Mesh network commissioning

• US 9,628,338 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• 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): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): AJID, ABDELTIF
• Application Number:
  US14/752,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 370254, 370200
• 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 node device in a mesh network receives a commissioning dataset, and compares a timestamp in the received commissioning dataset with a stored timestamp in a commissioning dataset that is stored in the node. The node device can determine from the comparison that the stored timestamp is more recent than the received timestamp, and in response, transmit a message to a leader device of the mesh network, where the message includes the stored commissioning dataset. The leader device accepts the stored commissioning dataset as the most recent commissioning dataset for the mesh network, and propagates the stored commissioning dataset to the mesh network. Alternatively, the node device can determine that the received timestamp is more recent than the stored timestamp, and in response to the determination, update the stored commissioning dataset to match the received commissioning dataset.

Claims

1. A method of updating commissioning data in nodes of a mesh network, the method comprising:

receiving a commissioning dataset at a node device in the mesh network;

comparing a timestamp included in the received commissioning dataset with a stored timestamp included in a commissioning dataset that is stored in the node device, the stored commissioning dataset having been updated after a split of the mesh network into a plurality of partitions, a first partition including a leader device and a second partition including the node device, the split stopping communication between the node device and the leader device over the mesh network;

determining, from said comparing, that the stored timestamp is more recent than the received timestamp; and

in response to said determining, transmitting a message to the leader device of the mesh network, the message comprising the stored commissioning dataset and being effective to enable the leader device to accept the stored commissioning dataset as the most recent commissioning dataset for the mesh network, and propagate the stored commissioning dataset to the mesh network, the node device and the leader device having been previously commissioned to the mesh network with stored identical commissioning datasets in the node device and the leader device.

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

determining, from said comparing, that the received timestamp is more recent than the stored timestamp; and

in response to said determining that the received timestamp is more recent than the stored timestamp, updating the stored commissioning dataset to match the received commissioning dataset.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received commissioning dataset comprises:

the received timestamp;

a commissioning credential;

a network name of the mesh network; and

a security policy that indicates which security-related operations are allowed in the mesh network.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the received timestamp comprises a time value, and an indication that the time value is traceable to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving the commissioning dataset at the node device occurs after a merge of the first partition and the second partition of the mesh network, the merge re-establishing a communication path between the node device and the leader device over the mesh network.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the node device is a router device or a router-eligible device.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein if the stored timestamp and the received timestamp are identical, the leader device accepts the commissioning dataset of a highest priority fragment as the most recent commissioning dataset for the mesh network.

18. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the received timestamp comprises a time value and an indication that the time value is a relative time value.

7. A mesh network device implemented as a router, 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;

receive a commissioning dataset;

compare a timestamp included in the received commissioning dataset with a stored timestamp included in a commissioning dataset that is stored in the router, the stored commissioning dataset having been updated after a split of the mesh network into a plurality of partitions, a first partition including a leader device and a second partition including the router, the split stopping communication between the router and the leader device over the mesh network;

determine from the comparison that the stored timestamp is more recent than the received timestamp; and

in response to the determination, transmit a message to the leader device of the mesh network, the message comprising the stored commissioning dataset and being effective to enable the leader device to accept the stored commissioning dataset as the most recent commissioning dataset for the mesh network, and propagate the stored commissioning dataset to the mesh network, the router and the leader device having been previously commissioned to the mesh network with stored identical commissioning datasets in the router and the leader device.

8. The mesh network device as recited in claim 7, wherein the commissioning application is configured to:

determine from the comparison that the received timestamp is more recent than the stored timestamp; and

in response to the determination that the received timestamp is more recent than the stored timestamp, update the stored commissioning dataset to match the received commissioning dataset.

9. The mesh network device as recited in claim 7, wherein the received commissioning dataset comprises:

the received timestamp;

a commissioning credential;

a network name of the mesh network; and

a security policy that indicates which security-related operations are allowed in the mesh network.

10. The mesh network device as recited in claim 9, wherein the received timestamp comprises a time value, and an indication that the time value is traceable to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

19. The mesh network device as recited in claim 7, wherein the reception of the commissioning dataset at the router occurs after a merge of the first partition and the second partition of the mesh network, the merge re-establishing a communication path between the router and the leader device over the mesh network.

20. The mesh network device as recited in claim 9, wherein the received timestamp comprises a time value and an indication that the time value is a relative time value.

11. A mesh network system, comprising:

a leader device configured to maintain commissioning data for the mesh network; and

a router device configured to;

receive a commissioning dataset;

compare a timestamp included in the received commissioning dataset with a stored timestamp included in a commissioning dataset that is stored in the router device, the stored commissioning dataset having been updated after a split of the mesh network into a plurality of partitions, a first partition including a leader device and a second partition including the router device, the split stopping communication between the router device and the leader device over the mesh network;

determine from the comparison that the stored timestamp is more recent than the received timestamp; and

in response to the determination, transmit a message to the leader device of the mesh network, the message comprising the stored commissioning dataset and being effective to enable the leader device to accept the stored commissioning dataset as the most recent commissioning dataset for the mesh network, and propagate the stored commissioning dataset to the mesh network, the router device and the leader device having been previously commissioned to the mesh network with stored identical commissioning datasets in the router device and the leader device.

12. The mesh network system as recited in claim 11, wherein the router device is configured to:

determine from the comparison that the received timestamp is more recent than the stored timestamp; and

in response to the determination that the received timestamp is more recent than the stored timestamp, update the stored commissioning dataset to match the received commissioning dataset.

13. The mesh network system as recited in claim 11, wherein the received commissioning dataset comprises:

the received timestamp;

a commissioning credential;

a network name of the mesh network; and

a security policy that indicates which security-related operations are allowed in the mesh network.

14. The mesh network system as recited in claim 13, wherein the received timestamp comprises a time value, and an indication that the time value is traceable to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

15. The mesh network system as recited in claim 11, wherein the reception of the commissioning dataset at the router device occurs after a merge of the first partition and the second partition of the mesh network, the merge re-establishing a communication path between the router device and the leader device over the mesh network.

16. The mesh network system as recited in claim 13, wherein the received timestamp comprises a time value and an indication that the time value is a relative time value.