System and methods for providing virtualized cloud peering emulation services

• US 10,098,164 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Benu Networks, Incorporated (Ciena Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Shawn, Ghai, Rajat, Callan, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skripnikov, Alex
• Application Number:
  US14/802,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/009 specially adapted for networks, e.g. wireless sensor networks, ad-hoc networks, RFID networks or cloud networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for providing a user device with a virtualized peering emulation service using an internet protocol (IP) connection between a sensor gateway (gateway) and a remote virtualized peering emulation service device (emulation device). The gateway receives wireless signals (e.g., Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave, and/or the like) from the user device. The gateway generates a data packet comprising data indicative of the wireless signals received from the user device and sends the data packet to the emulation device through the IP connection. The gateway receives network traffic through the IP connection from the emulation device, the network traffic comprising data indicative of wireless signals from a remote user device. The gateway transmits the wireless signals from the remote user device, such that the user device can locally receive the wireless signals from the remote user device, thereby providing a virtualized peering emulation service to the user device.

Claims

1. A computerized method for providing a user device with a virtualized peering emulation service using an internet protocol (IP) connection between a sensor gateway and a remote virtualized peering emulation service device, comprising:

receiving, by a sensor gateway, wireless signals from a user device, wherein the wireless signals from the user device are associated with a low power communication protocol;

establishing, by the sensor gateway, an IP connection with a remote virtualized peering emulation service device;

generating, by the sensor gateway, a data packet comprising data indicative of the wireless signals received from the user device, wherein generating the data packet comprises encapsulating the wireless signals from the user device in a layer 2 packet;

sending, by the sensor gateway, a layer 2 encapsulated data packet to the remote virtualized peering emulation service device through the IP connection;

receiving, by the sensor gateway, network traffic through the IP connection from the remote virtualized peering emulation service device, the network traffic comprising data indicative of wireless signals from a remote user device, wherein the wireless signals from the remote user device are associated with the low power communication protocol; and

transmitting, by the sensor gateway, the wireless signals from the remote user device, such that the user device can locally receive the wireless signals from the remote user device, thereby providing a virtualized peering emulation service to the user device such that the user device connects to the remote user device as if the remote user device were a physical device locally connected to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the low power communication protocol is Bluetooth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the low power communication protocol is ZigBee.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the low power communication protocol is Z-Wave.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor gateway is embedded in a modem.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor gateway is not embedded in a modem.

7. An apparatus for providing a user device with a virtualized peering emulation service using an internet protocol (IP) connection between the apparatus and a remote virtualized peering emulation service device, comprising:

a processor configured to run a module stored in memory that is configured to cause the processor to;

receive wireless signals from a user device, wherein the wireless signals from the user device are associated with a low power communication protocol;

establish an IP connection with a remote virtualized peering emulation service device;

generate a data packet comprising data indicative of the wireless signals received from the user device, wherein generating the data packet further comprises encapsulating the wireless signals from the user device in a layer 2 packet;

send a layer 2 encapsulated data packet to the remote virtualized peering emulation service device through the IP connection;

receive network traffic through the IP connection from the remote virtualized peering emulation service device, the network traffic comprising data indicative of wireless signals from a remote user device, wherein the wireless signals from the remote user device are associated with the low power communication protocol; and

transmit the wireless signals from the remote user device, such that the user device can locally receive the wireless signals from the remote user device, thereby providing a virtualized peering emulation service to the user device such that the user device connects to the remote user device as if the remote user device were a physical device locally connected to the user device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the low power communication protocol is Bluetooth.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the low power communication protocol is ZigBee.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the low power communication protocol is Z-Wave.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is embedded in a modem.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is not embedded in a modem.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions operable to cause an apparatus to:

receive wireless signals from a user device, wherein the wireless signals from the user device are associated with a low power communication protocol;

establish an internet protocol (IP) connection with a remote virtualized peering emulation service device;

generate a data packet comprising data indicative of the wireless signals received from the user device, wherein generating the data packet further comprises encapsulating the wireless signals from the user device in a layer 2 packet;

send a layer 2 encapsulated data packet to the remote virtualized peering emulation service device through the IP connection;

receive network traffic through the IP connection from the remote virtualized peering emulation service device, the network traffic comprising data indicative of wireless signals from a remote user device, wherein the wireless signals from the remote user device are associated with the low power communication protocol; and

transmit the wireless signals from the remote user device, such that the user device can locally receive the wireless signals from the remote user device, thereby providing a virtualized peering emulation service to the user device such that the user device connects to the remote user device as if the remote user device were a physical device locally connected to the user device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the low power communication protocol is Bluetooth.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the low power communication protocol is ZigBee.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the low power communication protocol is Z-Wave.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is embedded in a modem.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is not embedded in a modem.