Method and system for authenticating communication

• US 9,141,780 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smsc Holdings Sarl
• Original Assignee: Smsc Holdings Sarl
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Ramanathan, Hamadani, Hooman Kashef
• Primary Examiner(s): RAHIM, MONJUR
• Application Number:
  US13/301,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and system for authenticating communication between a plurality of accessory devices or services and one or more media devices by using a single authentication processor. The method includes the steps of establishing a communication of a media device attached to an accessory device with an authentication processor through an authentication processor manager, authenticating the accessory device by the media device based on a digital certificate and a digital signature; and authenticating the media device by the accessory device based on verification of the digital certificate and the digital signature.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating communication between a plurality of accessory devices or services and one or more media devices, the method comprising:

configuring a switch to provide exclusive use of an authentication processor by a first media device of the one or more media devices, wherein the first media device is of a first media device type;

receiving, at the authentication processor, a request from the first media device to authenticate a first accessory device;

authenticating, by the authentication processor, the first accessory device on behalf of the first media device, wherein the authentication processor communicates with the first accessory device via a first microcontroller configured for interfacing with media devices of the first media device type;

configuring the switch to release exclusive use of the authentication processor by the first media device;

configuring the switch to provide exclusive use of the authentication processor by a second media device of the one or more media devices, wherein the second media device is of a second media device type;

receiving, at the authentication processor, a request from the second media device to authenticate the first accessory device;

authenticating, by the authentication processor, the first accessory device on behalf of the second media device, wherein the authentication processor communicates with the first accessory device via a second microcontroller configured for interfacing with media devices of the second media device type; and

configuring the switch to release exclusive use of the authentication processor by the second media device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of accessory devices includes an accessory processor, and each of the media devices includes a media processor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending a request from a media processor executing at the media device to the authentication processor manager;

connecting the media processor with the authentication processor by means of an authentication processor manager; and

accessing one or more services of the authentication processor by the media processor.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of accessory devices and the one or more media devices comprises a proxy server module, wherein the proxy server module provides services to one or more clients.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein one or more of the accessory devices and media devices includes a client module for interacting with the proxy server module to remotely access one or more services of the authentication processor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein establishing the communication of the media device with the authentication processor further comprises:

communicating, by the media device, with the client module executing at an accessory device;

communicating, by the client module, with the proxy server module to access the authentication processor, wherein the proxy server module is executing at another accessory device; and

interacting, by the proxy server module, with the authentication processor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating communications between the first accessory device and the first media device further comprises:

supplying, by the authentication processor, a digital certificate to the first media device for public key verification of the first accessory device; and

generating, by the authentication processor, a digital signature in response to a challenge from the first media device, wherein the digital signature is used by the authentication processor for authenticating communications between the first media device and the first accessory device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein authenticating the communication further comprises:

verifying, by the authentication processor, a digital certificate provided by the first media device;

generating, by the authentication processor, a challenge for authenticating the first media device;

sending, by the authentication processor, the challenge to the first media device; and

verifying, by the authentication processor, the digital signature provided by the first media device in response to the challenge sent to the first media device; and

authenticating, by the authentication processor, communications between the first media device and the first accessory device based on the verification of the digital signature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication is based on an X.509 digital certificate.

10. A system for authenticating communication between a plurality of accessory devices or services and one or more media devices, the system comprising:

an authentication processor configured to authenticate a first accessory device on behalf of a first media device of the one or more media devices and further configured to authenticate the first accessory device on behalf of a second media device of the one or more media devices;

a switch configured to provide exclusive use of the authentication processor by the first media device, wherein the first media device is of a first media device type and further configured to provide exclusive use of the authentication processor by a second media device of the one or more media devices, wherein the second media device is of a second media device type.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the authentication processor is further configured to:

receive one or more request from a media processor executing at the media device to connect the media processor with the authentication processor;

enable the media processor to access one or more services of the authentication processor; and

ensure that only one processor is communicating with the authentication processor at a time.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of accessory devices and the one or more media devices comprises a proxy server module, wherein the proxy server module provides services to one or more client modules.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more of the plurality of processors comprises a client module for interacting with the proxy server module to remotely access one or more services of the authentication processor.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising an authentication processor manager of an accessory device configured to:

communicate with the client module executing at an accessory device;

communicate with the proxy server module to access the authentication processor through the client module, wherein the proxy server module is executing at a processor of another accessory device; and

interact with the authentication processor through the proxy server module.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the authentication processor is further configured to:

supply an X.509 digital certificate to the media device for public key verification; and

generate a digital signature in response to a challenge from the attached media device,

wherein the digital signature is used for authenticating the communication.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the authentication processor is further configured to:

verify the X.509 certificate provided by the media device;

generate a challenge for the media device;

send the challenge to the media device;

verify the digital signature provided by the media device in response to the challenge sent to the media device; and

authenticate the media device based on the verification of the digital signature.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the authentication includes an X.509 digital certificate.

18. A system of claim 10, further comprising:

a proxy server module in communication with the authentication processor, and

wherein a client executes at each of the a plurality of processors for interacting with the proxy server module through a protocol for remotely accessing the services of the authentication processor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of processors are executing at one or more of a plurality of accessory devices and one or more media devices.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the authentication processor communicates with the first accessory device via a first microcontroller configured for interfacing with media devices of the first media device type and wherein the authentication processor communicates with the first accessory device via a second microcontroller configured for interfacing with media devices of the second media device type.