Patent Abstract:
Described is a system and method for authenticating a power source. The system comprises a battery including a first encryption engine storing a first key and a computing device including a microcontroller and a second encryption engine storing a second key. When the microcontroller detects a coupling of the battery to the computing device, the microcontroller issues a challenge to the first encryption engine and the second encryption engine. The first encryption engine generates the first response as a function of the challenge, the first key and a predefined algorithm, and the second encryption engine generates the second response as a function of the challenge, the second key and the predefined algorithm. The microcontroller compares the first and second responses to authenticate the battery.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for authenticating a power source.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     A conventional wireless device typically utilizes a rechargeable battery as a power source when it is not coupled to a line voltage. If the battery is not completely charged when a user intends to use the device, the user may swap the battery for a different, fully charged battery. While the battery intended for use with the device may be interchangeable with similar batteries (e.g., same model), the different battery may be intended for use with a different device or have different settings/properties incompatible with the device, which may cause structural and/or electrical damage to the device. For example, if the different battery is not capable of receiving the same charging voltage and charging rate from the device as the original battery, the different battery may explode, irreparably damaging the device and potentially causing harm to the user. Thus, there is a need to ensure authenticity of a power source provided for use with the device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention relates to a system and method for authenticating a power source. The system comprises a battery including a first encryption engine storing a first key and a computing device including a microcontroller and a second encryption engine storing a second key. When the microcontroller detects a coupling of the battery to the computing device, the microcontroller issues a challenge to the first encryption engine and the second encryption engine. The first encryption engine generates the first response as a function of the challenge, the first key and a predefined algorithm, and the second encryption engine generates the second response as a function of the challenge, the second key and the predefined algorithm. The microcontroller compares the first and second responses to authenticate the battery. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a system for authenticating a power source according to the present invention.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of a method for authenticating a power source according to the present invention.  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary embodiment of a battery according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0007]     The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The present invention describes a system and method for authenticating a power source. While the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the power source of a wireless device, those of skill in the art will understand that the present invention may be utilized by any device which utilizes a battery at least as a contingent source of power, e.g., the device uses a line voltage as a primary power source and uses the battery when the line voltage is removed/terminated.  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a system  5  according to the present invention in which the system  5  is implemented in a mobile computing device  8  such as, for example, a laser-/imager-based scanner, an RFID reader, a mobile phone, a PDA, a tablet, a laptop, a portable media player, etc. The device  8  utilizes a rechargeable battery  10  as its primary power source when it does not receive power from an external power source, e.g., a line voltage, a USB port/hub, a solar cell, etc. As understood by those of skill in the art, when the device is coupled to, for example, the line voltage, the line voltage is used as the primary power source of the device  8  and for charging the battery  10 . While the exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the rechargeable battery  10 , those of skill in the art will understand that the present invention may be similarly implemented for a single-use battery (e.g., an alkaline battery).  
         [0009]     In the exemplary embodiments, the battery  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , may be a smart battery which utilizes an integrated circuit to report and/or make available battery data to the device  8 . The battery  10  may include a microcontroller  305  and an encryption engine  310 . As will be described further below, the encryption engine  310  executed a predetermined algorithm on a stored battery key in response to a request from the device  8  to authenticate the battery  10 . The battery data may include, but is not limited to, a battery type, a model number, a serial number, a manufacturer identifier, a discharge rate, a predicted remaining capacity, a temperature and a voltage. The battery  10  may also provide an almost-discharged alarm when the battery  10  is almost completely discharged, allowing the device  8  to execute a proper shutdown procedure to prevent loss and/or corruption of data stored on the device  8 .  
         [0010]     The device  8  includes a conventional primary processor (not shown) which executes applications and interfaces with components of the device  8  (e.g., a memory, a radio transceiver, a display screen, a keypad, a speaker, a microphone, etc.). As known by those of skill in the art, the primary processor typically consumes a significant amount of power from the battery  10 , and, as such, may be powered down at predetermined times to conserve power. When the primary processor is powered down, the device  8  is in a power-save mode, but a secondary processor  15  remains powered, maintaining selected operations of the device  8  while consuming substantially less power from the battery  10 . In the exemplary embodiments, the secondary processor  15  is a small processor which remains powered whether the primary processor is powered or the device  8  is in the power-save mode.  
         [0011]     The secondary processor  15  may perform various functions on the device  8  including, for example, receiving and processing the battery data from the battery  10 . The secondary processor  15  may communicate with the battery  10  on a serial bus, e.g., an I 2 C bus  20 . As is known in the art, the I 2 C bus  20  is useful for coupling low-speed peripherals (e.g., the battery  10 ) to a motherboard and/or embedded system (e.g., the secondary processor  15 ). The I 2 C bus  20  allows the secondary processor  15  to read the battery data from hardware monitors, sensors, memory, etc. on the battery  10 . As will be described further below, the secondary processor  15  interfaces with the battery  10  over the I 2 C bus  20  during the authentication process.  
         [0012]     Those of skill in the art will understand that the primary processor (or any other microprocessor or controller) may implement the present invention.  
         [0013]     In the exemplary embodiment, the device  8  further includes a microcontroller  25  and an encryption engine  30 . As will be described further below, the microcontroller  25  and the encryption engine  30  are used to authenticate the battery  10 . The device  8  further includes a charger  35  which, when the device  8  is coupled to the line voltage, charges the battery  10 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of a method  200  for authenticating the battery  10  according to the present invention. In step  205 , the device  8  detects a presence of the battery  10  by, for example, detecting closure of a battery compartment door and/or latch which secures the battery  10  to the device  8 . A switch may be deposed on a battery compartment so that when the battery compartment door is closed or the latch secures the battery  10  to a housing of the device  8 , a coupling signal is sent to the secondary processor  15  and the microcontroller  25 . The presence of the battery  10  may also be detected by monitoring signals on electrical contacts between the device  8  and the battery  10 . Those of skill in the art will understand that any mechanical, electrical, optical, etc. means may be used to detect the coupling of the battery  10  to the device  8 .  
         [0015]     In step  210 , the microcontroller  25  determines whether it has received an authentication request from the secondary processor  15  within a predetermined time of detecting the presence of the battery  10 . When the microcontroller  25  receives the coupling signal, it initiates a count for the predetermined time during which it expects to receive the authentication request from the secondary processor  15 . The microcontroller  25  may not receive the authentication request when, for example, the secondary processor  15  determines that the battery  10  is not intended to be used with the device  8 , e.g., the initialization handshake fails.  
         [0016]     If the microcontroller  25  does not receive the authentication request in the predetermined time, the microcontroller  25  may execute a predetermined action to impair a link between the device and the battery  10 , as shown in step  215 . For example, the microcontroller  25  may lock the I 2 C bus  20  preventing the secondary processor  15  from receiving any further battery data, e.g., the battery data described above, battery fuel gauge information, current state of charge, etc. The microcontroller  25  may also disable or selectively impair the charger  35 . If the charger  35  is disabled, the battery  10  will not charge when the device  8  is coupled to the external power source. If the charger  35  is selectively impaired, the charger  35  may supply power to the battery  10  at a predetermined charge rate which is selected so that the battery  10  never becomes fully charged, rendering it useless as a power source for the device  8 . Alternatively, the predetermined charge rate (e.g., a charge current level) may be selected to ensure that the battery  10  does not explode, i.e., a very slow charge rate. In addition, the microcontroller  25  or the secondary processor  15  may cause the battery  10  to be partially or completely ejected from the device  8 .  
         [0017]     In optional step  220 , an authentication failure message (e.g., text on the display screen, LED color change/blink sequence, audible signal, etc.) may be output by the device  8  to indicate to the user that the battery  10  was not authenticated. The authentication failure message may prompt the user to replace the battery  10 . When the battery door is opened and then re-closed, the method  200  will repeat itself.  
         [0018]     When the microcontroller  25  receives the authentication request from the secondary processor  15  within the predetermined time, the microcontroller  25  generates a challenge to obtain a device response from the encryption engine  30  and a battery response from the encryption engine  310  in the battery  10 , as shown in step  225 . For example, the encryption engine  30  stores a device key, and, when instructed to do so by the microcontroller  25 , generates the device response based on the challenge, a predefined algorithm (e.g., CRC, SHA-1, etc.) and the device key. In the exemplary embodiments, the predefined algorithm is publicly known and the device key is secret. The device response is strongly influenced by the device key and the challenge, but it would be mathematically impossible to discover the device key even with knowledge of the device response, the challenge and the predefined algorithm.  
         [0019]     In step  230 , the microcontroller  25  receives the device response from the encryption engine  30  and the battery response from the battery  10 . The encryption engine  310  in the battery  10  generates the battery response based on the challenge, the predefined algorithm and a battery key. The predefined algorithm may be the same publicly known algorithm used by the encryption engine  30  to generate the device response. As described above with reference to the device response, the battery response may be strongly influenced by the battery key and the challenge, but it would be mathematically impossible to discover the battery key even with knowledge of the battery response, the challenge and the predefined algorithm.  
         [0020]     In step  235 , the microcontroller  25  determines whether the battery response is identical to the device response. When the responses are not identical, the microcontroller  25  may execute the predetermined action on the link between the device  8  and the battery  10 , as described above with reference to step  220 . When the responses are identical, the microcontroller  25  may assume (without ever expressly knowing) that the battery key is identical to the device key and authenticate the battery  10 , as shown in step  240 .  
         [0021]     In the exemplary embodiment, the encryption engine  30  generates a single device response based on a single device key which is compared to a single battery response based on a single battery key. In other exemplary embodiments, the device response may be used to authenticate a plurality of batteries. For example, the device  8  may be capable of utilizing a plurality of batteries having a same model number. In this embodiment, the encryption engine  30  may store a plurality of device keys and select a particular device key based on, for example, the battery data (e.g., a model number of the battery  10 ), the battery response, etc. The resultant device response may be used to authenticate any battery with the model number. Those of skill in the art will understand that various modifications may be made to the response generation/encryption and/or response matching processes which would not depart from the overall scope of authenticating the battery  10  by the device  8  according to the present invention.  
         [0022]     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the present invention, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6