Efficient network layer for IPv6 protocol

• US 9,531,704 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Erickson, Grant M., Boross, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin, Yemane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/926,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20140376530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

An electronic device may include a network interface that may enable the electronic device to wirelessly couple the electronic device to other electronic devices. The electronic device may also include a processor that may determine at least one data path to the other electronic devices using a Routing Information Protocol-Next Generation (RIPng) routing mechanism. After identifying at least one data path to the other electronic devices, the processor may determine whether the identified data path(s) is secure using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol. If the identified data path(s) is determined to be secure, the processor may send Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) data packets to the other electronic devices via the secure data path(s).

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a network interface configured to wirelessly couple the electronic device to at least one other electronic device in a wireless mesh network; and

a processor configured to;

establish at least one mesh link to the at least one other electronic device via the network interface;

receive distance vector routing data having a routing table of distances, the distance vector routing data being received from the at least one other electronic device via the at least one mesh link, the routing table of distances comprising a plurality of destination electronic devices, intermediate electronic devices for routing data to each of the plurality of the destination electronic devices, and a number of hops of the intermediate electronic devices between the electronic device and the plurality of the destination electronic devices;

establish a session to communicate with one of the plurality of destination electronic devices using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol, packet data associated with the session being routed based on the received distance vector routing data; and

utilize an IPv6-based application layer protocol for communication between the electronic device and the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices using the established session, the application layer communication of the session being secured at the electronic device and at the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices using the DTLS protocol.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device are configured to be part of the wireless mesh network.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the routing table comprises the at least one mesh link.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate the routing table by:

sending a request for routing information to the at least one other electronic device having a direct communication connection to the electronic device;

receiving the routing information from the at least one other electronic device, wherein the routing information comprises an identification of electronic devices that are directly communicatively coupled to the at least one other electronic device; and

generating the routing table based at least in part on the routing information.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the routing table comprises an identification of one or more electronic devices that are communicatively coupled via one or more mesh links between the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to update the routing table by:

sending a request for routing information to the at least one other electronic device communicatively coupled to an additional electronic device;

receiving the routing information from the at least one other electronic device, wherein the routing information comprises an identification of one or more electronic devices that are communicatively coupled to the at least one other electronic device and communicatively coupled to the additional electronic device; and

updating the routing table based at least in part on the identification of the electronic devices.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to identify a security certificate embedded within the electronic device to establish the session.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the security certificate is embedded within the electronic device during a manufacturing process associated with the electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the distances of the vector routing data comprise a count of mesh links between the electronic device and each of the plurality of the destination electronic devices.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to utilize a private key and a public key when communicating between the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device utilizes the at least one other electronic device to route the packet data in the DTLS session between the electronic device and the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising:

sending a request for routing information from the electronic device to the at least one other electronic device communicatively disposed between the electronic device and the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices, wherein the routing information comprises an identification of electronic devices communicatively coupled to the at least one other electronic device; and

generating, at the electronic device, the routing table based at least in part on the routing information.

12. A method for communicating between an electronic device and at least one other electronic device in a wireless mesh network, comprising:

establishing at least one mesh link to the at least one other electronic device via a network interface;

receiving distance vector routing data having a routing table of distances, the distance vector routing data being received from the at least one other electronic device via the at least one mesh link, the routing table of distances comprising a plurality of destination electronic devices, intermediate electronic devices for routing data to each of the plurality of the destination electronic devices, and a number of hops of the intermediate electronic devices between the electronic device and the plurality of the destination electronic devices;

establishing a session to communicate with one of the plurality of destination electronic devices using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol, packet data associated with the session being routed based on the received distance vector routing data; and

utilizing an IPv6-based application layer protocol for communication between the electronic device and the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices using the established session, the application layer communication of the session being secured at the electronic device and at the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices using the DTLS protocol.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the session is established when the electronic device determines that a certificate of the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices is valid.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for an electronic device to send or receive data in a wireless mesh network, wherein the instructions are configured to:

establish at least one mesh link to at least one other electronic device via a network interface;

receive distance vector routing data having a routing table of distances, the distance vector routing data being received from the at least one other electronic device via the at least one mesh link, the routing table of distances comprising a plurality of destination electronic devices, intermediate electronic devices for routing data to each of the plurality of the destination electronic devices, and a number of hops of the intermediate electronic devices between the electronic device and the plurality of the destination electronic devices;

establish a session to communicate with one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol, packet data associated with the session being routed based on the received distance vector routing data; and

utilize an IPv6-based application layer protocol for communication between the electronic device and the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices using the established session, the application layer communication of the session being secured at the electronic device and at the one of the plurality of the destination electronic devices using the DTLS protocol.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one other electronic device comprises a thermostat, a hazard detection unit, an entryway interface device, a light switch, a wall plug interface, a pool heater, an irrigation system, or any combination thereof.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless mesh network is disposed throughout a house, an apartment, or an office.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless mesh network is configured to communicatively couple to the Internet.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are configured to transport a DTLS packet in an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) data packet over the wireless mesh network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are configured to encode or decode data communicated between the electronic device and the at least one other electronic devices on a data link layer.