Pairing of devices through separate networks

• US 9,648,650 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nagravision SA (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Nagravision SA (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Wendling, Bertrand
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Costin, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US14/323,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method for pairing a multimedia receiver connected to an IP network with at least one mobile equipment connected to a mobile network using a communication protocol different from the IP network. A unique identifier of the mobile equipment is introduced into an application on the multimedia receiver. The latter transmits, to the mobile equipment, a message comprising a pairing request and a command for acquiring a unique public address of the multimedia receiver, said mobile equipment being identified by an address associated to the unique identifier. The mobile equipment receives the message and transmits a response message to the multimedia receiver identified by the unique public address, said response message comprising unique identifier. The multimedia receiver verifies the unique identifier in the response message by comparing it with the unique identifier introduced into the application. If the verification is successful, the mobile equipment pairs with the multimedia receiver.

Claims

1. A method for pairing a multimedia receiver connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) communication network with at least one mobile equipment connected to a mobile communication network using a communication protocol different from the protocol of the IP network, the method comprising:

receiving a unique identifier of the mobile equipment by an application of the multimedia receiver;

transmitting, by the multimedia receiver via the IP network, a message to the mobile equipment, the message comprising at least one pairing request and a command for acquiring a unique public address of the multimedia receiver on the IP network, said mobile equipment being identified by an address associated to the unique identifier, the command comprising information enabling determining by a server of an Internet service provider of the IP network said unique public address based on a private address of the multimedia receiver;

receiving, by the mobile equipment via the mobile communication network, the message and transmitting a response message to the multimedia receiver identified by the unique public address acquired based on the command, said response message comprising at least the unique identifier of the mobile equipment;

verifying, by the multimedia receiver, the unique identifier of the mobile equipment received in the response message by comparison with the unique identifier previously received by the application; and

in response to a successful verification, establishing a pairing between the mobile equipment and the multimedia receiver to allow the mobile equipment to exchange data with said multimedia receiver.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a proximity verification of the mobile equipment in relation to the multimedia receiver is carried out by an audible or optical signal transmitted from the multimedia receiver to the mobile equipment or transmitted from the mobile equipment to the multimedia receiver.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia receiver generates a pairing key intended to encrypt data exchanged between the mobile equipment and the multimedia receiver, said pairing key being registered in the multimedia receiver and in the mobile equipment.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the multimedia receiver transmits the pairing key to the mobile equipment in the pairing request message, said mobile equipment transmitting said pairing key in the response message to the multimedia receiver for conformity verification with the pairing key previously generated.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the pairing key is unique and constant.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the pairing key changes during each pairing request of the mobile equipment with the multimedia receiver.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the pairing key is derived from the identifier of the mobile equipment introduced during the initialization of the pairing by using a predefined cryptographic algorithm or from an identifier of the multimedia receiver or a combination of the identifiers of the mobile equipment and of the multimedia receiver.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pairing request message contains, in addition to the pairing request and the command for obtaining a public address, one or more supplementary parameters comprising the current date and time and/or a date and hour of expiration of the pairing or an identifier of the multimedia receiver.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mobile terminal is selected from the group comprising a mobile phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant and tablet.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pairing request message contains a digest obtained by the application of a unidirectional hashing function without collision on every or part of the parameters of said pairing request message.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the mobile equipment in the response message retransmits said digest to the multimedia receiver, said multimedia receiver comparing the digest with a digest recalculated by said multimedia receiver in order to verify the integrity of the parameters.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein the pairing request message contains a digest obtained by carrying out a unidirectional hashing function without collision on the pairing key, said digest being encrypted with the pairing key to form a signature.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the mobile equipment retransmits said signature in the response message to the multimedia receiver, and said multimedia receiver decrypts the signature with the pairing key and compares the obtained digest with a digest recalculated by the multimedia receiver in order to verify integrity of the pairing key.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile equipment exchanges with the multimedia receiver data packets including the unique public address of said multimedia receiver and a unique public address of the mobile equipment including at least the unique identifier of said mobile equipment.

15. A system comprising:

a multimedia receiver connected to an IP communication network; and

at least one mobile equipment connected to a mobile communication network using a communication protocol different from the protocol of the IP network, the multimedia receiver being paired with the mobile equipment;

wherein the multimedia receiver comprises an application associated to a communication interface with the IP network, said application being configured to receive a unique identifier of the mobile equipment received from a user, and to transmit to the mobile equipment a message comprising at least one pairing request and a command for acquiring a unique public address of the multimedia receiver on the IP network, said mobile equipment being identified by an address associated to the unique identifier, the command comprising information enabling determining by a server of an Internet service provider of the IP network said unique public address based on a private address of the multimedia receiver;

wherein the mobile equipment comprises an application configured to transmit, via the mobile communication network, a response message to the multimedia receiver identified by the unique public address acquired based on the command, said response message comprising at least the unique identifier of the mobile equipment; and

wherein the application of the multimedia receiver is further configured to verify the unique identifier of the mobile equipment received in the response message by comparison with the unique identifier previously introduced into the application, and, in response to a successful verification, establish a pairing between the mobile equipment and the multimedia receiver to allow the mobile equipment to exchange data with said multimedia receiver.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein either the mobile equipment or the multimedia receiver is configured to carry out a proximity verification of the mobile equipment in relation to the multimedia receiver by an audible or optical signal transmitted from the multimedia receiver to the mobile equipment or transmitted by the mobile equipment to the multimedia receiver.

17. A multimedia receiver connected to an IP communication network, the multimedia receiver being configured to be paired with at least one mobile equipment connected to a mobile communication network using a communication protocol different from the protocol of the IP network, the multimedia receiver comprising:

a communication interface configured for communication over the IP communication network; and

a processor connected to the communication interface and configured to execute an application, to receive a unique identifier of the mobile equipment from a user, to transmit to the mobile equipment a message comprising at least one pairing request and a command for acquiring a unique public address of the multimedia receiver on the IP network, the command comprising information enabling determining by a server of an Internet service provider of the IP network said unique public address based on a private address of the multimedia receiver, said mobile equipment being identified by an address associated to the unique identifier, to receive from the mobile equipment a response message comprising at least the unique identifier of the mobile equipment, to verify the unique identifier of the mobile equipment by comparison with the unique identifier previously introduced into the application and, in response to a successful verification, to establish a pairing between the mobile equipment and the multimedia receiver allowing the mobile equipment to exchange data with said multimedia receiver.

18. A mobile equipment connected to a mobile communication network and configured to be paired with a multimedia receiver connected to an IP communication network using a communication protocol different from the protocol of the mobile communication network, the mobile equipment comprising:

an interface configured for communication over the mobile communication network; and

a processor configured to

receive via the interface from the multimedia receiver a message comprising at least one pairing request and a command for acquiring a unique public address of the multimedia receiver on the IP network, said mobile equipment being identified by an address associated to a unique identifier previously introduced by a user into the multimedia receiver, the command comprising information enabling determining by a server of an Internet service provider of the IP network said unique public address based on a private address of the multimedia receiver; and

transmit, via the mobile communication network, a response message to the multimedia receiver identified by the unique public address on the IP communication network acquired based on the command, said response message comprising at least the unique identifier of the mobile equipment to be verified by the multimedia receiver by comparison with the unique identifier previously introduced into the multimedia receiver, and in response to a successful verification, to establish a pairing between the mobile equipment and the multimedia receiver allowing the mobile equipment to exchange data with said multimedia receiver.