Bypassing bluetooth discovery for devices in a special list

• US 9,560,184 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kammer, David, Davis, Mark T., Klein, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US13/408,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20120164947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455517-519, 455565-567, 455 411- 412, 455410-411, 455/507, 455/514, 455/458, 455/550.1, 709/227, 709/228, 709/237
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method of rejecting a Bluetooth communications request is disclosed. A portable device receives a Bluetooth communications request from a computing device. The communications request includes a device identification of the computing device. A list of trusted device identifications stored in a memory resource of the portable device is automatically accessed. The Bluetooth communications request is rejected in response to determining that the device identification is not in the list of trusted device identifications.

Claims

1. A method performed by a portable device, comprising:

receiving a Bluetooth communications request from a computing device, the Bluetooth communications request including a device identification of the computing device;

automatically accessing a list of trusted device identifications stored in a memory of the portable device, the list of trusted device identifications indicating one or more devices that previously established a communication session with the portable device;

displaying a representation of the device identification received from the computing device on a display device of the portable device;

determining whether the received device identification is in the list of trusted device identifications;

establishing a Bluetooth connection with the computing device by sending a Bluetooth page message to the computing device, without receiving a Bluetooth inquiry message from the computing device, in response to determining that the received device identification is in the list of trusted device identifications; and

rejecting the Bluetooth communications request in response to determining that the received device identification is not in the list of trusted device identifications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the device identification is a Bluetooth friendly name.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth communications request is a page message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding an entry to the list of trusted device identifications in response to user input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the Bluetooth connection bypasses standard Bluetooth discovery processes.

6. A portable device comprising:

a display device;

a Bluetooth transceiver configured to receive a Bluetooth communications request from a computing device, the Bluetooth communications request including a device identification of the computing device;

a processor coupled to the Bluetooth transceiver; and

a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device to;

automatically access a list of trusted device identifications stored in the memory, the list of trusted device identifications indicating one or more devices that previously established a communication session with the portable device;

display a representation of the device identification received from the computing device on the display device;

determine whether the received device identification is in the list of trusted device identifications;

establish a Bluetooth connection with the computing device by sending a Bluetooth page message to the computing device, without receiving a Bluetooth inquiry message from the computing device, in response to determining that the received device identification is in the list of trusted device identifications; and

reject the Bluetooth communications request in response to determining that the received device identification is not in the list of trusted device identifications.

7. The portable device of claim 6, wherein the representation of the device identification is a Bluetooth friendly name.

8. The portable device of claim 6, wherein the Bluetooth communications request is a page message.

9. The portable device of claim 6, wherein execution of the instructions causes the portable device to add an entry in the list of trusted device identifications in response to user input.

10. The portable device of claim 6, wherein the portable device comprises a cellular device.

11. The portable device of claim 6, wherein execution of the instructions for establishing the Bluetooth connection bypasses standard Bluetooth discovery processes.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a portable device, cause the portable device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a Bluetooth communications request from a computing device, the Bluetooth communications request including a device identification of the computing device;

automatically accessing a list of trusted device identifications stored in a memory of the portable device, the list of trusted device identifications indicating one or more devices that previously established a communication session with the portable device;

displaying a representation of the device identification received from the computing device on a display device of the portable device;

determining whether the received device identification is in the list of trusted device identifications;

establishing a Bluetooth connection with the computing device by sending a Bluetooth page message to the computing device, without receiving a Bluetooth inquiry message from the computing device, in response to determining that the received device identification is in the list of trusted device identifications; and

rejecting the Bluetooth communications request in response to determining that the received device identification is not in the list of trusted device identifications.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the representation of the device identification is a Bluetooth friendly name.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the Bluetooth communications request is a page message.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein execution of the instructions causes the portable device to perform operations further comprising:

adding an entry to the list of trusted device identifications in response to user input.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein execution of the instructions for establishing the Bluetooth connection bypasses standard Bluetooth discovery processes.