Wireless Charger Device Authentication via Load Modulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Bluetooth (BT) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) solutions for device proximity detection and authentication are inaccurate and susceptible to remote spoofing attacks, making them unsuitable for high-security use cases, and require continuous power consumption, which can lead to authentication failures when devices are turned off or battery-depleted.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a secure low-power authentication protocol using wireless charging technology, such as Alliance For Wireless Power (A4WP), which combines BT/BLE with in-band communication over a wireless charging channel for enhanced security and accuracy, enabling authentication even when devices are battery-depleted, by leveraging impedance detection and load modulation for secure communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If Bluetooth/BLE RSSI measurements are used for device proximity detection and authentication, then device discovery and location affirmation are enabled, but measurement accuracy is poor with error margins of several meters and the system is susceptible to remote spoofing attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces wireless charging technology as an intermediary mechanism for authentication. Instead of relying solely on Bluetooth/BLE signal strength, the system uses the wireless charging connection as a trusted intermediary that provides more accurate proximity detection and resistant authentication, eliminating the need to trust RSSI measurements from untrusted Bluetooth sources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electromagnetic signal-based Bluetooth/BLE authentication mechanism with a physics-based wireless charging mechanism. The wireless charging system uses electromagnetic induction and impedance detection to verify physical proximity, substituting the less reliable RSSI-based mechanical/electronic system with a more secure physics-based verification method
2Reliability
If Bluetooth/BLE authentication is performed continuously to maintain security, then authentication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases causing authentication failures when devices are turned off or battery-depleted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic authentication actions triggered by specific events rather than continuous operation. The wireless charging authentication occurs periodically when a device is placed on a charging surface, providing reliable authentication only when needed while allowing devices to remain in low-power states between charging events
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the wireless charging infrastructure serve multiple functions: it simultaneously provides power transfer and authentication verification. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate continuous authentication operations, as the charging connection itself serves as the authentication mechanism, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining security
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
This approach provides a secure, accurate, and power-efficient method for device authentication, resistant to eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks, allowing secure connections to be established even when devices are in a low-power state, thereby enhancing security and usability in various applications.
Implementation Method 1
a power transmitting unit to transmit energy wirelessly to a power receiving unit
Implementation Method 2
a load modulation logic to modulate a load coupled to the receive coil to cause a message to be transmitted to the power transmitting unit
Implementation Method 3
affirming the proximal presence of the PRU. Such wireless charging technology may be used to implement a secure low power authentication protocol
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a computing device includes: a power receiving unit to receive energy wirelessly from a power transmitting unit via a receive coil; a load modulation logic to modulate a load coupled to the receive coil to cause a message to be transmitted to the power transmitting unit via a first channel coupled to the receive coil; and a wireless communication circuit to communicate with the power transmitting unit via a second channel. Other embodiments are described and claimed.