System and method for establishing data connections between electronic devices

• US 8,543,831 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polaris Innovations Limited (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qimonda AG (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Bilger, Christoph, Kho, Rex, Schramm, Achim, Maier, Martin, Zinzius, Yann, Kohlhase, Armin
• Primary Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, CAROLYN M
• Application Number:
  US11/939,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 713/186
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed, including establishing of data connections between electronic devices. One embodiment provides a method for establishing a data connection between a first and a second electronic device, wherein establishing the data connection is authorized by executing at least one action with at least one physical tool.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining a first electronic device and a second electronic device; and

establishing a first wireless data connection between the first and the second electronic device, wherein establishing the first wireless data connection is authorized by executing at least one action with a physical tool separate from the first and second electronic devices,

wherein prior to establishing the first wireless data connection;

establishing a second wireless data connection between the physical tool and the first electronic device; and

transferring a code from the physical tool to the first electronic device;

wherein establishing of the first wireless data connection is authorized by the fact that the first electronic device possesses the code obtained before.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical tool holds personal data that identifies at least one user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical tool creates a fresh code for each attempt to connect two electronic devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical tool uses the same code for all attempts to connect two electronic devices.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising permanently associating the physical tool with the first of the two electronic devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the executed action is a physical action executed by a human.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing the data connection between the physical tool and one of the electronic devices by bringing the physical tool into a designated region in the vicinity of the electronic device, wherein the physical tool is detected by the electronic device if the physical tool is in the vicinity of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising establishing the data connection between the physical tool and one of the electronic devices by bringing the physical tool into a designated region in the vicinity of the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is detected by the physical tool if the physical tool is in the vicinity of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data connection between the physical tool and one of the electronic devices is bidirectional.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data connection between the physical tool and one of the electronic devices is unidirectional.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data connection between the physical tool and one of the electronic devices uses a mechanical, optical or electrical connection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical tool is a biometric feature, wherein establishing of the data connection is authorized by a scan of the biometric feature.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the biometric feature is a fingerprint.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the biometric feature is an iris pattern of an eye.

15. A method comprising:

defining a first electronic device and a second electronic device; and

establishing a first wireless data connection between the first and the second electronic device, wherein establishing the first wireless data connection is authorized by executing at least one action with a physical tool separate from the first and second electronic devices,

wherein prior to establishing the first wireless data connection;

establishing a second wireless data connection between the physical tool and the first electronic device;

transferring a first code from the physical tool to the first electronic device;

establishing a third wireless data connection between the physical tool and the second electronic device; and

transferring the first code from the physical tool to the second electronic device;

wherein establishing of the first wireless data connection is authorized by the fact that both electronic devices possess the first code obtained before.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

establishing a fourth wireless data connection between a second physical tool and the second electronic device;

transferring a second code from the second physical tool to the second electronic device;

establishing a fifth wireless data connection between the second physical tool and the first electronic device; and

transferring the second code from the second physical tool to the first electronic device,

wherein establishing of the first wireless data connection is authorized by the fact that both electronic devices possess the first and second code obtained before.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second codes contain data that identifies the owners of the two physical tools and/or the two electronic devices.

18. A system comprising:

a first electronic device;

a second electronic device; and

a physical tool separate from the first and second electronic devices, wherein establishing of a first wireless data connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device can be authorized by execution of an action with the physical tool,

wherein prior to establishing the first wireless data connection between the first and the second electronic device, establishing a second wireless data connection and exchange of data between the physical tool and each of the two electronic devices by bringing the physical tool into a designated region in the vicinity of each of the two electronic devices.

19. A system comprising:

a physical tool comprising data communication equipment, the physical tool configured to perform an action, wherein execution of the action authorizes establishing of a first wireless data connection between a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the physical tool being separate from the first and second electronic devices,

wherein the physical tool is configured to establish a second wireless data connection between the physical tool and the second electronic device and transfer a code from the physical tool to the second electronic device prior to establishing the first wireless data connection, and

wherein establishing of the first wireless data connection is authorized by the fact that the second electronic device possesses the code obtained before.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

data communication equipment configured such that a first wireless data connection is established between the electronic device and a second electronic device, wherein establishing of the first wireless data connection has to be authorized by execution of at least one action with at least one physical tool separate from the electronic device and the second electronic device,

wherein the physical tool is configured to establish a second wireless data connection between the physical tool and the electronic device, transfer a code from the electronic device to the physical tool, establish a third wireless data connection between the physical tool and the second electronic device, and transfer the code from the physical tool to the second electronic device prior to establishing the first wireless data connection, and

wherein establishing of the first wireless data connection is authorized by the fact that both electronic devices possess the code transferred before.