US 12,089,050 B2
Pairing devices based on distance
Brent M. Ledvina, San Francisco, CA (US); Yannick L. Sierra, San Francisco, CA (US); Kyle C. Brogle, San Francisco, CA (US); and Steven Andrew Myers, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/145,793.
Application 18/145,793 is a continuation of application No. 16/835,057, filed on Mar. 30, 2020, granted, now 11,540,137.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/835,216, filed on Apr. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0147041 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. H04W 12/50 (2021.01); H04L 9/08 (2006.01); H04L 9/32 (2006.01); H04W 4/02 (2018.01); H04W 12/037 (2021.01); H04W 12/06 (2021.01); H04W 12/37 (2021.01); H04W 12/64 (2021.01); H04W 76/14 (2018.01); H04W 4/80 (2018.01)
CPC H04W 12/50 (2021.01) [H04L 9/0866 (2013.01); H04L 9/32 (2013.01); H04W 4/023 (2013.01); H04W 12/037 (2021.01); H04W 12/06 (2013.01); H04W 12/64 (2021.01); H04W 76/14 (2018.02); H04W 4/80 (2018.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pairing initiator device comprising:
a processor circuit; and
a memory storing instructions executable by the processor circuit to cause the pairing initiator device to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a user, a command to wirelessly pair with a pairing responder device;
sending, to a pairing responder device, a first cryptographic indicator co-signed by the pairing initiator device and an attestation server;
receiving, from the pairing responder device, a second cryptographic indicator indicating that the first cryptographic indicator has been verified as authentic; and
after verifying the second cryptographic indicator:
determining a distance between the pairing responder device and the pairing initiator device; and
based on the distance being within a specified range, wirelessly pairing the pairing responder device with the pairing initiator device without further input from the user.