Systems and methods to securely install network devices using physical confirmation

• US 9,438,573 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartlabs
• Original Assignee: Smartlabs
• Inventors: Cregg, Daniel Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Minh
• Application Number:
  US14/539,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20160134605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• 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 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

A cloud server communicates with a network controller over communication channels of a communication network to securely install a new device having a unique identifier and a device key onto a home-control network associated with a network key. The network device sends its unique identifier over the home-control network to the network controller and the network controller passes the unique identifier over the communication channels to the cloud server. the cloud server retrieves a device key associated with the network device based on the unique identifier and transmits the device key to the network controller over the communication channels. The network controller sends a message comprising the device key to the network device over the home-control network. 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 onto a home-control network, the system comprising:

at least one cloud server configured to store a database comprising a plurality of unique device identifiers, wherein each of the unique device identifiers is associated with a device key;

a hub configured to store in memory a network key and to send and receive transmissions over a home-control network;

a network device configured to store in memory one of the plurality of unique device identifiers and the device key associated with the one of the plurality of unique identifiers, wherein the device key is different from the network key; and

an application comprising software instructions and configured to be installed on an intelligent device, wherein the application, when executed, causes the intelligent device to send a first message to the at least one cloud server over communication channels of a second network to place the at least one cloud server in a learning mode and to display a request to a user to perform a physical action on the network device;

the at least one cloud server further configured to transmit a second message to the hub over the communication channels of the second network to place the hub in the learning mode after the at least one cloud server is placed in the learning mode, wherein the second network is different from the home-control network;

the network device configured to transmit a third unencrypted message comprising the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers to the hub over the home-control network after the physical action has been performed on the network device by the user to place the network device into a linking mode;

the hub further configured to transmit a fourth message comprising the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers to the at least one cloud server over the communication channels of the second network after the hub is placed in the learning mode;

the at least one cloud server further configured to retrieve from the database the device key associated with one of the plurality of unique device identifiers and to transmit a fifth message comprising the retrieved device key to the hub over the communication channels of the second network;

the hub further configured to encrypt a sixth message using the retrieved device key, wherein the sixth message comprises the network key, the hub further configured to transmit the sixth encrypted message to the network device over the home-control network, the sixth encrypted message formatted to deliver the network key to the network device to permit the network device to encrypt messages using the network key for transmission over the home-control network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers comprises a random number unique to the network device.

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

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the device key associated with the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers comprises an encryption code unique to the network device.

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

6. The system of claim 5 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.

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

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the physical action comprises at least one of pushing a button, switching a switch, and entering a screen selection.

9. A method to install a network device onto a home-control network, the method comprising:

storing, in at least one cloud server, a database comprising a plurality of unique device identifiers, wherein each of the unique device identifiers is associated with a device key;

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

storing, in a memory of a network device, one of the plurality of unique device identifiers and the device key associated with the one of the plurality of unique identifiers, wherein the device key is different from the network key;

sending a first message from an intelligent device to the at least one cloud server over communication channels of a second network to place the at least one cloud server in a learning mode and to display a request to a user to perform a physical action on the network device;

transmitting a second message from the at least one cloud server to the hub over the communication channels of the second network to place the hub in the learning mode after the at least one cloud server is placed in the learning mode, wherein the second network is different from the home-control network;

transmitting a third unencrypted message comprising the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers from the network device to the hub over the home-control network after a physical action has been performed on the network device by a user to place the network device into a linking mode;

transmitting a fourth message comprising the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers from the hub to the at least one cloud server over the communication channels of the second network after the hub is placed in the learning mode;

retrieving, from the database, the device key associated with the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers;

transmitting a fifth message comprising the retrieved device key from the at least one cloud server to the hub over the communication channels of the second network; and

encrypting a sixth message at the hub using the retrieved device key, wherein the sixth message comprises the network key;

transmitting the sixth encrypted message comprising the network key from the hub to the network device over the home-control network, the sixth encrypted message formatted to deliver the network key to the network device to permit the network device to encrypt messages using the network key for transmission over the home-control network.

10. The method of claim 9 where the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers comprises a random number unique to the network device.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the network key comprises an encryption code unique to the home-control network.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the device key associated with the one of the plurality of unique device identifiers comprises an encryption code unique to the network device.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the home-control network comprises a mesh network configured to propagate the transmissions using powerline signaling and radio frequency (RF) signaling.

14. The method of claim 13 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.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the intelligent device comprises a smartphone.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the physical action comprises at least one of pushing a button, switching a switch, and entering a screen selection.