Establishing a secure communication link

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11522919-B2
Application number	US-201916263752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to devices, systems, and techniques for establishing a secure connection between two or more devices. In some examples, a device is configured for wireless communication. The device comprises signal reception circuitry configured to receive communications transmitted according to at least a first communication protocol, communication circuitry configured for wireless communication according to at least a second communication protocol, and processing circuitry electrically coupled to the signal reception circuitry and the communication circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to receive, via the signal reception circuitry, a first signal according to the first communication protocol. In response to receiving the first signal, the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit, via the communication circuitry, a second signal according to the second communication protocol and establish a secure link according to the second communication protocol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device configured for wireless communication, wherein the device comprises:
signal reception circuitry configured to receive communications transmitted according to at least a first communication protocol;
communication circuitry configured to send communications and receive communications according to at least a second communication protocol different than the first communication protocol; and
processing circuitry electrically coupled to the signal reception circuitry and the communication circuitry,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
receive, from one or more external devices via the signal reception circuitry, a first signal according to the first communication protocol;
in response to receiving the first signal, transmit, via the communication circuitry, a second signal including a set of advertisements according to the second communication protocol;
in response to transmitting the second signal including the set of advertisements, receive, from the one or more external devices, a first set of random data according to the second communication protocol;
generate a second set of random data;
transmit the second set of random data, a challenge, and a first encryption key to the one or more external devices according to the second communication protocol at a first power magnitude, wherein the first power magnitude is less than a second power magnitude, wherein the first encryption key is encrypted, and wherein the challenge is not encrypted;
calculate, based on the first set of random data, the second set of random data, and the first encryption key, a second encryption key;
receive, from the one or more external devices, the challenge according to the second communication protocol, wherein the challenge is encrypted;
decrypt the challenge using the second encryption key;
verify the challenge by comparing the decrypted challenge with the transmitted challenge; and
transmit, to the one or more external devices according to the second communication protocol, a verification signal which confirms that the challenge is verified and establishes a secure link between the device and the one or more external devices according to the second communication protocol, and

wherein communications transmitted over the established secure link are according to the second communication protocol at the second power magnitude.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is not configured to send communications according to the first communication protocol.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first power magnitude is less than about 150 nanowatts (nW).

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first communication protocol includes a magnetic induction communication protocol, a radio frequency (RF) communication protocol, or a tissue conductance communication (TCC) protocol.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth® Low Energy (BTLE) protocol having a reduced power mode and a normal power mode, wherein signals transmitted according to the second communication protocol operating in the reduced power mode are transmitted at the first power magnitude, and wherein signals transmitted according to the second communication protocol operating in the normal mode are transmitted at the second power magnitude.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second encryption key comprises an advanced encryption standard (AES) key, and wherein the second encryption key defines a size of 128 bits.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein in response to receiving the first signal, the device is configured to transmit the second signal including the set of advertisements for a period of time lasting up to a time limit of 30 seconds.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a first device, wherein the first signal is from a second device, wherein the second signal is sent to the second device, and wherein the secure link comprises a secure link between the device and at least one of the second device or a third device, and wherein the one or more external devices comprise the second device and the third device.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first signal comprises a wake-up signal for the device according to the first communication protocol, and wherein based on receiving the first signal, the processing circuitry is configured to transition the communication circuitry from a relatively lower energy consumption mode to a relatively higher energy consumption mode.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein to transition the communication circuitry from the relatively lower energy consumption mode to the relatively higher energy consumption mode, the processing circuitry configured to increase a rate in which the device transmits advertisements from a first advertisement rate to a second advertisement rate.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first advertisement rate is greater than twenty advertisements per hour and less than sixty advertisements per hour, and wherein the second advertisement rate is greater than one advertisement per second.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first advertisement rate is zero advertisements per second, and wherein the second advertisement rate is greater than one advertisement per second.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first signal comprises:
a plurality of primary portions, wherein each primary portion of the plurality of primary portions defines a first frequency value and a first duration; and
a plurality of secondary portions, wherein each secondary portion of the plurality of secondary portions defines a second frequency value and a second duration, wherein the plurality of primary portions and the plurality of secondary portions are interleaved such that one primary portion occurs between two consecutive secondary portions and one secondary portion occurs between two consecutive primary portions, and
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
in response to receiving the first signal, authenticate the first signal by matching at least one of the first frequency value, the second frequency value, the first duration, and the second duration to known values stored by the device.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first signal transmitted according to the first communication protocol includes a transmission range of less than about 20 centimeters (cm).

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first power magnitude is within a range from −50 decibels with reference to one milliwatt (dBm) to −10 dBm, and wherein the second power magnitude is 0 dBm.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises an implantable medical device (IMD).

17. A method comprising:
receiving, by signal reception circuitry of a device configured to receive communications transmitted according to at least a first communication protocol, a first signal from one or more external devices according to the first communication protocol;
in response to receiving the first signal, transmitting, via communication circuitry configured to send communications and receive communications according to at least a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, a second signal including a set of advertisements according to the second communication protocol;
in response to transmitting the second signal including the set of advertisements, receiving, by processing circuitry electrically coupled to the signal reception circuitry and the communication circuitry, a first set of random data from the one or more external devices according to the second

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Yoon Hyun J
• Zhang Bo
• Ecker Robert Michael
• Wyszynski Ryan
• Green Joseph C
• Peichel David J
• Shields Sudar
• Wine Nicholas C
• Thwaites Drew J

Classifications

• H04L63/205 Primary

  involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved (negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24) · CPC title

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• A61N1/37252

  Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data · CPC title

• H04W12/63

  Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent · CPC title

• H04W12/50

  Secure pairing of devices · CPC title