Multiple near field communication tags in a pairing domain

• US 8,432,262 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company), GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company), GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Talty, Timothy J., Ames, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY III, EDWIN C
• Application Number:
  US12/713,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20110210820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.51, 340/10.5, 340/10.1, 340/572.1, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 713/150, 713/169
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• 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 63/18 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 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method for simply and securely pairing multiple Bluetooth or other wireless electronic devices in a network. Multiple Near Field Communication (NFC) read-only tags are places in a vehicle or other defined space, such that users of NFC-enabled electronic devices can pass their device near one of the NFC tags, which then transfers encryption key data to the user'"'"'s device, allowing that device to be automatically joined to a small, secure wireless network. Various embodiments are disclosed for establishing and controlling the network, and applications are suggested for using the ad-hoc network—such as for the control of a vehicle'"'"'s entertainment system.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a secure wireless communications network between electronic devices, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of electronic devices which use a common protocol for wireless communications with other devices, each device containing a Near Field Communication reader/writer;

providing a master electronic device which is capable of controlling other devices in the network;

providing a plurality of Near Field Communication read-only tags within a defined geographic space, where the defined geographic space is a vehicle which includes an entertainment system, and each tag of the plurality of Near Field Communication read-only tags is placed at a different seating location within the vehicle, and where each tag contains secret information about the master electronic device;

passing each electronic device which is intended to be added to the network near one of the Near Field Communication read-only tags;

computing and wirelessly transmitting an authentication certificate from each device which is calculated from the secret information which was read from a Near Field Communication tag;

using the transmitted authentication certificate, if valid, to trigger the master electronic device to temporarily switch from a non-discoverable mode to a discoverable mode; and

completing the establishment of communications by exchanging additional data as required by the wireless communications protocol being used.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising defining a profile of attributes for each device, said profile being defined based on which Near Field Communication tag was used by the device to join the network.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising using the master device to control privileges for each device in the network based on each device'"'"'s profile.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the privileges for each device include playback of audio and video on the vehicle'"'"'s entertainment system.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising;

allowing a user of each device to request access to the vehicle'"'"'s entertainment system; and

allowing a user of the master device to grant or deny each request for access to the vehicle'"'"'s entertainment system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the protocol for wireless communications is Bluetooth.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the protocol for wireless communications is Wi-Fi wireless local area network.

8. A method for establishing a secure wireless communications network between electronic devices, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of electronic devices which use a common protocol for wireless communications with other devices, each device containing a Near Field Communication reader/writer;

providing a master electronic device which is capable of controlling other devices in the network;

providing a plurality of Near Field Communication read-only tags within a defined geographic space, where the defined geographic space is a room within a building, and each tag of the plurality of Near Field Communication read-only tags is placed on a portable object which may be moved anywhere within the room, and where each tag contains secret information about the master electronic device;

passing each electronic device which is intended to be added to the network near one of the Near Field Communication read-only tags;

computing and wirelessly transmitting an authentication certificate from each device which is calculated from the secret information which was read from a Near Field Communication tag;

using the transmitted authentication certificate, if valid, to trigger the master electronic device to temporarily switch from a non-discoverable mode to a discoverable mode; and

completing the establishment of communications by exchanging additional data as required by the wireless communications protocol being used.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each tag in the plurality of Near Field Communication read-only tags also contains other information besides the secret information about the master electronic device.

10. A system for establishing a secure wireless communications network between electronic devices, said system comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices which use a common protocol for wireless communications with other devices, each device containing a Near Field Communication reader/writer;

a master electronic device which is capable of controlling other devices in a network;

a plurality of Near Field Communication read-only tags within a defined geographic space, where the defined geographic space is a vehicle, and each tag of the plurality of Near Field Communication read-only tags is placed at a different seating location within the vehicle, and where each tag contains secret information about the master electronic device, wherein each device in the plurality of electronic devices includes a software algorithm for computing and wirelessly transmitting an authentication certificate that is calculated from the secret information which was read from a Near Field Communication tag; and

a triggering mechanism that causes the master electronic device to temporarily switch from a non-discoverable mode to a discoverable mode, wherein the master electronic device includes a software algorithm for detecting a transmitted authentication certificate and, upon detection of a valid certificate, cause the master electronic device to temporarily switch from the non-discoverable mode to the discoverable mode.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the triggering mechanism for causing the master electronic device to temporarily switch from the non-discoverable mode to the discoverable mode is the software algorithm on the master electronic device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a controller for managing privileges of each device in the network and allowing selective access to systems within the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the systems within the vehicle include audio and video systems, and the privileges of each device include playback functions on the audio and video systems.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the wireless communications protocol is Wi-Fi wireless local area network.