EFFICIENT NETWORK LAYER FOR IPv6 PROTOCOL

• US 20140376530A1
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Erickson, Grant M., Boross, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

An electronic device may include a network interface that may enable the electronic device to wirelessly couple the electronic device to other electronic devices. The electronic device may also include a processor that may determine at least one data path to the other electronic devices using a Routing Information Protocol-Next Generation (RIPng) routing mechanism. After identifying at least one data path to the other electronic devices, the processor may determine whether the identified data path(s) is secure using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol. If the identified data path(s) is determined to be secure, the processor may send Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) data packets to the other electronic devices via the secure data path(s).

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a network interface configured to wirelessly couple the electronic device to at least one other electronic device; and

a processor configured to;

determine at least one data path to the at least one other electronic device using a Routing Information Protocol-Next Generation (RIPng) routing mechanism via the network interface;

determine whether the at least one data path is a secure connection using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol; and

send one or more Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) data packets to the at least one other electronic device via the at least one data path if the at least one data path is secure.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device are configured to be part of a wireless mesh network.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a routing table based at least in part on the RIPng routing mechanism, wherein the routing table comprises the at least one data path.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to generate the routing table by:

sending a request for routing information to a first electronic device having a direct communication connection to the electronic device;

receiving the routing information from the first electronic device, wherein the routing information comprises an identification of electronic devices that are directly communicatively coupled to the first electronic device; and

generating the routing table based at least in part on the routing information.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the routing table comprises an identification of one or more electronic devices that are communicatively coupled via one or more data paths between the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to update the routing table by:

sending a request for routing information to a first electronic device communicatively coupled to a second electronic device;

receiving the routing information from the first electronic device, wherein the routing information comprises the identification of one or more electronic devices that are communicatively coupled to the first electronic device and communicatively coupled to the second electronic device; and

updating the routing table based at least in part on the identification of the electronic devices.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the network interface is configured to send the IPv6 data packets via User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to identify a security certificate embedded within the electronic device when determining whether the at least one data path is secure.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the security certificate is embedded within the electronic device during a manufacturing process associated with the electronic device.

10. A method for communicating between a first electronic device disposed in a building and a second electronic device disposed in the building, comprising:

forming a wireless mesh network in the building, wherein the wireless mesh network comprises the first electronic device and the second electronic device, and wherein the wireless mesh network is formed based at least in part on a Routing Information Protocol-Next Generation (RIPng) routing mechanism; and

establishing a secure communication channel between the first electronic device and the second electronic device via the wireless mesh network based at least in part on a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein forming the wireless mesh network comprises:

sending a request for routing information from the first electronic device to at least one other electronic device communicatively disposed between the first electronic device and the second electronic devices, wherein the routing information comprises an identification of electronic devices communicatively coupled to the at least one other electronic device; and

generating, at the first electronic device, a routing table based at least in part on the routing information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing the secure communication channel comprises authenticating, at the second electronic device, a first security certificate embedded in the first electronic device using a handshake protocol.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein authenticating, at the second electronic device, the first security certificate embedded in the first electronic device using the handshake protocol comprises:

receiving, at the second electronic device, a first message from the first electronic device via the secure communication channel, wherein the first message comprises one or more cipher suites, one or more hash algorithms, a first random number, the first security certificate, and a first key exchange associated with the first electronic device; and

determining whether the first security certificate is valid based at least in part on the first security certificate and the first key exchange.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising sending a network key from the first electronic device to the second electronic device via the wireless mesh network when the communication channel is secure, wherein the network key is configured to enable the second electronic device to communicate with one or more electronic devices authorized to communicate with each other via the wireless mesh network

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to:

determine at least one data path to at least one other electronic device via a wireless mesh network using a Routing Information Protocol-Next Generation (RIPng) routing mechanism;

determine whether the at least one data path is a secure connection to the at least one other electronic device using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol; and

send one or more Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) data packets to the at least one other electronic device via the at least one data path if the at least one data path is secure.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one other electronic device comprises a thermostat, a hazard detection unit, an entryway interface device, a light switch, a wall plug interface, a pool heater, an irrigation system, or any combination thereof.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless mesh network is disposed throughout a home, apartment, or office.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the IPv6 data packets are sent using an IEEE 802.15.4 network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless mesh network is configured to communicatively couple to the Internet.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) data packets are sent using User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).