SECURE INSTALLATION OF NETWORK DEVICES USING BEACONING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20160134632A1
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smartlabs
• Original Assignee: Smartlabs
• Inventors: Cregg, Daniel Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/539,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20160134632A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/85 Protection from unauthorised access, e.g. eavesdrop protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data

Abstract

Secure installation of a new device onto a home-control network uses pairing with an intelligent device. An intelligent device, such as a smartphone, receives a notification, such as optical pulses, audible tones, short-range radio frequency signals, a watermark, or a barcode, from an uninstalled network device over a second network other than the home-control network. The intelligent device reads and decodes a device key from the notification and sends the device key to a network controller via a third network. The network controller sends a message using the device key to the new device over the home-control network, where the message is formatted to deliver the network key to the network device to permit the network device to send and receive messages comprising the network key over the home-control network.

Claims

1. A system to install a network device into a home-control network, the system comprising:

a hub storing in memory a network key and configured to send and receive messages comprising the network key over a home-control network;

a network device storing in memory a device key different from the network key and comprising a transmitter configured to announce the device key over a second network other than the home-control network, the network device further configured to receive messages comprising the device key over the home-control network;

an intelligent device comprising a receiver and configured to receive the device key over the second network; and

at least one cloud server configured to communicate with the hub and the intelligent device using communication channels of a third network, the at least one cloud server further configured to receive from the intelligent device and to transmit to the hub the device key over the communication channels;

the hub further configured to receive the device key over the communication channels and transmit a message comprising the received device key to the network device over the home-control network, the message formatted to deliver the network key to the network device to permit the network device to send and receive messages comprising the network key over the home-control network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the network key comprises an encryption code unique to the home-control network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the device key comprises an encryption code unique to the network device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the home-control network comprises a mesh network configured to propagate messages using powerline signaling and radio frequency (RF) signaling.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the powerline signaling comprises message data modulated onto a carrier signal and the modulated carrier signal is added to a powerline waveform, and wherein the RF signaling comprises the message data modulated onto an RF waveform.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the intelligent device comprises a smartphone.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the network device is configured to announce the device key after a user performs a physical action to place the network device in the enrollment mode.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the announcements are radio frequency (RF) announcements broadcast into air and the intelligent device comprises RF receiver configured to receive the RF announcements.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the announcements are light pulses and the intelligent device comprises an optical receiver configured to receive the light pulses.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the announcements are audible tones and the intelligent device comprises a microphone configured to receive the audible tones.

11. A method to install a network device into a home-control network, the method comprising:

storing in a memory of a hub a network key, the hub configured to send and receive messages comprising the network key over a home-control network;

storing in a memory of a network device a device key different from the network key;

announcing the device key from the network device to an intelligent device over a second network other than the home-control network, the network device configured to receive messages comprising the device key over the home-control network;

transmitting the device key from the intelligent device to the hub over communication channels of a third network; and

transmitting a message comprising the device key from the hub to the network device over the home-control network, the message formatted to deliver the network key to the network device to permit the network device to send and receive messages comprising the network key over the home-control network.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the network key comprises an encryption code unique to the home-control network.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the device key comprises an encryption code unique to the network device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the home-control network comprises a mesh network configured to propagate messages using powerline signaling and radio frequency (RF) signaling.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the powerline signaling comprises message data modulated onto a carrier signal and the modulated carrier signal is added to a powerline waveform, and wherein the RF signaling comprises the message data modulated onto an RF waveform.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the intelligent device comprises a smartphone.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising performing a physical action to the network device to place the network device in the enrollment mode prior to the network device announcing the device key to the intelligent device.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the announcements are radio frequency (RF) announcements broadcast into air and the intelligent device comprises RF receiver configured to receive the RF announcements.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the announcements are light pulses and the intelligent device comprises an optical receiver configured to receive the light pulses.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the announcements are audible tones and the intelligent device comprises a microphone configured to receive the audible tones.