Controlling of communication connection range using acoustic waves emitted from smartphones

Abstract

The development of smartphones and other portable devices has expanded new ways of communication and collaboration both in private and business settings where there are used e.g. for sharing files and other information. However, this communication is not always secure and can be intercepted by a third party in the vicinity. This paper proposes an intelligent communication control mechanism where the shared information is accessible only within a physically limited space. Normally, existing communication methods based on radio waves (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) are accessible to anyone within a specific range; thus, they are susceptible to breach and communication eavesdrop beyond walls. Our proposed method is based on an association scheme whereby the sending smartphone can restrict the communication range by controlling an acoustic wave’s magnitude and frequency. Thus, unlike radio waves, it is possible to send the signal to devices located in a specific range, where the client devices exist, after recognizing the distance and angle between devices. Our experiments by sharing signals among smartphones indicate that it is possible to unidirectionally control the sharing range while sharply reducing any possibility to eavesdrop on the communication.