EFFICIENT NETWORK LAYER FOR IPv6 PROTOCOL

• US 20150026791A1
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• 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 9,648,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/10
• 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 in a wireless mesh network, comprising:

a certificate configured to allow the electronic device to be authenticated by a second electronic device in the wireless mesh network to permit communication by the electronic device in the wireless mesh network; and

a network interface configured to transmit an indication of the certificate to the second electronic device of the wireless mesh network via a DTLS protocol to allow the electronic device to be authenticated by the second electronic device of the wireless mesh network.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the network interface of the electronic device communicates directly with the second electronic device on the wireless mesh network.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the certificate comprises a public key, a private key, or any combination thereof that is used to authenticate the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the network interface of the electronic device is configured to transmit a hello message to the second electronic device to initiate authentication.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the network interface of the electronic device is configured to transmit a hello message, a key exchange of the electronic device, and a certificate request to the second electronic device in conjunction with the indication of the certificate to authenticate the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the key exchange comprises a public key, a private key, or any combination thereof that is used to determine a secret key used to establish communication between the electronic device and the second electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the key exchange is stored in the certificate of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the network interface is configured to receive a change cipher spec message when communication is secure.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the network interface is configured to receive a group-wise network key after a secure communication channel is established.

10. A method of authenticating communication of an electronic device in a wireless mesh network, comprising:

accessing a certificate embedded in the electronic device to allow the electronic device to be authenticated by a second electronic device in the wireless mesh network to permit communication by the electronic device in the wireless mesh network; and

transmitting an indication of the certificate, using a network interface of the electronic device, to the second electronic device of the wireless mesh network via a DTLS protocol to allow the electronic device to be authenticated by the second electronic device of the wireless mesh network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication of the certificate is transmitted directly to the second electronic device on the wireless mesh network.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising transmitting a hello message, a key exchange from the electronic device, and a certificate request to the second electronic device when transmitting the indication of the certificate to allow the electronic device to be authenticated.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving a change cipher spec message at the electronic device indicating that communication between the electronic device and the second electronic device is secure.

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

cause an electronic device in a mesh network to access a certificate embedded in the electronic device to allow the electronic device to be authenticated by a second electronic device in the wireless mesh network to permit communication by the electronic device in the wireless mesh network; and

initiate transmission of an indication of the certificate, using a network interface of the electronic device, to the second electronic device of the wireless mesh network via a DTLS protocol to allow the electronic device to be authenticated by the second electronic device of the wireless mesh network.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the indication of the certificate is transmitted directly to the second electronic device on the wireless mesh network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the certificate comprises a public key, a private key, or any combination thereof that is used to allow the electronic device to be authenticated.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions are configured to generate a hello message to transmit to the second electronic device to initiate authentication.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions are configured to generate a hello message, the certificate, a key exchange of the electronic device, and a certificate request to transmit to the second electronic device in conjunction with the indication of the certificate.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the key exchange comprises a public key, a private key, or any combination thereof that is used to determine a secret key that establishes communication between the electronic device and the second electronic device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the key exchange is stored in the certificate of the electronic device.