Method and system for remote operation of an installation

• US 9,083,698 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zaplox AB
• Original Assignee: Zablox AB
• Inventors: Tilly, Lars, Gripwall, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): JHAVERI, JAYESH M
• Application Number:
  US13/883,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20140013407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 705/3, 713/151, 713/152, 713/156, 726 5- 6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/00 Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• 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 63/064 Hierarchical key distribution, e.g. by multi-tier trusted parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a system for operating a device (100). The system comprises: a mobile communication device (700a), an internal server (300) and an external server (600), the external server (600) being adapted to generate a certificate and to send the certificate to the mobile communication device (700a),the mobile communication device (700a) being adapted to send a device specific command comprising the certificate to the internal server (300), the internal server (300) being adapted to check and validate the device specific command comprising the certificate, the internal server (300) being adapted to send a request to the device (100) to perform an action specified in the device specific command if the internal server (300) validates the device specific command comprising the certificate, the device (100) being adapted to perform the action, wherein the device specific command from the mobile communication device (700a) to the internal server (300) is adapted to be sent via a cellular network.

Claims

1. A method for operating a device comprising:

an external server selecting a first party from a predetermined list, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a party which is geographically closest to an internal server using Global Positioning System, generating a certificate upon receiving an alarm event, and sending the certificate to the first party,

the external server sending the certificate to a mobile communication device,

the mobile communication device signing a device specific command with a signing key being associated with the certificate, wherein the certificate certifies the authenticity of the signing key and the signing key identifies the mobile communication device by which the device specific command has been signed, and sending the device specific command to the internal server, wherein the device specific command comprises the certificate,

the internal server checking the device specific command comprising the certificate, if the internal server validates the device specific command comprising the certificate;

the internal server sending a request to the device to perform an action specified in the device specific command,

the device performing the action,

wherein the device specific command from the mobile communication device to the internal server is sent via a cellular network.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the external server generating the signing key,

the external server sending the signing key to the mobile communication device, and

the mobile communication device signing device specific commands using the signing key.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the external server uses a digital identification when generating at least one from the group of the certificate and the signing key.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the certificate and/or the signing key are limited in time.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the external server or the internal server revoking the certificate.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device specific command from the mobile communication device to the internal server is sent via the external server via the cellular network,

wherein if the external server validates the certificate, the external server sends the device specific command to the internal server via the cellular network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request from the internal server to the device is sent via a short range wireless protocol.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the short range wireless protocol is at least one from the group of Bluetooth, ZigBee, and WLAN.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

the internal server storing information about which mobile communication device has been validated by the internal server, or

the external server storing information about which mobile communication device has been validated by the internal server.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting certificates via a web interface.

11. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the device is a lock module,

wherein the device specific command is a lock/unlock command, and

wherein the step of the device performing the action is the lock module locking/unlocking.