System and method for private and point-to-point communication between computing devices

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/210,841, filed Mar. 14, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,992,021, issued Jun. 5, 2018, which is a nonprovisional and claims benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/784,354, filed Mar. 14, 2013, the entirety of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is directed to point-to-point communication between computing devices. More particular, the present disclosure is directed to enabling computing devices such as computers and mobile phones to communicate data packages without necessary reliance on the internet or central cellular infrastructure.

BACKGROUND

People are dependent on our computers and mobile phones today, however the computers and mobile phones are reliant on central infrastructure in the form of the internet and cell towers, respectively to operate. If any kind of scenario arises where that central infrastructure is unavailable or suffering degraded performance, the computers and mobile phones are not able to communicate with other computers and mobile phones.

SUMMARY

A hardware and software bundle that can enable computers and mobile phones to communicate small data packages without relying on the internet or the central cellular network infrastructure. This may be referred to as user-to-user communications (U2U) or point-to-point (P2P). Computers and mobile phones enable users to send much more than text messages. For example, GPS coordinates, multimedia from the situation, accelerometer and other sensor data can all be sent over a decentralized network, enabling enhanced communication and situation response when the central grid is unavailable.

It is an object of the invention to provide a communication method, comprising: conducting a public/private key exchange to define an encryption key; encrypting a message with the encryption key and associating the encrypted message with a target identifier and an expiration time; communicating the encrypted message through a mesh network which includes at least one member which stores and forwards the encrypted message; receiving the encrypted message by a recipient based on the target identifier; and deleting the received message after passage of the expiration time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will be more readily understood from the detailed description of exemplary embodiments presented below considered in conjunction with the attached drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an example block diagram of systems for enabling private and point-to-point communication between computing devices in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example method for enabling private and point-to-point communication between computing devices in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system that may perform one or more of the operations described herein for enabling private and point-to-point communication between computing devices.

It is to be understood that the attached drawings are for purposes of illustrating the concepts of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Software and hardware package can be added to users' existing computers and mobile phones and enable them to transmit small data packages (text, GPS coordinates, sensor data, asynchronous voice, multimedia, or any other digital data hereafter referred to as “messages”) directly to each other or through a direct connection or mesh network without reliance on external infrastructure.

FIG. 1 is an example block diagram of systems for enabling computers and mobile phones to communicate data packages in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 includes a network, computing devices 1 and 2, and P2P adapters 1 and 2. The network may be a network such as the internet a cellular telephone network, a metropolitan area network (MAN), a Wide area network (WAN), a wireless local area network, a virtual local area network, a common local area network (LAN), personal area network (PAN), campus area network (CAN), or the like. Computing devices 1 and 2 may be a communication endpoint such as a consumer workstation, a server, a computer, a portable electronic device, an entertainment system configured to communicate over a network, such as a set-top box, a digital receiver, a digital television, a mobile phone, or other electronic devices. For example, portable electronic devices may include, but are not limited to, cellular phones, portable gaming systems, portable computing devices, or the like.

The P2P adapters 1 and 2 may include software and hardware packages for enabling private and point-to-point (P2P) communication between computing devices. As used herein, the P2P adapters 1 and 2 may also be referred to as the “device.” Also, as used herein, P2P communications refers to a communications connection between two endpoints or computing devices.

As shown in FIG. 1, the computing devices 1 and 2 may communicate with each other via the public network. The P2P adapters 1 and 2 may enable the computing devices 1 and 2 to communicate with each other via P2P or via a private network.

Functional Characteristics for establishing P2P communication between computing devices can include, for example, the following:

1. Send data from one computer or mobile phone to another computer or mobile phone without using the internet or the central cellular infrastructure

2. Establish a system where messages can be sent to specific targeted users

3. Establish manual “channels” where groups of people can chat

4. Operate on unlicensed FCC spectrum

5. Be compatible with leading computers and mobile phones

6. Utilize commodity radio chipsets to create an external digital radio device which can be paired with computers or mobile phones

7. Use existing computer or mobile phone display and input mechanisms

8. Using existing computer or mobile phone processors to power software app

9. Use public/private key encryption to ensure privacy

In an example, a device for radio communication can be paired with a computer or mobile phone to leverage the ease of use and power of users' existing computer or mobile phones.

The device can handle sending and receipt of small messages via radio, and can interface with the computer or mobile phone to display and input new messages.

The device can remain active even when not directly communicating with the computer or mobile phone, and can continue to receive and send messages, attempt retries if the recipient is not in range, and forward messages to other participants in the mesh network.

Outline of Device Function:

Sender Software Operations

User composes a new message for transmission to a recipient in their contact list.

Software operations can compress the message into as small a data packet as possible.

Software operations can create the message, comprised of the unencrypted recipient ID and checksum, and encrypted payload (sender ID, timestamp, and message). Devices that receive the message can verify the completeness and accuracy of the transmission, but not read the contents, as the message payload can be encrypted so that only the intended recipient can decrypt it.

Software operations can transmit the message to the device for sending. Transmission to the device may be handled through headphone-jack audio coupling, Bluetooth, NFC, USB, custom short-range radio, shared network WiFi communication, or other means.

Sender Hardware

A device can receive the message from the computer or mobile phone, and attempt to broadcast it to other nearby devices over unlicensed radio spectrum, and confirm receipt of that message, automatically retrying as appropriate until the recipient is in range and is able to successful return a receipt signal.

Receiver Hardware

The device can listen for new messages via radio, and store incoming messages as appropriate.

Receiving hardware firmware can first check if the target ID matches the ID of the computer or phone it is paired with or another computer or phone in its approved network. If there is no match, the message can be discarded. If matched, the software can continue to next steps.

Hardware can check the checksum to confirm successful receipt of full data package. If not successful, it can continue to gather data packets as the message is retried until the full message is received.

If/when successful checksum is achieved, software can send a small receipt signal with the message ID# in the same way or in a similar way as original messages are sent.

When next paired with the computer or mobile phone, the device can deliver stored messages to the computer or phone for decryption and display.

Receiver Software Operations

When the device's software is opened on the user's computer or mobile phone, it can pair with the device and receive stored messages. It can then decrypt the messages and display them to the user.

The receiver can then choose to respond and this process can repeat in the same manner.

List of Product Implementation Variables

An outline a variety of different ways which could implement different functional pieces of the final device as well as some advanced features planned in our development roadmap.

General Form Factor: Description of device implementation.

External dongle: Any kind of device which exists not as an integrated part of a phone or computer, but which still relies on a phone or computer to operate.

Built into phone: Any kind of hardware integrated into a consumer phone or computer which enables User-to-User (U2U) communications in addition to regular computer or cell phone operations

Standalone device: A completely independent device that enables U2U communications without reliance on a phone or computer.

Integrated eyeglass display: U2U communications capabilities built into, or working with, an integrated eyeglass display such as Google® Glass.

Functional Pieces

Antenna: This part of the hardware package for the device can be responsible for both the receipt and broadcasting of signals. Working together with the radio chipset, the antenna can be the entry/exit port of signals into spectrum. The antenna may come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on final form factor as well as the section of spectrum a particular device model might be designed to operate on.

External antenna: An antenna that is not integrated into the computer or phone. It can be a free-standing external hardware piece which can be attached to the computer or phone if the user desires, or it can also operate completely independent of it.

Integrated internal antenna (phone): Antenna that is built directly into a computer or phone. The antenna would live inside the phone not unlike phones' regular 3G, 4G, and other such antennas.

Integrated internal antenna (freestanding device): Not unlike the phone-integrated antenna, however this would be in the case of a full freestanding device being made independent of a computer or mobile phone entirely.

Repurposing existing phone antennas: By accessing the firmware/software on a computer or mobile phone's existing antennas (any of them) and modifying the settings to allow the antennas to broadcast on new frequencies or on the same frequencies but operating in an U2U manner. The existing cellular antenna/radios firmware/software can be modified to allow them to communicate with each other directly over their normal frequencies. This could require updating their programming controls so that the phones did not attempt to connect to a tower, but instead connected to another phone with similar customizations active.

Radio Chipset: This part of the device hardware package can work in tandem with the antenna to prepare signals for broadcast, as well as processing their receipt. The radio chipset's responsibilities include:

Processing between digital and analog signals (to/from)

Setting frequency hopping patterns/protocols

Error-correction

1. External radio chipset: Independent radio chipset not integrated into a computer or phone or wholly freestanding device, however designed to work in conjunction with a computer or mobile phone to enable U2U communications.

2. Integrated radio chipset: A chipset designed for U2U communications integrated into a computer or mobile phone as an additional chipset.

3. Repurposing existing radio chipsets: Inside a computer or mobile phone accessing the firmware/software to enable any of a computer or phone's existing radio chips to enable U2U communications.

4. Allow the device-enabled chipsets/antennas to broadcast on the same frequencies and protocols (GSM/CDMA/etc) as major cell carriers to become a defacto “Roaming” network which other users could connect to with their regular cell antennas without any device hardware or other customization. This essentially emulates a cell tower which a user can choose to “Roam” onto and then send messages via that connection to that single connection or as part of a larger mesh network.

Broadcasting Protocols

Spectrum: This is the spectrum where the device hardware can be operating. The device can operate on public band spectrum that does not require the user to have a radio operator's license. The spectrum broadcast on can be changed with either a physical add-on/modification to the base device hardware package, or multiple models of the device can be created for varied applications (government, military, wall-penetrating, marine long range, city consumer, etc.—at times different spectrum can be optimal for each consumer type). The protocols and functionality can be similar or identical across all electromagnetic spectrums.

Data interface: Primary processing, data input/display, and security features can be via computer or mobile phone's existing processors and data input/output features (e.g., touch screens, processors, etc.). The data to be sent via our radio hardware, or the data received via that same hardware can make it to and from the computer or mobile phone's primary hardware and any device hardware. Methods by which this can be achieved include:

Via the headphone jack: Most mobile phones have Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve (TRRS) headphone jacks. These jacks allow for both the output and input of audio signals. The output is the regular contact one uses for audio, but there is also a contact for a microphone which allows data to come back in to the phone. The device can use the data input/output contacts already found with TRRS headphone jacks to transfer data to and from the device hardware. This can require software that can send the appropriate signals to the mobile phone's audio output chip, as well as receive signals back. Once the signals are out, the device hardware can be able to interpret those signals for broadcast (and receipt).

The connection pathway via the headphone jack can be:

Direct wire (line connection) from headphone jack to device hardware.

Proprietary low power radio reading signals from headphone jack and broadcasting it a short range to the device hardware.

Near field communications chip via headphone jack.

Bluetooth® low energy add on via headphone jack.

Bluetooth® add on via headphone jack.

WiFi add on via headphone jack.

Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports: A computer can directly talk to the device hardware via USB. Computers and mobile phones can also communicate via their own micro-USB connector. The connection pathway can be made for any of the variations found for the headphone jack as well originating via the USB ports (direct line, NFC, etc.)

Near field communications (NFC): Mobile phones or computers with their own built in NFC chips can be paired with the device and data can be sent and received via that medium.

Apple® iOS ports: Same as USB ports, but using any of the iOS proprietary ports (30-pin, Lightening).

WiFi: Using phone or computer's WiFi to connect with device hardware.

Bluetooth®/Low-Power Bluetooth®: Using a phone/computer's existing Bluetooth chips to communicate with device hardware.

Integrated: For integrated solutions in a phone or standalone device the necessary connections can be on the circuit boards themselves.

Processing: There can be two batches of processing. Some pre-processing can occur on the radio chipset (this has already been covered). However primary processing to decode signals and display/create them for a user requires more advanced processing power. This section refers to that processing.

Mobile phone or computer's built in processing power: Building apps on leading platforms which pair with the device hardware.

Device processors: For a standalone device all processing would have to be handled by device processors that can include these higher level functionalities into it (same goes for user interface).

Mix of both: Certain functions can be split between the device processors and phone/computer processors depending on best use. For example, error-correction could be handled by firmware processing, while decoding of encryption can be done by higher power phone/computer processors.

Error Correction (to extend range we'll deal with imperfect/incomplete signals)

Checksums: Checksums can be sent as an unencrypted part of the total data signal. Firmware can collect the checksums and run the necessary calculations to determine if the message was completed correctly before storing or sending it to the computer or phone for decryption, or rebroadcasting it as part of a mesh network.

Resends: Sender can attempt automatic resends for an appropriate period of time or until a receipt signal for that unique message is received back.

Partial packet reconstruction: If receiver only successfully captures X of Y data packets, it can temporarily save them to see if it can capture some of the missing packets and reconstruct the entire data set.

Privacy: Privacy is one of the primary value propositions of the device. As used herein, privacy means that only intended recipients will be capable of decrypting and accessing the contents of any data package sent via the device.

Public/private key exchange (derivation of PGP): This is an example of a core of the device's privacy system. Each user can be able to create a highly randomized security key based on sensor data from the computer or mobile phone (accelerometer, random screen movement input, etc.). Based on this unique key, device's software can create a public/private key pair that can be shared with users they want to speak with privately.

Firmware control: Firmware can discard any messages with a target ID not matching that computer or phone's ID or not matching any group IDs that user may be a part of.

Proprietary Encryption: device may develop proprietary encryption with software controls only allowing the decoding and display of messages with target ID value matching computer or phone's ID (e.g., phone number)

Message decay: Software controls can be implemented that can cause a message to be deleted after X period of time set by sender.

Password access: App may require password/fingerprint/etc. to open at all.

Networking: Method of extending the device unit range beyond strict U2U communications.

Mesh networking (store-and-forward): Messages sent by one device user can automatically be rebroadcast by other device users in range for X period of time or until confirmation receipt is sent back by recipient. This takes U2U communication to U2U2U and so forth.

Private mesh networks (e.g., VPN): Users can build private mesh networks where only other members of their group are stored-and-forwarded or are done so with preference over others.

Device rebroadcast points: The device or its customers set up higher power fixed rebroadcast points in strategic points to extend the range of all device units as a high-power general store-and-forward point.

Mobile rebroadcast points: Same function as the fixed rebroadcast points but in a mobile unit.

Power: Methods of powering the device.

Battery: Primary power source.

Emergency secondary battery: Independently toggled power source (not automatic) which can allow a very limited amount of power for broadcast and listening.

Capacitor: A small capacitor can be integrated for small emergency bursts of broadcast or listening. Powering options include:

Solar

Earphone jack

Kinetic (crank)

USB: Device battery can charge off of USB power, and be able to run on it as well.

Proprietary mobile phone ports: Power can be drawn from any proprietary port like the iOS Lightening port.

Wireless induction: Device can be powered through wireless induction from a nearby base station that can be plugged into AC/DC power, computer, solar, or any other original source

Fuel cells

Power drawn from mobile phone's headphone audio jack.

Basic User Features

One to one chat for discrete users

Group chat

Management of messages sent/received by contacts list in computer or phone

Other Features

GPS coordinates: GPS coordinates could be drawn from phone or computer's GPS receiver and transmitted. The receiving computer or phone could use the coordinates to display sender's location on Google® Maps or in a device proximal display (display showing location relative to own GPS coordinates).

Triangulation: the device unit can be requested to go into active ping mode to allow other units searching for its particular signal to triangulate its position based off of other device unit rebroadcasting. Results could be shown in a proximal display (display relative to own position—i.e., 50 feet away, North)

Rough pinging: Like triangulation, but for when triangulation is not possible. User being located could still have to enter ping mode, and distance could be based only off of rough measurement of signal strength. Display could only be rough distance without direction.

Emergency mode: All units may have the ability to broadcast with overpower on emergency frequencies as dictated by the FCC

Standby E-ink display: Units may include a screen displaying number of messages being held locally by the device hardware while not actively exchanging data with a phone/computer (low power use)

Speech to text interface: Either accomplished via computer or phone software or any other device software such as Google® Glass. Microphone could capture speech, and software package would translate it to text for transmittal.

4D base station triangulation: In locations that require it (emergency mostly), 4 device rebroadcast points could be set up around a building (3 outside on same level, 4^th elevated above others) to penetrate building walls and display a 4D map of any device units inside and their movements.

Potential Application: track the location of fire fighters inside a building and relay both the positions of other firefighters as well as which areas have already been checked to them back over device devices.

Commercial application: find things in stores or track consumers.

Open API for developers: Self-explanatory. 3rd party developers can use the API to develop new uses of the device hardware.

Entry/exit points to the world wide web by either device fixed access points, or by relaying a message to a user which can have an enabled “Internet Entry” option which can allow any device message it receives, which requests for access, to use their data connection (of any type) to enter the wider internet and either process to a device online app, or any other end point (partner apps, re-exit back to the device system, etc.).

There can also be “Internet Exit” points which can be either fixed devices, or a user who enables the device to be an exit point. Here the jump is in reverse and a message which entered or originated from the internet hops out onto the device's ad-hoc network to proceed along its path as required.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example method for enabling private and point-to-point communication between computing devices in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The method begins with a first user (User 1) who may wish to transmit a message to a second user (User 2). User 1 may use the computing device or phone software to create a message. The data may be encrypted and encoded for transmission by, for example, an audio jack. The computing device or phone hardware may generate an audio signal for audio output over a headphone jack or an output port. The device (i.e., goTenna®) hardware may receive and decode the data (e.g., the audio data), prepare the data for broadcast signal, and may transmit the signal. The transmission may repeat until a message receipt is confirmed.

The message from User 1 to User 2 may be transmitted via the unlicensed radio spectrum. The device hardware of User 2 may receive the radio transmission signal and check if a message ID is paired with the computing device of User 2. If the message ID is not paired with the computing device of User 2, then the message may be discarded. If the message ID is paired with the computing device of User 2, then the message may be saved for transmission to User 2's computing device for processing. The device hardware may generate an audio signal via an input jack of User 2's computing device. User 2's computing device may receive the input signal and digitize the signal for the computing device software for further processing. User 2's computing device software may decode the received signal (e.g., an audio signal) and process the decoded signal into a message data stream. The message data stream may be decrypted and displayed to User 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of a computer system, in accordance with one example. The computing system may include a set of instructions 326, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. In alternative examples, the machine may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a Local Area Network (LAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. The machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The computer system 300 includes a processing device 302, a main memory 304 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), etc.), a static memory 306 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and a secondary memory 316 (e.g., a data storage device), which communicate with each other via a bus 330.

The processing device 302 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices such as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like. More particularly, the processing device 302 may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, processor implementing other instruction sets, or processors implementing a combination of instruction sets. The processing device 302 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), network processor, or the like. The processing device 302 is configured to execute the operations for private point-to-point communication between computing devices for performing steps discussed herein.

The computer system 300 may further include a network interface device 322. The network interface device may be in communication with a network 321. The computer system 300 also may include a video display unit 310 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 312 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 314 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 320 (e.g., a speaker).

The secondary memory 316 may include a computer-readable storage medium (or more specifically a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) 324 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions 326 (e.g., instructions executed by private point-to-point communication between computing devices) for the computer system 300 representing any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 326 for the computer system 300 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 304 and/or within the processing device 302 during execution thereof by the computer system 300, the main memory 304 and the processing device 302 also constituting computer-readable storage media. The instructions 326 for the computer system 300 may further be transmitted or received over a network via the network interface device 322.

While the computer-readable storage medium 324 is shown in an example to be a single medium, the term “computer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions 326. The term “computer-readable storage medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machine that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the disclosure. The term “computer-readable storage medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media.

Some portions of the detailed descriptions above are presented in terms of symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as “configuring,” “associating,” “executing,” “adjusting,” “sending,” “receiving,” “determining,” “transmitting,” “identifying,” “specifying,” “granting,” “accessing,” “as signing,” “detecting,” and “requesting,” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

The disclosure also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or it may be a general purpose computer system selectively programmed by a computer program stored in the computer system. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as, but not limited to, any type of disk including optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, other type of machine-accessible storage media, or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, each coupled to a computer system bus.

The descriptions and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general purpose systems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these systems will appear as set forth in the description below. In addition, the disclosure is not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the disclosure as described herein.

It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other examples will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. Although the disclosure has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be recognized that the disclosure is not limited to the examples described, but can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the disclosure should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.