US 2020/0053517 A1Published application

Wireless communication with replay attack protection for low power building control applications

AssigneeAdemco Inc.

InventorSteven C. Nichols

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system that implements wireless communication with replay protection for lower power building control applications. In one example, a battery-powered device includes a counter value with each message transmitted to an always-on device. If the always-on device receive an invalid counter value, instead of sending back an acknowledgement, it sends back a message containing an updated counter value. The battery-powered device may keep its receiver on after sending a message for at least a period of time, the battery-powered device receives the message and updates its counter with the received updated counter value. Since it did not receive an acknowledgement, it retries its original message, this time with the updated counter value. The retry message is likely to be successfully transmitted.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for wireless transmission between a first device and a second device, wherein the first device has a lower power sleep mode and a higher power awake mode, the method comprising:

awaking the first device from the lower power sleep mode;
wirelessly transmitting a data packet from the first device for reception by the second device, wherein the data packet includes a message and a token;
listening by the first device for either an acknowledgement or an updated token from the second device;
receiving the data packet at the second device;
determining if the token in the data packet received at the second device is valid;
when the token in the received data packet is determined to be valid:
accepting the message at the second device;
wirelessly transmitting an acknowledgement by the second device for reception by the first device;
receiving the acknowledgement at the first device;
and
changing the first device to the lower power sleep mode;
when the token in the received data packet is determined not to be valid:
wirelessly transmitting an updated token from the second device to the first device at a time or during a time period when the acknowledgement would have been transmitted had the token been determined to be valid;
receiving the updated token at the first device;
updating the token of the first device;
wirelessly transmitting an updated data packet from the first device for reception by the second device, wherein the updated data packet includes the message and the updated token.

13 more elements

A building control device comprising:

a power source for powering the building control device;
a sensor for providing a sensed condition;
a wireless transmitter;
a wireless receiver;
a controller operatively coupled to the power source, the sensor, the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver, the controller configured to switch the building control device between a lower power sleep mode, in which the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver are in a lower power state, and a higher power awake mode, in which the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver are in a higher power operational state, the controller is further configured to:
switch the building control device from the lower power sleep mode to the higher power awake mode;
wirelessly transmit a data packet via the wireless transmitter, wherein the data packet includes a message and a token;
wireless receiving via the wireless receiver a return data packet that includes either:
(1) an acknowledgement;
or (2) an updated token before returning to the lower power sleep mode, wherein:
when the return data packet includes the updated token, the controller is configured to wirelessly transmit an updated data packet via the wireless transmitter, wherein the updated data packet includes the message and the updated token, and return to wireless receiving via the wireless receiver a return data packet that includes either:
(1) an acknowledgement;
or (2) an updated token;
and
when the return data packet includes the acknowledgement, the controller is configured to switch the building control device from the higher power awake mode to the lower power sleep mode.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/101,723Filed 13 Aug 2018
Published: 13 Feb 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04W 4/12
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
H04W 4/33
Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
H04W 4/38
Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes: for collecting sensor information
H04W 12/02
Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity: protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable…