In-band peripheral authentication

• US 9,569,609 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bourque, Francis P.
• Primary Examiner(s): OBERLY, ERIC T
• Application Number:
  US14/968,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0653 with centralised address assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card

Abstract

This document describes techniques (300, 400) and apparatuses (100, 500, 600, 700) for in-band peripheral authentication. These techniques (300, 400) and apparatuses (100, 500, 600, 700) may communicate via a non-media channel allowing host device (102) to authenticate peripheral (106), enable an enhanced operational mode of the host device (102), and/or provide content configured for the peripheral (106) without the use of out-of-band signaling.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining an address of a non-media channel at which a peripheral can be authenticated by a host device;

performing an authentication protocol using the address at which the peripheral can be authenticated;

responsive to the peripheral being authenticated, enabling a full operational mode between the host device and a media interface, wherein the full operational mode includes;

causing first content that includes a user interface to be presented on the host device and causing second content to be presented by the peripheral via a media channel of the media interface, wherein the user interface receives user inputs from a user of the host device for interacting with the second content presented by the peripheral; and

transmitting control signals to the peripheral via the non-media channel of the media interface based on the user inputs received by the user interface; and

responsive to the peripheral not being authenticated, enabling a limited operational mode between the host device and the media interface, wherein the limited operational mode includes limiting the quality of media provided via the media channel of the media interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes receiving address information from the peripheral via the non-media channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the full operational mode includes:

a windowed user interface context that is different from a non-windowed user interface context enabled when the peripheral is not connected to the host device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a representation of graphic elements of the user interface is not provided to the peripheral via the media interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the full operational mode includes a capability to receive general purpose input/output signals, status information, or short messages from the peripheral via the non-media channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling the limited operational mode includes:

disabling one or more capabilities of the host device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the authentication protocol includes:

receiving an identifier from the peripheral;

determining whether the identifier matches one of a set of authentic identifiers; and

challenging the peripheral through the non-media channel responsive to the identifier matching one of the set of authentic identifiers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the host device to increase an amount of current output to a connector of the non-media channel, or re-route an audio channel, in response to the peripheral being authenticated.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the full operational mode based on digitally signed enhanced display identification data (EDID) that includes address information, capabilities, or features of the peripheral.

10. A method, comprising:

making available an address of a non-media channel to a host device for authentication of a peripheral;

receiving an authentication request from the host device at the address of the non-media channel;

communicating an authentication response to the host device via the non-media channel;

receiving, via a media interface of the host device, content configured for the peripheral based on the authentication response communicated to the host device, wherein the received content is of limited media quality if the peripheral is not authenticated; and

causing the content configured for the peripheral to be presented by the peripheral via a media channel of the media interface, wherein the content is different than a user interface presented on the host device that receives user inputs from a user of the host device for interacting with the content presented by the peripheral if the peripheral is authenticated; and

receiving control signals via the non-media channel based on the user inputs received by the user interface if the peripheral is authenticated.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a use command effective to configure the peripheral for media interaction, the use command based on the authentication response communicated to the host device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein making available the address includes:

presenting the address for the authentication of the peripheral instead of another address for identifying or authenticating a media interface component of the peripheral.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein making available the address includes:

determining an unused address of the non-media channel and presenting the unused address to the host device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein other addresses of the non-media channel identify a component capable of indicating media capabilities of the peripheral or a component for encrypting contents of the media interface.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

communicating information identifying media capabilities of the peripheral to the host device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the content configured for the peripheral includes:

a windowed user interface context that is manipulable via inputs of the peripheral.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the content configured for the peripheral includes:

multimedia content without user interface elements for manipulating the multimedia content.

18. A peripheral comprising:

an authentication module configured to communicate a response to an authentication request received from a host device via a non-media channel;

a communication switch configured to, responsive to connection to the host device, switch the non-media channel from a media interface module of the peripheral to the authentication module of the peripheral to enable authentication of the peripheral; and

a processor that, responsive to the peripheral being authenticated;

causes content configured for the peripheral to be presented via a media channel of the media interface, wherein the content is different than a user interface presented on the host device that receives user inputs from a user of the host device for interacting with the content presented by the peripheral; and

receives control signals via the non-media channel based on the user inputs received by the user interface.

20. The peripheral as recited in claim 18, wherein the non-media channel is compliant with an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) or a display data channel (DDC) protocol.

19. A peripheral comprising:

an authentication module configured to communicate a response to an authentication request received from a host device via a non-media channel;

a communication switch configured to, responsive to connection to the host device, switch the non-media channel from a media interface module of the peripheral to the authentication module of the peripheral to enable authentication of the peripheral; and

a processor that, responsive to the peripheral being authenticated, causes content configured for the peripheral to be presented via a media channel of the media interface, wherein the content is different than content presented on the host device; and

a cable coupled to the peripheral, wherein the communication switch is located within the cable.