Secure ranging secret key compliance for short-range communication devices

1 . A responder device, comprising:

a wireless module operable for short-range communication; and

processor circuitry coupled to the wireless module and operable to:

generate a first query for an initiator device in a ranging area of the responder device to initiate a verification of whether an active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the initiator device complies with an active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the responder device; and

receive a first query response including an indication of whether the active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the initiator device complies with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the responder device.

2 . The responder device of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further operable to:

verify whether a wireless session identifier corresponding with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the initiator device complies with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the responder device.

3 . The responder device of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further operable to:

generate a second query for the initiator device to request a list of one or more pre-derived secure-ranging secret key(s) stored within the initiator device; and

receive a second query response including the list of the one or more pre-derived secure-ranging secret key(s) stored within the initiator device, along with their corresponding wireless session identifier(s).

4 . The responder device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a secure element operable to be managed by the processor circuitry and to:

generate an error detection/correction code for a pre-derived secure-ranging secret key associated with a digital key and stored in the secure element;

check if the error detection/correction code of the pre-derived secure-ranging secret key is valid; and

generate an interrupt for a digital key framework if a result of the check is that the error detection/correction code of the pre-derived secure-ranging secret key is invalid indicating that the pre-derived secure-ranging secret key is corrupt.

5 . The responder device of claim 4 , wherein the secure element is further operable to:

generate a new pre-derived secure-ranging secret key if the result of the check is that the error detection/correction code of the pre-derived secure-ranging secret key is invalid.

6 . The responder device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a digital key framework

wherein the processor circuitry is further operable to:

receive from the initiator device an interrupt for the digital key framework when an error detection/correction code of a pre-derived secure-ranging secret key stored in a secure element of the initiator device is invalid indicating that this pre-derived secure-ranging secret key is corrupt.

7 . The responder device of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is further operable to:

generate a timer query for the initiator device regarding a Time To Live (TTL) time associated with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored in the initiator device;

receive a timer query response including the TTL time; and

generate a timer correction to synchronize the TTL time of the initiator device and a TTL time associated with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored in the responder device.

8 . The responder device of claim 7 , wherein the processor circuitry is further operable to:

generate the timer correction if the TTL time of the initiator device and the TTL time of the responder device are out of synchronization.

9 . The responder device of claim 7 , wherein the processor circuitry is further operable to:

generate the timer correction for the initiator device to synchronize the TTL time of the initiator device to the TTL time of the responder device.

10 . The responder device of claim 7 , wherein the processor circuitry is further operable to:

generate the timer correction to synchronize the TTL time of the responder device to the TTL time of the initiator device.

11 . The responder device of claim 1 , wherein the responder device is comprised within a vehicle and the initiator device is comprised within a smartphone or key frequency operated button (key FOB).

12 . The responder device of claim 1 , wherein the generation of the first query and receipt of the first query response are performed within a predetermined period of time after the initiator device creates a secure wireless channel with the responder device.

13 . The responder device of claim 1 , wherein the generation of the first query and receipt of the first query response are performed periodically.

14 . The responder device of claim 1 , wherein the active secure-ranging secret key is an active ultrawide band (UWB) ranging secret key (URSK), and the wireless module is a UWB module.

15 . A method, performed by a responder device operable to engage in short-range wireless communications with an initiator device, the method comprising:

generating a first query for the initiator device in a ranging area of the responder device to initiate a verification of whether an active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the initiator device complies with an active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the responder device; and

receiving a first query response including an indication of whether the active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the initiator device complies with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the responder device.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

verifying whether a wireless session identifier corresponding with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the initiator device complies with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored within the responder device.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

generating a second query for the initiator device to request a list of one or more pre-derived secure-ranging secret key(s) stored within the initiator device; and

receiving a second query response including the list of the one or more pre-derived secure-ranging secret key(s) stored within the initiator device, along with their corresponding wireless session identifier(s).

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

generating, by a secure element of the responder device, an error detection/correction code for a pre-derived secure-ranging secret key associated with a digital key and stored in the secure element;

checking, by the secure element, if the error detection/correction code of the pre-derived secure-ranging secret key is valid; and

generating, by the secure element, an interrupt for a digital key framework if a result of the check is that the error detection/correction code of the pre-derived secure-ranging secret key is invalid indicating that the pre-derived secure-ranging secret key is corrupt.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

generating a timer query for the initiator device regarding a Time To Live (TTL) time associated with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored in the initiator device;

receiving a timer query response including the TTL time; and

generating a timer correction to synchronize the TTL time of the initiator device and a TTL time associated with the active secure-ranging secret key as stored in the responder device.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

generating the timer correction if the TTL time of the initiator device and the TTL time of the responder device are out of synchronization.