Method and apparatus for providing privacy management in machine-to-machine communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9124632-B2
Application number	US-201113324660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2011
Priority date	Dec 13, 2011
Publication date	Sep 1, 2015
Grant date	Sep 1, 2015

Abstract

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for processing a request from a server of a machine-to-machine service provider are provided. For example, the method receives the request from the server of the machine-to-machine service provider to communicate with a machine-to-machine device, determines whether to authorize the request based upon a policy in a privacy database, and enables communications between the server of the machine-to-machine service provider and the machine-to-machine device if the request is authorized based upon the policy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing a request from a server of a machine-to-machine service provider, comprising:
receiving, by a system comprising a processor in a communication network of a communication network service provider, the request from the server of the machine-to-machine service provider to communicate with a machine-to-machine device, wherein the machine-to-machine device comprises an appliance;
determining, by the system in the communication network, whether to authorize the request based upon a machine-to-machine service provider policy in a machine-to-machine service provider privacy database located in the communication network;
determining, by the system in the communication network, a manner of access that is allowed based upon a machine-to-machine device policy in a machine-to-machine device privacy database located in the communication network when the request is authorized, wherein the machine-to-machine device policy is defined by a user of the machine-to-machine device, wherein the manner of the access that is allowed is defined by the user;
sending, by the system in the communication network, a response to the server of the machine-to-machine service provider, where the response defines the manner of access that is allowed when the request is authorized; and
enabling, by the system, communications between the server of the machine-to-machine service provider and the machine-to-machine device in the manner of access that is allowed based upon the machine-to-machine device policy.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received at a machine-to-machine privacy gateway.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is routed via an application programming interface gateway.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine-to-machine service provider policy associated with the machine-to-machine service provider privacy database is dynamically negotiable.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the machine-to-machine service provider policy associated with the machine-to-machine service provider privacy database is defined by the communication network service provider.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by a processor of a system in a communication network of a communication network service provider, cause the processor to perform operations for processing a request from a server of a machine-to-machine service provider, the operations comprising:
receiving the request from the server of the machine-to-machine service provider to communicate with a machine-to-machine device, wherein the machine-to-machine device comprises an appliance;
determining whether to authorize the request based upon a machine-to-machine service provider policy in a machine-to-machine service provider privacy database located in the communication network;
determining a manner of access that is allowed based upon a machine-to-machine device policy in a machine-to-machine device privacy database located in the communication network when the request is authorized, wherein the machine-to-machine device policy is defined by a user of the machine-to-machine device, wherein the manner of the access that is allowed is defined by, the user;
sending a response to the server of the machine-to-machine service provider, where the response defines the manner of access that is allowed when the request is authorized; and
enabling communications between the server of the machine-to-machine service provider and the machine-to-machine device in the manner of access that is allowed based upon the machine-to-machine device policy.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the request is received at a machine-to-machine privacy gateway.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the request is routed via an application programming interface gateway.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the machine-to-machine service provider policy associated with the machine-to-machine service provider privacy database is dynamically negotiable.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the machine-to-machine service provider policy associated with the machine-to-machine service provider privacy database is defined by the communication network service provider.

11. An apparatus for processing a request from a server of a machine-to-machine service provider, comprising:
a hardware processor in a communication network of a communication network service provider; and
a computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving the request from the server of the machine-to-machine service provider to communicate with a machine-to-machine device, wherein the machine-to-machine device comprises an appliance;
determining whether to authorize the request based upon a machine-to-machine service provider policy in a machine-to-machine service provider privacy database located in the communication network;
determining a manner of access that is allowed based upon a machine-to-machine device policy in a machine-to-machine device privacy database located in the communication network when the request is authorized, wherein the machine-to-machine device policy is defined by a user of the machine-to-machine device, wherein the manner of access that is allowed is defined by the user;
sending a response to the server of the machine-to-machine service provider, where the response defines the manner of access that is allowed when the request is authorized; and
enabling communications between the server of the machine-to-machine service provider and the machine-to-machine device in the manner of access that tis allowed based upon the machine-to-machine device policy.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus comprises a machine-to-machine privacy gateway.

Assignees

• Hu Qingmin
• Bari Farooq
• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Hu Qingmin
• Bari Farooq

Classifications

• H04L63/0407

  wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00) · CPC title

• H04L63/20 Primary

  for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227) · CPC title

• H04W4/005

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title

• H04L63/0263

  Rule management · CPC title