Secure connected device control and monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016165663-A1
Application number	US-201414564885-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Examples are disclosed that facilitate connecting in a secure and efficient manner a mobile device to networked-enabled devices located in a premises. The security of the networked-enabled, connected devices in the premises may be maintained by use of a gateway device situated behind a home router. Through the home router, the gateway device maintains a persistent connection with a network component of a service provider. When an authorized application executing on a mobile device attempts to connect with the gateway device to communicate with the respective customer connected devices, the device control application is connected to a pre-established communication port to allow direct communication between the device control application and the respective customer connected device. A service provider's network component in some examples maintains the pre-established connection for the duration of the session in which the customer connected device is to be controlled via a mobile device, or longer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A home network gateway device, comprising:
a memory for storing customer connected device profile information; a multi-protocol communication interface compatible with a plurality of different communication protocols for interfacing with customer connected devices; and a processor coupled to the memory and the multi-protocol communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to perform functions, including functions to:
establish a persistent and secure connection with a service provider device in a service provider network;
receive a data transmission identifier assigned by the service provider device to a customer connected device connected to the multi-protocol communication interface;
store the assigned data transmission identifier in a data record in the memory associated with the customer connected device;
receive a request for information from a service provider device, wherein the request includes a data transmission identifier;
access the memory to identify the customer connected device associated with the data transmission identifier in the request;
in response to identifying the customer connected device, retrieving status information from the customer connected device; and
forward the status information to the service provider device.

2 . The home network gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, including functions to:
in response to receiving the request, send a request for a user datagram protocol (UDP) port identifier associated with a mobile device to the service provider device; upon receipt of the UDP port identifier, establish a data connection with the mobile device via the identified UDP port; and transmit data obtained from the identified customer connected device to the mobile device via the established data connection.

3 . The home network gateway device of claim 2 , wherein the established data connection with the mobile device is different from the persistent and secure connection with the device.

4 . The home network gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, including functions to:
prior to establishing the persistent and secure connection, transmit subscriber-related credentials to the service provider device, wherein the subscriber-related credentials include information related to a mobile device of the subscriber, a subscriber user name, a subscriber password and an indication that the subscriber is authorized to receive the device control application services; and in response to receipt of an indication of successful authentication of the subscriber-related credentials, receive a hypertext transfer protocol request to initiate establishing the persistent and secure connection with the service provider device.

5 . The home network gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, including functions to:
receive a control command from a device control application executing on a mobile device, the control command including instructions directed to the customer connected device; translate the received instructions in the control command into a communication protocol format of the customer connected device; establish a connection with the customer connected device; and deliver the translated instructions to the customer connected device.

6 . The home network gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, including functions to:
in response to detecting a presence of the customer connected device via the multi-protocol communication interface, establish the connection to the customer connected device, via the multi-protocol communication interface.

7 . The home network gateway device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, including functions to:
obtain profile information from the customer connected device.

8 . The home network gateway device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, including functions to:
in response to obtaining the profile information, forward the obtained profile information to the service provider device via the persistent and secure connection, wherein the obtained profile information includes an identifier of the customer connected device.

9 . The home network gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the service provider device is located in a network different from a network to which the home network gateway device is connected.

10 . The home network gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the multi-protocol communication interface is compatible with a plurality of different communication protocols that includes wired connection points, one or more antennas and one or more transceivers for exchanging communication signals corresponding to each of the plurality of different communication protocols with customer connected devices connected via the respective wired connection points and antennas to the interface, and the multi-protocol communication interface is configured to:
exchange communications according to each of the different communication protocols over a wired or wireless communication pathway with the customer connected devices.

11 . The home network gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the multi-protocol communication interface is configured to receive and decode signals received from connected device and encode and transmit signals to the connected devices.

12 . A service provider device, comprising:
a memory for storing customer connected device profile information; a mobile communication network connection; a data communication network connection; and a processor coupled to the memory, the mobile communication network connection and the data communication network connection, wherein the processor is configured to perform functions, including functions to:
receive an indication via the data communication network connection that a request for a persistent connection has been received;
in response to receiving a request, establish a persistent connection with a gateway device in a home network;
receive a request from a mobile device via the mobile communication network connection for information related to the gateway device in the home network, wherein the mobile device request includes service subscriber information usable to identify and authenticate the subscriber;
upon authenticating the subscriber, obtain from the mobile device a user datagram protocol port identifier established by the mobile device; and
provide the obtained user datagram protocol port identifier to the gateway device for the establishment of a communication path between the mobile device and the gateway device.

13 . The service provider device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, including functions to:
receive from the gateway device via the persistent connection, a profile of a customer connected device in the home network that is controllable by a mobile device; and store the profile information in the memory.

14 . The service provider device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, including functions to:
assign a data transmission identifier to the network; receive status updates of the customer connected device; and store the status updates in the memory according to the data transmission identifier.

15 . The service provider device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions, includin

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Shanmugam Sankar
• Mitra Arindam
• Krishnan Maheswaran
• Sengottaiyan Moorthy
• Sivaganesh Sivagnanalingam

Classifications

• H04W88/16 Primary

  Gateway arrangements · CPC title

• H04W84/12 Primary

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W76/12

  Setup of transport tunnels · CPC title