SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING INTERNET OF THINGS DEVICES USING NAMESPACES

• US 20180034913A1
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Matthieu, Chris, Meskill, Jade
• Granted Patent: US 10,887,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A system includes a server to assign a namespace to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, with the IoT devices being at different locations, and with each IoT device having a universal unique identifier (UUID) associated therewith. The server assigns at least one sub-namespace to each IoT device based on its location, and maps the UUID associated with each IoT device to both the namespace and the at least one sub-namespace assigned thereto. A device cooperates with the server to generate commands for controlling the IoT devices based on the namespaces and the at least one sub-namespaces mapped to the respective UUIDs.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server configured to

assign a namespace to a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, with the plurality of IoT devices being at different locations, and with each IoT device having a universal unique identifier (UUID) associated therewith,

assign at least one sub-namespace to each IoT device based on its location, and

map the UUID associated with each IoT device to both the namespace and the at least one sub-namespace assigned thereto; and

a device cooperating with said server to generate commands for controlling said plurality of IoT devices based on the namespaces and the at least one sub-namespaces mapped to the respective UUIDs.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the commands generated by said device do not include the plurality of UUIDs associated with said plurality of IoT devices.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein a portion of said plurality of IoT devices is grouped together based on performing a same function, and wherein the commands include a wildcard command to simultaneously control each IoT device within the grouped together IoT devices.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the commands include a shared command to control multiple IoT devices performing a same function at the different locations, wherein said device comprises a mobile device configured to provide its location to said server when generating the shared command, and wherein said server selects one of the multiple IoT devices to control based on location of said mobile device.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein said server is further configured to associate said plurality of IoT devices to at least one IoT platform operating based on at least one IoT protocol.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein a first portion of said plurality of IoT devices is associated with a first IoT platform operating based on a first IoT protocol, and a second portion of said plurality of IoT devices is associated with a second IoT platform operating based on a second IoT protocol that is different from the first IoT protocol.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the first and second IoT platforms operate at a same time.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein said server is further configured to generate at least one restrictions record associated with said plurality of IoT devices, with the at least one restrictions record allowing said server to control access to said plurality of IoT devices based on at least one of timing restrictions, location restrictions, presence restrictions and path restrictions.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein said server is further configured to generate at least one permissions record associated with said plurality of IoT devices, with the at least one permissions record allowing said server to detect unauthorized commands for controlling said plurality of IoT devices.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein the at least one permissions record includes a whitelist identifying which IoT devices can communicate with other IoT devices, and a blacklist identifying which IoT devices cannot communicate with other IoT devices.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein said server is further configured to associate a first portion of said plurality of IoT devices to a first IoT platform operating based on a first IoT protocol, and a second portion of said plurality of IoT devices to a second IoT platform operating based on a second IoT protocol different from the first IoT protocol, and wherein the at least one permissions record includes a first permissions record associated with said first IoT platform and a second permissions record associated with said second IoT platform.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein the namespace is in a leftmost position, and for each respective IoT device, is followed by the at least one sub-namespace assigned to that respective IoT device.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein said server is configured as a cloud-based server.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein said device controls said plurality of IoT devices via a wireless network.

15. A method for operating a system comprising a server and a device cooperating with the server, the method comprising:

operating the server to

assign a namespace to a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, with the plurality of IoT devices being at different locations, and with each IoT device having a universal unique identifier (UUID) associated therewith,

assign at least one sub-namespace to each IoT device based on its location, and

map the UUID associated with each IoT device to both the namespace and the at least one sub-namespace assigned thereto; and

operating the device to generate commands for controlling the plurality of IoT devices based on the namespaces and the at least one sub-namespaces mapped to the respective UUIDs.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the commands generated by the device do not include the plurality of UUIDs associated with the plurality of IoT devices.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein a portion of the plurality of IoT devices is grouped together based on performing a same function, and wherein the commands include a wildcard command to simultaneously control each IoT device within the grouped together IoT devices.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the commands include a shared command to control multiple IoT devices performing a same function at the different locations, wherein the device comprises a mobile device configured to provide its location to the server when generating the shared command, and wherein operating the server further comprises selecting one of the multiple IoT devices to control based on location of the mobile device.

19. The method according to claim 15 wherein operating the server further comprises associating the plurality of IoT devices to at least one IoT platform operating based on at least one IoT protocol.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein a first portion of the plurality of IoT devices is associated with a first IoT platform operating based on a first IoT protocol, and a second portion of the plurality of IoT devices is associated with a second IoT platform operating based on a second IoT protocol that is different from the first IoT protocol.

21. The method according to claim 15 wherein operating the server further comprises generating at least one restrictions record associated with the plurality of IoT devices, with the at least one restrictions record allowing the server to control access to the plurality of IoT devices based on at least one of timing restrictions, location restrictions, presence restrictions and path restrictions.

22. The method according to claim 15 wherein operating the server further comprises generating at least one permissions record associated with the plurality of IoT devices, with the at least one permissions record allowing the server to detect unauthorized commands for controlling the plurality of IoT devices.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of computer executable instructions for causing a system to perform steps comprising:

assigning a namespace to a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, with the plurality of IoT devices being at different locations, and with each IoT device having a universal unique identifier (UUID) associated therewith;

assigning at least one sub-namespace to each IoT device based on its location;

mapping the UUID associated with each IoT device to both the namespace and the at least one sub-namespace assigned thereto; and

controlling the plurality of IoT devices based on the namespaces and the at least one sub-namespaces mapped to the respective UUIDs in response to receiving commands.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23 wherein the received commands do not include the plurality of UUIDs associated with the plurality of IoT devices.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23 wherein a portion of the plurality of IoT devices is grouped together based on performing a same function, and wherein the commands include a wildcard command to simultaneously control each IoT device within the grouped together IoT devices.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23 wherein the received commands include a shared command to control multiple IoT devices performing a same function at the different locations, with the received commands being generated by a mobile device configured to provide its location when generating the shared command, and further comprising the step of selecting one of the multiple IoT devices to control based on location of the mobile device.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23 further comprises the step of associating the plurality of IoT devices to at least one IoT platform operating based on at least one IoT protocol.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23 further comprising the step of generating at least one restrictions record associated with the plurality of IoT devices, with the at least one restrictions record controlling access to the plurality of IoT devices based on at least one of timing restrictions, location restrictions, presence restrictions and path restrictions.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23 further comprising the step of generating at least one permissions record associated with the plurality of IoT devices, with the at least one permissions record allowing unauthorized commands for controlling the plurality of IoT devices to be detected.