Automated bonding for wireless devices

• US 20070249286A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Ma, Dung, Nguyen, Hao
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.300
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing the establishment of a wireless connection between an instrument host and a non-fixed device is provided. The method comprises acquiring the non-fixed medical device address over a fixed wire by replacing the traditional wireless searching mechanism. The method also comprises providing an authentication mechanism between the instrument host and the non-fixed device, for example, across a wireless communications network.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a wireless connection between an instrument host and at least one non-fixed device, comprising:

providing a fixed cable wire connection between the instrument host and the non-fixed device, wherein the instrument host provides master device functionality and the non-fixed device provides slave device functionality;

discovering a slave device address of the non-fixed device over said fixed cable; and

authenticating the non-fixed device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the fixed cable wire between the instrument host and the non-fixed device before authenticating the instrument host with the non-fixed device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing the discovering and authenticating using a Bluetooth bonding utility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the slave device address of the non-fixed device obtained over the fixed cable and making said address available to the slave device master device for use during authentication.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing further comprises:

reporting the absence of the fixed cable wire to the user via the Bluetooth bonding utility from a connection controller;

instructing the user, via the Bluetooth bonding utility, to attach fixed cable when the cable is reported as not present;

detecting the presence of the fixed cable by the connection controller; and

reporting the presence of the fixed cable wire to the user via the Bluetooth bonding utility from the connection controller.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising locking onto the fixed cable wire connection to prevent the non-fixed medical device from switching into a wired mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering further comprises:

sending a query message over the fixed cable from the master device to the slave device requesting the slave device address;

replying to said query message by sending an inquiry response message over the fixed cable from the slave device to the master device wherein the slave device address is encapsulated in the inquiry response.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising managing the discovering and authenticating using a Bluetooth bonding utility, and wherein removing the fixed cable further comprises:

instructing the user to disconnect the fixed cable wire when the Bluetooth bonding utility obtains the slave device address from the controller;

detecting the fixed cable is removed from the controller to the Bluetooth bonding utility; and

indicating to the user that the non-fixed medical device and instrument host are ready and available for authentication via the Bluetooth bonding utility.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth wireless connection.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating is performed over a wireless communications network

9. A connectivity management system, comprising:

an instrument host, comprising;

a bonding utility; and

a controller configured to control communications with at least one obtained slave device over a fixed wire;

a non-fixed device configured to support wired and wireless modes of operation;

a fixed wire connecting the instrument host to the non-fixed device; and

a wireless communications network;

wherein the instrument host is configured to discover a slave device address of the non-fixed device over said fixed wire and authenticate the non-fixed device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-fixed device comprises a footpedal switch.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the bonding utility comprises a graphical user interface for managing discovery and authentication.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the instrument host controls and operates selected functionality of the non-fixed device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller comprises Bluetooth master device functionality capable of transmitting information to and receiving information from the non-fixed device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-fixed device comprises Bluetooth slave device functionality capable of transmitting information to and receiving information from the controller.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-fixed device comprises a medical device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the bonding utility is a Bluetooth bonding utility.

17. A method for providing Bluetooth communications between a non-fixed device and a controller, comprising:

acquiring a Bluetooth address of the non-fixed device over a fixed cable wire;

registering said non-fixed medical device Bluetooth address in a list of Bluetooth addresses maintained by said controller; and

authenticating said non-fixed device with said controller over a wireless communications network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein acquiring further comprises sending the Bluetooth address of the non-fixed device in response to queries from the controller.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein registering further comprises storing the non-fixed medical device Bluetooth address received over the fixed cable wire within the controller.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the non-fixed device comprises a non-fixed medical device.