Bluetooth low energy hostless private address resolution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9853969-B2
Application number	US-201514864793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Oct 1, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Conventional Bluetooth low energy (or like personal wireless network) controllers cannot resolve private addresses without some calculation from a host processor but leaving the host processor on or awaking it from a sleep each time a non-trusted device attempts to connect wastes power. Hostless private address resolution allows a host controller to enter a sleep state off while the Bluetooth controller advertises its device name, primary services, rejects connection requests from non-trusted devices with public and private addresses, and awakens the host controller upon a connection request from a trusted client device with a public or private address. Not only does this approach reduce power consumption by allowing the host processor to remain in the sleep state it simultaneously ensures security by allowing the private address resolution to remain active on the Bluetooth controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of enabling private address resolution using a wireless personal area network controller when a host processor is in a sleep state, the method comprising:
establishing a connection with at least one client device receiving a broadcast of the host processor name, the connection allowing an exchange of a public address and an identity resolution key for each device;
generating a trusted database comprising the public address and the corresponding identity resolution keys for the at least one connected devices, the trusted database corresponding to trusted client devices for a connection between a trusted client device in the trusted database and a host processor;
storing the trusted database in a memory associated with the wireless personal area network controller;
receiving, by the wireless personal area network controller, a connection request from a trusted client device while the host processor is in the sleep state, the connection request including a resolvable private address and identity resolution key of the trusted client device;
obtaining a corresponding public address for the trusted client device based on the resolvable private address and the identity resolution key received from the connection request and identifying the obtained corresponding public address stored in the trusted database which is used to authenticate the client device; and
waking, in response to client device being authenticated, the host processor to connect with the trusted client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the public address and of the client device is not stored in the trusted database, disallowing the trusted client device from connecting with the host processor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing a connection with at least one client device further comprises:
broadcasting a device name associated with the host processor;
establishing a pair with the client device seeking to be in the trusted database;
storing the public address and the identity resolution key in the trusted database, the client device thereafter becoming a trusted client device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating an authentication further comprises:
decrypting the resolvable private address using identity resolution key provided by the trusted client device;
comparing the decryption result to the public address associated with the trusted client device stored in the trusted database;
granting authentication if the decryption result matches the public address stored in the trusted database; and
denying authentication if the result does not match the public address stored in the trusted database.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to the request to the wake the host processor further comprises:
transmitting, by a power management module, the awake request to the power manager; and
receiving, by the power manager, in response to receiving the awake request, powering on the host processor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein in generating a trusted database further comprises:
generating of a trusted database data structure on a controller memory of the wireless personal area network controller;
initializing a list of trusted client devices at a time of host processor reset;
storing the public addresses and identity resolution key entries of trusted client devices on the controller memory of the wireless personal area network controller; and
allowing scan and connect request from trusted client devices.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein in a resolvable private address received by the host device is generated with the exchanged public address and identity resolution key.

8. A wireless personal area network enabled host device, comprising:
a host processor;
a wireless personal area network controller;
an interface configured to allow communication between the wireless personal area network controller and the host processor;
a communication module configured to establish the connection between at least one client device receiving a broadcast of the host processor name, the connection allowing the exchange of a public address and an identity resolution key for each device;
a power manager configured to control the power state of the host processor;
a trusted database stored on the memory of wireless personal area network controller configured to store the public addresses and the corresponding identity resolution keys for the at least one client device, the trusted database corresponding to trusted client devices; and
a software module, stored in memory of the wireless personal area network controller, configured to
receive the private address and the identity resolution key of a trusted client device while the host processor is in a sleep state, and
obtain a corresponding public address for the trusted device based on the received private address and identity resolution key, wherein the obtained corresponding public address is stored in the trusted database and is used to authenticate the client device.

9. The host device of claim 8 , wherein the trusted database is further configured to respond to connection request from trusted client devices listed in the trusted database.

10. The host device of claim 8 , wherein the communication module is further configured to:
broadcast advertising packets that indicate the discoverability of the host device;
advertise an availability of data ready for transmission; and
acknowledge connection request of client devices.

11. The host device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of modules includes a host controller interface module configured to:
synchronize a memory state of the trusted database with the host processor;
add public addresses and identity resolution keys to the trusted database; and
synchronize a power state of the Bluetooth Low Energy controller with the host processor.

12. The host device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of modules includes a private address resolution module configured to:
decrypt the identity resolution key and private address; and
compare the result of the decryption to an associated public address of the client device in the trusted database.

13. The host device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of modules includes a connection denial module configured to:
deny connection and scan request by client devices not listed in the trusted database; and
deny a connection request by a trusted client device if the result of the decryption does not match the associated public address listed in the trusted database.

14. The host device of claim 8 , further comprising a host controller interface module configured to send a host processor awake request to the power manager.

15. The host device of claim 8 , wherein the device is a camera.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions to enable private address resolution using a personal wireless network controller when a host processor is in a sleep state, the instructions comprising instructions that cause a processor to:
establish a connection with at least one client device receiving a broadcast of the host processor name, the connection allowing an exchange of a public address and an identity resolution key for each device;
generate a trusted database corresponding comprising the public address and the corresponding identity resolution keys for the at least one connect devices, the trusted database corresponding to trusted client devices for a connection between a trusted client device in the trusted database and a host processor;
store the trusted database in a data

Assignees

• Gopro Inc

Inventors

• Enke Joseph Anthony

Classifications

• H04L63/0414 Primary

  during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication · CPC title

• H04W8/005

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

• H04L63/0876

  based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint · CPC title

• H04L63/0428

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

• H04L63/06

  for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08) · CPC title