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AmazonGranted patentSecurity & privacyInterest 4/10

Amazon patents low-power ID check for smart devices

Amazon has patented a method for smart devices to prove their identity without using much battery or memory. When a device joins a network, it gets a digital pass from a central service, which it shows to other devices to verify it is genuine.

Why it mattersThis could make it easier for low-cost sensors and IoT gadgets to securely join home or business networks without needing expensive hardware.

In the filing’s own words

A network protocol provides mutual authentication of network-connected devices that are parties to a communication channel in environments where the amount of memory and processing power available to the network-connected devices is constrained. When a new device is added to a network, the device contacts a registration service and provides authentication information that proves the authenticity of the device. After verifying the authenticity of the device, the registration service generates a token that can be used to by the device to authenticate with other network entities, and provides the token to the device. The registration service publishes the token using a directory service. When the device connects to another network entity, the device provides the token to the other network entity, and the other network entity authenticates the device by verifying the token using the directory service.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A system, comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to: acquire registration information related to a device from a directory service and a first device token that corresponds to the registration information, wherein the registration information includes network-address information; establish a network connection with the device using the network-address information; transmit an authentication challenge to the device; receive, from the device, a first digital signature generated based, at least in part, on the authentication challenge and a symmetric key, derived from a digital certificate of the device, that is provided to the device from the directory service; generate a second digital signature corresponding to the authentication challenge based, at least in part, on the first device token acquired with the registration information; and verify the device based, at least in part, on a match between the first digital signature received from the device and the second digital signature.

Facts

Company
Amazon (Amazon Technologies, Inc.)
Official title
Lightweight authentication protocol using device tokens
Patent number
US12739244B2
Application number
18094096
Filed
Jan 6, 2023
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Inventors
5
Claims
21

Classified under

H04L 63/0869 Electricity & electronicsH04L 9/14 Electricity & electronicsH04L 9/3013 Electricity & electronicsH04L 9/3247 Electricity & electronicsH04L 63/061 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.