JOIN KEY PROVISIONING OF WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20090296601A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Carlson, Daniel Clifford, Freeman, Murray Frederic, Potter, Jeffrey Dale, Citrano, Joseph III, Karschnia, Robert John
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation

Abstract

Wireless devices are provisioned to join a wireless mesh network by writing an individual or common join key and network identification information to the wireless device, and creating an association of the wireless device with a gateway of the network by providing the gateway with a unique device identifier for the wireless device. The writing of the join key to the wireless device is achieved without revealing the join key to a user.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a wireless device to join a wireless mesh network, the method comprising:

creating an association of a device ID that uniquely identifies the wireless device with a network manager of the wireless mesh network; and

automatically providing a join key and a network ID to the wireless device through a secure data communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating an association comprises:

connecting the wireless device to a computer in communication with the network manager;

transferring the device ID from the wireless device to the computer; and

selecting a network manager, gateway, or wireless network with which the device ID of the wireless device is associated.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer automatically provides the join key and network ID from the network manager selected to the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer includes a graphical user interface including icons representing the wireless device, network managers, gateways, or wireless networks that can be selected, and wherein selecting a network manager, gateway or wireless network comprises dragging and dropping the icon representing the wireless device onto the icon representing the network manager, gateway or wireless network selected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating an association comprises

connecting the wireless device to a handheld communicator;

transferring the device ID from the wireless devices to the handheld communicator; and

selecting through the handheld communicator a network manager, gateway, or wireless network with which the device ID of the wireless device is associated.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the handheld communicator automatically provides the join key and network ID to the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the join key is a common join key received by the handheld communicator from the network manager associated with the network manager, gateway, or wireless network selected.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the join key is an individual join key received by the handheld communicator from the network manager associated with the network manager, gateway, or wireless network selected.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the join key is an individual join key randomly generated by the handheld communicator.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the join key is a temporary join key received by the handheld communicator from the network manager associated with the network manager, gateway, or wireless network selected.

11. The method of claim 6 and further comprising:

communicating the device ID of the wireless device and the join key provided to the wireless device from the handheld communicator to the network manager.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network manager resides on a gateway device of the wireless mesh network.

13. A method of provisioning a wireless device to join a wireless network, the method comprising:

obtaining from the wireless device a device ID that uniquely identifies the wireless device;

selecting a gateway of the wireless network that the wireless device is to join;

providing a join key and network ID required for joining the wireless network to the wireless device;

associating the device ID with the join key provided; and

communicating the device ID and associated join key to the gateway selected.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting a gateway comprises a dragging and dropping operation on a graphical user interface to associate a wireless device icon and a gateway icon.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a handheld communicator is used to perform the method.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising:

obtaining the join key and network ID from the gateway;

storing the join key and network ID in a handheld communicator; and

connecting the handheld communicator to the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 15 and further comprising:

randomly generating the join key in the handheld communicator.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the join key comprises one of a common join key, an individual join key, and a temporary join key.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the join key is provided to the wireless device without revealing the join key to a human user.

20. The method of claim 13 and further comprising:

connecting the wireless device to a network computer in communication with the gateway.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the network computer obtains the device ID, provides the join key and network ID, associates the device ID with the join key, and communicates the device ID and join key to the gateway selected.