Processing communications via a sensor network

• US 9,467,274 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Draznin, Sagiv, Kotecha, Lalit R., Neisinger, Chris S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/950,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20150031381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 700/2, 455/452.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A first device may receive provisioning information for a second device; establish a tunnel with the second device within a first network based on receiving the provisioning information; provide the provisioning information to the second device to cause the second device to gather or process data within the first network; and receive a command instruction from a user device via a second network. The command instruction may relate to the data gathered or processed by the second device. The first network may be separate from the second network. The first device may communicate with the second device within the first network and independently of the second network to process the command instruction; form a response to the command instruction based on processing the command instruction; and provide the response to the command instruction towards the user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an aggregator device, provisioning information for an application device;

establishing, by the aggregator device, a tunnel with the application device within a sensor network based on receiving the provisioning information;

providing, by the aggregator device, the provisioning information to the application device to cause the application device to gather or process data within the sensor network;

receiving, by the aggregator device, a command instruction from a user device via a service provider network,

the command instruction relating to the data gathered or processed by the application device, and

the sensor network being separate from the service provider network;

communicating, by the aggregator device, with the application device, within the sensor network and independently of the service provider network, to process the command instruction,

the command instruction being processed within the sensor network to reduce load on the service provider network;

forming, by the aggregator device, a response to the command instruction based on processing the command instruction; and

providing, by the aggregator device, the response to the command instruction towards the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the command instruction includes an instruction to cause the application device to adjust a sensor device, capture an image via a camera device, trigger a switch, provide content, or provide an alert based on an occurrence of an event that is identified by the application device based on the data gathered or processed by the application device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the application device is a machine-to-machine device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authorizing the user device based on authorization information included in the command instruction; and

where communicating with the application device to process the command instruction is based on authorizing the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the command instruction via first device based on the first device authorizing the user device to access the service provider network to provide the command instruction; and

where receiving the command instruction from the user device includes receiving the command instruction via the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, where the provisioning information includes provisioning information for a first device to gather data, and

where providing the provisioning information to the application device causes the application device to establish a tunnel with the first device and process data gathered by the first device.

7. The method of claim 6, where providing the provisioning information to the application device further causes the application device to determine that the application device is capable of processing data gathered by the first device and establish the tunnel based on determining that the application device is capable of processing data gathered by the first device.

18. The method of claim 1, where forming the response comprises:

encrypting the response.

8. A system comprising:

an aggregator device to;

receive provisioning information for an application device,

the application device being associated with a machine-to-machine device;

establish a tunnel with the application device within a sensor network based on receiving the provisioning information;

provide the provisioning information to the application device to cause the application device to gather or process data within the sensor network;

receive a command instruction from a user device via a service provider network,

the command instruction relating to the data gathered or processed by the application device, and

the sensor network being separate from the service provider network;

communicate with the application device within the sensor network and independently of the service provider network to process the command instruction,

the command instruction being processed via the sensor network to reduce load on the service provider network;

form a response to the command instruction based on processing the command instruction; and

provide the response to the command instruction towards the user device.

9. The system of claim 8, where the command instruction includes an instruction to cause the application device to adjust a sensor device, capture an image via a camera device, trigger a switch, provide an alert, or provide content based on the an occurrence of an event that is identified by the application device based on the data gathered or processed by the application device.

10. The system of claim 8, where the aggregator device is further to:

authorize the user device based on authorization information included in the command instruction, and

where, when communicating with the application device to process the command instruction, the aggregator device is to;

communicate with the application device to process the command instruction based on authorizing the user device.

11. The system of claim 8, where the aggregator device is further to:

receive the command instruction via a first device based on the first device authorizing the user device to access the service provider network to provide the command instruction, and

where, when receiving the command instruction from the user device, the aggregator device is to;

receive the command instruction from the user device via the first device.

12. The system of claim 8, where the provisioning information includes provisioning information for a first device to gather data, and

where, when providing the provisioning information to the application device, the aggregator device is to:

provide the provisioning information to cause the application device to establish a tunnel with the first device and process data gathered by the first device.

19. The system of claim 8, where the aggregator device is further to:

encrypt the provisioning information; and

where, when providing the provisioning information to the application device, the aggregator device is to;

provide the encrypted provisioning information.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with an aggregator device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive provisioning information for an application device;

establish a tunnel with the application device within a sensor network based on receiving the provisioning information;

provide the provisioning information to the application device to cause the application device to gather or process data within the sensor network;

receive a command instruction from a user device via a service provider network,

the command instruction relating to the data gathered or processed by the application device, and

the sensor network being separate from the service provider network;

authorize the user device based on authorization information included in the command instruction;

communicate with the application device within the sensor network and independently of the service provider second network to process the command instruction based on authorizing the user device,

the command instruction being processed within the sensor network to

reduce load on the service provider network;

form a response to the command instruction based on processing the command instruction; and

provide the response to the command instruction towards the user device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the command instruction includes an instruction to cause the application device to adjust a sensor device, capture an image via a camera device, trigger a switch, provide an alert, or provide content based on an occurrence of an event that is identified by the application device based on the data gathered or processed by the application device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the application device is associated with a machine-to-machine device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive the command instruction via a first device based on the first device authorizing the user device to access service provider network to provide the command instruction, and

where the plurality of instructions, when receiving the command instruction from the user device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive the command instruction from the user device via the first device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the provisioning information includes provisioning information for a first device to gather data, and

where the plurality of instructions, when providing the provisioning information to the application device, cause the one or more processors to:

provide the provisioning information to cause the application device to establish a tunnel with the first device and process data gathered by the first device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

update network topology information based on receiving the provisioning information.