Spatially enabled secure communications

• US 9,705,564 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freelinc Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Freelinc Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Dobyns, Douglas Howard, Abrams, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US14/841,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

Spatially Enabled Communication technologies are disclosed. A proximity boundary can be defined by a communication range of one or more SRC devices configured to communicate using near field magnetic induction (NFMI) using at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity. A data block can be securely communicated by interspersing the data between an short range communication (SRC) device for near field magnetic induction (NFMI) communication within the proximity boundary and a radio frequency (RF) radio for RF communication. Data received on the SRC device and the RF radio can be reassembled to form the data block.

Claims

1. A method for proximity based secure communications, comprising

defining a proximity boundary with dimensions defined by a selected communication range of one of a first Short Range Communication (SRC) device and a second SRC device, wherein each of the first and second SRC devices are configured to communicate using near field magnetic induction (NFMI), the first SRC device and a first radio frequency (RF) radio are configured to be coupled to a first mobile computing device and the second SRC device and a second RF radio are configured to be coupled to a second mobile computing device;

communicating a proximity signal in the proximity boundary between the first SRC device and the second SRC device, wherein at least one of the first and second SRC devices includes at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity;

identifying a data block to be communicated within the proximity boundary;

interspersing data in the data block between the first RF radio and the first SRC device of the first mobile computing device for transmission to the second RF radio and the second SRC device, respectively, of the second mobile computing device on a spatially secure NFMI data link and a RF data link;

determining a bandwidth ratio of the first RF radio to the first SRC device or the second RF radio to the second SRC device; and

interspersing selected data in the data block between the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link, wherein the selected data is interspersed based on the bandwidth ratio.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

interspersing the data in the data block using a selected algorithm to form RF data and NFMI data;

transmitting the NFMI data on the spatially secure NFMI data link; and

transmitting the RF data on the RF data link.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the RF data on the RF data link, wherein the RF data link comprises one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio or a wireless wide area network (WWAN) radio.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the RF data on the RF data link and the NFMI data on the spatially secure NFMI data link synchronously or asynchronously.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving, at the second mobile computing device, the NFMI data on the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data on the RF data link and reassembling the data based on the selected algorithm used to intersperse the data.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the algorithm to intersperse the data, at least in part, based on a quality of service (QOS) for the data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the data on the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link using an acknowledgement, non-acknowledgement (ACK-NACK) scheme to verify that the data transmitted is received.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising interspersing the data in the data block to the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link at one or more of a physical layer, a medium access control layer, a data link layer, or a network layer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the interspersing of the data in the data block between the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link based on a selected security level.

10. A proximity based secure communications system comprising:

a Short Range Communication (SRC) device including a near field magnetic (NFMI) transceiver that is coupled to a first computing device;

a second SRC device including an NFMI transceiver that is coupled to a second computing device and configured to form a spatially secure NFMI data link with the first SRC device,

wherein one or more of the first SRC device or the second SRC device includes at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity, and

wherein a communication range of one of the first SRC device or the second SRC device, using the at least two antennas, defines one or more dimensions of a proximity boundary;

a first radio frequency (RF) radio coupled to the first computing device;

a second RF radio coupled to the second computing device and configured to form an RF data link with the first RF radio;

a data interspersing module configured to intersperse data for transmission of the interspersed data on the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link;

a data reassembling module configured to reassemble the interspersed data that is received on the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link;

determining a bandwidth ratio of the first RF radio to the first SRC device or the second RF radio to the second SRC device; and

interspersing selected data in the data block between the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link, wherein the selected data is interspersed based on the bandwidth ratio.

11. The proximity based secure communications system of claim 10, wherein the data interspersing module is configured to intersperse the data using a selected algorithm to form RF data for transmission on the RF data link and NFMI data for transmission on the spatially secure NFMI data link within the proximity boundary.

12. The proximity based secure communications system of claim 11, wherein the RF data link and the spatially secure NFMI data link are configured to communicate the RF data and the NFMI data synchronously or asynchronously.

13. The proximity based secure communications system of claim 11, wherein the data reassembling module is further configured to reassemble data received on the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link based on the selected algorithm.

14. The proximity based secure communications system of claim 10, wherein the RF data link comprises one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio or a wireless wide area network (WWAN) radio.

15. A method for spatially enabled secure communications, comprising:

defining a proximity boundary with dimensions defined, in part, by a communication range of one of a proximity Short Range Communication (PSRC) device and an SRC device, wherein the PSRC device and the SRC device are configured to communicate using near field magnetic induction (NFMI) and each include a radio frequency (RF) radio, wherein at least one of the PSRC device and the SRC device include at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity; and

interspersing data in a data block as RF data and NFMI data for transmission of NFMI data within the proximity boundary via the SRC device or the PSRC device and transmission of RF data via the RF radio;

reassembling RF data received on the RF radio and NFMI data received on the SRC device or the PSRC device;

determining a bandwidth ratio of the first RF radio to the first SRC device or the second RF radio to the second SRC device; and

interspersing selected data in the data block between the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link, wherein the selected data is interspersed based on the bandwidth ratio.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

interspersing the data in the data block using a selected algorithm to form the RF data and the NFMI data; and

transmitting the NFMI data on the spatially secure NFMI data link; and

transmitting the RF data on the RF data link.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the RF data using the RF radio and the NFMI data on a spatially secure NFMI data link synchronously or asynchronously.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a bandwidth ratio of the RF radio to the SRC device or the PSRC device; and

interspersing selected data for communication from the RF radio and the SRC device or PSRC device, wherein the selected data is interspersed based on the bandwidth ratio.

19. A method for proximity based secure communications, comprising

defining a proximity boundary with dimensions defined by a selected communication range of one of a first Short Range Communication (SRC) device and a second SRC device, wherein each of the first and second SRC devices are configured to communicate using near field magnetic induction (NFMI), the first SRC device and a first radio frequency (RF) radio are configured to be coupled to a first mobile computing device and the second SRC device and a second RF radio are configured to be coupled to a second mobile computing device;

communicating a proximity signal in the proximity boundary between the first SRC device and the second SRC device, wherein at least one of the first and second SRC devices includes at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity;

identifying a data block to be communicated within the proximity boundary;

interspersing data in the data block between the first RF radio and the first SRC device of the first mobile computing device for transmission to the second RF radio and the second SRC device, respectively, of the second mobile computing device on a spatially secure NFMI data link and a RF data link; and

further comprising changing the interspersing of the data in the data block between the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link based on a feedback of channel quality indications for the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link to provide a selected quality of service.

20. A proximity based secure communications system comprising:

a Short Range Communication (SRC) device including a near field magnetic (NFMI) transceiver that is coupled to a first computing device;

a second SRC device including an NFMI transceiver that is coupled to a second computing device and configured to form a spatially secure NFMI data link with the first SRC device,

wherein one or more of the first SRC device or the second SRC device includes at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity, and

wherein a communication range of one of the first SRC device or the second SRC device, using the at least two antennas, defines one or more dimensions of a proximity boundary;

a first radio frequency (RF) radio coupled to the first computing device;

a second RF radio coupled to the second computing device and configured to form an RF data link with the first RF radio;

a data interspersing module configured to intersperse data for transmission of the interspersed data on the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link;

a data reassembling module configured to reassemble the interspersed data that is received on the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link; and

further comprising changing the interspersing of the data between the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link based on a feedback of channel quality indications for the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link to provide a selected quality of service.

21. A method for spatially enabled secure communications, comprising:

defining a proximity boundary with dimensions defined, in part, by a communication range of one of a proximity Short Range Communication (PSRC) device and an SRC device, wherein the PSRC device and the SRC device are configured to communicate using near field magnetic induction (NFMI) and each include a radio frequency (RF) radio, wherein at least one of the PSRC device and the SRC device include at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity; and

interspersing data in a data block as RF data and NFMI data for transmission of NFMI data within the proximity boundary via the SRC device or the PSRC device and transmission of RF data via the RF radio;

reassembling RF data received on the RF radio and NFMI data received on the SRC device or the PSRC device; and

further comprising changing the interspersing of the data in the data block between the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link based on a feedback of channel quality indications for the spatially secure NFMI data link and the RF data link to provide a selected quality of service.