Device control profile for a fabric network

• US 9,270,761 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Logue, Jay D., Stebbins, Andrew W., Trimble, Taylor J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US14/592,469
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• 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 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 : the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 : Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 : by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 : Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 : Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 : using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 : Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 : Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 : specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 : Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 : using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 : Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 : for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 : Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 : Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling a remote device that includes receiving, at an assisting device, a remote passive rendezvous request from a commissioning device. The commissioning device manages access to a fabric on which the assisting device resides, and the assisting device is configured to assist a joining device in joining the network. Moreover, the assisting device passively waits to rendezvous with the joining device remotely through its network interface. The remote passive rendezvous request includes a rendezvous timeout field that indicates how long a remote passive rendezvous attempt may remain open before the assisting device is to close the attempt. Furthermore, the remote passive rendezvous request includes a filter address that indicates a device to which device is to serve as the joining device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for remotely passively rendezvousing with a device joining a network, wherein the instructions are configured to cause a processor to:

receive, at an assisting device, a remote passive rendezvous request from a commissioning device, wherein the commissioning device manages access to a fabric on which the assisting device resides, and the assisting device is configured to assist a joining device that is remote from the commissioning device in joining the network, and, in response to receiving the remote passive rendezvous request, the assisting device passively waits for a connection from the joining device through a network interface, the passive waiting including enabling the network interface of the assisting device to receive a connection from the joining device for the purpose of facilitating a communication tunnel between the commissioning device and the joining device, and wherein the remote passive rendezvous request comprises;

a rendezvous timeout field that indicates how long the network interface of the assisting device is to be enabled to receive the connection from the joining device; and

a filter address that identifies the joining device for which the assisting device is to communicate with via the communication tunnel.

2. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote passive rendezvous request comprises an inactivity timeout field that indicates a period of time of inactivity after which the assisting device is to disable the network interface of the assisting device to receive the connection from the joining device as having been inactive for an impermissible amount of time.

3. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to:

terminate the remote passive rendezvous request if a period of inactivity exceeds the permissible period of time for inactivity indicated in the remote passive rendezvous request; and

send an indication of termination of the remote passive rendezvous request to the commissioning device.

4. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein:

the rendezvous timeout field comprises an allocation of 2 bytes of data;

the inactivity timeout field comprises an allocation of 2 bytes of data; and

the filter mode identifier comprises an allocation of 8 bytes of data.

5. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to:

terminate the remote passive rendezvous request if the remote passive rendezvous request beyond an amount of time indicated in the rendezvous timeout field of the remote passive rendezvous request; and

send an indication of termination of the remote passive rendezvous attempt to the commissioning device.

6. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the filter address comprises a media access control address for the joining device, and wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to deny a rendezvous with a device attempting to rendezvous with the assisting device with a media access control address that does not match the filter address.

7. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to:

respond to the remote passive rendezvous request with a status report;

establish a transmission control protocol connection with the joining device via an unsecure port; and

send an indication to the commissioning device that the transmission control protocol connection with the joining device has been established.

8. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to:

receive data from the commissioning device intended for the joining device;

forward the data from the commissioning device to the joining device via the TCP connection;

receive data from the joining device via the TCP connection intended for the commissioning device; and

forward the data from the joining device to the commissioning device.

9. A method for remotely passively rendezvousing with a device joining a network, comprising:

receiving, at an assisting device, a remote passive rendezvous request from a commissioning device that is remote from the joining device, wherein the commissioning device manages access to a fabric on which the assisting device resides, and, in response to receiving the remote passive rendezvous request, the assisting device passively waits for a connection from the joining device through a network interface, the passive waiting including enabling the network interface of the assisting device to receive a connection from the joining device for the purpose of facilitating a communication tunnel between the commissioning device and the joining device, and wherein the remote passive rendezvous request comprises;

a rendezvous timeout field that indicates how long the network interface of the assisting device is to be enabled to receive the connection from the joining device; and

a filter address that identifies the joining device for which the assisting device is to communicate with via the communication tunnel.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising receiving, at the network interface from a remote device, a reset configuration request, wherein the reset configuration request comprises a request to reset configuration data stored relating to a fabric, a local area network, or service to which the network interface connects, wherein resetting configuration data comprises deleting credentials and identifiers for the fabric, the local area network, or the service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reset configuration request comprises:

a service flag that indicates whether service configuration data should be reset;

a local area network flag that indicates whether service configuration data for the local area network should be reset; and

a fabric flag that indicates whether the fabric configuration data should be reset, wherein the reset configuration request comprises a data allocation of 2 bytes.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving an arm failsafe request having an arm mode field that indicates a failsafe mode type for a failsafe that is to be used to indicate a type of failsafe mode to be armed for a fabric provisioning attempt, wherein the failsafe mode type comprises:

a new arm mode, wherein the new arm mode sets a new failsafe;

a reset arm mode, wherein the reset arm mode resets a timer for an existing failsafe and continues the arm; and

a resume existing arm mode, wherein the resume existing arm mode starts the existing failsafe where it has previously halted.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the arm mode field is allocated 1 byte of data, wherein:

a value of 0x01 indicates that the arm mode type is the new arm mode;

a value of 0x02 indicates that the arm mode type is the reset arm mode; and

a value of 0x03 indicates that the arm mode type is the resume existing arm mode.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the arm failsafe request comprises a failsafe token that is configured to identify the arm failsafe request and enable validation of the arm failsafe request, wherein the failsafe token comprises a 4-byte arbitrary value that is generated uniquely for each arm failsafe request and configured to uniquely identify the arm failsafe request as corresponding to the remote passive rendezvous request.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a network interface;

memory; and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, via the network interface, a remote passive rendezvous request from a commissioning device, wherein the commissioning device manages access to a fabric on which the assisting device resides, and the assisting device is configured to assist a joining device that is remote from the assisting device in joining the network, and, in response to receiving the remote passive rendezvous request, the assisting device passively waits for a connection from the joining device remotely through a network interface, the passive waiting including enabling the network interface of the assisting device to receive a connection from the joining device for the purpose of facilitating a communication tunnel between the commissioning device and the joining device, and wherein the remote passive rendezvous request comprises;

a rendezvous timeout field that indicates how long the network interface of the assisting device is to be enabled to receive the connection from the joining device; and

a filter address that identifies the joining device for which the assisting device is to communicate with via the communication tunnel.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive, via the network interface, an enable connection monitor request that is configured to enable a fabric echo-based connection liveness monitor on a transmission control protocol or uniform datagram protocol connection monitoring between the commissioning device and the assisting device; and

send, via the network interface, a status report indicating whether the connection monitor has successfully been enabled.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the enable connection monitor request comprises:

a connection monitor timeout field that indicates how long a connection monitor can remain idle before the connection monitor is terminated; and

a connection monitor interval field that indicates how frequently an update is sent to commissioning device.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the connection monitor field is allocated 2 bytes of data, and the connection monitor interval field is allocated 2 bytes of data, and wherein the processor is configured to:

receive, via the network interface, an echo request with an exchange identifier; and

send, via the network interface, an echo response with the exchange identifier, wherein the exchange identifier is configured to indicate that the echo response corresponds to the echo request.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to:

send, via the network interface, a disable connection monitor to terminate the connection monitor; and

receive, via the network interface, a status report indicating whether the commissioning device has received the disable connection monitor and disabled the connection monitor.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to receive, via the network interface, a reset configuration request, wherein the reset configuration request comprises a request to reset configuration data stored relating to a fabric, a local area network, or service to which the network interface connects, wherein resetting configuration data comprises deleting credentials and identifiers for the fabric, the local area network, or the service.