System and method for wirelessly authenticating a device having a sensor

• US 9,633,495 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Ligeski, Scott E., DeCou, Mark T., Veneshetty, Arjun, Reed, Joshua D., Bergerhouse, Bradley F.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LEON VIET Q
• Application Number:
  US14/816,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for wireless authentication of a device to a machine is provided. The device has a sensor and the method includes sensing, by a sensor of the device, a first input pattern of physical parameters received at the device. The method includes wirelessly transmitting, from the device, an identification signal to a machine upon said sensing of the first input pattern. The method includes wirelessly receiving, at the device, an authentication signal indicating an authentication of the device, wherein the device is configured to interact with the machine upon the wireless receiving of the authentication.

Claims

1. A method for wireless authentication of a device to a machine, the device having a sensor, the method comprising:

sensing, by the sensor, a first input pattern of physical parameters received at the device, the first input pattern of physical parameters including a predetermined pattern of moving an entirety of the device;

wirelessly transmitting, from the device, an identification signal to the machine upon said sensing of the first input pattern of physical parameters;

wirelessly receiving, at the device, an authentication signal indicating an authentication of the device, wherein the device is configured to interact with the machine upon the wirelessly receiving the authentication signal;

associating the device with the machine for a predetermined period of time after the authentication signal is received by the device to interact with the machine; and

disassociating the device from the machine once the predetermined period of time has lapsed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wirelessly receiving includes associating the device with the machine, the associating the device with the machine establishing a dedicated wireless communication channel between the device and the machine, and

wherein, based upon the associating the device with the machine, the device interacts with the machine to access or operate the machine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the associating the device with the machine is allowed for a predetermined period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing the first input pattern further includes receiving at least one of a mechanical input pattern on an exterior surface of the device, an acoustic input pattern, a thermal input pattern, a magnetic input pattern, or an optical input pattern on the sensor from an optical source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mechanical input pattern includes a series of tapping actions or a series of air pressure inputs, and

wherein the optical input pattern includes a series of optical pulses from the optical source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing, by the sensor of the device, a second input pattern of physical parameters received at the device; and

wirelessly transmitting, from the device, a disassociation signal based upon the sensing of the second input pattern, the disassociation signal indicating a disassociation of the device from the machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensing the second input pattern includes receiving at least one of a mechanical input pattern on an exterior surface of the device, an acoustic input pattern, a thermal input pattern, a magnetic input pattern, or an optical input pattern on the sensor from an optical source,

wherein the mechanical input pattern includes a series of tapping actions or a series of air pressure inputs, and

wherein the optical input pattern includes a series of optical pulses from the optical source.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating the sensor to recognize a plurality of inputs in the first input pattern as valid input patterns for the device, said calibrating being carried out prior to the transmitting,

wherein the sensing includes identifying the first input pattern as an association mode of the device for associating with the machine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, at the device, includes receiving an acknowledgement from the machine indicating that the device has been added to a list of devices for the machine.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern of moving the entirety of the device includes shaking the entirety of the device in a repetitive motion.

10. A system for wireless identification comprising:

a machine including an electronic controller unit, the electronic controller unit including;

a machine processor; and

a memory coupled to the machine processor including a list of devices associated with the machine; and

a device including;

a sensor configured to sense a first input pattern of physical parameters received at the device, an entire exterior surface of the device being free from any user interfaces; and

a device processor coupled to the sensor, said device processor being configured to;

wirelessly transmit an identification signal to the machine processor based upon the first input pattern;

wirelessly receive an authentication signal from the machine processor indicating an authentication of the device;

associate the device with the machine for a predetermined period of time after the authentication signal is received by the device processor to interact with the machine; and

disassociate the device from the machine once the predetermined period of time has lapsed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the device processor is configured to disassociate the device based upon a second input pattern of physical parameters sensed by the sensor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the first input pattern and the second input pattern includes at least one of a mechanical input pattern on the exterior surface of the device, an acoustic input pattern, a thermal input pattern, a magnetic input pattern, or an optical input pattern on the sensor from an optical source.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the device is an electronic key fob having a continuous exterior surface configured to receive the mechanical input pattern, and the sensor includes an accelerometer.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the device is a work tool having a continuous exterior surface configured to receive the mechanical input pattern, and the sensor is a wireless work tool sensor.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the device processor is further configured to calibrate the sensor to recognize a plurality of inputs in the first input pattern as valid inputs for the device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the machine processor is configured to:

determine a compatibility of the device with the machine;

carry out the authentication of the device based upon the compatibility of the device with the machine;

add the device to the list of devices in the memory upon the authentication of the device; and

wirelessly transmit the authentication signal to the device processor after the authentication of the device.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the entire exterior surface of the device does not include any push buttons.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium on a device for a machine, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

computer executable instructions for wirelessly authenticating the device to the machine, the computer executable instructions when executed by a device processor cause the device processor to;

receive an output from a sensor on the device, the output corresponding to an input pattern of physical parameters received on the device and sensed by the sensor, the input pattern of physical parameters including a predetermined pattern of moving an entirety of the device;

wirelessly transmit an identification signal to a machine processor in the machine based upon the output of the sensor of the device;

wirelessly receive an authentication signal from the machine processor indicating an authentication of the device to the machine;

associate the device with the machine for a predetermined period of time after the authentication signal is received by the device processor to interact with the machine; and

disassociate the device from the machine once the predetermined period of time has lapsed.

18. A machine comprising an electronic controller unit, the electronic controller unit including:

a memory; and

a machine processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

wirelessly receive an identification signal from a device in a plurality of devices, the identification signal including an identification of the device, the identification signal being generated by the device based upon a first input pattern sensed by a sensor of the device, the first input pattern excluding actuation of a push button on an exterior surface of the device;

identify the device using a list of devices in the memory of the machine based upon the identification signal;

wirelessly transmit an authentication signal to the device based upon the identification of the device, wherein the machine is accessed or operated upon using the device based on the authentication signal;

add the identification of the device to the list of devices when the device is not listed in the list of devices;

associate the device with the machine for a predetermined period of time after the authentication signal is received by the device to interact with the machine; and

disassociate the device from the machine once the predetermined period of time has lapsed.