Method and apparatus for providing a data feed for internet of things

• US 10,075,528 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iotic Labs Limited
• Original Assignee: Iotic Labs Limited
• Inventors: Green, Paul Nigel, Wharton, Mark Nicholas James
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US15/028,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/108 Source integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 : Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Methods and registrar computers for negotiating communications between a virtual device and a virtual requestor device. The method includes receiving a data feed request at a registrar computer from a registered virtual requestor device. The data feed request includes information identifying a data feed and information enabling communication between a registered virtual device associated with the data feed and the virtual requestor device. The registrar sends a further data feed request comprising the information enabling communication between the devices to the virtual device. This causes the virtual device to provide the data feed to the virtual device using the information enabling communication between the devices.

Claims

1. A registrar computer configured to negotiate communications between at least one virtual device and at least one virtual requestor device, the registrar computer comprising:

a first application interface configured to communicate with the at least one virtual device and the at least one virtual requestor device to maintain a control directory of virtual devices and virtual requestor devices registered with the registrar computer and to maintain a data feed directory comprising entries indicating data feeds available to the at least one virtual requestor device from the at least one virtual device;

a second application interface configured to receive data feed requests from the at least one registered virtual requestor device, each data feed request comprising information identifying a data feed associated with a virtual device and information enabling communication between the virtual device and the virtual requestor device; and

a logic module in communication with the second application interface, the logic module configured to transmit a further data feed request to the virtual device associated with the identified data feed, the further data feed request comprising the information enabling communication between the virtual device and the virtual requestor device;

wherein in response to the further data feed request, the virtual device is configured to provide the identified data feed to the virtual requestor device using the information enabling communication between the virtual device and the virtual requestor device.

2. The registrar computer of claim 1, wherein the logic module is further configured to assign a global unique identifier to each virtual requestor device and each virtual device.

3. The registrar computer of claim 2, wherein each data feed entry comprises the global unique identifier of a virtual device and meta data identifying a data feed generated by the virtual device.

4. The registrar computer of claim 2, wherein the control directory comprises an entry for each virtual device that comprises one or more of a local unique identifier, global unique identifier, physical device location, device type, sensor definitions, actuator definitions and service definitions.

5. The registrar computer of claim 1, wherein the second application interface is further configured, in response to receiving the data feed request, to update a connection directory to comprise data identifying the data feed request.

6. A method of negotiating communications between at least one virtual device and at least one virtual requestor device, the method comprising:

maintaining a control directory of virtual devices and virtual requestor devices registered with a registrar computer;

maintaining a data feed directory comprising entries indicating data feeds available to the at least one virtual requestor device from the at least one virtual device;

receiving a data feed request from a registered virtual requestor device, the data feed request comprising information identifying a data feed associated with a virtual device and information enabling communication between the virtual device and the virtual requestor device; and

transmitting a further data feed request to the virtual device, the further data feed request comprising the information enabling communication between the virtual device and the virtual requestor device;

wherein in response to the further data feed request, the virtual device provides the identified data feed to the virtual requestor device using the information enabling communication between the virtual device and the virtual requestor device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising assigning a global unique identifier to each virtual requestor device and each virtual device registered with the registrar computer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each data feed entry comprises the global unique identifier of a virtual device and meta data identifying a data feed produced by the virtual device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the control directory comprises an entry for each virtual device and each virtual requestor device that comprises one or more of a local unique identifier, global unique identifier, physical device location, device type, sensor definitions, actuator definitions and service definitions.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising, prior to transmitting the further data feed request, authenticating the virtual requestor device at the registrar computer.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in response to receiving the data feed request, updating a connection directory to comprise data identifying the data feed request.