Establishing a direct connection between two devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9491148-B2
Application number	US-201414334927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes, by a first computing device associated with a first user, receiving a connection request from a second computing device associated with a second user. The method also includes confirming that the connection request is associated with the second user and sending to the second computing device an acceptance of the connection request in response to confirming that the connection request is associated with the second user. The method further includes receiving from the second computing device an acknowledgement of the acceptance and, in response to the acknowledgement, allowing information to be exchanged between the first and second computing devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
by a first computing device associated with a first user of a social-networking system, receiving a connection request from a second computing device associated with a second user of the social-networking system, wherein:
the first and second users have previously established a social-network connection on the social-networking system;
the first computing device has previously received from the social-networking system (1) a unique code and (2) a public key associated with the second user;
the second computing device has previously received from the social-networking system (1) the unique code and (2) a private key associated with the second user and then encrypted the unique code using the second user's private key; and
the connection request received from the second computing device comprises the encrypted unique code;

by the first computing device, confirming that the connection request is associated with the second user, wherein the confirming comprises:
decrypting the encrypted unique code using the second user's public key to produce a decrypted version of the encrypted unique code; and
verifying that the decrypted version of the encrypted unique code is valid by determining that the decrypted version of the encrypted unique code matches the unique code previously received from the social-networking system;

by the first computing device, sending to the second computing device an acceptance of the connection request in response to confirming that the connection request is associated with the second user;
by the first computing device, receiving from the second computing device an acknowledgement of the acceptance;
by the first computing device, in response to the acknowledgement, allowing information to be exchanged between the first and second computing devices;
by the first computing device, in response to determining that no network connection is available, storing a portion of the information exchanged between the first and second computing devices, wherein the stored portion of the information is to be sent later to the social-networking system; and
by the first computing device, in response to detecting an available network connection:
connecting to the available network connection; and
sending, via the available network connection, the stored portion of the information to the social-networking system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the connection request from the second computing device comprises receiving the connection request directly from the second computing device;
sending the acceptance of the connection request to the second computing device comprises sending the acceptance of the connection request directly to the second computing device;
receiving the acknowledgement of the acceptance from the second computing device comprises receiving the acknowledgement of the acceptance directly from the second computing device; and
allowing information to be exchanged between the first and second computing devices comprises allowing information to be exchanged directly between the first and second computing devices.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique code comprises a nickname, a first name, an image, a userid, an identifier, or an alias associated with the second user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connection request further comprises a nickname, a first name, an image, a userid, an identifier, or an alias associated with the second user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the confirming that the connection request is associated with the second user further comprises, by the first computing device, receiving an input from the first user, wherein the input indicates that the first user received from the second user a verbal, visual, or physical indication that the connection request received by the first computing device is authentic.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more portions of the connection-request acceptance or the acknowledgement are encrypted.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second computing device has previously received from the social-networking system a public key associated with the first user;
the first computing device has previously received from the social-networking system a private key associated with the first user and the first user's public key; and
the connection-request acceptance sent by the first computing device comprises a portion that is encrypted using the first user's private key.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, by the second computing device, in response to the connection-request acceptance received from the first computing device, confirming that the connection-request acceptance is associated with the first user prior to sending the acknowledgement of the acceptance to the first computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information exchanged between the first and second computing devices comprises contact information for the first or second user, one or more files, one or more applications, or social-networking information associated with the first or second user.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exchange of information between the first and second computing devices comprises the first computing device sending information to or receiving information from the second computing device in an encrypted or otherwise secure form.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exchange of information between the first and second computing devices comprises the first computing device sending information to or receiving information from the second computing device by a direct Wi-Fi connection between the first and second computing devices.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connection request is broadcast by the second device in a manner that allows the second user to remain anonymous.

13. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions operable when executed by a first computing device associated with a first user of a social-networking system to:
receive a connection request from a second computing device associated with a second user of the social-networking system, wherein:
the first and second users have previously established a social-network connection on the social-networking system;
the first computing device has previously received from the social-networking system (1) a unique code and (2) a public key associated with the second user;
the second computing device has previously received from the social-networking system (1) the unique code and (2) a private key associated with the second user and then encrypted the unique code using the second user's private key; and
the connection request received from the second computing device comprises the encrypted unique code;

confirm that the connection request is associated with the second user, comprising:
decrypt the encrypted unique code using the second user's public key to produce a decrypted version of the encrypted unique code; and
verify that the decrypted version of the encrypted unique code is valid by determining that the decrypted version of the encrypted unique code matches the unique code previously received from the social-networking system;

send to the second computing device an acceptance of the connection request in response to confirming that the connection request is associated with the second user;
receive from the second computing device an acknowledgement of the acceptance;
in response to the acknowledgement, allow information to be exchanged between the first and second computing devices;
in response to determining that no network connection

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Passichenko Viktor
• Kowalewski Damian
• Penov Francislav
• Maguire Yael
• Iyengar Subodh

Classifications

• H04L63/061

  for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838) · CPC title

• H04L9/32

  including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system {or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials} · CPC title

• H04W4/206

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F21/445

  by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs · CPC title

• H04L63/0428 Primary

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