Method for enabling a wireless secured communication among devices

• US 9,398,451 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Bernsen, Johannes Arnoldus Cornelis, Draaijer, Maurice Herman Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsieh, Ping
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, James
• Application Number:
  US14/001,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20130337739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless docking station for enabling a wireless secured communication between at least one first slave device (a1-aN) and a first master device comprises: a second master device for pairing with the at least one first device (a1-aN) using a pairing protocol implemented on the at least one first device (a1-aN), at least one relayed slave device (b1-bN) which corresponds to the at least one first device (a1-aN), and which is adapted to pair with the first master device using a secured protocol, and a radio module for sending to the first master device information about the at least one relayed slave device (b1-bN).

Claims

1. A method for enabling a wireless secured communication between multiple slave devices and a first master device, the method comprising:

pairing the multiple slave devices with a wireless docking station using pairing protocols implemented on the multiple slave devices that enable a second wireless secured communication between the multiple slave devices and the wireless docking station using second link keys;

generating, by the wireless docking station, multiple virtual slave devices that correspond to the multiple slave devices such that each virtual slave device is functionally identical to a corresponding slave device while having a different device address, the multiple virtual slave devices being adapted to pair with the first master device using a secured pairing protocol; and

transmitting, by the wireless docking station to the first master device, information associated with the multiple virtual slave devices for pairing the multiple virtual slave devices with the first master device using the secured pairing protocol that enables a first wireless secured communication between the multiple virtual slave devices and the first master device using first link keys different from the second link keys.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first master device connecting to selected ones of the multiple virtual slave devices; and

performing only once an interaction with the selected ones of the multiple virtual slave devices in accordance with the secured pairing protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the secured pairing protocol includes an out-of-band interaction between the first master device and the wireless docking station.

4. The method of claim 2, in which the first master device only pairs with at least one predetermined virtual slave device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising recording secured pairing information to automatically allow future pairing between the first master device and the selected ones of the multiple virtual slave devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the secured pairing protocol is a short range communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the secured pairing protocol requires authentication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the authentication for the secured pairing protocol is configured to use a Near Field Communication between the first master device and the wireless docking station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pairing an additional set of at least one slave device with an additional wireless docking station using a pairing protocol implemented on the at least one slave device of said additional set;

the additional wireless docking station generating an additional set of at least one virtual slave device which corresponds to the additional set of at least one slave device, the additional set of at least one virtual slave device being adapted to pair with the first master device using a secured pairing protocol;

configuring a communication channel between the additional wireless docking station and the wireless docking station to exchange information associated with the additional set of a t least one virtual slave devices; and

one of the wireless docking stations sending to the first master device the information associated with the additional set of at least one virtual slave device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pairing an additional set of at least one slave device with an additional wireless docking station using a pairing protocol implemented on the at least one slave device of said additional set;

configuring a communication channel between the additional wireless docking station and the wireless docking station to make available data of the additional set of slave devices to the wireless docking station;

the wireless docking station configuring an additional set of at least one virtual slave device which corresponds to the additional set of at least one slave device, the additional set of at least one virtual slave device being adapted to pair with the first master device using a secured pairing protocol; and

the wireless docking station sending to the first master device information associated with the additional set of at least one virtual slave device.

11. A wireless docking station for enabling a wireless secured communication between multiple slave devices and a first master device, said wireless docking station comprising:

a transceiver configured to pair with the multiple slave devices using pairing protocols implemented on the multiple slave devices so as to enable a second wireless secured communication between the multiple slave devices and the wireless docking station using second link keys;

at least one processor configured to generate multiple virtual slave devices such that each virtual slave device is functionally identical to a corresponding slave device while having a different device address, wherein the multiple virtual slave devices are adapted to pair with the first master device using a secured pairing protocol; and

the transceiver being further configured to send to the first master device information associated with the multiple virtual slave devices for pairing the multiple virtual slave devices with the first master device using the secured pairing protocol that enables a first wireless secured communication between the multiple virtual slave devices and the first master device using first link keys different from the second link keys.

12. The wireless docking station of claim 11, wherein the first master device is configured to connect to selected ones of the multiple virtual slave devices using the transceiver;

and

the wireless docking station is further configured to perform an interaction required by the secured pairing protocol only once with the selected ones of the multiple virtual slave device.