System, apparatus, and method for forming a secured network using tag devices having a random identification number associated therewith

• US 10,582,359 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matrics2 Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matrics2 Inc.
• Inventors: Arneson, Michael R., Bandy, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Aftab N.
• Application Number:
  US15/451,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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: 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 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments described herein are directed to the manufacturing of tag devices, authenticating such devices, authorizing a tag reader apparatus to read tag devices external to the tag reader apparatus, and enabling an authorized tag reader apparatus to form a secured network comprising a plurality of devices, each of which comprise a tag device. The secured network may be formed by simply reading tag devices associated with consumer devices that a user desires to be in the secured network using the authorized tag reader apparatus. The random identification numbers associated with the plurality of consumer devices'"'"' tag devices may be used to retrieve instructions that are implemented by the consumer device(s) to form/configure the secured network. The authorized tag reader apparatus is the only device that is enabled to subsequently configure/reconfigure the network and/or the devices included therein, thereby securing the network for use only by the authorized tag reader apparatus.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one processor circuit; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor circuit, the memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, are configured to perform operations by a tag reader application of an authorized tag reader apparatus, the operations comprising;

receiving a plurality of random identification numbers associated with a plurality of consumer devices, the plurality of random identification numbers being received via read operations performed by the tag reader apparatus with respect to a plurality of tag devices each attached to a corresponding consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices;

displaying a user-interactive element of the tag reader application that, when activated, causes the plurality of random identification numbers to be transmitted to a first network-based server communicatively coupled to the authorized tag reader apparatus, the first network-based server configured to verify that the tag reader apparatus is authorized and that the plurality of tag devices are authenticated;

responsive to activation of the user-interactive element, providing the plurality of random identification numbers to the first network-based database, the first network-based database configured to provide the plurality of random identification numbers to a second network-based database server responsive to determining that the tag reader apparatus is authorized and that the plurality of tag devices are authenticated, the second network-based database configured to associate each random identification number of the plurality of random identification numbers with instructions for wirelessly coupling a corresponding consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices with another consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices;

receiving, via the second network-based database, instructions for wirelessly coupling at least a first consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices with a second consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices; and

providing the instructions to at least the first consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices, the first consumer device being configured to form a secured network between at least the first consumer device and the second consumer device using the instructions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the authorized tag reader apparatus comprises at least one of:

a smart phone;

a special purpose near field communication reader;

a tablet;

or a personal data assistant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the secured network comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network;

a local area network;

or

a wide area network.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions comprise one or more Bluetooth authentication codes.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first consumer device is a master device and the second consumer device is a slave device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the master device is configured to initiate a wireless connection with the slave device using the instructions.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the master device comprises a home automation hub device, and wherein the slave device comprises at least one of:

a security sensor;

a home appliance;

a computing device;

or a network device.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having program instructions recorded thereon that, when executed by a processing device, perform a method of a tag reader application of the authorized tag reader apparatus for forming a secured network comprising a plurality of consumer devices, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of random identification numbers associated with each of the plurality of consumer devices, the plurality of random identification numbers being received via read operations performed by the tag reader apparatus with respect to a plurality of tag devices each attached to a corresponding consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices;

displaying a user-interactive element of the tag reader application that, when activated, causes the plurality of random identification numbers to be transmitted to a first network-based server communicatively coupled to the authorized tag reader apparatus, the first network-based server configured to verify that the tag reader apparatus is authorized and that the plurality of tag devices are authenticated;

responsive to activation of the user-interactive element, providing the plurality of random identification numbers to the first network-based database, the first network-based database configured to provide the plurality of random identification numbers to a second network-based database server responsive to determining that the tag reader apparatus is authorized and that the plurality of tag devices are authenticated, the second network-based database configured to associate each random identification number of the plurality of random identification numbers with instructions for wirelessly coupling a corresponding consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices with another consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices;

receiving, via the second network-based database, instructions for wirelessly coupling at least a first consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices with a second consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices; and

providing the instructions to at least the first consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices, the first consumer device being configured to form the secured network between at least the first consumer device and the second consumer device using the instructions.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the secured network comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network;

a local area network;

or a wide area network.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions comprise one or more Bluetooth authentication codes.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first consumer device is a master device and the second consumer device is a slave device.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the master device is configured to initiate a wireless connection with the slave device using the instructions.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the master device comprises a home automation hub device, and wherein the slave device comprises at least one of:

a security sensor;

a home appliance;

a computing device;

or a network device.

14. A method implemented by a tag reader application of an authorized tag reader apparatus for forming a secured network comprising a plurality of consumer devices, comprising:

receiving a plurality of random identification numbers associated with the plurality of consumer devices, the plurality of random identification numbers being received via read operations performed by the tag reader apparatus with respect to a plurality of tag devices each attached to a corresponding consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices;

displaying a user-interactive element of the tag reader application that, when activated, causes the plurality of random identification numbers to be transmitted to a first network-based server communicatively coupled to the authorized tag reader apparatus, the first network-based server configured to verify that the tag reader apparatus is authorized and that the plurality of tag devices are authenticated;

responsive to activation of the user-interactive element, providing the plurality of random identification numbers to the first network-based database, the first network-based database configured to provide the plurality of random identification numbers to a second network-based database server responsive to determining that the tag reader apparatus is authorized and that the plurality of tag devices are authenticated, the second network-based database configured to associate each random identification number of the plurality of random identification numbers with instructions for wirelessly coupling a corresponding consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices with another consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices;

receiving, via the second network-based database, instructions for wirelessly coupling at least a first consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices with a second consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices; and

providing the instructions to at least the first consumer device of the plurality of consumer devices, the first consumer device being configured to form the Hall secured network between at least the first consumer device and the second consumer device using the instructions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the authorized tag reader apparatus comprises at least one of:

a smart phone;

a special purpose near field communication reader;

a tablet;

or a personal data assistant.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the secured network comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network;

a local area network;

or a wide area network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the instructions comprise one or more Bluetooth authentication codes.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first consumer device is a master device and the second consumer device is a slave device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the master device is configured to initiate a wireless connection with the slave device using the instructions.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the master device comprises a home automation hub device, and wherein the slave device comprises at least one of:

a security sensor;

a home appliance;

a computing device;

or a network device.