Efficient network layer for IPv6 protocol

• US 9,590,975 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• 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:
  US14/504,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20150016443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 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 a second target electronic device via an intermediary electronic device in a wireless mesh network; and

a processor configured to;

establish at least one mesh link to the intermediary electronic device on a data link layer using an IEEE 802.15.4 standard;

establish a session with the target electronic device through the intermediary electronic device using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol, wherein application layer communication during the session is secured at the electronic device and at the target electronic device using the DTLS protocol; and

transmit session packets to the target electronic device via the intermediary electronic device using the IPv6 standard, the session packets being routed based on routing data received from the intermediary electronic device, the routing data including a routing table of distances between electronic devices.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive distance vector routing data having the routing table of distances, wherein the distance vector routing data is received from the intermediary electronic device via the at least one mesh link and is secured via encryption on the data link layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein to receive the distance vector routing data, the processor is configured to:

send a request for routing information to the intermediary electronic device having a direct communication connection to the electronic device; and

receive the routing information from the intermediary electronic device, wherein the routing information comprises an identification of electronic devices that are directly communicatively coupled to the intermediary electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the routing table comprises an identification of one or more electronic devices that are communicatively coupled via a plurality of mesh links between the electronic device and the target electronic device, wherein the plurality of mesh links comprises the at least one mesh link.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein to update the routing table, the processor is configured to:

send a request for routing information to the second intermediary electronic device communicatively coupled to a fourth electronic device;

receive the routing information from the intermediary electronic device, wherein the routing information comprises an identification of one or more electronic devices that are communicatively coupled to the intermediary electronic device and communicatively coupled to the fourth electronic device; and

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

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to send route data of the routing table to an adjacent electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the routing table provides an indication of intermediate devices allowed to communicate with mesh links on the data link layer.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the network interface is configured to send IPv6 data packets via User Datagram Protocol (UDP) or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) on a transport layer between the data link layer and the application layer.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data link layer specifies a manner in which data packets are encoded and decoded.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to operate using an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, wherein the OSI model comprises a physical layer, the data link layer, a network layer, a transport layer, a platform layer, and the application layer.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data link layer serves one or more layers between the application layer and the data link layer.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to be stored in a memory of an electronic device, comprising instructions to transmit data from the electronic device to a target electronic device via an intermediary electronic device, the instructions configured to:

establish at least one mesh link between the electronic device and the intermediary electronic device through a wireless mesh network on a data link layer using an IEEE 802.15.4 standard;

establish a session with the target electronic device through the intermediary electronic device using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol, wherein application layer communication during the session is secured at the electronic device and at the target electronic device using the DTLS protocol; and

transmit session packets to the target electronic device via the intermediary electronic device using the IPv6 standard, the session packets being routed based on routing data received from the intermediary electronic device, the routing data including a routing table of distances between electronic devices.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the intermediary 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.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the wireless mesh network is disposed throughout a home, an apartment, or an office.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the wireless mesh network is configured to communicatively couple to the Internet.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein IPv6 data packets are sent using User Datagram Protocol (UDP) or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) on a network layer between an application layer and the data link layer, and wherein the data link layer serves the network layer.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the application layer is served by one or more layers between the data link layer and the application layer.

18. A method of wirelessly transmitting data from an electronic device to a target electronic device via an intermediary electronic device in a wireless mesh network, comprising:

establishing, via a processor of the electronic device, at least one mesh link through the wireless mesh network on a data link layer using an IEEE 802.15.4 standard;

establishing a session with the target electronic device through the intermediary electronic device using a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol, wherein application layer communication during the session is secured at the electronic device and at the target electronic device using the DTLS protocol; and

transmitting session packets to the target electronic device via the intermediary electronic device using the IPv6 standard, the session packets being routed based on routing data received from the intermediary electronic device, the routing data including a routing table of distances between electronic devices.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising receiving distance vector routing data having the routing table of distances, wherein the distance vector routing data is received from the intermediary electronic device via the at least one mesh link and is secured via encryption on the data link layer.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising sending DTLS secured packets over the wireless mesh network secured by data link layer security.