US 10,757,676 B1Granted

Commissioning electronic devices for use in a tracking system

AssigneeTile, Inc.

InventorsJosselin de la Broise, Charles Y. Choi, Dan Danknick

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Abstract

An electronic device can be commissioned with an identifier for use in a centralized tracking system. The electronic device is assigned an interim unique identifier and authentication key, for instance by a manufacturer of the electronic device. The electronic device and the centralized tracking system each separately generate a permanent unique identifier and a permanent authentication key based on the interim unique identifier and interim authentication key, without requiring the permanent unique identifier and permanent authentication key from being transmitted between the electronic device and the central tracking server. Upon generating the permanent unique identifier and permanent authentication key, tracking device functionality can be enabled within the electronic device, enabling the electronic device to function as a tracking device within the centralized tracking system.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

storing, by an electronic device, an interim unique identifier and an interim authentication key associated with the interim unique identifier provided by a tracking server, the electronic device comprising tracking device functionality and configured to communicatively couple to a mobile device of a user;
after communicatively coupling to the mobile device, receiving, by the electronic device from the mobile device, a request for the interim unique identifier;
in response to the request, providing, by the electronic device, the interim unique identifier to the mobile device;
receiving, by the electronic device from the mobile device, a first random number generated by the mobile device;
generating, by the electronic device, a second random number;
providing, by the electronic device, the interim unique identifier, the interim authentication key, the first random number, and the second random number as input to a hash function;
generating, by the electronic device, a permanent unique identifier and a permanent authentication key for the electronic device from an output of the hash function;
providing, by the electronic device, the second random number to the mobile device, the mobile device configured to provide the first random number, the second random number, and the interim unique identifier to the tracking server, the tracking server configured to determine the interim authentication key associated with the interim unique identifier and to generate the permanent unique identifier and the permanent authentication key for the electronic device based on the interim unique identifier, the interim authentication key, the first random number, and the second random number.

5 more elements

An electronic device, comprising:

a hardware processor;
and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the electronic device to perform steps comprising:
storing an interim unique identifier and an interim authentication key associated with the interim unique identifier provided by a tracking server, the electronic device comprising tracking device functionality and configured to communicatively couple to a mobile device of a user;
after communicatively coupling to the mobile device, receiving, from the mobile device, a request for the interim unique identifier;
in response to the request, providing the interim unique identifier to the mobile device;
receiving, from the mobile device, a first random number generated by the mobile device;
generating a second random number;
providing the interim unique identifier, the interim authentication key, the first random number, and the second random number as input to a hash function;
generating a permanent unique identifier and a permanent authentication key for the electronic device from an output of the hash function;
providing the second random number to the mobile device, the mobile device configured to provide the first random number, the second random number, and the interim unique identifier to the tracking server, the tracking server configured to determine the interim authentication key associated with the interim unique identifier and to generate the permanent unique identifier and the permanent authentication key for the electronic device based on the interim unique identifier, the interim authentication key, the first random number, and the second random number.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/296,233Filed 8 Mar 2019
Published: US 2020/0288427 A110 Sep 2020
Granted: 25 Aug 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

H04W 64/003
Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management: locating network equipment
G06F 7/582
Random or pseudo-random number generators: pseudo-random number generators
G06F 21/44
Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals: program or device authentication
G06F 21/73
To assure secure computing or processing of information: by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers