System and method for secure machine-to-machine communications

• US 9,077,687 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HEE K
• Application Number:
  US13/723,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20130305345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 726/12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include a method for providing a secure domain name system (DNS) for machine to machine communications. In one embodiment, the method includes storing policy information for machine to machine communications in a global DNS registry database server. The method further includes communicating the policy information for machine to machine communications from the global DNS registry database server to a machine DNS registry server located in an Internet service provider (ISP) network, wherein a control signaling gateway located in the ISP network is configured to utilize the policy information for machine to machine communications to allow only registered controllers associated with a machine to communicate with the machine.

Claims

1. A machine to machine (M2M) secure domain name system (DNS) comprising:

a machine DNS registry server located in an Internet service provider (ISP) network;

a global DNS registry database server that includes policies for machine to machine communications, wherein the global DNS registry database server is configured to push the policies for machine to machine communications to the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network over a secure connection between the global DNS registry database server and the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network, wherein the global DNS registry database server stores machine parameters associated with individual machines, the machine parameters comprising a device identifier, a device network address, a control signaling gateway IP address associated with the device, communication protocol filters, and bandwidth allotment for communication; and

a control signaling gateway located in the ISP network and in communication with the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network, the control signaling gateway configured to utilize the policies for machine to machine communications to allow only registered controllers associated with a machine to communicate with the machine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the global DNS registry database server is configured to push the policies for M2M communications to all machine DNS registry servers associated with subscribing ISP networks.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the global DNS registry database server is maintained and controlled by a single third party authority.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network is configured to enable only the global DNS registry database server to push updates to the machine DNS registry server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the policies include a machine domain, a list of machines associated with the machine domain, and an indicator of whether a machine is active.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the global DNS registry database server stores controller parameters associated with the registered controllers, wherein the controller parameters include a machine owner unique identifier, a list of DNS addresses for controllers associated with the machine owner unique identifier, and a subclass associated with the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network.

7. A method for providing a secure domain name system (DNS) for machine to machine communications, the method comprising:

storing policy information for machine to machine communications in a global DNS registry database server, wherein the global DNS registry database server stores machine parameters associated with individual machines, the machine parameters comprising a device identifier, a device network address, a control signaling gateway IP address associated with the device, communication protocol filters, and bandwidth allotment for communication; and

communicating the policy information for machine to machine communications from the global DNS registry database server to a machine DNS registry server located in an Internet service provider (ISP) network, wherein a control signaling gateway located in the ISP network is configured to utilize the policy information for machine to machine communications to allow only registered controllers associated with a machine to communicate with the machine.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising communicating the policy information for machine to machine communications from the global DNS registry database server to all machine DNS registry servers associated with subscribing ISP networks.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the global DNS registry database server is maintained and controlled by a single third party authority.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising configuring the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network to enable only the global DNS registry database server to push updates to the machine DNS registry server.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

assigning a requested DNS domain to a machine system owner; and

associating a list of controllers with the assigned DNS domain.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

registering the machine with the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network in response to a determination that the machine is connected to the ISP network;

retrieving a policy of a machine system owner associated with the machine; and

pushing the policy associated with machine system owner from the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network to the control signaling gateway located in the ISP network.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising monitoring for an IP address change associated with either the machine or a registered controller, and performing a DNS update on the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network with the IP address change.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising pushing updated policy information associated with the machine from the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network to the control signaling gateway located in the ISP network in response to performing the DNS update.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the policy information includes rerouting information for rerouting communications of the machine to another controller in the event that communications to the controller is down.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the policy information includes notification information related to third-party device, wherein the controller is configured to automatically notify the third-party device in response to a determination that data received from the machine indicates that a particular parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold.

17. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions to:

store policy information for machine to machine communications in a global DNS registry database server, wherein the global DNS registry database server stores machine parameters associated with individual machines, the machine parameters comprising a device identifier, a device network address, a control signaling gateway IP address associated with the device, communication protocol filters, and bandwidth allotment for communication; and

communicate the policy information for machine to machine communications from the global DNS registry database server to a machine DNS registry server located in an Internet service provider (ISP) network, wherein a control signaling gateway located in the ISP network is configured to utilize the policy information for machine to machine communications to allow only registered controllers associated with a machine to communicate with the machine.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer executable instructions further comprises instructions to:

assign a requested DNS domain to a machine system owner; and

associate a list of controllers with the assigned DNS domain.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer executable instructions further comprises instructions to:

register the machine with the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network in response to a determination that the machine is connected to the ISP network;

retrieve a policy of a machine system owner associated with the machine; and

push the policy associated with machine system owner from the machine DNS registry server located in the ISP network to the control signaling gateway located in the ISP network.