Offline Anonymous Authentication for Chargers and Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic authentication methods for devices and chargers often rely on network connections, which can be unreliable, and do not adequately protect against counterfeit chargers or compromised device credentials.
Innovation Solution
A method for anonymous authentication between electronic devices and chargers that operates without a network connection, using direct communication to verify the authenticity of devices and chargers, and includes a revocation mechanism to address compromised credentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network connection is used for authentication, then authentication can be updated and managed centrally, but authentication becomes unreliable when network is unavailable and compromises security by adding external attack vectors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication functionality from network dependency, enabling devices to authenticate each other directly through local communication. The authentication protocol operates independently of network connections, using direct device-to-device or device-to-charger communication channels, thereby eliminating network as a single point of failure while maintaining authentication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cryptographic protocols as intermediaries that enable secure authentication without requiring network infrastructure.通过使用加密认证协议，设备之间可以建立信任关系而无需网络中介，从而提高了认证的可靠性并减少了网络依赖。
2Measurement precision
If unique credentials are used for each device, then device identity can be uniquely identified, but security is compromised when credentials are stolen and anonymity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the credential system into multiple authentication keys per device rather than using a single unique credential. Each device holds multiple keys, and authentication can proceed with any one of them. This segmentation means that compromise of one key does not expose the entire device identity, maintaining both identification capability and security resilience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of credential structure from single-unique to multi-key system. By implementing a set of authentication keys rather than a single credential, the system transforms the identification mechanism to provide both precision (through key matching) and security (through key diversity and revocation of individual keys without affecting others).
3Productivity
If authentication credentials are stored centrally, then credential revocation is efficient, but security is compromised by centralization points and credential exposure risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the credential management system so that while a central authority can issue and revoke keys, the actual authentication credentials are distributed across devices and chargers. This segmentation allows efficient revocation through cryptographic invalidation of specific keys without requiring physical retrieval or centralized storage of all credentials, thereby maintaining revocation efficiency while reducing centralization vulnerabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable storage devices for anonymous device authentication. A method includes: accessing, by the electronic device, data stored by the electronic device that identifies authentication keys the electronic device accepts as valid; sending, by the electronic device to a second electronic device, an authentication request that identifies a set of authentication keys including at least some of authentication keys the electronic device accepts as valid; and receiving, by the electronic device, response data that the second electronic device provides in response to the authentication request. The response data (i) identifies a particular authentication key from the set of authentication keys identified by the authentication request, and (ii) includes a signature generated using the particular authentication key. The method includes authenticating, by the electronic device, the second electronic device by determining that the received signature was generated using the particular authentication key.