Selective Pairing of Wireless Devices Using Shared Keys

Abstract

A system, a method, and a computer program product for selective pairing of wireless devices are provided. A pairing device scans for an advertising packet. The pairing device checks each scanned advertising packet for a shared key. The pairing device responds to the scanned advertising packet only when the advertising packet contains the shared key.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 scanning, by a pairing device, for an advertising packet;   checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for a shared key; and   responding, by the pairing device, to the scanned advertising packet only when the advertising packet contains the shared key.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the advertising packet is transmitted by a communication device. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the shared key is in the same bit/byte form between the pairing device and the communication device. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the advertising packet is transmitted via BLUETOOTH® technology. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the shared key is a global shared key. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the shared key is a user-specific shared key associated with a particular user. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 scanning, by the pairing device, for a plurality of advertising packets, each advertising packet in the plurality of advertising packets containing a portion of the shared key;   checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for the respective portion of the shared key; and   responding, by the pairing device, to the plurality of scanned advertising packet only when the entire shared key is found.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 confirming, by the pairing device, that the advertising packet contains the shared key that the pairing device is scanning for; and   authorizing, by the pairing device, a user based on the confirmed shared key.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the responding further comprises transmitting one or more of data attributes, name, serial number, MAC address to a communication device or a server. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the advertising packet is encrypted, the advertising packet comprising the shared key and a text added to the shared key before the shared key and the added text are encrypted. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the text is varied for each pairing with the pairing device. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 at least one data processor;   memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, causes the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising:
 scanning, by a pairing device, for an advertising packet; 
 checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for a shared key; and 
 responding, by the pairing device, to the scanned advertising packet only when the advertising packet contains the shared key. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the advertising packet is transmitted by a communication device. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the shared key is in the same bit/byte form between the pairing device and the communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the advertising packet is transmitted via BLUETOOTH® technology. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the shared key is a global shared key. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the shared key is a user-specific shared key associated with a particular user. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise
 scanning, by the pairing device, for a plurality of advertising packets, each advertising packet in the plurality of advertising packets containing a portion of the shared key;   checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for the respective portion of the shared key; and   responding, by the pairing device, to the plurality of scanned advertising packet only when the entire shared key is found.   
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise
 confirming, by the pairing device, that the advertising packet contains the shared key that the pairing device is scanning for; and   authorizing, by the pairing device, a user based on the confirmed shared key.   
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the responding further comprises transmitting one or more of data attributes, name, serial number, MAC address to a communication device or a server. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the advertising packet is encrypted, the advertising packet comprising the shared key and a text added to the shared key before the shared key and the added text are encrypted. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the text is varied for each pairing with the pairing device. 
     
     
         23 . A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor of at least one computing system, implement a method comprising:
 scanning, by a pairing device, for an advertising packet;   checking, by the pairing device, each scanned advertising packet for a shared key; and   responding, by the pairing device, to the scanned advertising packet only when the advertising packet contains the shared key.