Method for Communication between Gateways in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Initiating Party Gateway and Destination Party Gateway

• US 20140201529A1
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Ma, Jingwang
• Application Number:
  US13/977,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20140201529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

The disclosure provides a method for communication between gateways in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), comprising: in a WSN configured with a plurality of gateways, an initiating gateway determining a target gateway with which a telecommunication network communication connection is to be established; the initiating gateway and the target gateway performing authentication, after the authentication is successful, establishing the telecommunication network communication connection between the initiating gateway and the target gateway. The disclosure also discloses an initiating gateway and a target gateway in a WSN. Via solutions of the disclosure, the increase of loads of the WSN caused by communication between gateways inside the WSN can be avoided, and the security of communication between gateways is guaranteed.

Claims

1. A method for communication between gateways in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), comprising:

in a WSN configured with a plurality of gateways, an initiating gateway determining a target gateway with which a telecommunication network communication connection is to be established;

the initiating gateway and the target gateway performing authentication, after the authentication is successful, establishing the telecommunication network communication connection between the initiating gateway and the target gateway.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initiating gateway determining the target gateway in a telecommunication network is:

in the WSN configured with the plurality of gateways, each gateway storing network information about other gateways in the WSN;

the initiating gateway determining the target gateway, with which the telecommunication network communication connection is to be established, according to the stored network information about other gateways in the WSN.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each gateway storing the network information about other gateways in the WSN is:

a management platform and a gateway which creates the WSN storing the network information about each gateway in the WSN, the management platform or the gateway which creates the WSN sending the network information about all gateways in the WSN to each gateway in the WSN, and each gateway in the WSN storing the network information about other gateways except the gateway itself after receiving the network information about all gateways in the WSN.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the network information comprises an identity (ID) of a gateway, an address of the gateway in the telecommunication network and an address of the gateway in the WSN.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initiating gateway and the target gateway performing the authentication is:

the initiating gateway and the target gateway performing mutual authentication according to authentication information stored in respective gateways, wherein the authentication information is a key used by the initiating gateway and the target gateway for communication in the WSN.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the initiating gateway and the target gateway performing the mutual authentication according to the authentication information stored in the respective gateways is:

after determining that the authentication information for performing communication with the target gateway is stored in the initiating gateway, the initiating gateway sending a connection establishment request to the target gateway;

the initiating gateway performing authentication for the target gateway by a symmetric-key-based authentication protocol according to the authentication information which is stored in the initiating gateway and is required for performing telecommunication network communication with the target gateway;

the target gateway which receives the connection establishment request performing authentication for the initiating gateway by the symmetric-key-based authentication protocol according to the authentication information which is stored in the target gateway and is used for performing communication with the initiating gateway.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

after determining that the authentication information for performing communication with the target gateway is not stored in the initiating gateway, the initiating gateway negotiating with the target gateway about the authentication information for performing the telecommunication network communication according to a communication technology employed in the WSN.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the initiating gateway negotiating the authentication information for performing the telecommunication network communication with the target gateway according to the communication technology employed in the WSN is:

when the WSN employs a Zigbee communication technology, the initiating gateway and the target gateway employing a symmetric-key key establishment protocol to determine a link key according to a master key which is possessed by both the initiating gateway and the target gateway, and storing the link key respectively as the authentication information between the initiating gateway and the target gateway.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the communication between the initiating gateway and the target gateway in the telecommunication network employing an encryption key, which is used in the WSN, for encryption or decryption of data transmission.

17. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

the communication between the initiating gateway and the target gateway in the telecommunication network employing an encryption key, which is used in the WSN, for encryption or decryption of data transmission.

18. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

the communication between the initiating gateway and the target gateway in the telecommunication network employing an encryption key, which is used in the WSN, for encryption or decryption of data transmission.

19. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

the communication between the initiating gateway and the target gateway in the telecommunication network employing an encryption key, which is used in the WSN, for encryption or decryption of data transmission.

20. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

the communication between the initiating gateway and the target gateway in the telecommunication network employing an encryption key, which is used in the WSN, for encryption or decryption of data transmission.

10. An initiating gateway in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), wherein the initiating gateway comprises:

a target gateway determination module and a first communication establishment module;

wherein

the target gateway determination module is configured to, in a WSN configured with a plurality of gateways, determine a target gateway with which a telecommunication network communication connection is to be established;

the first communication establishment module is configured to perform authentication with the target gateway, and after the authentication is successful, establish the telecommunication network communication connection.

11. The initiating gateway according to claim 10, further comprising:

a first network information storing module, configured to store network information about other gateways in the WSN;

correspondingly, the target gateway determination module is configured to determine the target gateway, with which the telecommunication network communication connection is to be established, according to the network information stored by the first network information storing module about other gateways in the WSN.

12. The initiating gateway according to claim 10, further comprising:

a first authentication information module, configured to notify the first communication establishment module after determining that authentication information for performing communication with the target gateway is stored in the first authentication information module;

correspondingly, the first communication establishment module is configured to perform the authentication with the target gateway according to the authentication information stored in the first authentication information module.

13. The initiating gateway according to claim 12, wherein the first authentication information module is further configured to, after determining that the authentication information for performing communication with the target gateway is not stored in the first authentication information module, negotiate with the target gateway about the authentication information for performing telecommunication network communication according to a communication technology employed in the WSN.

14. A target gateway in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), wherein the target gateway comprises:

an initiating gateway determination module and a second communication establishment module;

wherein

the initiating gateway determination module is configured to determine an initiating gateway with which a telecommunication network communication connection is to be established;

the second communication establishment module is configured to perform authentication with the initiating gateway, and after the authentication is successful, establish the telecommunication network communication connection.

15. The target gateway according to claim 14, further comprising:

a second network information storing module, configured to store network information about other gateways in the WSN;

correspondingly, the initiating gateway determination module is configured to determine the initiating gateway, with which the telecommunication network communication connection is to be established, according to the network information stored by the second network information storing module about other gateways in the WSN.

16. The target gateway according to claim 14, further comprising:

a second authentication information module, configured to store authentication information for performing communication with the initiating gateway;

correspondingly, the second communication establishment module is configured to perform the authentication with the initiating gateway according to the authentication information stored in the second authentication information module.