Trusted Distance Measurement via Spatial Constellation Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless distance measurement systems are vulnerable to tampering, allowing malicious devices to falsify arrival time data, leading to inaccurate distance calculations and potential abuse of location-based services.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes a third device as a cooperating entity to verify distance measurements by comparing angles and distances, employing directional antennas and message processors to perform a verification test based on spatial constellations, ensuring the reliability of the measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a ranging protocol is used to determine distance based on arrival time measurements, then distance measurement precision is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to tampering and malicious devices can falsify data
Solution Approach 1:
A third device acts as an intermediary to verify the identity and location of devices performing distance measurements. This intermediary device receives identification data from the responding device and independently determines its location, then provides verification data to the initiating device. This mediator resolves the contradiction by adding a trusted third party that prevents tampering while maintaining the precision of arrival time measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having the third device send verification data back to the initiating device. This feedback loop allows the initiating device to confirm whether the responding device is legitimate before trusting the distance measurement. The feedback mechanism ensures reliability without compromising the precision of the ranging protocol.
2Reliability
If a third device is introduced to verify distance measurements, then reliability of measurements is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The verification function is segmented into a separate third device rather than being integrated into the initiating or responding devices. This segmentation allows the verification logic to be independently implemented and reused across multiple measurement sessions. The third device can be a dedicated hardware component or a server, reducing the complexity burden on the primary measuring devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The third device serves multiple functions: it verifies device identity, determines location, and provides verification data. By creating a universal verification component that can serve multiple initiating devices and responding devices, the system achieves high reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity. The same third device can verify multiple different device pairs.
3Reliability
If verification tests based on spatial constellations are performed, then protection against malicious devices is improved, but measurement time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The third device determines the location of the responding device in advance, before the actual distance measurement takes place. This preliminary location determination allows the verification to be performed more efficiently during the measurement process. The spatial constellation information is prepared beforehand, reducing the time required for verification when the measurement is actually needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs verification based on spatial constellations only when necessary - specifically when there is suspicion of tampering or when high security is required. For trusted devices in controlled environments, full verification may be skipped or performed with reduced checks. This partial application of verification maintains protection against malicious devices while minimizing time loss in normal operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the trustworthiness of distance measurements by making it more difficult for malicious devices to manipulate data, thereby preventing false location-based services and ensuring accurate proximity detection.
Implementation Method 1
a first directional antenna for detecting a direction of a received signal carrying a message
Implementation Method 2
assuming a wireless signal propagated in free air with substantially the speed of light
Data Source
AI summary
A device is arranged for determining a first distance according to a ranging protocol using a measurement message from a second device. A cooperating device (130) has a directional antenna (133) and is located at a trusted distance (150) sharing a connecting direction (160) with the first device. The cooperating device determines a third direction of the same measurement message, and transfers support data to the first device based on the third direction. The first device first determines a first angle (161) between the first direction and the connecting direction and obtains a third angle (163) between the third direction and the connecting direction using the support data. Then a verification test is performed on the first distance (151), the trusted distance (150), the first and the third angle. The first distance is reliable when said distances and angles correspond to a viable spatial constellation (100) of the devices.