System and method for secure pairing of bluetooth devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9344185-B2
Application number	US-201414222756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 27, 2013
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A system of securely paired Bluetooth devices includes a host device and a peripheral device, where each device includes an audio interface and a Bluetooth transceiver. The host device and the peripheral device connect to each other by physically connecting their corresponding audio interfaces and communicate with each other by establishing an out-of-band audio communication channel via the connected audio interfaces. The host device and the peripheral device exchange Bluetooth authentication data via the out-of-band audio communication channel, and then are securely paired with each other by turning on and initializing the corresponding Bluetooth transceivers with the corresponding exchanged Bluetooth authentication data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system of securely paired Bluetooth devices comprising:
a host device comprising an audio interface and a Bluetooth transceiver;
a peripheral device comprising an audio interface and a Bluetooth transceiver;
wherein the Bluetooth transceiver of the host device and the Bluetooth transceiver of the peripheral device are in an idle power state when the host device and the peripheral device are not securely paired;
wherein the host device and the peripheral device are configured to connect to each other by physically connecting their corresponding audio interfaces and to communicate with each other by establishing an out-of-band audio communication channel through the connected audio interfaces;
wherein the host device and the peripheral device are configured to exchange Bluetooth authentication data via the out-of-band audio communication channel; and
wherein the host device and the peripheral device are configured to be securely paired with each other by establishing an authenticated and cryptographically protected in-band Bluetooth communication channel with each other and wherein the in-band Bluetooth communication channel is established by the Bluetooth transceiver in the host device and the Bluetooth transceiver in the peripheral device transitioning from the idle power state to an operating state, and initializing the corresponding Bluetooth transceivers with the corresponding exchanged Bluetooth authentication data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the in-band Bluetooth communication channel between the host device and the peripheral device is established automatically upon detection of the presence of the host device by the peripheral device and vice versa.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Bluetooth authentication data comprise one of authentication code, PIN code, “Bluetooth Device Address”, “Simple Pairing Hash C” or “Simple Pairing Randomizer R”.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein communications between the host device and the peripheral device via the out-of-band audio communication channel are two-way communications and use modulations comprising one of Manchester coding, Frequency Shifted Keying (FSK), or Phase-Shifted Keying (PSK).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the turning on or off of the Bluetooth transceivers is controlled through the out-of-band audio communication channel to reduce power consumption and radiation by the Bluetooth transceivers.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host device is paired with the peripheral device using Bluetooth pairing protocols comprising one of Legacy Pairing, Secure Simple Pairing (SSP), or Out-of-Band (OOB) Pairing.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the host and peripheral devices comprise computing devices and the computing devices comprise one of desktop computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), netbooks, tablet computers, notebook computers, electronic readers, digital music players, digital video players, game consoles, or computing circuits.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device is initially in a sleep mode and wherein the host device is configured to wake up the peripheral device by sending a command via the out-of-band audio communication channel.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the command comprises frequency tone or data packet.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device is initially in a sleep mode and wherein the peripheral device is configured to wake itself up by detecting the presence of the host device.

11. A method for securely pairing Bluetooth devices comprising:
providing a host device comprising an audio interface and a Bluetooth transceiver, the Bluetooth transceiver of the host device initially being in an idle state;
providing a peripheral device comprising an audio interface and a Bluetooth transceiver, the Bluetooth transceiver of the peripheral device initially being in an idle state;
connecting the host device and the peripheral device to each other by physically connecting their corresponding audio interfaces;
communicating between the host device and the peripheral device by establishing an out-of-band audio communication channel through the connected audio interfaces;
exchanging Bluetooth authentication data between the host device and the peripheral device via the out-of-band audio communication channel; and
pairing the host device and the peripheral device with each other by establishing an authenticated and cryptographically protected in-band Bluetooth communication channel with each other and wherein the in-band Bluetooth communication channel is established by the Bluetooth transceiver in the host device and the Bluetooth transceiver in the peripheral device transitioning from the idle power state to an operating state, and initializing the corresponding Bluetooth transceivers with the corresponding exchanged Bluetooth authentication data.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the in-band Bluetooth communication channel between the host device and the peripheral device is established automatically upon detection of the presence of the host device by the peripheral device and vice versa.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the Bluetooth authentication data comprise one of authentication code, PIN code, “Bluetooth Device Address”, “Simple Pairing Hash C” or “Simple Pairing Randomizer R”.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein communications between the host device and the peripheral device via the out-of-band audio communication channel are two-way communications and use modulations comprising one of Manchester coding, Frequency Shifted Keying (FSK), or Phase-Shifted Keying (PSK).

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the turning on or off of the Bluetooth transceivers is controlled through the out-of-band audio communication channel to reduce power consumption and radiation by the Bluetooth transceivers.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the host device is paired with the peripheral device using Bluetooth pairing protocols comprising one of Legacy Pairing, Secure Simple Pairing (SSP), or Out-of-Band (OOB) Pairing.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the host and peripheral devices comprise computing devices and the computing devices comprise one of desktop computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), netbooks, tablet computers, notebook computers, electronic readers, digital music players, digital video players, game consoles, or computing circuits.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the peripheral device is initially in a sleep mode and wherein the host device is configured to wake up the peripheral device by sending a command via the out-of-band audio communication channel.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the command comprises frequency tone or data packet.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the peripheral device is initially in a sleep mode and wherein the peripheral device is configured to wake itself up by detecting the presence of the host device.

Assignees

• Lo Chi Wah
• Bbpos Ltd

Inventors

• Lo Chi Wah

Classifications

• H04L63/18

  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 title

• H04L63/0428

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title