Secure Pairing of Devices via Pairing Facilitator-Intermediary Device

• US 20150180842A1
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Panther, Heiko Gernot Albert
• Granted Patent: US 9,253,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to systems and circuitry for and/or methods of establishing communication having one or more pairing facilitator-intermediary devices (for example, a network connected server) to enable or facilitate pairing and/or registering at least two devices (e.g., (i) a portable biometric monitoring device and (ii) a smartphone, laptop and/or tablet) to, for example, recognize, interact and/or enable interoperability between such devices. The pairing facilitator-intermediary device may responsively communicates information to one or more of the devices (to be paired or registered) which, in response, enable or facilitate such devices to pair or register. The present inventions may be advantageous where one or both of the devices to be paired or registered is/are not configured (e.g., include a user interface or certain communication circuitry that is configured or includes functionality) to pair devices without use of a facilitator-intermediary device.

Claims

1. A method for pairing a first device and a second device, comprising:

using communication circuitry of the first device to send an encrypted instruction via a network to a pairing facilitator server, wherein using the communication circuitry is performed by the second device, wherein the second device is configured to be worn by a user, wherein the first device is configured to be held by the user while the second device is worn, wherein the encrypted instruction provides a secure communication channel between the second device and the pairing facilitator server to protect information within the encrypted instruction from being accessed by the first device;

receiving via the communication circuitry of the first device encrypted pairing information in response to sending the encrypted instruction, wherein the encrypted pairing information provides protection against access by the first device of pairing information;

decrypting the encrypted pairing information to generate the pairing information; and

providing the pairing information to the first device to enable pairing of the second device with the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device lacks a communication circuitry for receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the pairing facilitator server, wherein the second device lacks a user interface for receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving additional pairing information from the first device, wherein the first and second devices pair when the pairing information is provided to the first device and the additional pairing information is received from the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unencrypted pairing information includes an identifier of the second device and a secret code, wherein the identifier is designated to be sent to the first device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second devices communicate with each other via a communication protocol that is different from a communication protocol used between the pairing facilitator server and the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network includes the Internet, wherein providing the pairing information is performed using a Bluetooth protocol and the first device and the pairing facilitator server are configured to communicate with each other via the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device includes a portable biometric monitoring device, wherein the portable monitoring device includes a sensor for sensing physiological metrics of the user while the portable monitoring device is worn by the user, wherein the portable biometric device includes a housing that houses the sensor and has a dead front display and has a button.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device includes a portable biometric device that includes a plurality of straps and a sensor case, the sensor case for housing a sensor device for sensing physiological metrics of the user while the portable biometric device is worn, wherein the sensor case lies between the straps and is adjacent to each of the straps, wherein the sensor case includes a cavity for receiving the sensor device, wherein one of the straps has a plurality of apertures and another one of the straps has a number of protrusions for fitting of the portable biometric device to a wrist of the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor device includes a housing body and a housing cap that is configured to cover a space formed within the housing body, the housing body having a plurality of charging contacts for facilitating charging of the sensor device, wherein the space includes a sensor circuitry for sensing the physiological metrics.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the physiological metrics include a number of calories burned by the user, or a number of floors climbed by the user, or a number of floors descended by the user, or a heart rate of the user, or an elevation of the user, or a speed of movement of the user, or a distance traveled by the user, or a blood pressure of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device includes a cell phone and the second device includes a portable monitoring device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes an instruction to facilitate the pairing between the first and second devices.

13. A method for pairing a computing device and a tracking device, comprising:

receiving an encrypted instruction from the tracking device for sending to a pairing facilitator server, wherein the tracking device is configured to be worn by a user, wherein the computing device is configured to be held by the user, wherein the encrypted instruction provides a secure communication channel between the tracking device and the pairing facilitator server to protect information within the encrypted instruction from being accessed by the computing device;

sending the encrypted instruction via a network to the pairing facilitator server;

receiving encrypted pairing information in response to sending the encrypted instruction, wherein the encrypted pairing information provides protection against access by the computing device of unencrypted pairing information;

sending the encrypted pairing information to the tracking device; and

receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the tracking device after sending the encrypted pairing information to the tracking device to facilitate pairing between the computing device and the tracking device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tracking device lacks a communication circuitry for receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the pairing facilitator server, wherein the second device lacks a user interface for receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the user.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending additional pairing information to the tracking device, wherein the computing and tracking devices pair after the unencrypted pairing information is received by the computing device and the additional pairing information is sent to the tracking device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the unencrypted pairing information includes an identifier of the second device and a secret code, wherein the identifier is designated to be sent to the computing device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the computing and tracking devices communicate with each other via a communication protocol that is different from a communication protocol used between the pairing facilitator server and the computing device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the network includes the Internet, wherein receiving the unencrypted pairing information is performed using a Bluetooth protocol and the computing device and the pairing facilitator server are configured to communicate with each other via the Internet.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the tracking device includes a portable biometric monitoring device, wherein the portable monitoring device includes a sensor for sensing physiological metrics of the user while the portable monitoring device is worn by the user, wherein the portable monitoring device includes a housing that houses the sensor and has a dead front display and has a button.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the tracking device includes a portable biometric device that includes a plurality of straps and a sensor case, the sensor case for housing a sensor device for sensing physiological metrics of the user while the portable biometric device is worn by the user, wherein the sensor case lies between the straps and is adjacent to each of the straps, wherein the sensor case includes a cavity for receiving the sensor device, wherein one of the straps has a plurality of apertures and another one of the straps has a number of protrusions for fitting of the portable biometric device to a wrist of the user.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the sensor device includes a housing body and a housing cap that is configured to cover a space formed within the housing body, the housing body having a plurality of charging contacts for facilitating charging of the sensor device, wherein the space includes a sensor circuitry for sensing the physiological metrics.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the physiological metrics include a number of calories burned by the user, or a number of floors climbed by the user, or a number of floors descended by the user, or a heart rate of the user, or an elevation of the user, or a speed of movement of the user, or a distance traveled by the user, or a blood pressure of the user.

23. A method for pairing a computing device and a tracking device, comprising:

receiving by the computing device an encrypted instruction from the tracking device for sending to a server, wherein the tracking device is configured to be worn by a user, wherein the computing device is configured to be held by the user while the tracking device is worn, wherein the encrypted instruction provides a secure communication channel between the tracking device and the server to protect information within the encrypted instruction from being accessed by the computing device;

sending by the computing device the encrypted instruction to the server;

receiving by the computing device encrypted pairing information in response to sending the encrypted instruction, wherein the encrypted pairing information provides protection against access by the computing device of unencrypted pairing information;

sending the encrypted pairing information to the tracking device;

decrypting by the tracking device the encrypted pairing information to generate the unencrypted pairing information; and

providing the unencrypted pairing information to the computing device to enable pairing of the tracking device with the computing device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the tracking device lacks a communication circuitry for receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the pairing facilitator server, wherein the tracking device lacks a user interface for receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the user.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving additional pairing information from the computing device, wherein the computing and tracking devices pair when the unencrypted pairing information is provided to the computing device and the additional pairing information is received from the computing device.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the unencrypted pairing information includes an identifier of the tracking device and a secret code, wherein the identifier is designated to be sent to the computing device.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the computing and tracking devices communicate with each other via a communication protocol that is different from a communication protocol used between the server and the computing device.

28. A method for pairing a computing device and a wearable monitoring device, comprising:

using communication circuitry of the computing device to send an encrypted instruction to a server, wherein using the communication circuitry is performed by the wearable monitoring device, wherein the wearable monitoring device is configured to be worn by a user, wherein the computing device is configured to be held by the user while the wearable monitoring device is worn, wherein the encrypted instruction provides a secure communication channel between the wearable monitoring device and the server to protect information within the encrypted instruction from being accessed by the computing device;

receiving by the server the encrypted instruction;

in response to receiving the encrypted instruction, sending encrypted pairing information to the communication circuitry of the computing device;

receiving by the computing device the encrypted pairing information, wherein the encrypted pairing information provides protection against access by the computing device of unencrypted pairing information;

sending the encrypted pairing information to the wearable monitoring device;

decrypting by the wearable monitoring device the encrypted pairing information to generate the unencrypted pairing information; and

providing the unencrypted pairing information to the computing device to enable pairing of the wearable monitoring device with the computing device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the wearable monitoring device lacks a communication circuitry for receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the pairing facilitator server, wherein the wearable monitoring device lacks a user interface for receiving the unencrypted pairing information from the user.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving additional pairing information from the computing device, wherein the computing and wearable monitoring devices pair when the unencrypted pairing information is provided from the wearable monitoring to the computing device and the additional pairing information is received by the wearable monitoring device from the computing device.