Secure device authentication protocol

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method by which a multimedia source device communicates with a display device, allowing the multimedia devices to securely confirm the identity of the devices and confirm their trustworthiness through a trust authority.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for verifying the trustworthiness of connected multimedia devices, comprising:
 storing a public key infrastructure (PKI) key set in said multimedia sink device;   storing a matching PKI key set in a multimedia source device;   establishing an electrical connection between said multimedia source device and said multimedia sink device for transmitting an audio/video data stream from said multimedia source device to said multimedia sink device;   generating an authentication data structure for transmission from said multimedia source device to said multimedia sink device;   at said multimedia source device, creating a hash of a portion of said authentication data structure, and encrypting said hash using a private key associated with said multimedia source device to generate a signature block;   transmitting said authentication data structure from said multimedia source device to said multimedia sink device within an audio/video data stream between said multimedia source device and said multimedia sink device;   at said multimedia sink device, detecting said authentication data structure, creating a hash of a portion of said authentication data structure, and encrypting said hash using a private key associated with said multimedia sink device to generate a signature block;   transmitting an authentication request from said multimedia source device to said multimedia sink device;   transmitting said signature block and a public key associated with said multimedia sink device from said multimedia sink device to said multimedia source device;   at said multimedia source device, verifying said signature block based on said public key associated with said multimedia sink device; and   verifying the trustworthiness of said multimedia sink device by searching through a database of trusted devices based on said public key associated with said multimedia sink device.