Random AIOT Waveform Coordination for Low-Power Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ambient Internet-of-Things (AIOT) devices face challenges in securing communications due to power constraints that render conventional cryptographic methods impractical, and existing solutions are not suitable for low-power devices.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves using a common random seed shared between an AIOT device and a reader to randomize AIOT transmissions in the modulation and phase domains, ensuring confidentiality by preventing eavesdroppers from decoding the signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional cryptographic methods are used to secure AIOT communications, then security is improved, but power consumption becomes too high for low-power devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication securityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the cryptographic processing burden from the AIOT device itself and relocates it to the reader device. The AIOT device only performs simple random number generation and signal modulation, while the reader handles the complex cryptographic operations for security verification, thus protecting communication without overloading the power-constrained AIOT device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a random number as an intermediary element that enables secure communication. The random number serves as a shared secret key that both the AIOT device and reader use for encryption and decryption operations, providing cryptographic security through a lightweight mechanism that doesn't require heavy computational resources at the AIOT device side

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If existing security solutions are implemented for AIOT devices, then security is improved, but device complexity increases making them unsuitable for low-power devices

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts complex security processing functions from the AIOT device and concentrates them in the reader device. The AIOT device is left with only simple random number generation and signal transmission capabilities, while all complex cryptographic operations, verification, and key management are handled by the more capable reader device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the AIOT device smart and capable of complex cryptographic operations, the patent inverts the approach by making the reader device perform all complex security functions. The security model is inverted from 'device-side security' to 'reader-side security,' allowing AIOT devices to remain simple and power-efficient

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP4568169A1Coordination for random AIOT waveform
Publication Date: 2025.06.11 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP4568169A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4568169A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4568169A1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

An apparatus including at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive a signal from a user device; generate a random number based, at least partially, upon seed information received from an activator, where the seed information is at least partially common to seed information in the user device; and determine information from the received signal based, at least partially, upon the generated random number.