Ultra-wideband ranging method and device

A first computing device that facilitates ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging, wherein the first computing device comprises:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory in communication with the one or more processors, wherein the memory stores instruction code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the first computing device to perform operations including:
• responsive to determining that the first computing device is within proximity of a second computing device, negotiating, by the first computing device and with the second computing device, a value to use as a UWB session key to secure UWB communications, wherein the negotiating is performed via a communication protocol different from a UWB communication protocol, and
• causing a UWB subsystem of the first computing device to encrypt information communicated via the UWB subsystem based on the negotiated value of the UWB session key instead of a default value for the UWB session key that is specified in the UWB communication protocol, wherein the information facilitates determining a distance between the first computing device of the first user and the second computing device of the second user,
• wherein the first computing device implements a software stack comprising an application layer at which user applications operate, and a UWB communication protocol layer at which instruction code that facilitates UWB communications operates, wherein negotiating the value to use as the UWB session key to secure UWB communications comprises negotiating, at the application layer, the value of the UWB session key.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instruction code that facilitates ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging, wherein when executed by one or more processors of a first computing device, the instruction code causes the first computing device to perform operations comprising:

• responsive to determining that the first computing device is within proximity of a second computing device, negotiating, by the first computing device and with the second computing device, a value to use as a UWB session key to secure UWB communications, wherein the negotiating is performed via a communication protocol different from a UWB communication protocol;
• and
• causing a UWB subsystem of the first computing device to encrypt information communicated via the UWB subsystem based on the negotiated value of the UWB session key instead of a default value for the UWB session key that is specified in the UWB communication protocol, wherein the information facilitates determining a distance between the first computing device of the first user and the second computing device of the second user,
• wherein the first computing device implements a software stack comprising an application layer at which user applications operate, and a UWB communication protocol layer at which instruction code that facilitates UWB communications operates, wherein negotiating the value to use as the UWB session key to secure UWB communications comprises negotiating, at the application layer, the value of the UWB session key.