Mesh network commissioning

• US 9,413,613 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Turon, Martin A., Erickson, Grant M., Boross, Christopher A., Logue, Jay D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SEFCHECK, GREGORY B
• Application Number:
  US14/752,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/061 applying further key derivation, e.g. deriving traffic keys from a pair-wise master key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords H04L9/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• 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 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• 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 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0816 Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/009 specially adapted for networks, e.g. wireless sensor networks, ad-hoc networks, RFID networks or cloud networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• 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 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/108 Source integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• 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 40/32 : for defining a routing cluster membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 : based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 : Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

In embodiments of mesh network commissioning, a commissioning device of a mesh network can establish a commissioning communication session between the commissioning device and a border router of the mesh network, and also establish a joiner communication session between the joining device and the commissioning device. The commissioning device can then send commissioning information to the joining device, where the commissioning information is usable by the joining device to join the mesh network. The commissioning device receives an indication of a location of a commissioner application from the joining device, utilizes the received indication to retrieve the commissioner application, and executes the commissioner application to provision the joining device.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a joining device during secure commissioning of the joining device to join a mesh network, the method comprising:

establishing a commissioning communication session between a commissioning device and a border router of the mesh network;

establishing a secure communication tunnel over the mesh network between the joining device and the commissioning device;

sending commissioning information to the joining device over the secure communication tunnel, said sending the commissioning information causing the joining device to send an indication of a location of a commissioner application that is executable for provisioning the joining device;

receiving, over the secure communication tunnel, the indication of the location of the commissioner application from the joining device;

executing the commissioner application to provision the joining device by sending provisioning information to the joining device over the secure communication tunnel, the provisioning information being usable by the joining device for provisioning operations other than joining the mesh network; and

responsive to completing the provisioning of the joining device, finalizing commissioning of the joining device, causing the joining device to join the mesh network using the commissioning information.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the commissioner application utilizing the received indication.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received indication of the location of the commissioner application is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the commissioner application is retrieved over the Internet from a cloud service.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the commissioning device uses the received URL to determine if the commissioner application is stored in a memory of the commissioning device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the provisioning operations include updating software on the joining device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the provisioning operations include linking the joining device to a user account on a cloud service.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the provisioning operations include configuring the joining device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the configuration is a local configuration related to other devices in the mesh network.

10. A mesh network device implemented as a commissioning device, the mesh network device comprising:

a mesh network interface configured for communication in a mesh network;

a memory and processor system to implement a commissioning application that is configured to;

establish a commissioning communication session between the commissioning device and a border router of the mesh network;

establish a secure communication tunnel over the mesh network between a joining device and the commissioning device;

send commissioning information to the joining device over the secure communication tunnel, causing the joining device to send an indication of a location of a commissioner application that is executable for provisioning the joining device;

receive, over the secure communication tunnel, the indication of the location of the commissioner application from the joining device;

execute the commissioner application to provision the joining device, the commissioner application being configured to send provisioning information to the joining device over the secure communication tunnel, the provisioning information being usable by the joining device for provisioning operations other than joining the mesh network; and

responsive to completion of the provisioning of the joining device, finalize commissioning of the joining device, causing the joining device to join the mesh network using the commissioning information.

11. The mesh network device as recited in claim 10, wherein the commissioning application is configured to retrieve the commissioner application utilizing the received indication.

12. The mesh network device as recited in claim 10, wherein the received indication of the location of the commissioner application is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

13. The mesh network device as recited in claim 12, wherein the commissioner application is retrieved over the Internet from a cloud service.

14. The mesh network device as recited in claim 12, wherein the commissioning device uses the received URL to determine if the commissioner application is stored in a memory of the commissioning device.

15. A mesh network system, comprising:

a joining device configured to request joining a mesh network; and

a commissioning device of the mesh network, the commissioning device configured to;

establish a commissioning communication session between the commissioning device and a border router of the mesh network;

establish a secure communication tunnel over the mesh network between the joining device and the commissioning device;

send commissioning information to the joining device over the secure communication tunnel, causing the joining device to send an indication of a location of a commissioner application that is executable provisioning the joining device;

receive, over the secure communication tunnel, the indication of the location of the commissioner application from the joining device;

execute the commissioner application to provision the joining device, the commissioner application configuring the commissioning device to send provisioning information over the secure communication tunnel to the joining device, the provisioning information being usable by the joining device for provisioning operations other than joining the mesh network; and

responsive to completion of the provisioning of the joining device, finalize commissioning of the joining device, causing the joining device to join the mesh network using the commissioning information.

16. The mesh network system as recited in claim 15, wherein the commissioning application is configured to retrieve the commissioner application utilizing the received indication.

17. The mesh network system as recited in claim 15, wherein the received indication of the location of the commissioner application is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

18. The mesh network system as recited in claim 17, wherein the commissioner application is retrieved over the Internet from a cloud service.

19. The mesh network system as recited in claim 17, wherein the commissioning device uses the received URL to determine if the commissioner application is stored in a memory of the commissioning device.

20. The mesh network system as recited in claim 15, wherein the provisioning operations include linking the joining device to a user account on a cloud service.