Secure Indoor Positioning via Negotiated Session Keys

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional indoor positioning systems lack robust security and privacy protection, making them susceptible to spoofing and unauthorized access, particularly in environments where sensitive information or high-value assets are tracked.

Innovation Solution

A secure indoor positioning system that negotiates and uses secure session parameters, such as security keys and identity resolution keys, through two-way wireless communication between mobile and stationary devices, ensuring authenticated and encrypted messages for precise location determination while preventing spoofing and maintaining privacy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional indoor positioning systems use simple wireless signal broadcasting, then the system is easy to implement and low cost, but the system is vulnerable to spoofing and lacks security protection

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcommunication protocol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary key negotiation and session parameter establishment before actual positioning communication. The mobile device and stationary device exchange cryptographic parameters and establish secure session keys in advance, so that when positioning data is transmitted, it is already protected by pre-established security credentials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces cryptographic session parameters as an intermediary layer between the mobile device and stationary device. These parameters act as a mediator that enables secure communication without requiring the devices to directly share sensitive information, thus providing security while maintaining protocol efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If secure session parameters are negotiated between mobile and stationary devices, then security and privacy are improved, but the communication overhead and negotiation time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidsession setup time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the security negotiation process into a separate, independent phase from the actual positioning data transmission. By separating key establishment from position reporting, the system can efficiently negotiate security parameters once per session and then rapidly exchange positioning data without repeated cryptographic handshakes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements periodic re-negotiation of session parameters at predetermined intervals rather than continuously. This allows the security credentials to be refreshed periodically to maintain security while avoiding the time overhead of constant negotiation, balancing security requirements with communication efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If secure messages are authenticated and decrypted at stationary devices, then spoofing is prevented and privacy is protected, but the processing complexity and computational load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanti-spoofing capabilityVSAvoidmessage processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by having each stationary device process only the security parameters and encryption keys specific to its own sessions with mobile devices. Rather than centralized verification, each stationary device independently authenticates messages using locally stored session parameters, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining security

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4013092B1Secure indoor positioning device, system and method
Publication Date: 2025.01.15 U-BLOX
  • EP4013092B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4013092B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4013092B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A secure indoor positioning device, system and method. A mobile electronic device is detected entering into proximity of a stationary electronic device. In response, a plurality of secure session parameters is negotiated via two-way wireless communication between the stationary electronic device and the mobile electronic device. One or more of the negotiated plurality of secure session parameters is communicated to one or more other stationary electronic devices. At one or more of the plurality of stationary electronic devices, secure messages broadcasted by the mobile electronic device are received. These messages are decrypted or authenticated using one or more of the negotiated secure session parameters and are used to determine a position of the mobile electronic device.