Authentication and authorization in a wearable ensemble

• US 9,578,504 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Weast, John Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US14/568,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20160174071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• 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

Abstract

Various systems and methods for authentication and authorization in a wearable ensemble are described herein. A system for authenticating a wearable device includes an access module to access a second wearable device from a first wearable device, the first and second wearable devices being worn by a wearer and the first wearable device being a trusted device to the wearer, a measurement module to measure a distance from the first wearable device to the second wearable device, and an authentication module to authenticate the second wearable device when the distance is within a threshold range of an initialized distance.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating a wearable device, the system comprising:

an access module to access a second wearable device from a first wearable device, the first and second wearable devices being worn by a wearer and the first wearable device being a trusted device to the wearer;

a measurement module to measure a distance from the first wearable device to the second wearable device, wherein to measure the distance from the first wearable device to the second wearable device, the measurement module is to;

transmit an initial data packet from the first wearable device to the second wearable device;

receive a response data packet from the second wearable device at the first wearable device;

measure a round-trip time from based on the transmit time of the initial data packet and the receipt time of the response data packet; and

calculate the distance based on the round-trip time; and

an authentication module to authenticate the second wearable device when the distance is within a threshold range of an initialized distance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein to access the second wearable device from the first wearable device, the access module is to:

access the second wearable device with a short-range wireless telemetry protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein to access the second wearable device from the first wearable device, the access module is to:

access the second wearable device with a body-coupled communication protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein to measure the distance from the first wearable device to the second wearable device, the measurement module is to:

transmit a signal from the second wearable device to the first wearable device;

measure a signal strength of the transmitted signal; and

calculate the distance from the signal strength.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein to authenticate the second wearable device, the authentication module is to:

transmit a secure key from the first wearable device to the second wearable device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold range comprises a percentage of the initialized distance.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an initialization module to set initialized distance by;

prompting the wearer of the first and second wearable devices to assume a position;

measuring a distance between the first and second devices while the wearer is in the position; and

setting the initialized distance as the distance between the first and second device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a verification module to verify the second wearable device is associated with the first wearable device before authenticating the second wearable device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein to verify the second wearable device is associated with the first wearable device, the verification module is to:

prompt the wearer to perform an action;

determine that the wearer performed the action; and

verify the second wearable device being associated with the first wearable device based on the determining that the wearer performed the action.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the action comprises moving the second wearable device in a specific manner.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the action comprises moving the second wearable device from a first location on the wearer'"'"'s body to a second location on the wearer'"'"'s body.

12. A method of authenticating a wearable device, the method comprising:

accessing a second wearable device from a first wearable device, the first and second wearable devices being worn by a wearer and the first wearable device being a trusted device to the wearer;

measuring a distance from the first wearable device to the second wearable device, wherein measuring the distance from the first wearable device to the second wearable device comprises;

transmitting an initial data packet from the first wearable device to the second wearable device;

receiving a response data packet from the second wearable device at the first wearable device;

measuring a round-trip time from based on the transmit time of the initial data packet and the receipt time of the response data packet; and

calculating the distance based on the round-trip time; and

authenticating the second wearable device when the distance is within a threshold range of an initialized distance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein accessing the second wearable device from the first wearable device comprises:

accessing the second wearable device with a short-range wireless telemetry protocol.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein accessing the second wearable device from the first wearable device comprises:

accessing the second wearable device with a body-coupled communication protocol.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein measuring the distance from the first wearable device to the second wearable device comprises:

transmitting a signal from the second wearable device to the first wearable device;

measuring a signal strength of the transmitted signal; and

calculating the distance from the signal strength.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein authenticating the second wearable device comprises:

transmitting a secure key from the first wearable device to the second wearable device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the threshold range comprises a percentage of the initialized distance.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the initialized distance is set by:

prompting the wearer of the first and second wearable devices to assume a position;

measuring a distance between the first and second devices while the wearer is in the position; and

setting the initialized distance as the distance between the first and second device.

19. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions, which when executed by a machine of a first wearable device, cause the machine to:

access a second wearable device from the first wearable device, the first and second wearable devices being worn by a wearer and the first wearable device being a trusted device to the wearer;

measure a distance from the first wearable device to the second wearable device, based on a round-trip time between transmission of a first data packet from the first wearable device to the second wearable device, and reception of a second data packet at the first wearable device, wherein the second data packet is sent from the second wearable device in response to the first data packet; and

authenticate the second wearable device when the distance is within a threshold range of an initialized distance.

20. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions to verify the second wearable device is associated with the first wearable device before authenticating the second wearable device.

21. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions to verify the second wearable device is associated with the first wearable device comprise instructions to:

prompt the wearer to perform an action;

determine that the wearer performed the action; and

verify the second wearable device being associated with the first wearable device based on the determining that the wearer performed the action.

22. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the action comprises moving the second wearable device in a specific manner.

23. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the action comprises moving the second wearable device from a first location on the wearer'"'"'s body to a second location on the wearer'"'"'s body.