Wireless communication system and method for monitoring the pairing status between two devices

• US 10,667,313 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2019
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knowmadics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Knowmadics, Inc.
• Inventors: Maguire, Paul, Ostrum, Claire
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandiford, Devan A
• Application Number:
  US16/565,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20200008252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A watch comprises a communication circuitry configured to enable short-range communication between the watch and the portable electronic device, and a processing system including a processor. The processing system is configured to establish a pairing with the portable electronic device through a short-range pairing mechanism, determine whether the pairing with the portable electronic device is broken based on information received from the portable electronic device, and in response to the determination that the pairing with the portable electronic device is broken, transmit information indicating the breakage of the pairing to the server directly or via the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A watch to be paired with a portable electronic device via short-range communication, comprising:

a communication circuitry configured to enable short-range communication between the watch and the portable electronic device; and

a processing system including a processor, the processing system being configured to;

establish a pairing with the portable electronic device through a short-range pairing mechanism,

receive, from a user of the watch, an alerting input indicating possible breakage of the pairing with the portable electronic device, and

upon receipt of the alerting input from the user, transmit information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing to the server directly, or via the portable electronic device prior to breakage of the pairing with the portable electronic device.

2. The watch according to claim 1, wherein the processing system of the watch is further configured to transmit the information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing to the portable electronic device via short-range communication to have the portable electronic device transfer the information to the server.

3. The watch according to claim 1, wherein the processing system of the watch is configured to periodically detect a signal from the portable electronic device after the pairing with the portable electronic device is established.

4. The watch according to claim 1, wherein, upon receipt of the information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing between the watch and the portable electronic device, the server sends a message to another electronic device.

5. The watch according to claim 4, wherein the message sent to one or more other electronic devices by the server indicates the possible breakage of the pairing between the watch and the portable electronic device.

6. The watch according to claim 1, wherein, upon receipt of the information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing between the watch and the portable electronic device, the server issues a command to the portable electronic device.

7. The watch according to claim 6, wherein the command requesting the portable electronic device to wipe out a crowd source application, which, upon execution, enables the portable electronic device to upload collected data to the server.

8. The watch according to claim 1, wherein the alerting input indicates a panic or duress call.

9. The watch according to claim 1, wherein the short-range pairing mechanism is Bluetooth, near field communication, infrared, or Wi-Fi.

10. The watch according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is a mobile phone, a laptop, a WiFi-enabled vehicle or a tablet.

11. The watch according to claim 1, further comprises a pre-built button, wherein the alerting input is input by the user by pressing on the pre-built button.

12. A method of monitoring a pairing with a portable electronic device of a security system including a server, the method comprising:

establishing, by a watch, a pairing between the watch and the portable electronic device through a short-range pairing mechanism,

receive, from a user, an alerting input indicating possible breakage of pairing with the portable electronic device, and

upon receipt of the alerting input from the user transmitting information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing to the server directly, or via the portable electronic device prior to breakage of the pairing with the portable electronic device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the transmitting information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing to the server comprises transmitting the information indicating the possible breakage of the paring to the portable electronic device via short-range communication to have the portable electronic device transfer the information to the server.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the alerting input indicates a panic or duress call.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprises periodically detecting a signal from the portable electronic device after pairing with the portable electronic device is established.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein, upon executed by one or more processors of an watch, the computer-executable instructions cause the one or more processors to:

establish a pairing with a portable electronic device through a short-range pairing mechanism,

receive, from a user of the watch, an alerting input indicating possible breakage of pairing with the portable electronic device, and

upon receipt of the alerting input from the user, transmit information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing to a server directly, or via the portable electronic device prior to breakage of the pairing with the portable electronic device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to periodically detect a signal from the portable electronic device after the pairing with the portable electronic device is established.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the alerting input indicates a panic or duress call.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to transmit the information indicating the possible breakage of the paring to the portable electronic device via short-range communication to have the portable electronic device transfer the information to the server.

20. A security system for monitoring a pairing established between two devices via a short-range pairing mechanism, comprising:

a server, and

a watch including;

a communication circuitry configured to enable short-range communication between the watch and the portable electronic device, and

a processing system including a processor, the processing system being configured to;

establish a pairing with a portable electronic device through a short-range pairing mechanism,

receive, from a user of the watch, an alerting input indicating possible breakage of pairing with the portable electronic device, and

upon receipt of the alerting input from the user, transmit information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing to the server directly, or via the portable electronic device prior to breakage of the pairing with the portable electronic device,

wherein the server is configured to receive the information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing from the watch or portable electronic device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the processing system of the watch is configured to transmit the information indicating the possible breakage of the paring to the portable electronic device via short-range communication to have the portable electronic device transfer the information to the server.

22. The security system according to claim 20, wherein the server is further configured to send a message to another electronic device after receiving the information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing between the watch and the portable electronic device.

23. The security system according to claim 22, wherein the message sent to one or more other electronic devices by the server indicates the possible breakage of the pairing between the watch and the portable electronic device.

24. The security system according to claim 20, wherein the the watch further comprises a pre-built button,

the alerting input is input by the user by pressing on the pre-built button, and the alerting input indicates a panic or duress call.

25. The security system according to claim 20, wherein the server is further configured to issue a command to the portable electronic device after receiving the information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing.

26. The security system according to claim 20, wherein the portable electronic device is further configured to execute a crowd source application, which, upon execution, enables the portable electronic device to upload collected data to the server.

27. The security system according to claim 20, wherein the server is further configured to issue a command to the portable electronic device after receiving the information indicating the possible breakage of the pairing, and the portable electronic device is further configured to wipe out the crowd source application upon receipt of the command from the server.

28. The security system according to claim 20, wherein the processing system of the watch is configured to periodically detect a signal from the portable electronic device after the pairing with the portable electronic device is established.