Peer-to-peer event-time secured link establishment

• US 9,052,876 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Willins, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Holder, Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shayanfar, Ali
• Application Number:
  US13/107,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 713/170, 726 2- 3, 455/410, 455/411, 455/168, 455/170
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A method establishes a secure authenticated connection between two devices. The method includes (A) obtaining data related to a tapping event between a first device and a second device, the data including time data of the tapping event; (B) selecting, by the first device, a target device; (C) establishing a non-authenticated secure communication link between the first device and the target device; (D) sending, by the first device, a challenge communication to the target device, the challenge communication including a request for a further data related to the tapping event; (E) receiving, by the first device, a response communication in response to the challenge communication, the response including the further data; (F) determining if the target device is the second device by matching the data with the further data; (G) if the target device is the second device, establishing a secure authenticated communication link between the first and second devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing, by a first device and a second device, data related to a tapping event, defined as the first device and the second device being physically tapped together, the data including time data of the tapping event;

selecting, by the first device, a target device;

establishing a non-authenticated secure communication link between the first device and the target device;

sending, by the first device, a challenge communication to the target device, the challenge communication including a request for a time data of the tapping event as stored by the target device, while withholding the time data of the tapping event stored by the first device;

receiving, by the first device, a response communication in response to the challenge communication, the response including a further data, where the further data comprises the time data of the tapping event as stored by the target device;

determining if the target device is the second device by matching the data with the further data;

whereupon

sending, by the second device, a further challenge communication to the first device while withholding the time data of the tapping event stored by the second device;

receiving, by the second device, a further response communication in response to the further challenge communication;

determining if the first device is related to the tapping event; and

when the target device is the second device, establishing a secure mutually authenticated communication link between the first device and the second device in order to share security credentials using a peer-to-peer connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing of the data related to the tapping event further comprises:

detecting the tapping event by the first and second device based on predetermined sensor data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of an acceleration data and a sound data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device selects the target device from a list of devices which are situated in a predetermined proximity to the first device, the second device being included in the list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device selects the target device by broadcasting a detection notification of the tapping event and processing a response to the detection notification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the challenge communication comprises a random value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the response communication comprises the random value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data and the further data are encrypted using a predetermined encryption method.

9. A device, comprising:

a hardware processor configured to select a target device for communication;

a memory for storing a time data of a tapping event, defined as the device, which is a first device, being physically tapped against a second device;

a sensor detecting an occurrence of the tapping event that includes a physical contact between the first device and the second device;

a clock recording the time of the tapping event;

selecting, by the first device, a target device; and

a transceiver configured to communicate with the target device, the transceiver further configured to;

establish a non-authenticated secure communication link between the first device and the target device;

send a challenge communication to the target device, the challenge communication including a request for a time data of the tapping event as stored by the target device, while withholding the time data of the tapping event stored by the first device;

receive a response communication in response to the challenge communication, the response including a further data, where the further data comprises the time data of the tapping event as stored by the target device;

provide the further data to the processor to determine if the target device is the second device by matching the stored time data with the further data;

whereupon

receive from the second device a further challenge communication to the first device while withholding the time data of the tapping event stored by the second device;

send, to the second device, a further response communication in response to the further challenge communication, such that the second device can determine if the first device is related to the tapping event; and

when the target device is the second device, establish a secure mutually authenticated communication link between the first device and the second device in order to share security credentials using a peer-to-peer connection.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the sensor detects the occurrence of the tapping event based on predetermined sensor data, the sensor data comprising at least one of an acceleration data and a sound data.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising:

a display configured to show a list of a plurality of further devices, the target device being included in the list; and

an input component configured to receive a selection from the list for the second device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of the further devices are situated in predetermined proximity to the first device.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the transceiver is configured to broadcast a detection notification of the tapping event.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the challenge communication comprises a random value and the response communication includes a random value.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the time of the tapping event and the further data are encrypted using a predetermined encryption method.

16. A system, comprising:

a first computer device configured to detect an occurrence of a tapping event, defined as a physical contact between the first computer device and a second computer device, the first computer device further configured to record and store a time data of the tapping event and select a target device for communication; and

the second computer device configured to detect an occurrence of the tapping event, the second computer device further configured to record and store the time of the tapping event;

where the first computer device is configured to;

establish a non-authenticated secure communication link between the first computer device and the target device,

send a challenge communication to the target device, the challenge communication including a request for a time data of the tapping event as stored by the target device, while withholding the time data of the tapping event stored by the first computer device,

receive a response communication in response to the challenge communication, the response including a further data, where the further data comprises the time data of the tapping event as stored by the target device, and

determine if the target device is the second computer device by matching the stored time data with the further data;

whereupon the second computer device is configured to;

send a further challenge communication to the first computer device while withholding the time data of the tapping event stored by the second computer device,

receive a further response communication in response to the further challenge communication, and

determine if the first computer device is related to the tapping event; and

when the target device is the second computer device, the system is configured to establish a secure mutually authenticated communication link between the first computer device and the second computer device in order to share security credentials using a peer-to-peer connection.