On-boarding a device to a secure local network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9699659-B2
Application number	US-201514803461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

In an embodiment, a control device that is configured to onboard a target device to a secure local network by discovering a set of devices over a bootstrapping interface, establishing a bootstrap connection to at least one device from the set of devices in response to the discovery without authorizing the at least one device to access the secure local network, instructing the at least one device via the bootstrap connection to activate an observable function that is configured to be observable to one or more observation entities that are separate from the control device and are in proximity to the at least one device, determining whether an operator of the control device verifies that the observable function has been successfully detected as performed by the target device and selectively authorizing the at least one device to access the secure local network based on the determination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a control device that is configured to selectively on-board a target device to a secure local network, comprising:
discovering a set of devices over a bootstrapping interface;
establishing a bootstrap connection to at least one device from the set of devices in response to the discovery without authorizing the at least one device to access the secure local network;
instructing the at least one device via the bootstrap connection to activate an observable function that is configured to be observable to one or more observation entities that are separate from the control device and are in proximity to the at least one device;
determining whether an operator of the control device verifies that the observable function has been successfully detected as performed by the target device; and
selectively authorizing the at least one device to access the secure local network based on the determination,
wherein the one or more observation entities include the operator of the control device, one or more machines configured to assist the operator of the control device to detect the observable function or a combination thereof, and
wherein the observable function includes emission of a human-detectable indicator that is configured to be detectable to the operator of the control device, a machine-detectable indicator that is configured to be detectable by the one or more machines while not being directly detectable to the operator of the control device, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the bootstrapping interface comprises WiFi, Bluetooth, or infrared (IR), and
wherein the secure local network is a WiFi network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the observable function outputs one or more of a visible indicator, an audible indicator, an ultrasound, a short range wireless signal, a non-visible indicator, an infrared indicator, an ultraviolet indicator, a thermal indicator or mechanical indicator, a vibration, a movement or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator of the control device verifies that the observable function has been successfully detected as performed by the target device, and
wherein the selectively authorizing authorizes the at least one device to access the secure local network in response to the determination.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
transmitting a set of network credentials to the at least one device that is configured to be used by the at least one device for accessing the secure local network.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator of the control device does not verify that the observable function has been successfully detected as performed by the target device, and
wherein the selectively authorizing does not authorize the at least one device to access the secure local network in response to the determination.

7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the secure local network is an Internet of Things (IoT) network, and
wherein the target device is an IoT device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more observation entities include the operator of the control device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the observable function includes emission of the human-detectable indicator that is configured to be detectable to the operator of the control device.

10. A method of attempting to on-board a device to a secure local network, comprising:
establishing a bootstrap connection to a control device of the secure local network without obtaining authorization to access the secure local network;
receiving an instruction via the bootstrap connection to activate an observable function that is configured to be observable to one or more observation entities in proximity to the device;
activating the observable function in response to the instruction; and
selectively obtaining authorization to access the secure local network based on whether an operator of the control device successfully detects the observable function performed by the device and verifies the observable function as being performed by a target device for which on-boarding is desired,
wherein the one or more observation entities include the operator of the control device, one or more machines configured to assist the operator of the control device to detect the observable function or a combination thereof, and
wherein the observable function includes emission of a human-detectable indicator that is configured to be detectable to the operator of the control device, a machine-detectable indicator that is configured to be detectable by the one or more machines while not being directly detectable to the operator of the control device, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the bootstrap connection comprises over a bootstrapping interface that is WiFi, Bluetooth, or infrared (IR), and
wherein the secure local network is a WiFi network.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
if the selectively obtaining authorization obtains the authorization to access the secure local network, receiving a set of network credentials from the control device that is configured to be used by the device for accessing the secure local network.

13. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the secure local network is an Internet of Things (IoT) network, and
wherein the target device is an IoT device.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more observation entities include the operator of the control device.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the observable function includes emission of the human-detectable indicator that is configured to be detectable to the operator of the control device.

16. A control device that is configured to selectively on-board a target device to a secure local network, comprising:
a hardware processor coupled to a transceiver and configured to:
discover a set of devices over a bootstrapping interface;
establish a bootstrap connection to at least one device from the set of devices in response to the discovery without authorizing the at least one device to access the secure local network;
instruct the at least one device via the bootstrap connection to activate an observable function that is configured to be observable to one or more observation entities that are separate from the control device and are in proximity to the at least one device;
determine whether an operator of the control device verifies that the observable function has been successfully detected as performed by the target device; and
selectively authorize the at least one device to access the secure local network based on the determination,
wherein the one or more observation entities include the operator of the control device, one or more machines configured to assist the operator of the control device to detect the observable function or a combination thereof, and
wherein the observable function includes emission of a human-detectable indicator that is configured to be detectable to the operator of the control device, a machine-detectable indicator that is configured to be detectable by the one or more machines while not being directly detectable to the operator of the control device, or a combination thereof.

17. The control device of claim 16 ,
wherein the bootstrapping interface is WiFi, Bluetooth, or infrared (IR), and
wherein the secure local network is a WiFi network.

18. The control device of claim 16 , wherein the observable function outputs one or more of a visible indicator, an audible indicator, an ultr

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Zehavi Doron
• Amarilio Lior
• Shusterman Zeev

Classifications

• H04W12/08 Primary

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title

• H04W48/04

  based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed · CPC title