Facilitating a secure session between paired devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9674707-B2
Application number	US-201414774638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A wearable device can establish a verified session with a host device. For example, if a user wearing the wearable device unlocks the host device (e.g., by entering a credential), the devices can create a verified session, which can persist across lock and unlock events at the host device. For the duration of the verified session, a host device can request session confirmation from the wearable device at any time to confirm that the verified session is still in progress. While the session is in progress, the host can make features available such as bypassing re-entry of a credential during unlock operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of communicating between a host device and a wearable device, the method comprising, by the host device:
establishing wireless communication with a wearable device;
entering an unlocked state in response to receiving user input matching a user sign-in credential;
determining whether the wearable device is in a trusted state at a time correlated with receiving the user input;
when the wearable device is in the trusted state, establishing a verified session with the wearable device;
subsequently to establishing the verified session, entering a locked state;
detecting, while in the locked state, an unlock-triggering event;
in response to detecting the unlock-triggering event, determining whether the verified session has ended;
when the verified session has not ended, requesting a session confirmation from the wearable device;
receiving a response to the request from the wearable device; and
when the response from the wearable device comprises a valid session confirmation:
bypassing a requirement for a sign-in credential; and
transitioning to the unlocked state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the wearable device is in the trusted state comprises:
determining whether an estimated distance between the wearable device and the host device is less than a threshold distance; and
determining whether the wearable device is currently being worn,
wherein the wearable device is in the trusted state if the wearable device is currently being worn and the estimated distance between the wearable device and the host device is less than the threshold distance.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the verified session comprises establishing a session key.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein requesting the session confirmation from the wearable device comprises:
generating a random nonce; and
including the random nonce in a session confirmation request message sent to the wearable device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the response from the wearable device comprises an encrypted random nonce, the method further comprising:
determining whether the response from the wearable device comprises a valid session confirmation based at least in part on the encrypted random nonce and the session key.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
ending the verified session in the event that the wearable device ceases to be detectable to the host device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
ending the verified session in the event that the wearable device ceases to be worn.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the response from the wearable device comprises context information, the context information being based at least in part on a user interaction status of the wearable device, the method further comprising:
determining an action to perform based at least in part on the context information.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
subsequently to establishing the verified session, receiving a request for a user identifier to be assigned to the wearable device;
determining a user identifier to be sent to the wearable device; and
sending the user identifier to the wearable device in response to the request.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the user identifier comprises:
selecting a user identifier based on an identifier of a user currently operating the host device; and
prompting the user to confirm that the selected user identifier should be sent.

11. A host device comprising:
a communication interface to communicate with a wearable device;
a user interface; and
a processor coupled to the communication interface and the user interface, the processor configured to:
establish wireless communication with a wearable device via the communication interface;
enter an unlocked state in response to receiving user input matching a user sign-in credential;
determine whether the wearable device is in a trusted state at a time correlated with receiving the user input;
establish a verified session with the wearable device in an event that the wearable device is in the trusted state;
enter a locked state subsequently to establishing the verified session;
detect, while in the locked state, an unlock-triggering event;
determine, in response to detecting the unlock-triggering event, whether the verified session has ended;
request a session confirmation from the wearable device in the event that the verified session has not ended;
receive a response to the request from the wearable device; and
bypass a requirement for a sign-in credential and transition to the unlocked state in the event that the response from the wearable device comprises a valid session confirmation.

12. The host device of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured such that determining whether the wearable device is in the trusted state comprises:
determining whether an estimated distance between the wearable device and the host device is less than a threshold distance; and
determining whether the wearable device is currently being worn.

13. The host device of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to end the verified session in the event that the wearable device ceases to be detectable to the host device.

14. The host device of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to end the verified session in the event that the wearable device ceases to be worn.

15. The host device of claim 11 wherein the response from the wearable device comprises context information, the context information being based at least in part on a user interaction status of the wearable device and wherein the processor is further configured to determine an action to perform based at least in part on the context information.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program code instructions that, when executed by a processor in a host device, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
establishing wireless communication with a wearable device;
entering an unlocked state in response to receiving user input matching a user sign-in credential;
determining whether the wearable device is in a trusted state at a time correlated with receiving the user input;
when the wearable device is in the trusted state, establishing a verified session with the wearable device;
subsequently to establishing the verified session, entering a locked state;
detecting, while in the locked state, an unlock-triggering event;
in response to detecting the unlock-triggering event, determining whether the verified session has ended;
when the verified session has not ended, requesting a session confirmation from the wearable device;
receiving a response to the request from the wearable device; and
when the response from the wearable device comprises a valid session confirmation:
bypassing a requirement for a sign-in credential; and
transitioning to the unlocked state.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein determining whether the wearable device is in the trusted state comprises:
determining whether an estimated distance between the wearable device and the host device is less than a threshold distance; and
determining whether the wearable device is currently being worn,
wherein the wearable device is in the trusted state if the wearable device is currently being worn and the estimated distance between the wearable device and the host device is less than the threshold distance.

18. The non-transito

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Boettcher Jesse W
• Federighi Craig
• James Bryan J
• Mason James Eric

Classifications

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• H04W12/04

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title

• H04M1/67

  by electronic means · CPC title

• H04L63/0853

  using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234) · CPC title

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title