Wireless Accessory Crowdsourcing With Encrypted Beacon Location Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current security features in wireless devices and accessories that lack wide area network connectivity cannot determine their location and cannot be tracked when lost or stolen.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for crowdsource location determination using a data processing system that generates and decrypts public keys from beacon signals broadcast by wireless accessories, processes location data, and transmits encrypted data to a server for triangulation and display on a user interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless accessory devices use peer-to-peer communications without wide area network connection, then device compatibility and connectivity are improved, but the ability to determine location and track devices when lost or stolen deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives location data from finder devices and stores it for later retrieval. The server acts as a mediator between the wireless accessory (which cannot directly communicate location) and the user (who needs to retrieve location information), enabling location tracking without requiring the accessory to have wide area network connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by having finder devices detect and record the location of wireless accessories in advance, storing this data on a server before the user needs it. This allows location information to be captured and preserved even when the accessory is lost and cannot communicate, enabling later retrieval and display of location data.
2Reliability
If wireless accessories broadcast beacon signals with public keys, then location data can be encrypted and transmitted, but the complexity of the tracking system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cryptographic operations from the wireless accessory itself and places them in the finder device and server. The accessory only needs to broadcast simple beacon signals with public keys, while the complex encryption, decryption, and data management functions are performed by other components in the system, reducing the complexity burden on the accessory device.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses public key cryptography where the public key (a copy of the private key's cryptographic capability) is broadcast in the beacon signal. This allows any finder device to encrypt location data using the public key without needing access to the private key, simplifying the distribution of cryptographic capabilities while maintaining security.
3Manufacturing precision
If the application processor remains in active state to process beacon scans continuously, then location determination speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by allowing the application processor to enter low power states between beacon scan operations. The baseband processor performs beacon scans periodically, and the application processor wakes up only when needed to process the results, determining location data and managing data transmission. This periodic activation maintains location tracking capability while significantly reducing average power consumption compared to continuous active processing.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein provide for system and methods to crowdsource the location of wireless devices and accessories that lack a connection to a wide area network. One embodiment provides for a data processing system configured to perform operations comprising loading a user interface on an electronic device, the user interface to enable the determination of a location of a wireless accessory that is associated with the electronic device, generating a set of public keys included within a signal broadcast by the wireless accessory, the signal broadcast during a first period, sending the set of public keys to a server with a request to return data that corresponds with a public key in the set of public keys, decrypting the location data using a private key associated with the public key, and processing the location data to determine a probable location for the wireless accessory.