Sensor Action Verification via Cryptographic Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile computing devices pose security and privacy risks due to their sensors, and existing solutions, such as software-based disabling of sensors, are often easily compromised, failing to ensure confidentiality in sensitive environments.
Innovation Solution
A system for sensor action verification that establishes a trusted relationship between local and remote computing devices, using cryptographic keys to authorize and manage sensor actions, allowing only authorized devices to request and control sensor operations, thereby enhancing privacy in sensitive environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If software-based solutions are used to disable sensors, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates because such solutions are easily compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A remote computing device acts as an intermediary between the user and the local computing device's sensors. The remote device sends authenticated requests to control sensor actions, creating a trusted mediation layer that prevents unauthorized access while maintaining ease of operation through remote control capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces software-based sensor control with a hardware-trusted cryptographic verification system. The local computing device's sensor controller verifies cryptographic signatures from remote devices, substituting unreliable software permissioning with hardware-enforced cryptographic authentication that cannot be easily compromised
2Reliability
If sensors are continuously monitored and controlled, then reliability of privacy protection is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic authentication where the sensor controller verifies requests at discrete intervals based on cryptographic tokens. The remote device can request sensor actions periodically or event-driven, rather than requiring constant active monitoring, reducing energy consumption while maintaining privacy protection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor controller autonomously verifies cryptographic signatures and executes authorized sensor actions without requiring continuous user intervention or high-power processing. The system self-manages sensor control decisions based on pre-verified cryptographic credentials, reducing energy-intensive real-time authentication overhead
Data Source
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AI summary
Technologies for sensor action verification include a local computing device to receive a request for the local computing device to perform a sensor action from a remote computing device. The local computing device verifies the received request to confirm that the remote computing device is authorized to request the local computing device to perform the sensor action and performs, by a sensor controller of the local computing device, the requested sensor action in response to verification of the received request. The sensor controller manages operation of one or more sensors of the local computing device. The local computing device transmits a response message to the remote computing device indicating whether the requested sensor action has been performed by the sensor controller of the local computing device.