System and method for providing device authentication in a wireless network

• US 7,039,392 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: McCorkle, John W., Welborn, Matthew L., Roberts, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy D.
• Application Number:
  US10/318,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/410, 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 342/118, 342/134, 375/340
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/023 Interference mitigation, e.g. reducing or avoiding non-intentional interference with other HF-transmitters, base station transmitters for mobile communication or other radar systems, e.g. using electro-magnetic interference [EMI] reduction techniques auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like G01S7/021; means for anti-jamming G01S7/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0682 by delay compensation, e.g. by compensation of propagation delay or variations thereof, by ranging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0004 using wavelets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/288 taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission, telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method are provided for authenticating a new device in a wireless network using an authentication device. First, the new device estimates the distance between the new device and the authenticating device as a first distance measurement, and sends the first distance measurement to the authentication device. The authentication device then estimates the distance between the new device and the authenticating device as a second distance measurement. The authentication device then evaluates the first and second distance measurements to determine if they meet authentication criteria and sends authentication data to the new device only if the first and second distance measurements meet the authentication criteria. These criteria can be that they do not differ by more than a set error value or that they both are below a set maximum value.

Claims

1. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide bandwidth (UWB) wireless network, comprising:

reducing a transmission power of the authentication device to an authentication transmission power level, where an authentication transmission range associated with the authentication power level is lower than a normal transmission range associated with a normal transmission power level used for normal operation in the UWB wireless network;

determining a first distance measurement at the authentication device using ultrawide bandwidth ranging, the first distance measurement providing a measurement of the distance between the new device and an authentication device, as made by the authentication device;

evaluating the first distance measurement to determine if it meets authentication criteria; and

sending authentication data to the new device only if the first distance measurement meets the authentication criteria.

2. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide bandwidth wireless network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the authentication criteria include that the first distance measurement is below a set maximum value.

3. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide bandwidth wireless network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the authentication transmission power level provides the UWB wireless network with an effective range between 0.3 and 2 meters.

4. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide bandwidth wireless network, as recited in claim 3, wherein the normal transmission power level provides the UWB wireless network with an effective range between 5 and 25 meters.

5. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide bandwidth wireless network, as recited in claim 3, wherein the authentication transmission power level provides the UWB wireless network with an effective range between 0.5 and 1 meter.

6. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 3, wherein the authentication transmission power level is between 15 and 25 dB below the normal transmission power level.

7. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 1, further comprising

receiving a second distance measurement from the new device, the second distance measurement providing a measurement of the distance between the new device and the authentication device, as made by the new device;

and

evaluating the first and second distance measurements to determine if they meet the authentication criteria,

wherein the step of sending authentication data to the new device is performed only if the first and second distance measurements meet the authentication criteria.

8. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 7, wherein the authentication criteria include that the first and second distance measurements are both below a set minimum value.

9. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 7, wherein the authentication criteria include that the first and second distance measurements are within a set variance from each other.

10. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 9, wherein the step of evaluating the first and second distance measurements is performed by comparing the first measurement with the second measurement to determine a variance between the first and second measurements.

11. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 10, wherein the comparing is performed by taking the absolute value of the difference between the first and second measurements.

12. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

sending a temporary public key of a temporary public/private encryption key pair to the new device prior to the step of receiving the second distance measurement,

wherein the first distance measurement is encrypted by the new device using the temporary public key, and is decrypted by the authentication device using a temporary private key of the temporary public/private encryption key pair.

13. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in a wireless network, as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a third distance measurement from the new device, the third distance measurement providing a measurement of the distance between the new device and the authentication device made by the new device;

determining a fourth distance measurement at the authentication device, the fourth distance measurement providing a measurement of the distance between the new device and the authentication device made by the authentication device;

evaluating the third and fourth distance measurements to determine if they meet the authentication criteria; and

indicating a security failure if the third and fourth distance measurements do not meet the authentication criteria.

14. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 13, wherein the authentication data includes an authentication public/private encryption key pair.

15. A method for an authentication device to authenticate a new device in an ultrawide wireless network, as recited in claim 14, wherein the third distance measurement is encrypted by the new device using the an authentication public key of the authentication public/private encryption key pair, and is decrypted by the authentication device using an authentication private key of the authentication public/private encryption key pair.