security operational mode;

trigger transmission of a command to the peripheral device over the wireless connection to cause the peripheral device to enter the additional security operational mode, or receive a command transmitted from the computing device over the wireless connection before placing the computing device into the additional security mode;

receive, from a user interface provided by the computing device, a shorter alphanumeric string from which the encryption key is recoverable;

recover the encryption key at the computing device from the shorter alphanumeric string received from the user interface provided by the computing device; and

transmit, to the peripheral device, data encrypted with the encryption key over the wireless connection, and receive, from the peripheral device, data encrypted with the encryption key over the wireless connection, the wireless connection established in accordance with a wireless protocol;

wherein the peripheral device is configured to generate the encryption key, convert the encryption key into a shorter alphanumeric string, and output the shorter alphanumeric string, wherein the shorter alphanumeric string into which the encryption key was converted is printed to paper by the same peripheral device with which the wireless connection is established, provided in audio format, or presented on a Braille pad.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the shorter alphanumeric string comprises a hexadecimal number.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the wireless protocol is Bluetooth.