Efficient And Secure Communication Using Wireless Service Identifiers
Patent No. US11074615 (titled "Efficient And Secure Communication Using Wireless Service Identifiers") was filed by Secure Communication Technologies Llc on Mar 13, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’615 is related to the field of wireless communication , specifically enhancing security and privacy in beacon services like those using Bluetooth or WiFi. The background involves mobile devices using both wide-area (WWAN) and short-range (WPAN/WLAN) wireless technologies. Existing peer-to-peer approaches using short-range radios have security and privacy limitations because all information is stored locally, making policy enforcement and identity spoofing difficult.
The underlying idea behind ’615 is to use a central server to manage the exchange of information between wireless devices that detect each other via short-range radio beacons. Instead of direct peer-to-peer communication, devices report detected beacon identifiers to the server, which then brokers the information exchange based on pre-defined policies. This approach allows for better security, privacy, and policy enforcement compared to purely local peer-to-peer systems.
The claims of ’615 focus on a method for a wireless device to efficiently and securely interact with beacon services. The device receives beacon transmissions containing a MAC address , a unique identifier , and a beacon service identifier . The device filters these transmissions based on the beacon service identifier and, if a specific unique identifier is present, takes further action using stored information obtained from a server. This stored information relates to an entity or object associated with the unique identifier.
In practice, a beacon transmitter broadcasts a signal containing its MAC address, a unique identifier, and a service identifier using Bluetooth or WiFi. A mobile device receives these broadcasts, filters them based on the service identifier, and if a desired unique identifier is found, it uses information previously downloaded from a server. This information could be the identity of a nearby person, details about a product in a store, or tour information at a museum. The mobile device might then prevent sending the unique identifier back to the server if the information is already available, or suppress subsequent sending of the identifier within a certain timeframe, reducing unnecessary communication.
This approach differs from prior solutions by using a central server to broker the information exchange, enabling policy enforcement and enhanced security. Unlike peer-to-peer systems, the unique identifier doesn't directly reveal the location of the beacon transmitter, and the server can control what information is shared based on pre-defined policies. The system can also coordinate the changing of these identifiers to enhance anonymity and security, making it harder to track devices over time. This architecture supports various applications, including secure e-commerce transactions, location-based services, and targeted advertising.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2000s when ’615 was filed, mobile devices commonly relied on separate wireless connections for wide-area (WWAN) and short-range (WPAN/WLAN) communication, at a time when short-range wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi were typically implemented using beacon service identifiers for proximity detection and peer-to-peer communication, when systems commonly relied on a central server to manage the exchange of information between entities and devices.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the amended claims recited a method for reducing communications between one or more servers and a wireless device, while providing enhanced security and privacy to a wireless beacon service. The method involves transmitting a beacon transmission comprising a MAC address, a unique identifier that does not directly identify a location, and a beacon service identifier. The wireless device receives stored information from the servers associated with the unique identifier and filters received beacon transmissions based on the beacon service identifier before taking further action.
Claims
This patent contains 30 claims, with independent claims 1, 28, 29, and 30. The independent claims are generally directed to methods for reducing communications between servers and a wireless device while enhancing security and privacy in a wireless beacon service. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and add detail to the elements and steps recited in the independent claims.
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Date
Description
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US11074615
- Application Number
- US16817896
- Filing Date
- Mar 13, 2020
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Feb 3, 2029
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents