Bus Device Reconfiguration for Secure Isochronous Audio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bus devices require multiple cables and adapters to transmit digital audio data to host devices, and may not function properly with altered configurations, limiting functionality and compatibility with legacy systems and unauthorized devices.
Innovation Solution
A bus device is reconfigured into a specialized mode visible only to authorized host devices, allowing direct isochronous audio data transfer over a single physical connection without adapters, using a daemon and specialized API to manage configuration changes and authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a bus device uses multiple cables and adapters to transmit digital audio data to a host device, then compatibility with legacy systems is maintained, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate connection components (cables and adapters) into a single integrated cable assembly. The cable includes a first connector for the bus device, a second connector for the host device, and an adapter component embedded within the cable structure, allowing all connections to be established through one plug-and-play operation rather than requiring multiple separate connection steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable assembly acts as an intermediary device that bridges the bus device and host device while containing the adaptation logic within its structure. The embedded adapter in the cable translates or adapts signals between different interfaces, eliminating the need for external adapter devices and reducing the number of connection components the user must handle.
2Reliability
If a bus device is reconfigured into a specialized mode visible only to authorized host devices, then security and functionality are improved, but compatibility with unauthorized devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bus device implements different configuration states with distinct visibility properties. When in the specialized reconfigured mode, the device presents a configuration that is only visible and selectable to authorized host devices that possess the correct authentication credentials. Unauthorized devices see only the default configuration or no configuration at all, creating localized access control at the device level.
Solution Approach 2:
The bus device dynamically switches between a default configuration state and a specialized reconfigured state based on authentication outcomes. Upon successful authentication with an authorized host device, the bus device transitions to the specialized mode where enhanced functionality is enabled and visible only to that authorized host, creating dynamic adaptability based on security credentials.
3Ease of operation
If a bus device uses a single physical connection for audio data transfer, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability and security deteriorate without proper configuration management
Solution Approach 1:
The bus device performs preliminary authentication and configuration verification through a daemon process before enabling the specialized reconfigured mode. When a host device connects via the single cable, the daemon intercepts the connection, verifies authentication credentials, and only after successful verification does it allow the bus device to switch to the specialized configuration, ensuring security is established before functionality is enabled.
Solution Approach 2:
The daemon process provides feedback control by monitoring the authentication status and configuration state of the bus device. It continuously verifies that only authorized host devices can access the specialized configuration and prevents unauthorized switching between configuration states, creating a closed-loop security mechanism that responds to connection attempts in real-time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for reconfiguring a bus device from a first configuration into a second configuration, wherein the second configuration is not visible to, and is not selectable by, an unauthorized host device that connects to the bus device through a peripheral port of the bus device is described. In the bus device, a received message transmitted by the authorized host device through the peripheral port of the bus device to which the authorized host device is connected is parsed and an instruction to reconfigure the bus device from the first configuration into the second configuration is detected. Responsive to detecting the instruction, a daemon signals reconfiguration of the bus device into the second configuration, and responsive to the daemon signaling, the bus device is reconfigured into the second configuration. Other embodiments are also described.