Wireless power transfer with improved device identification and signaling link security

• US 10,298,065 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Yongwei, Khoshnevis, Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehedi, Morshed
• Application Number:
  US15/128,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20170170687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0643 Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• 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: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Generally, this disclosure provides systems, devices, methods and computer readable media for wireless power transfer with improved device identification and signaling security. A Power Receiving Unit (PRU) may include a receive resonator module to receive power from a Power Transmitting Unit (PTU) over an inductive resonant coupling link. The power may be modulated to provide signaling between the PRU and the PTU over the resonant coupling link. The PRU may also include a signaling link communication module to provide a second type of signaling between the PRU and the PTU over a wireless communication link. The PRU may further include a controller module to receive a random number, generated by the PTU, over the resonant coupling link; calculate an encoded response based on the random number and on an identifier of the PRU; and transmit the encoded response to the PTU over the wireless communication link, for verification by the PTU.

Claims

1. A Power Receiving Unit (PRU) for wireless power transfer to a device, said PRU comprising:

receive resonator circuitry to receive power from a Power Transmitting Unit (PTU) over an inductive resonant coupling link, said power provided for said wireless power transfer, wherein said power is further modulated to provide a first type of signaling between said PRU and said PTU over said resonant coupling link;

signaling link communication circuitry to provide a second type of signaling between said PRU and said PTU over a wireless communication link; and

controller circuitry to;

receive a random number, generated by said PTU, over said resonant coupling link;

determine an encoded response based on said random number and on an identifier associated with said PRU (PRU_ID); and

transmit said encoded response to said PTU over said wireless communication link, for verification by said PTU.

2. The PRU of claim 1, wherein said controller circuitry is further to receive an acknowledgement from said PTU of said verification and that said random number is a shared secret for encryption of further communications over said wireless communication link.

3. The PRU of claim 1, wherein said first type of signaling over said resonant coupling link conforms to an Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) system standard and said random number is received in a power beacon of said first type of signaling.

4. The PRU of claim 1, wherein said second type of signaling over said wireless communication link conforms to a Bluetooth®

Low Energy (BLE) system standard and said encoded response is transmitted in a BLE advertisement packet.

5. The PRU of claim 1, wherein said encoded response is determined based on a hash algorithm and/or encryption function.

6. The PRU of claim 5, wherein said hash algorithm is a Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-1) encryption function.

7. The PRU of claim 1, wherein said controller circuitry is further to:

receive a second random number, generated by said PTU, over said wireless communication link;

determine a second encoded response based on said random number and on said second random number; and

transmit said second encoded response to said PTU over said wireless communication link, for further verification by said PTU.

8. A Power Transmitting Unit (PTU) to provide wireless power transfer through a Power Receiving Unit (PRU) of a device, said PTU comprising:

transmit resonator circuitry to transmit power to said PRU over an inductive resonant coupling link, said power provided for said wireless power transfer, wherein said power is further modulated to provide a first type of signaling between said PTU and said PRU over said resonant coupling link;

signaling link communication circuitry to provide a second type of signaling between said PTU and said PRU over a wireless communication link; and

controller circuitry to;

generate a random number for transmission to said PRU over said resonant coupling link;

receive an encoded response and an identifier associated with said PRU (PRU_ID) from said PRU over said wireless communication link, wherein said encoded response based on said random number and on said PRU_ID;

determine a second encoded response based on said random number and said received PRU_ID; and

verify that said received encoded response matches said determined second encoded response.

9. The PTU of claim 8, wherein said controller circuitry, in response to said verification of said match, is further to transmit an acknowledgement to said PRU to indicate that said random number is a shared secret for encryption of further communications over said wireless communication link.

10. The PTU of claim 8, wherein said controller circuitry, in response to a failure of said verification of said match, is further to record a status of said PRU as distant.

11. The PTU of claim 8, wherein said first type of signaling over said resonant coupling link conforms to an Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) system standard and said random number is received in a power beacon of said first type of signaling.

12. The PTU of claim 8, wherein said second type of signaling over said wireless communication link conforms to a Bluetooth®

Low Energy (BLE) system standard and said encoded response is transmitted in a BLE advertisement packet.

13. The PTU of claim 8, wherein said encoded response is determined based on a hash algorithm and/or encryption function.

14. The PTU of claim 8, wherein said controller circuitry is further to:

generate a second random number for transmission to said PRU over said wireless communication link;

receive a second encoded response from said PRU over said wireless communication link, wherein said second encoded response based on said random number and said second random number;

determine a third encoded response based on said random number and said second random number; and

verify that said received second encoded response matches said determined third encoded response.

15. The PTU of claim 8, wherein said controller circuitry is further to:

receive a second random number from said PRU over said resonant coupling link;

determine a second encoded response based on said second random number and on an identifier associated with said PTU (PTU_ID); and

transmit said second encoded response and said PTU_ID to said PRU over said wireless communication link, for verification by said PRU.

16. A method for improving security of a Power Receiving Unit (PRU) for wireless power transfer to a device, said method comprising:

receiving power, for said wireless power transfer, from a Power Transmitting Unit (PTU) over an inductive resonant coupling link, wherein said power is modulated to provide a first type of signaling between said PRU and said PTU over said resonant coupling link;

establishing a second type of signaling between said PRU and said PTU over a wireless communication link;

receiving a random number, generated by said PTU, over said resonant coupling link;

determining an encoded response based on said random number and on an identifier associated with said PRU (PRU_ID); and

transmitting said encoded response to said PTU over said wireless communication link, for verification by said PTU.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving an acknowledgement from said PTU of said verification; and

in response to said received verification, employing said random number as a shared secret for encryption of further communications over said wireless communication link.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining said encoded response based on a hash algorithm and/or encryption function.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second random number, generated by said PTU, over said wireless communication link;

determining a second encoded response based on said random number and on said second random number; and

transmitting said second encoded response to said PTU over said wireless communication link, for further verification by said PTU.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a second random number for transmission to said PTU over said resonant coupling link;

receiving a second encoded response and an identifier associated with said PTU (PTU_ID) from said PTU over said wireless communication link, wherein said second encoded response based on said second random number and on said PTU_ID;

determining a third encoded response based on said second random number and said received PTU_ID; and

verifying that said received second encoded response matches said determined third encoded response.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor result in the following operations for improving security of a Power Receiving Unit (PRU) for wireless power transfer to a device, said operations comprising:

receiving power, for said wireless power transfer, from a Power Transmitting Unit (PTU) over an inductive resonant coupling link, wherein said power is modulated to provide a first type of signaling between said PRU and said PTU over said resonant coupling link;

establishing a second type of signaling between said PRU and said PTU over a wireless communication link;

receiving a random number, generated by said PTU, over said resonant coupling link;

determining an encoded response based on said random number and on an identifier associated with said PRU (PRU_ID); and

transmitting said encoded response to said PTU over said wireless communication link, for verification by said PTU.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 21, further comprising the operations of:

receiving an acknowledgement from said PTU of said verification; and

in response to said received verification, employing said random number as a shared secret for encryption of further communications over said wireless communication link.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 21, further comprising the operation of determining said encoded response based on a hash algorithm and/or encryption function.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 21, further comprising the operations of:

receiving a second random number, generated by said PTU, over said wireless communication link;

determining a second encoded response based on said random number and on said second random number; and

transmitting said second encoded response to said PTU over said wireless communication link, for further verification by said PTU.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 21, further comprising the operations of:

generating a second random number for transmission to said PTU over said resonant coupling link;

receiving a second encoded response and an identifier associated with said PTU (PTU_ID) from said PTU over said wireless communication link, wherein said second encoded response based on said second random number and on said PTU_ID;

determining a third encoded response based on said second random number and said received PTU_ID; and

verifying that said received second encoded response matches said determined third encoded response.