Selective pairing of wireless devices using shared keys

• US 10,136,246 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VitaNet Japan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VitaNet Japan, Inc.
• Inventors: Yamada, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US14/992,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system, a method, and a computer program product for selective pairing of wireless devices are provided. A pairing device scans for an advertising packet. The pairing device checks each scanned advertising packet for a shared key. The pairing device responds to the scanned advertising packet only when the advertising packet contains the shared key.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

scanning, by a pairing device, using a shared key, prior to connecting with a communication device, for an advertising packet transmitted by the communication device, the communication device not being provisioned by the pairing device;

checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for the shared key; and

responding, by the pairing device, to the scanned advertising packet only when the advertising packet contains the shared key, the responding including connecting, by the pairing device, with the communication device, and the responding further including initiating data transmission between the pairing device and the communication device, wherein the connection includes at least one of the following;

a wireless connection and a wired connection;

wherein the shared key is provided to the communication device using at least one of the following;

the shared key is stored by the communication device,

the shared key is shared between a server and/or a storage location and the communication device, the server and/or the storage location are communicatively coupled to at least one of the pairing device and the communication device,

the shared key is generated by a server and/or a storage location communicatively coupled to at least one of the pairing device and the communication device and transmitted to the communication device,

and any combination thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shared key is in a same bit/byte form between the pairing device and the communication device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the advertising packet is transmitted via bluetooth technology.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shared key is a global shared key.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shared key is a user-specific shared key associated with a particular user.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

scanning, by the pairing device, for a plurality of advertising packets, each advertising packet in the plurality of advertising packets containing a portion of the shared key;

checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for the respective portion of the shared key; and

responding, by the pairing device, to the plurality of scanned advertising packet only when the entire shared key is found.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

confirming, by the pairing device, that the advertising packet contains the shared key that the pairing device is scanning for;

and

authorizing, by the pairing device, a user based on the confirmed shared key.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the responding further comprises transmitting one or more of data attributes, name, serial number, MAC address to a communication device or a server.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the advertising packet is encrypted, the advertising packet comprising the shared key and an additional data added to the shared key before the shared key and the additional data are encrypted.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the additional data is varied for each pairing with the pairing device.

11. A system comprising:

at least one data processor;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, causes the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising;

scanning, by a pairing device, using a shared key, prior to connecting with a communication device, for an advertising packet transmitted by the communication device, the communication device not being provisioned by the pairing device;

checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for the shared key; and

responding, by the pairing device, to the scanned advertising packet only when the advertising packet contains the shared key, the responding including connecting, by the pairing device, with the communication device, and the responding further including initiating data transmission between the pairing device and the communication device, wherein the connection includes at least one of the following;

a wireless connection and a wired connection;

wherein the shared key is provided to the communication device using at least one of the following;

the shared key is stored by the communication device,

the shared key is shared between a server and/or a storage location and the communication device, the server and/or the storage location are communicatively coupled to at least one of the pairing device and the communication device,

the shared key is generated by a server and/or a storage location communicatively coupled to at least one of the pairing device and the communication device and transmitted to the

communication device, and any combination thereof.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the shared key is in a same bit/byte form between the pairing device and the communication device.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the advertising packet is transmitted via bluetooth technology.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the shared key is a global shared key.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the shared key is a user-specific shared key associated with a particular user.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise

scanning, by the pairing device, for a plurality of advertising packets, each advertising packet in the plurality of advertising packets containing a portion of the shared key;

checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for the respective portion of the shared key; and

responding, by the pairing device, to the plurality of scanned advertising packet only when the entire shared key is found.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise

confirming, by the pairing device, that the advertising packet contains the shared key that the pairing device is scanning for;

and

authorizing, by the pairing device, a user based on the confirmed shared key.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the responding further comprises transmitting one or more of data attributes, name, serial number, MAC address to a communication device or a server.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the advertising packet is encrypted, the advertising packet comprising the shared key and an additional data added to the shared key before the shared key and the additional data are encrypted.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the additional data is varied for each pairing with the pairing device.

21. A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor of at least one computing system, implement a method comprising:

scanning, by a pairing device, using a shared key, prior to connecting with a communication device, for an advertising packet transmitted by the communication device, the communication device not being provisioned by the pairing device;

checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for the shared key; and

responding, by the pairing device, to the scanned advertising packet only when the advertising packet contains the shared key, the responding including connecting, by the pairing device, with the communication device, and the responding further including initiating data transmission between the pairing device and the communication device, wherein the connection includes at least one of the following;

a wireless connection and a wired connection;

wherein the shared key is provided to the communication device using at least one of the following;

the shared key is stored by the communication device,

the shared key is shared between a server and/or a storage location and the communication device, the server and/or the storage location are communicatively coupled to at least one of the pairing device and the communication device,

the shared key is generated by a server and/or a storage location communicatively coupled to at least one of the pairing device and the communication device and transmitted to the communication device,

and any combination thereof.