Method and apparatus for proxying access commands to smart object(s) in response to an emergency condition

• US 10,445,957 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Savolainen, Teemu Ilmari
• Primary Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US15/169,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20170345238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/30 not involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided in order to assist with the provision of timely emergency services. In the context of a method, an indication of an emergency condition is received and, following receipt of the indication of the emergency condition, a request is then received for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects. Following receipt of the request for temporary access and in response to a determination that temporary access is authorized, the method includes proxying access commands to the one or more smart objects.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an emergency condition;

in response to the reception of the indication of the emergency condition, polling one or more smart objects to obtain properties for the respective one or more smart objects;

following receipt of the indication of the emergency condition, receiving a request for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects;

following receipt of the request for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects, determining an emergency access type associated with each of the one or more smart objects based on respective properties obtained, wherein the emergency access type indicates a type of authorization and a type of consent required prior to providing temporary access to and control of each of the one or more smart objects; and

operating as a proxy, between an emergency responder and a subject experiencing the emergency condition, to manage the one or more smart objects once temporary access is authorized according to the determined emergency access type associated with each of the one or more smart objects.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising operating a proxy response from the one or more smart objects to the access commands and alerting the emergency responder of the response from the one or more smart objects.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising causing the emergency responder to be contacted in response to receipt of the indication of the emergency condition and causing a list of one or more smart objects that are available to be transmitted.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an authorization request for the one or more smart objects to be directed to the subject in response to receipt of the request for temporary access; and

in response to a failure to receive a response from the subject to the authorization request, authorizing temporary access following a lapse of at least a predetermined time following direction of the authorization request to the subject.

5. A method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a revocation of the temporary access from the subject; and

in response to the received revocation of the temporary access from the user, revoking the temporary access and cancelling the access commands to the one or more smart objects.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising creating a data object comprising a list of the one or more smart objects with the emergency access type defined for each smart object in a list of available one or more smart objects.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the emergency access type is set to indicate at least one of (i) silent access allowed without consent, (ii) subject will be notified without consent, or (iii) explicit consent will be required.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the subject experiencing the emergency condition to provision of temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects by the emergency responder; and

granting authorization to the emergency responder for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects according to the indicated type of authorization required.

9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive an indication of an emergency condition;

in response to the reception of the indication of the emergency condition, poll one or more smart objects to obtain properties for the respective one or more smart objects;

following receipt of the indication of the emergency condition, receive a request for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects;

following receipt of the request for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects, determine an emergency access type associated with each of the one or more smart objects based on respective properties obtained, wherein the emergency access type indicates a type of authorization and a type of consent required prior to providing temporary access to and control of each of the one or more smart objects; and

operate as a proxy, between an emergency responder and a subject experiencing the emergency condition, to manage the one or more smart objects once temporary access is authorized according to the determined emergency access type associated with each of the one or more smart objects.

10. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to operate a proxy response from the one or more smart objects to the access commands and alert the emergency responder of the response from the one or more smart objects.

11. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause the emergency responder to be contacted in response to receipt of the indication of the emergency condition and cause a list of one or more smart objects that are available to be transmitted.

12. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause an authorization request for the one or more smart objects to be directed to the subject in response to receipt of the request for temporary access; and

in response to a failure to receive a response from the subject to the authorization request, authorize temporary access following a lapse of at least a predetermined time following direction of the authorization request to the subject.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive a revocation of the temporary access from the subject; and

in response to the received revocation of the temporary access from the user, revoke the temporary access and cancelling the access commands to the one or more smart objects.

14. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to create a data object comprising a list of the one or more smart objects with the emergency access type defined for each smart object in a list of available one or more smart objects.

15. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the emergency access type is set to indicate at least one of (i) silent access allowed without consent, (ii) subject will be notified without consent, or (iii) explicit consent will be required.

16. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

notify the subject experiencing the emergency condition to provision of temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects by the emergency responder; and

grant authorization to the emergency responder for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects according to the indicated type of authorization required.

17. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:

receiving an indication of an emergency condition;

in response to the reception of the indication of the emergency condition, polling one or more smart objects to obtain properties for the respective one or more smart objects;

following receipt of the indication of the emergency condition, receiving a request for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects;

following receipt of the request for temporary access to and control of the one or more smart objects, determining an emergency access type associated with each of the one or more smart objects based on respective properties obtained, wherein the emergency access type indicates a type of authorization and a type of consent required prior to providing temporary access to and control of each of the one or more smart objects; and

operating as a proxy, between an emergency responder and a subject experiencing the emergency condition, to manage the one or more smart objects once temporary access is authorized according to the determined emergency access type associated with each of the one or more smart objects.

18. A computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for operating a proxy response from the one or more smart objects to the access commands and alerting the emergency responder of the response from the one or more smart objects.

19. A computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for causing the emergency responder to be contacted in response to receipt of the indication of the emergency condition and causing a list of one or more smart objects that are available to be transmitted.

20. A computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

causing an authorization request for the one or more smart objects to be directed to the subject in response to receipt of the request for temporary access; and

in response to a failure to receive a response from the subject to the authorization request, authorizing temporary access following a lapse of at least a predetermined time following direction of the authorization request to the subject.