Reverse proxy server for an internet of things (“IoT”) network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10848588-B2
Application number	US-201815936760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2018
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for a reverse proxy server are provided. The reverse proxy server may provide compatibility and security for nodes on an IoT network. A reverse proxy server may normalize inter-node communications. A reverse proxy server may identify an IoT node and upon identification of the node, determine native communication protocol(s) specific to the node. The reverse proxy server may encapsulate data transmitted via the native communication protocol. The reverse proxy server may impose a principal-agent relationship. For example, the reverse proxy server may be a principal of one or more nodes (agents) on the IoT. The reverse proxy server may enforce security protocols on all agents. An agent (e.g., node) may be required to route all communications to other IoT devices through the principal (e.g., reverse proxy server). An IoT network may include more than one reverse proxy server. Each agent may have one or more principals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for normalizing electronic communication across an Internet-of-things (“IoT”) network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes having a native communication protocol that is incompatible with at least one other of the plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
receiving a request from a target node to join the IoT network;
identifying a hardware address of the target node;
conducting a test communication with the target node, and based on the test communication, determining the native communication protocol associated with the target node; and
encapsulating communications, between the target node and at least one other node in the plurality, within a normalized communication protocol;
wherein the encapsulating is implemented by a reverse proxy server on the IoT network; and

wherein the reverse proxy server varies the normalized communication protocol associated with the target node to thereby harden security of communications of the target node over the IoT network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, encapsulating communications provides more secure electronic communications over the network than the native communication protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reverse proxy server is a first reverse proxy server;
wherein:
during a first time period, the first reverse proxy server varies the normalized communication protocol;
during a second time period, a second reverse proxy server varies the normalized communication protocol; and
multiplexing between the first reverse proxy server and the second reverse proxy server further secures communication with the target node over the IoT network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning a trusted status to the target node when the target node communicates with other nodes on the network via the encapsulating.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising broadcasting data encapsulated within the normalized communication protocol to one or more other nodes on the IoT network.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, at the reverse proxy server, decapsulating communications destined for the target node and extracting data destined for the target node.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising transmitting the extracted data from the reverse proxy server to the target node using the native communication protocol.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising at the reverse proxy server, imposing a security protocol that operates independently of the normalized communication protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the normalized communication protocol is selected from among:
A machine-to-machine (“M2M”) protocol;
HyperText Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”);
Simple Object Access Protocol (“SOAP”);
REpresentational State Transfer (“REST”) protocol;
Constrained Application Protocol (“CoAP”);
a IEEE 802.15.4 based protocol (“ZigBee”); and
a IEEE 802.11 based protocol.

Assignees

• Bank Of America

Inventors

• Lee Jisoo
• Checco John C
• Bowling John Ryan

Classifications

• H04L69/085

  specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks · CPC title

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• H04L67/2895 Primary

  Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies · CPC title

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04L67/565

  Conversion or adaptation of application format or content (adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561) · CPC title