KR102524513B1 - Systems and methods for implementing Internet of Things (IoT) remote control applications - Google Patents

Abstract

An Internet of Things (IoT) hub includes a network interface for coupling the IoT hub to an IoT service via a wide area network (WAN), and at least one IoT device is communicatively coupled to the IoT hub via a wireless communication channel. An IoT device includes an IR or RF blaster that controls designated electronic equipment through infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) communication with the electronic equipment. The IoT device includes at least one sensor that detects current conditions related to the operation of the electronic equipment, and the current conditions are transmitted to the IoT hub through a wireless communication channel. The IoT hub includes a remote control code database that stores remote control codes that can be used to control electronic equipment. The IoT hub includes control logic that uses remote control code to generate remote control commands in response to current conditions and input from the end user provided through the user device.

Description

Systems and methods for implementing Internet of Things (IoT) remote control applications

The present invention relates generally to the field of computer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for implementing IoT remote control applications.

"Internet of Things" refers to the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded devices within the Internet infrastructure. Ultimately, the IoT will open up a new and widespread type of application in which virtually any type of physical object can provide information about itself or its surroundings and/or be remotely controlled via a client device over the Internet. expected to create

IoT development and adoption has been slow due to issues related to connectivity, power, and lack of standardization. For example, one obstacle to IoT development and adoption is the lack of any standard platform to allow developers to design and deliver new IoT devices and services. To enter the IoT market, developers must design an entire IoT platform from start to finish, including network protocols and infrastructure, hardware, software and services required to support a desired IoT implementation. As a result, each provider of IoT devices uses proprietary techniques for designing and connecting IoT devices, making adoption of multiple types of IoT devices a burden on end users. Another obstacle to IoT adoption is the difficulty associated with connecting and powering IoT devices. For example, connecting appliances such as refrigerators, garage door openers, environmental sensors, home security sensors/controllers, etc. requires an electrical source to power each connected IoT device, and such an electrical source is often convenient. not located (e.g., AC outlets are not commonly found in refrigerators).

A better understanding of the present invention may be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings below.
1A and 1B illustrate different embodiments of an IoT system architecture.
2 illustrates an IoT device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 illustrates an IoT hub according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A and 4B illustrate embodiments of the present invention for controlling and collecting data from IoT devices and generating notifications.
5 illustrates embodiments of the present invention for collecting data from IoT devices and generating notifications from an IoT hub and/or IoT service.
6 illustrates embodiments of the present invention for detecting and notifying a user of a loss of hub connectivity.
7A-7C illustrate different embodiments of a miniature IoT hub device with an LED light and a USB port.
8 illustrates a method of controlling electronics and other equipment with an IoT device.
9 illustrates one embodiment of an IoT hub selecting among different cell carriers.
10 illustrates one embodiment of a method for selecting among different cell carriers.
11 illustrates one embodiment of an IoT hub filtering events from IoT devices.
12 illustrates one embodiment of an IoT hub that collects data related to user behavior within an IoT system.
13 illustrates a high-level diagram of one embodiment of a secure architecture.
14 illustrates one embodiment of an architecture in which a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is used to store keys on an IoT device.
15A illustrates an embodiment in which an IoT device is registered using a barcode or QR code.
15B illustrates an embodiment in which pairing is performed using a barcode or QR code.
16 illustrates one embodiment of a method for programming a SIM using an IoT hub.
17 illustrates an embodiment of a method of registering an IoT device to an IoT hub and an IoT service.
18 illustrates an embodiment of a method of encrypting data to be transmitted to an IoT device.

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention described below. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the basic principles of the embodiments of the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention includes an Internet of Things (IoT) platform that can be used by developers to design and build new IoT devices and applications. In particular, one embodiment includes an underlying hardware/software platform for IoT devices including an IoT hub and a predefined networking protocol stack through which IoT devices are coupled to the Internet. Additionally, one embodiment includes an IoT service through which IoT hubs and connected IoT devices can be accessed and managed as described below. Additionally, one embodiment of the IoT platform includes an IoT app or web application (eg, running on a client device) to access and configure IoT services, hubs, and connected devices. Existing online retailers and other website operators can leverage the IoT platform described herein to easily provide unique IoT capabilities to their existing user base.

1A illustrates an overview of an architectural platform on which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. In particular, the illustrated embodiment provides a plurality of IoT devices communicatively coupled via a local communication channel 130 to a central IoT hub 110 that is itself communicatively coupled to an IoT service 120 via the Internet 220. It includes devices 101-105. Each of the IoT devices 101 - 105 may be initially paired to the IoT hub 110 (eg, using a pairing technique described below) to enable each of the local communication channels 130 . In one embodiment, the IoT service 120 includes an end user database 122 for maintaining user account information and data collected from each user's IoT device. For example, if the IoT device includes sensors (eg, temperature sensors, accelerometers, thermal sensors, motion detectors, etc.), database 122 continues to store data collected by IoT devices 101-105. can be updated The data stored in the database 122 is then accessed by the end user via an IoT app or browser installed on the user's device 135 (or via a desktop or other client computer system) and (e.g., via the IoT service 120). ) can be made accessible by web clients (such as websites 130 that have subscribed to).

The IoT devices 101 to 105 collect information about themselves and their surroundings, and provide the collected information to the IoT service 120, the user device 135, and/or an external website 130 through the IoT hub 110. Various types of sensors to provide may be mounted. Some of the IoT devices 101 to 105 may perform designated functions in response to a control command transmitted through the IoT hub 110 . Various specific examples of information and control commands collected by the IoT devices 101 - 105 are provided below. In one embodiment described below, IoT device 101 is a user input device designed to record user selections and transmit user selections to IoT services 120 and/or websites.

In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 uses a cellular radio to establish a connection to Internet 220 via cellular service 115 such as 4G (eg, mobile WiMAX, LTE) or 5G cellular data service. include Alternatively or additionally, IoT hub 110 may be a WiFi access point or router 116 that couples IoT hub 110 to the Internet (eg, via an Internet service provider that provides Internet services to end users). ) may include a WiFi radio for establishing a WiFi connection. Of course, it should be noted that the basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of communication channel or protocol.

In one embodiment, the IoT devices 101-105 are ultra-low power devices that can operate for long periods of time (eg, several years) on battery power. To conserve power, the local communication channel 130 may be implemented using a low power wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth Low Energy (LE). In this embodiment, each of the IoT devices 101 to 105 and the IoT hub 110 are equipped with a Bluetooth LE radio and protocol stack.

As noted, in one embodiment, the IoT platform is a user device to allow a user to access and configure connected IoT devices 101 - 105 , IoT hub 110 , and/or IoT service 120 . (135) includes IoT apps or web applications running on it. In one embodiment, an app or web application may be designed by the operator of website 130 to provide IoT functionality to its user base. As illustrated, the website may maintain a user database 131 containing account records associated with each user.

1B illustrates additional connectivity options for a plurality of IoT hubs 110, 111, 190. In such an embodiment, a single user may have multiple hubs 110, 111 field-installed on a single user premises 180 (eg, the user's home or business). This can be done, for example, to extend the wireless range needed to connect all of the IoT devices 101-105. As indicated, if a user has multiple hubs 110, 111, they may be connected via local communication channels (eg Wifi, Ethernet, power line networking, etc.). In one embodiment, each of the hubs 110, 111 may establish a direct connection to the IoT service 120 via a cellular 115 or WiFi 116 connection (not explicitly shown in FIG. 1B). Alternatively or additionally, one of the IoT hubs, such as IoT hub 110 (as indicated by the dotted line connecting IoT hub 110 and IoT hub 111), such as IoT hub 111 , can act as a “master” hub providing access and/or local service to all of the other IoT hubs on the user premises 180. For example, master IoT hub 110 may be the only IoT hub to establish a direct connection to IoT service 120 . In one embodiment, only the “master” IoT hub 110 is equipped with a cellular communication interface for establishing a connection to the IoT service 120. As such, all communication between the IoT service 120 and other IoT hubs 111 will flow through the master IoT hub 110. In this role, the master IoT hub 110 performs filtering operations on data exchanged between the other IoT hubs 111 and the IoT service 120 (eg servicing some data requests locally, if possible). You may be provided with additional program code to perform.

Regardless of how the IoT hubs 110, 111 are connected, in one embodiment, the IoT service 120 provides a single, comprehensive user interface (and/or browser- base interface) will logically associate the hub with the user and bind all of the attached IoT devices 101 to 105.

In this embodiment, the master IoT hub 110 and one or more slave IoT hubs 111 are connected via a local network, which may be a WiFi network 116, an Ethernet network, and/or using power-line communications (PLC) networking. (eg, where all or part of the network is powered via the user's power line). Additionally, for the IoT hub 110, 111, each of the IoT devices 101 to 105 can connect to the IoT using any type of local network channel, such as WiFi, Ethernet, PLC or Bluetooth LE, to name a few. Hubs 110 and 111 may be interconnected.

1b also shows the IoT hub 190 installed in the second user premises 181 . A virtually unlimited number of such IoT hubs 190 may be installed and configured to collect data from IoT devices 191 and 192 at user premises around the world. In one embodiment, two user premises 180, 181 may be configured for the same user. For example, one user premises 180 may be the user's main home and another user premises 181 may be the user's vacation home. In such a case, the IoT service 120 connects the IoT hub 110, 111, 190 with the user under a single comprehensive user interface (and/or browser-based interface) accessible through the user device 135 on which the app is installed. It will logically associate and combine all of the attached IoT devices (101 to 105, 191, 192).

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , an exemplary embodiment of an IoT device 101 includes a memory 210 for storing program code and data 201-203 and a low-power microcontroller for executing the program code and processing the data. Includes (200). Memory 210 may be volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or may be non-volatile memory, such as flash memory. In one embodiment, non-volatile memory may be used for persistent storage, and volatile memory may be used for execution of program codes and data at runtime. Memory 210 may also be integrated within low power microcontroller 200 or coupled to low power microcontroller 200 via a bus or communication fabric. The basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular implementation of memory 210 .

As illustrated, the program code includes application program code 203 that defines an application-specific set of functions to be performed by IoT device 201 , and predefined ones that can be used by an application developer of IoT device 101 . library code 202 comprising a set of building blocks. In one embodiment, the library code 202 provides the basics required to implement an IoT device, such as the communication protocol stack 201 for enabling communication between each IoT device 101 and the IoT hub 110. It contains a set of functions. As mentioned, in one embodiment, communication protocol stack 201 includes a Bluetooth LE protocol stack. In this embodiment, the Bluetooth LE radio and antenna 207 may be integrated within the low power microcontroller 200. However, the basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular communication protocol.

The particular embodiment shown in FIG. 2 also includes a plurality of input devices or sensors 210 for receiving user input and providing user input to a low-power microcontroller, which includes application code 203 and library code User input is processed according to (202). In one embodiment, each of the input devices includes an LED 209 to provide feedback to the end user.

Additionally, the illustrated embodiment includes a battery 208 for powering the low power microcontroller. In one embodiment, a non-rechargeable coin cell battery is used. However, in an alternative embodiment, an integrated rechargeable battery may be used (eg, chargeable by connecting the IoT device to an AC power supply (not shown)).

A speaker 205 for generating audio is also provided. In one embodiment, low-power microcontroller 299 is used to decode audio from a compressed audio stream (e.g., such as an MPEG-4/Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) stream) to generate audio at speaker 205. Contains decoding logic. Alternatively, the low-power microcontroller 200 and/or application code/data 203 may provide a digitally sampled piece of audio to provide language feedback to the end user when the user enters a selection via the input device 210. (snippet) can be included.

In one embodiment, one or more other/alternative I/O devices or sensors 250 may be included on the IoT device 101 based on the specific application for which the IoT device 101 is designed. For example, environmental sensors may be included to measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and the like. If the IoT device is used as a security device, it may include a security sensor and/or a door lock opener. Of course, these examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. The basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of IoT device. In fact, given the highly programmable nature of the low-power microcontroller 200 loaded with library code 202, application developers can create new application code 203 to interface with the low-power microcontroller for virtually any type of IoT application. ) and new I/O devices 250 can be easily developed.

In one embodiment, the low-power microcontroller 200 also includes a secure key store for storing encryption keys for encrypting communications and/or generating signatures. Alternatively, the key may be secured in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).

In one embodiment, a wake-up receiver 207 is included to wake the IoT device from a very low power state where the IoT device is consuming virtually no power. In one embodiment, the wake-up receiver 207 causes the IoT device 101 to do this in response to a wake-up signal received from the wake-up transmitter 307 configured on the IoT hub 110 as shown in FIG. and is configured to exit a low power state. In particular, in one embodiment, transmitter 307 and receiver 207 together form an electrical resonant transformer circuit such as a Tesla coil. In operation, energy is transmitted from the transmitter 307 to the receiver 207 via a radio frequency signal when the hub 110 needs to wake the IoT device 101 from a very low power state. Because of the energy transfer, IoT device 101 can be configured to consume virtually no power when it is in its low power state, since (as is the case with network protocols that allow devices to be awake via network signals). Because it doesn't have to constantly "listen" to the signal from the hub. Rather, the microcontroller 200 of the IoT device 101 may be configured to wake up after being effectively powered down by using energy electrically transmitted from the transmitter 307 to the receiver 207 .

As illustrated in FIG. 3 , IoT hub 110 also includes hardware logic 301 , such as memory 317 for storing program codes and data 305 , and a microcontroller to execute program codes and process data. ). A wide area network (WAN) interface 302 and antenna 310 couple IoT hub 110 to cellular service 115 . Alternatively, as noted above, IoT hub 110 may also include a local network interface (not shown) such as a WiFi interface (and WiFi antenna) or Ethernet interface for establishing a local area network communication channel. . In one embodiment, hardware logic 301 also includes a secure key store for storing encryption keys for encrypting communications and generating/verifying signatures. Alternatively, the key may be secured in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).

A local communication interface 303 and an antenna 311 establish a local communication channel with each of the IoT devices 101 to 105 . As noted above, in one embodiment, the local communication interface 303/antenna 311 implements the Bluetooth LE standard. However, the basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular protocol for establishing a local communication channel with IoT devices 101-105. Although illustrated as separate units in FIG. 3 , WAN interface 302 and/or local communication interface 303 may be embedded within the same chip as hardware logic 301 .

In one embodiment, the program code and data includes a communication protocol stack 308, which may include separate stacks for communicating over the local communication interface 303 and the WAN interface 302. Additionally, device pairing program code and data 306 may be stored in memory to allow the IoT hub to pair with a new IoT device. In one embodiment, each new IoT device 101 - 105 is assigned a unique code that is communicated to the IoT hub 110 during the pairing process. For example, the unique code may be embedded in a barcode on the IoT device and may be read by barcode reader 106 or communicated via local communication channel 130 . In an alternative embodiment, the unique ID code may be transmitted from the IoT device via radio frequency identification (RFID) or near field communication (NFC), for example, and the IoT hub allows the IoT device 101 to connect to the IoT hub 110. have a suitable receiver to detect the code when moved within a few inches of

In one embodiment, once the unique ID is communicated, the IoT hub 110 queries a local database (not shown), performs a hash to verify that the code is acceptable, and/or The unique ID may be verified by communicating with the IoT service 120, user device 135, and/or website 130 to verify the code. Once verified, in one embodiment, IoT hub 110 pairs IoT device 101 and stores pairing data in memory 317 (which, as noted, may include non-volatile memory). . Once pairing is complete, the IoT hub 110 can connect with the IoT device 101 to perform various IoT functions described herein.

In one embodiment, the organization running the IoT service 120 may provide the IoT hub 110 and underlying hardware/software platform to allow developers to easily design new IoT services. In particular, in addition to the IoT hub 110, a developer may be provided with a software development kit (SDK) for updating program codes and data 305 executed in the hub 110. Additionally, for the IoT device 101, the SDK includes the underlying IoT hardware (e.g., the low-power microcontroller 200 shown in FIG. 2 and other Component) may contain an extensive set of library code 202 designed for In one embodiment, the SDK includes a graphical design interface that requires the developer to specify only the inputs and outputs for the IoT device. All the networking code including the communication stack 201 that allows the IoT device 101 to connect to the hub 110 and services 120 is already in place for the developer. Additionally, in one embodiment, the SDK also includes a library code base to facilitate the design of apps for mobile devices (eg, iPhone and Android devices). Additionally, in one embodiment, the SDK also includes a library code base to facilitate the design of applications and APIs residing within IoT service 120 or website 130 .

In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 manages a continuous bi-directional stream of data between IoT devices 101 - 105 and IoT service 120 . In situations where updates to/from the IoT devices 101 to 105 are required in real time (e.g., the user needs to view the current status of a security device or environmental measurement), the IoT hub sends regular updates to the user device ( 135) and/or maintain an open TCP socket for serving to external websites 130. The specific networking protocol used to provide updates can be fine-tuned based on the needs of the underlying application. For example, in some cases where it may not make sense to have a continuous bi-directional stream, a simple request/response protocol can be used to gather information when needed.

In one embodiment, both IoT hub 110 and IoT devices 101-105 are automatically upgradable over the network. In particular, if a new update is available to the IoT hub 110, it may automatically download and install the update from the IoT service 120. It can first copy the updated code to local memory, run it, and verify the update before replacing the old program code. Similarly, if an update is available to each of the IoT devices 101 - 105 , the update may initially be downloaded by the IoT hub 110 and pushed out to each of the IoT devices 101 - 105 . Then, each IoT device 101 to 105 may apply the update in a manner similar to that described above for the IoT hub and report the result of the update back to the IoT hub 110. If the update is successful, the IoT hub 110 deletes the update from its memory (e.g., so that it can keep checking for new updates to each IoT device) and updates the code installed on each IoT device. version can be recorded.

In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 is powered via A/C power. In particular, the IoT hub 110 may include a power unit 390 having a transformer to transform the A/C voltage supplied through the A/C power cord to a lower DC voltage.

4A illustrates one embodiment of the present invention for performing universal remote control operations using an IoT system. In particular, in this embodiment, the set of IoT devices 101 - 103 includes a variety of different types of electronic equipment including an air conditioner/heater 430 , a lighting system 431 and audiovisual equipment 432 (to name just a few). Infrared (IR) and/or radio frequency (RF) blasters 401 to 403 for transmitting a remote control code to control are mounted, respectively. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A , the IoT devices 101 - 103 are also equipped with sensors 404 - 406 respectively for detecting the operation of the devices they control, as described below.

For example, the sensor 404 in the IoT device 101 is a temperature and/or humidity sensor to sense the current temperature/humidity and in response to control the air conditioner/heater 430 based on the current desired temperature. can be In this embodiment, the air conditioner/heater 430 is designed to be controlled via a remote control device (typically a remote control which itself has a built-in temperature sensor). In one embodiment, the user provides the desired temperature to the IoT hub 110 through an app installed on the user device 135 or a browser. The control logic 412 running on the IoT hub 110 receives the current temperature/humidity data from the sensor 404 and, in response, controls the IR/RF blaster 401 according to the desired temperature/humidity. Send a command to (101). For example, if the temperature is lower than the desired temperature, the control logic 412 sends a command to the air conditioner/heater via the IR/RF blaster 401 (e.g., by turning the air conditioner off or turning the heater on) to temperature can be raised. The command may include the necessary remote control code stored in database 413 on IoT hub 110. Alternatively or additionally, IoT service 421 may implement control logic 421 to control electronic equipment 430 - 432 based on specified user preferences and stored control codes 422 .

IoT device 102 of the illustrated example is used to control lighting 431 . In particular, sensor 405 within IoT device 102 may be a photosensor or photodetector configured to detect the current brightness of light produced by lighting fixture 431 (or other lighting device). A user may designate a desired lighting level (including an on or off instruction) to the IoT hub 110 through the user device 135 . In response, the control logic 412 will send a command to the IR/RF blaster 402 to control the current brightness level of the illuminator 431 (e.g., increase the lighting if the current brightness is too low, or Dim the light if the current brightness is too high; simply turn the illuminator on or off).

The illustrated example IoT device 103 is configured to control audiovisual equipment 432 (eg, television, A/V receiver, cable/satellite receiver, AppleTV™, etc.). Sensors 406 within the IoT device 103 are audio sensors (e.g., microphones and associated logic) to detect current ambient volume levels and/or based on light generated by the television (e.g., specified light sensor to detect if the television is on or off (by measuring the light in the spectrum). Alternatively, sensor 406 may include a temperature sensor connected to the audiovisual equipment to detect whether the audio equipment is on or off based on the detected temperature. Once again, in response to user input via user device 135 , control logic 412 may send a command to audiovisual equipment via IR blaster 403 of IoT device 103 .

It should be noted that the foregoing is merely an illustrative example of one embodiment of the present invention. The basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of sensor or equipment to be controlled by an IoT device.

In embodiments where IoT devices 101-103 are coupled to IoT hub 110 via a Bluetooth LE connection, sensor data and commands are transmitted over a Bluetooth LE channel. However, the basic principles of the present invention are not limited to Bluetooth LE or any other communication standard.

In one embodiment, control codes required to control each electronic device are stored in database 413 on IoT hub 110 and/or database 422 on IoT service 120 . As illustrated in FIG. 4B , the control code may be provided to IoT hub 110 from a master database of control codes 422 for different equipment maintained on IoT service 120 . The end user can specify the type of electronic (or other) equipment to be controlled through an app or browser running on the user device 135, and in response, the remote control code learning module 491 on the IoT hub provides the IoT service 120 ) in the remote control code database 492 (eg, identifying each electronic device with a unique ID) for the required IR/RF code.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 has a remote control code learning module 491 IR that allows it to “learn” new remote control codes directly from the original remote control 495 provided with the electronic equipment. /RF interface 490 is mounted. For example, if the control code for the original remote control provided with the air conditioner 430 is not included in the remote control database, the user interacts with the IoT hub 110 through an app/browser on the user device 135. Thus, various control codes (eg, temperature increase, temperature decrease, etc.) generated by the original remote control may be taught to the IoT hub 110. Once the remote control codes are learned, they can be stored in the control code database 413 on the IoT hub 110 and/or sent back to the IoT service 120 for inclusion in the central remote control code database 492 (and subsequent and used by other users with the same air conditioner unit 430).

In one embodiment, each of the IoT devices 101-103 has an extremely small form factor and is attached to or near their respective electronic equipment 430-432 using double-sided tape, pegs, magnetic attachments, or the like. can be attached For control of equipment such as the air conditioner 430, it would be desirable to place the IoT device 101 far enough away so that the sensor 404 can accurately measure the ambient temperature in the house (e.g. directly on the air conditioner). Deploying IoT devices will result in temperature readings that are either too low when the air conditioner is running or too high when the heater is running). In contrast, an IoT device 102 used to control lighting may have a sensor 405 placed on or near the lighting fixture 431 to detect the current lighting level.

In addition to providing general control functions as described, one embodiment of IoT hub 110 and/or IoT service 120 sends notifications related to the current status of each electronic equipment to the end user. The notification, which may be a text message and/or app specific notification, may then be displayed on the display of the user's mobile device 135 . For example, if the user's air conditioner has been turned on for a long period of time but the temperature has not changed, the IoT hub 110 and/or the IoT service 120 may send a notification to the user that the air conditioner is not functioning properly. The user is not at home (which can be detected via a motion sensor or based on the user's current detected location), sensor 406 indicates that audiovisual equipment 430 is on, or sensor 405 indicates that audiovisual equipment 430 is on. If the illuminator indicates that it is turned on, a notification may be sent to the user asking if the user wants to turn off the audiovisual equipment 432 and/or the illuminator 431 . The same type of notification can be sent for any equipment type.

When the user receives the notification, he/she can remotely control the electronic equipment 430 - 432 via an app or browser on the user device 135 . In one embodiment, user device 135 is a touch screen device, and the app or browser displays an image of a remote control with buttons that a user can select to control equipment 430-432. Upon receiving the notification, the user can open the graphic remote control and turn off or adjust a variety of different equipment. When connected through the IoT service 120, the user's selection may be transmitted from the IoT service 120 to the IoT hub 110, and then the IoT hub 110 controls the equipment through the control logic 412. will be. Alternatively, user input may be sent directly from the user device 135 to the IoT hub 110 .

In one embodiment, a user may program control logic 412 on IoT hub 110 to perform various automatic control functions for electronic equipment 430 - 432 . In addition to maintaining the desired temperature, brightness level, and volume level as described above, the control logic 412 may automatically turn the electronic equipment off when certain conditions are detected. For example, if control logic 412 detects that the user is not at home and the air conditioner is not functioning, it can automatically turn the air conditioner off. Similarly, if the user is not at home and sensor 406 indicates that audiovisual equipment 430 is on or sensor 405 indicates that illuminators are on, control logic 412 will activate IR/RF blaster 403; A command may be automatically transmitted through 402) to turn off the audiovisual equipment and the luminous body respectively.

5 illustrates a further embodiment of an IoT device 104 , 105 equipped with sensors 503 , 504 for monitoring electronic equipment 530 , 531 . In particular, the IoT device 104 of this embodiment includes a temperature sensor 503 that can be placed on or near the stove 530 to detect when the stove is left on. In one embodiment, IoT device 104 transmits the current temperature measured by temperature sensor 503 to IoT hub 110 and/or IoT service 120 . If it is determined that the stove has been on for more than a threshold period of time (e.g., based on the temperature measured during this period of time), control logic 512 sends a notification to the user that stove 530 is on, to the end user. device 135. In one embodiment, an app or browser-based code on the end user's device 135 gives the user the ability to display notifications and control the stove 530 (eg, send a command to turn the stove off). provide to

Further, in one embodiment, IoT device 104 controls to turn off the stove, either automatically (if control logic 512 is programmed to do so by the user) or in response to receiving an instruction from the user. module 501. In one embodiment, control logic 501 includes a switch that shuts off electricity or gas to stove 530 . However, in other embodiments, the control logic 501 may be integrated within the stove itself.

5 also illustrates an IoT device 105 having a motion sensor 504 for detecting motion of certain types of electronic equipment, such as a washing machine and/or dryer. Another sensor that may be used is an audio sensor (eg, microphone and logic) to detect the ambient volume level. As with the other embodiments described above, this embodiment provides a notification to the end user when some specified condition is met (eg, motion is detected for an extended period of time, indicating that the washer/dryer has not been turned off). can transmit Although not shown in FIG. 5 , IoT device 105 also includes a control module that turns off washer/dryer 531 automatically and/or in response to user input (eg, by switching off electricity/gas). can be mounted.

In one embodiment, a first IoT device with control logic and switches can be configured to turn off all power in the user's house, and a second IoT device with control logic and switches to turn off all gas in the user's house. can be configured to turn off. The IoT device with the sensor can then be placed on or near electronic or gas powered equipment in the user's home. When a user is notified that certain equipment (eg, stove 530) is left on, the user can send a command to turn off all electricity or gas in the house to prevent damage. Alternatively, control logic 512 within IoT hub 110 and/or IoT service 120 may be configured to automatically turn off electricity or gas in such circumstances.

In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 and IoT service 120 communicate at periodic intervals. When the IoT service 120 detects that it has lost connection to the IoT hub 110 (eg, by not receiving a request or response from the IoT hub for a specified duration), (eg, a text message or will communicate this information to the end user's device 135 (by sending an app-specific notification). This feature is graphically illustrated in FIG. 6 showing that the connection between the IoT hub 110 and the IoT service 120 has been disabled. Connection monitoring and notification logic 600 on IoT service 120 detects that a connection has been disabled and, in response, sends a notification to the user informing them of the status of the connection (e.g., cellular communication channel, WiFi, or device 135). to the end user's device 135 (via any other communication channel used by In particular, in one embodiment, the connection monitoring logic detects when the first communication channel between the IoT service and the IoT hub has gone down, and the notification logic has the connection monitoring logic detects that the first communication channel has gone down. In response to doing so, a notification is sent to the user's data processing device 135 .

The user can then take steps to determine the cause of the connection problem. In embodiments where the IoT hub is connected via a cellular network or WiFi, the user may only need to reboot the IoT hub device 110. In one embodiment, if the connection monitoring and notification logic 600 has not received a communication from the IoT hub for a specified period of time, it may ping the hub 110 in an attempt to determine the status of the hub. After several failed attempts (ie no response from the hub), it may send a notification to the end user's device 135 .

In embodiments where the IoT hub is connected via both the cellular network and the user's in-home broadband connection, this mechanism can be used to detect failure of either connection, and use the remaining good redundant connection to the IoT hub (110). ) to maintain communication.

One embodiment of the IoT hub 110 is implemented in an extremely small form factor (eg, the size of a mobile phone charger). For example, IoT hub 110 may be packaged as a 1.5 inch (or less) cube. Various alternative sizes are also contemplated, such as any cube having a depth of between 1 and 2 inches (or less) and a height/length between 1 and 3 inches or a side of 2 inches or less.

7A-7C illustrate one particular embodiment in which an IoT hub is integrated into a small package designed to be plugged directly into an A/C outlet via an A/C input interface 702. In this way, the IoT hub 110 can be strategically placed to ideally accommodate anywhere in a user's home where a power outlet is present. In one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 includes a transformer for converting a high voltage A/C input into a low voltage D/C signal. Although having a small form factor, in one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 includes all of the features described herein for connecting with an IoT service 120 and a plurality of IoT devices 101-105. For example, although not explicitly shown in FIGS. 7A-7C , in one embodiment, IoT hub 110 includes multiple communication interfaces (eg, antennas and software) to communicate with IoT devices and IoT services. can include In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 includes a power line communication (PLC) or similar network interface to establish communication with IoT devices 101-105 over an A/C power line.

Further, in the embodiment of the IoT hub shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C , in addition to notifying the user of the current state of the hub 110, a light emitting diode (LED) that can be used for nighttime lighting is mounted. Thus, users can place the IoT hub in a hallway, bathroom or children's room and use the hub as a dual-purpose night light/IoT hub device.

In one embodiment, the user may program the night light feature through an app on the user's device 135 or a programming interface on the browser. For example, a user can program a night light to turn on at a specific time in the evening and turn off at a specific time in the morning. Also, in one embodiment, different, independently controlled color LEDs are integrated into the IoT hub. Users can program the colors to be illuminated in the IoT hub at different times of the day and evening.

Once programmed, the LED 701 can be turned on/off by the IoT hub's integrated low-power uC 200. In one embodiment, the IoT hub has an integrated photodetector to cause the night light to turn on in response to ambient brightness falling below a specified threshold. Also, in one embodiment, the IoT hub has one or more integrated USB ports 710 that will be used to charge other devices (eg, a user's mobile device 135). Of course, the basic principle of the present invention is not limited to the IoT hub 110 incorporating a USB charger.

A method according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 8 . At 801 , IoT devices are deployed/configured on or near the equipment to be controlled. As mentioned, in one embodiment, the IoT device is equipped with double-sided tape that allows users to easily attach the IoT device to various types of equipment. Alternatively or additionally, each IoT device may include one or more mounting holes into which small nails or screws may be inserted to attach the IoT device to a wall or other surface. Additionally, some IoT devices may include a magnetic material that allows the IoT device to be attached to a metal surface.

Once the IoT devices are attached in place, at 802 they can be programmed through the user device 135 and the IoT hub 110 . For example, a user may access IoT hub 110 with an app or browser installed on user device 135 (either directly or via IoT service 120). The app or browser-executable code may include a user interface that allows a user to identify and program the respective IoT device. For example, when an IoT device is selected, the user may be presented with a list of different equipment types to choose from (eg, different models of remotely controllable air conditioners/heaters, A/V equipment, etc.). Once the correct equipment is selected, the remote control code is stored on the IoT hub as described above and sent to the IR/RF blaster on the IoT device to control the equipment at 803. Also, as described above, various automatic control functions may be implemented by the IoT hub.

In one embodiment of the invention, IoT service 120 may agree with multiple cell carriers 901 to provide connectivity to IoT hubs 110 in different geographic areas. For example, in the United States, IoT service 120 may have agreements with Verizon and AT&T to provide IoT hub connectivity. As a result, the IoT hub 110 may be in a location serviced by more than one supported cell carrier.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 , in one embodiment of the present invention, IoT hub 901 includes cellular carrier selection logic 901 to select between two or more available cell carriers 915 and 916 . In one embodiment, the cell carrier selection logic is programmed with a set of rules 918 for selecting between two or more cell carriers 915, 916. When a specific cell carrier is selected, the cell carrier selection logic 901 instructs the radio/network stack 902 of the IoT hub 110 to connect with that cell carrier.

A variety of different types of selection rules 918 may be implemented. As an example, if the IoT service 120 has a more favorable agreement (eg, lower agreement rate/cost 912) with the first cell carrier 915 compared to the second cell carrier 916, one The rule may be to connect with the primary cell carrier 915 only assuming all other variables are equal or within a specified threshold (eg, assuming the secondary cell carrier has sufficient signal strength).

In one embodiment, the selection rules 918 implemented by the cell carrier selection logic 901 may determine, for example, the current or past signal strength of each cell carrier 915, 916 measured at the IoT hub 110 ( 911) and other variables related to cell carrier connectivity and cost may be considered. For example, as mentioned above, even if the IoT service 120 has a more favorable agreement with the primary cell carrier 915, the cell carrier selection logic 901 determines that the signal strength for the primary carrier is below a specified threshold. In case of , the second cell carrier 916 can still be accessed.

Similarly, the cell carrier selection logic 901 may evaluate the reliability/performance data 913 of each of the cell carriers 915 and 916 when making a decision. For example, if the primary cell carrier 915 is known to be unreliable in a particular area and/or provides significantly lower performance (eg, reduced data rate) than the secondary cell carrier 916 , the cell carrier selection logic 901 may select the second cell carrier (despite the more advantageous agreement with the first cell carrier). In one embodiment, reliability/performance data 913 and cell service signal strength data 911 may be collected over time by IoT hub 110 . For example, IoT hub 110 may continuously monitor signal strength, connection status, bandwidth, and other connection parameters associated with each cell carrier 915, 916, and may (at least in part) include this recorded data. Based on this, a connection decision can be made.

In one embodiment, the IoT service 120 may provide the IoT hub with an update including new/updated selection rules 918 related to the existing cell carriers 915, 916 and/or new cell carriers that it has agreed upon. . For example, if an agreement between the IoT service 120 and the second cell carrier 916 is updated so that the cost of access through the second cell carrier 916 becomes lower, a new selection rule 918 including this data ) and/or the new cell service rate 912 may be transmitted from the IoT service 120 to the IoT hub 110 . Cell carrier selection logic 901 may then take this new rule/rate into account when making cell carrier selection decisions (e.g., tend to prefer connection with secondary cell carrier 916 when it is more cost effective). has).

In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 may be pre-provisioned by IoT service 120 to connect with all available cell carriers 915, 916 (i.e., connect with cell carriers 915, 916). Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) 903 or other authentication data needed to In one embodiment, a single SIM 903 (or other authentication device) may be provisioned for multiple cell carriers 915, 916. Thus, after selecting the primary cell carrier 915 (e.g., based on the selection rule 918 and other variables), the IoT hub 110 may still use the primary cell carrier 915 if it is not available. It can fall back to the second cell carrier 916 . Similarly, the IoT hub 110 changes current conditions (eg, a decrease in signal strength for the first cell carrier 915 and/or a decrease in cost for the second cell carrier 916) and/or The first cell carrier 915 may be switched to the second cell carrier 916 in response to the new selection rules 918 transmitted from the IoT service 120 .

Once the IoT hub 110 is provisioned for multiple carriers 915, 916, it can dynamically switch between them throughout the day depending on parameter changes. For example, costs associated with each cellular carrier 915, 916 may vary throughout the day (e.g., primary carrier 915 may be more expensive during heavy usage periods such as rush hour; Second carrier 916 may be more expensive in the evening). Similarly, one carrier's cell towers can become overloaded during certain times of the day or evening, reducing connectivity. Using the techniques described herein, cell carrier selection logic 901 can continuously evaluate these conditions and dynamically switch between carriers as conditions change.

A method according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 10 . The method may be implemented within the context of the architecture shown in FIG. 9, but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

At 1001 , an IoT hub is provisioned for multiple cell carriers and programmed with rules relating to connectivity to different cell carriers. For example, one rule may cause an IoT hub to connect to a first service provider through a second service provider (all other variables being equal or within a defined threshold). At 1002, data relating to cell carrier connectivity, cost and/or other suitable parameters is collected. For example, as discussed above, the signal strength of each cell carrier can be used to make connectivity decisions.

At 1003, a rule is executed using the collected data to determine the primary cell carrier to connect the IoT hub to. For example, if all other variables are equal (or within a specified threshold), the IoT hub can initially connect with a low-cost cell carrier. As mentioned, the initial primary cell carrier may subsequently change in response to changing conditions and/or new/updated rules sent from the IoT service. At 1004, the IoT hub connects with the primary cell carrier, potentially using the secondary cell carrier as a fallback connection. Then, at 1005, the IoT hub may wait for a specified period of time (eg, an hour, a day, a week, etc.) during which time the IoT hub may collect additional data related to connectivity, cost, etc. After the delay, the process repeats, and if the rules/data have changed significantly, the IoT hub can connect with the new primary cell carrier at 1004 .

As illustrated in FIG. 11 , in one embodiment, a variety of different types of events 1101 , 1102 through N may be generated by the IoT device and transmitted to the IoT hub 110 . By way of non-limiting examples, events 1101, 1102 through N may be, for example, a door or window being opened in the user's home without a security code or other required authentication, a temperature reaching a specified threshold (e.g. For example, this may indicate a stove burner being left on or indicating a potential fire), a motion detector triggering when you and your family are not home, a smoke detector triggering, and a sprinkler operating longer than a specified period. This may include security events such as sensors on sprinkler systems indicating, and refrigerator sensors or pantry sensors indicating that a user is short of a particular food item.

In one embodiment, the IoT service 120 and/or one or more external services 1120 to 1122 may receive events 1101 and 1102 to N generated by various IoT devices via an IoT hub ( 110) and can take various actions in response to events, including sending notifications to the user 1115 (eg, via the user's mobile device). For example, an external grocery service may receive an event related to the level of different food items in a user's refrigerator or pantry and automatically update the user's online grocery list or schedule an order. An external security service may attempt to receive security-related events in the user's home and notify the user in response to alerts. Other services may notify the fire department and/or send a notification to the user when the temperature sensor rises above a certain threshold. Note that these specific examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. The basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of event or event response.

In some cases, events generated by the IoT device may be harmless and may not need to be sent to IoT service 120 and/or external services 1120 - 1122 . For example, a user's IoT thermostat device may periodically report the current temperature of the user's home, and other IoT devices may periodically report events indicating only measurements within acceptable thresholds. As a result, in order to reduce the number of events transmitted over the cellular carrier's network (or through the user's Internet connection), an embodiment of the IoT hub 110 sends certain types of events to the IoT service 120 and/or and an event filter 1110 that does not transmit to external services 1120-1122. In one embodiment, each event 1101, 1102 through N is assigned an identification code indicating the type of event. Based on a set of filtering rules 1111 provided by the IoT service 120 and/or end user 1115 (e.g., configured via an app/browser), certain event types are determined by an event filter. Other event types are stored in IoT hub 110 and transmitted to IoT service 120 and/or other external services 1120-1122, while filtered (eg, discarded or just not forwarded).

As noted, external services 1120 - 1122 and/or IoT service 120 may be configured to notify end users of certain types of events by sending notifications over the Internet 220 to the user's device. For example, if a temperature sensor exceeds a specified threshold, IoT service 120 may send a notification to the end user's device informing the user of a potential problem. Also, in some cases, IoT hub 110 may send notifications directly to end users (in addition to sending events directly to IoT service 120 and/or external services 1120-1122).

In one embodiment, external services 1120 - 1122 and IoT service 120 use an application programming interface (API) exposed by IoT hub 110 . For example, a particular service can register through an API to receive a particular set of events. Because the IoT service 120 knows what APIs (and therefore what events) each external service 1120-1122 is configured to receive, it dynamically sends filter rule updates 1111 to filter events 1110. ) to send only those events subscribed to by itself and the various external services 1120-1122. Depending on the configuration, the IoT hub 110 may keep a log of all events (including those events not transmitted to external services), or it may simply discard events that are not transmitted.

In one embodiment, IoT service 120 (in addition to or instead of event filter 1110 on IoT hub 110) is an event filter for filtering events according to a set of filtering rules as described herein. includes In this embodiment, each of external services 1120 - 1122 may subscribe to receive certain types of events through an API exposed by IoT service 120 . Events are generated from IoT hub 110 (possibly filtered by local event filter 1110), sent to IoT service 120 (potentially filtered by IoT service filter), external service 1120-1122 and/or transmitted to the end user's device. An IoT service filter can be configured in a similar way to the IoT hub filter described herein (ie, only send certain types of events/notifications according to a set of filtering rules).

As described above, the technique of filtering events on the IoT hub 110 and/or the IoT service 120 is advantageous because it removes a significant amount of unnecessary traffic through the cell carrier's network and/or user/service's Internet access. because it reduces These embodiments may be particularly advantageous for homes that are fully implemented with a large number of IoT devices (and thus generate a large number of events).

One embodiment of the present invention collects user behavioral data related to each user's interactions with various IoT devices and, in response, provides targeted content updates uniquely tailored to each user's interests. 12 illustrates an example embodiment in which two users 1201 and 1202 control IoT devices 101 and 102 in a house via IoT device control logic 412 on IoT hub 110. Although only two IoT devices 101 and 102 and two users 1201 and 1202 are shown for simplicity, there may be many more IoT devices and/or users communicatively coupled via the IoT hub 110. there is. As mentioned, users 1201 and 1201 may interact with IoT devices 101 and 102 via a browser or an app installed on each user's data processing device (eg, smartphone, personal computer, etc.). there is. As mentioned, the app interfaces with IoT service 120 and/or IoT hub 110 to allow users to view data provided from various IoT devices 101, 102 and control IoT devices 101, 102. It can be specially designed to allow

In one embodiment, user behavior data collection logic 1200 running on IoT hub 110 includes IoT devices controlled by each user as well as information observed by each user (e.g., various IoT devices). information provided by (101, 102)) is monitored and collected. For example, one of the two users 1201 and 1202 may be a gardener and periodically review data related to the amount of water consumed in the garden (collected via sensors on the IoT device). This user may also control the sprinkler system through the IoT device, for example by programming the IoT device control 412 to control the IoT device to automatically turn the sprinkler system on and off. Other users may be doing laundry and/or cooking at home rather than being involved in gardening.

Information related to each of these activities may be collected through the user behavior data collection logic 1200 to create a user profile for each user. For example, in one embodiment, behavioral data is transmitted from IoT hub 110 to IoT service 120, where it is analyzed to determine each user's preferences. Targeted content may then be delivered to each individual user 1201, 1202 according to these preferences. For example, a user who manages a garden may receive information related to selling garden care products, and a user who cooks may receive information related to kitchen products and/or recipes. In one embodiment, the owner/operator of the IoT service 120 may agree with an online advertising company to create target information to be transmitted to each of the user's data processing devices. In one embodiment, IoT service 120 sends user behavior data to one or more external services 1120-1122, which in turn generate targeted notifications and content for the end user's data processing device.

In one embodiment, user behavior data is also collected directly from IoT service 120 or one of external services 1120-1122. For example, a user's purchases and other activities outside the environment of the IoT system may be recorded in IoT service 120 and/or external services 1120-1122, and as part of analysis to determine targeted notifications/content. can be used

This type of precision targeting has not previously been performed because certain real-world behaviors captured via the IoT system described herein have not previously been available. For example, current targeted advertising is based on a user's browsing history and/or purchase history, but data related to the user's real-world activities (eg gardening, cooking, home maintenance) is not available. . Such data may be particularly advantageous when providing targeted information to end users as described herein because it is based on a user's actual activity related to a particular product and/or service.

In one embodiment, the low-power microcontroller 200 of each IoT device 101 and the low-power logic/microcontroller 301 of the IoT hub 110 are secured to store encryption keys used by the embodiments described below. Includes a key store (see, eg, FIGS. 13-15 and associated text). Alternatively, the key may be secured in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) as discussed below.

13 is a high-level architecture that uses public key infrastructure (PKI) technology and/or symmetric key exchange/encryption technology to encrypt communications between IoT service 120, IoT hub 110, and IoT devices 101, 102. exemplify

An embodiment using a public/private key pair will be described first, followed by an embodiment using a symmetric key exchange/encryption technique. In particular, in embodiments using PKI, a unique public/private key pair is associated with each IoT device 101, 102, each IoT hub 110 and IoT service 120. In one embodiment, when a new IoT hub 110 is set up, its public key is provided to the IoT service 120, and when a new IoT device 101 is set up, its public key is provided to the IoT hub 110. ) and the IoT service 120 are both provided. Various techniques for securely exchanging public keys between devices are described below. In one embodiment, all public keys are signed by a master key that is known (ie, in the form of a certificate) to all receiving devices so that any receiving device can verify the validity of the public key by verifying the signature. Thus, rather than just exchanging the raw public key, these certificates will be exchanged.

As illustrated, in one embodiment, each IoT device 101, 102 includes a secure key store 1301, 1303, respectively, for securely storing the respective device's private key. Security logic 1302, 1304 then uses the securely stored private key to perform the encryption/decryption operations described herein. Similarly, IoT hub 110 has a secure storage 1311 for storing IoT hub private keys and public keys of IoT devices 101, 102 and IoT services 120, as well as encryption/decryption operations using keys. and security logic 1312 for performing. Finally, the IoT service 120 uses a secure storage 1321 for securely storing its own private key, the public keys of various IoT devices and IoT hubs, and the keys to encrypt/encrypt communications with the IoT hubs and devices. Security logic 1313 to decrypt. In one embodiment, when the IoT hub 110 receives the public key certificate from the IoT device, the IoT hub can verify it (eg, by verifying the signature using a master key as described above); It can then extract the public key from within it and store the public key in its secure key storage 1311 .

As an example, in one embodiment, the IoT service 120 sends a command or data (eg, a command to open a door, a request to read a sensor, data to be processed/displayed by the IoT device, etc.) to an IoT device ( When necessary to transmit to 101), the security logic 1313 encrypts the data/commands using the public key of the IoT device 101 to create an encrypted IoT device packet. In one embodiment, the security logic then encrypts the IoT device packet using the public key of the IoT hub 110 to create an IoT hub packet and transmits the IoT hub packet to the IoT hub 110 . In one embodiment, service 120 signs the encrypted message with its private key or the aforementioned master key, so device 101 can verify that it is receiving an unaltered message from a trusted source. . Then, the device 101 can verify the signature using the public key corresponding to the private key and/or the master key. As described above, a symmetric key exchange/encryption technique may be used instead of public/private key encryption. In these embodiments, rather than privately storing one key and providing the corresponding public key to other devices, the devices may each be provided with a copy of the same symmetric key used for encryption and for verifying signatures. One example of a symmetric key algorithm is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), but the principles underlying the present invention are not limited to any type of specific symmetric key.

Using a symmetric key implementation, each device 101 enters into a secure key exchange protocol to exchange a symmetric key with the IoT hub 110 . A secure key provisioning protocol, such as Dynamic Symmetric Key Provisioning Protocol (DSKPP), may be used to exchange keys over a secure communication channel (see, for example, Request for Comments (RFC) 6063). However, the basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular key provisioning protocol.

Once the symmetric key is exchanged, the symmetric key can be used by each device 101 and IoT hub 110 to encrypt communications. Similarly, IoT hub 110 and IoT service 120 may perform a secure symmetric key exchange and then use the exchanged symmetric key to encrypt communications. In one embodiment, new symmetric keys are periodically exchanged between device 101 and hub 110 and between hub 110 and IoT service 120 . In one embodiment, a new symmetric key is exchanged between device 101, hub 110 and service 120 with each new communication session (e.g., a new key is generated and during each communication session safely exchanged). In one embodiment, if the security module 1312 in the IoT hub is trusted, the service 120 can negotiate a session key with the hub security module 1312, which then ) to negotiate a session key. Messages from service 120 will then be decrypted and verified in hub security module 1312 before being re-encrypted for transmission to device 101 .

In one embodiment, to prevent compromise on hub security module 1312, a one-time (permanent) installation key may be negotiated between device 101 and service 120 at installation time. When sending a message to device 101, service 120 may first encrypt/MAC with this device installed key and then encrypt/MAC with the hub's session key. Hub 110 will then verify and extract the encrypted device blob and send it to the device.

In one embodiment of the invention, a counter mechanism is implemented to prevent replay attacks. For example, each successive communication from device 101 to hub 110 (or vice versa) may be assigned an ever-increasing counter value. Both hub 110 and device 101 will track this value and verify that this value is correct at each successive communication between devices. The same technique may be implemented between hub 110 and service 120 . Using a counter in this way will make it more difficult to spoof the communication between the respective devices (because the counter value will be inaccurate). However, even without this, a shared installation key between service and device would prevent network (hub) wide attacks on all devices.

In one embodiment, when using public/private key encryption, IoT hub 110 uses its private key to decrypt IoT hub packets and generate encrypted IoT device packets, which are sent to associated IoT devices 101. send. The IoT device 101 then decrypts the IoT device packet using its private key to generate commands/data originating from the IoT service 120 . The IoT device may then process data and/or execute commands. With symmetric encryption, each device will encrypt and decrypt using a shared symmetric key. In either case, each sending device can also sign the message with its private key, so the receiving device can verify its authenticity.

A different set of keys may be used to encrypt the communication from the IoT device 101 to the IoT hub 110 and to the IoT service 120 . For example, using a public/private key arrangement, in one embodiment, the security logic 1302 on the IoT device 101 uses the public key of the IoT hub 110 to transmit to the IoT hub 110. Encrypt data packets. Security logic 1312 on IoT hub 110 can then use the IoT hub's private key to decrypt the data packet. Similarly, security logic 1302 on IoT device 101 and/or security logic 1312 on IoT hub 110 use the public key of IoT service 120 to transmit data packets to IoT service 120. can be encrypted (the data packet can then be decrypted by the security logic 1313 on the IoT service 120 using the service's private key). When using symmetric keys, device 101 and hub 110 can share one symmetric key, while hub and service 120 can share different symmetric keys.

Although certain specific details have been set forth in the above description, it should be noted that the basic principles of the present invention may be implemented using a variety of different cryptographic techniques. For example, while some of the embodiments discussed above use asymmetric public/private key pairs, alternative embodiments can securely connect various IoT devices (101, 102), IoT hubs (110) and IoT services (120). You can use symmetric keys that are exchanged. Moreover, in some embodiments, the data/commands themselves are not encrypted, but a key is used to create a signature for the data/commands (or other data structures). The recipient can then verify the signature using its key.

As illustrated in FIG. 14 , in one embodiment, secure key storage on each IoT device 101 is implemented using a programmable subscriber identity module (SIM) 1401 . In this embodiment, the IoT device 101 may initially be provided to an end user with an unprogrammed SIM card 1401 seated within a SIM interface 1400 on the IoT device 101 . To program a SIM to have one or more sets of cryptographic keys, a user takes a programmable SIM card 1401 from the SIM interface 500 and inserts it into the SIM programming interface 1402 on the IoT hub 110. The programming logic 1425 on the IoT hub then securely programs the SIM card 1401 to register/pair the IoT device 101 to the IoT hub 110 and the IoT service 120 . In one embodiment, a public/private key pair may be randomly generated by programming logic 1425, and then the public key of the pair may be stored in the secure storage device 411 of the IoT hub, while the private key may be may be stored within the programmable SIM 1401. In addition, the programming logic 1425 can store the public key of the IoT hub 110, the IoT service 120, and/or any other IoT device 101 (by the security logic 1302 on the IoT device 101 to send outgoing data can be stored on the SIM card 1401 so that it can be used to encrypt . Once the SIM 1401 is programmed, the new IoT device 101 can be provisioned with the IoT service 120 using the SIM as a secure identifier (eg, using existing techniques for registering devices using the SIM). It can be. After provisioning, both IoT hub 110 and IoT service 120 will securely store a copy of the IoT device's public key to be used when encrypting communications with IoT device 101 .

The techniques described above with respect to FIG. 14 provide tremendous flexibility when providing new IoT devices to end users. Rather than requiring users to register each SIM directly with a specific service provider at the time of sale/purchase (as is currently done), SIMs can be directly programmed by the end user via the IoT hub 110 and require less programming. The result can be securely communicated to the IoT service 120. As a result, the new IoT device 101 can be sold to an end user either online or from a local retailer, and later securely provisioned with the IoT service 120 .

Although registration and encryption techniques are described above in the specific context of a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), the basic principles of the present invention are not limited to "SIM" devices. Rather, the basic principles of the present invention can be implemented using any type of device having secure storage for storing a set of cryptographic keys. Also, while the above embodiment includes a movable SIM device, in one embodiment, the SIM device is not movable, but the IoT device itself can be inserted into the programming interface 1402 on the IoT hub 110.

In one embodiment, rather than requiring the user to program the SIM (or other device), the SIM is pre-programmed into the IoT device 101 prior to distribution to the end user. In this embodiment, when a user sets up an IoT device 101, various techniques described herein are used to securely exchange encryption keys between an IoT hub 110/IoT service 120 and a new IoT device 101. can be used to

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15A , each IoT device 101 or SIM 401 has a barcode or QR code 1501 that uniquely identifies the IoT device 101 and/or SIM 1401 and can be packaged together. In one embodiment, barcode or QR code 1501 includes an encoded representation of a public key for IoT device 101 or SIM 1401 . Alternatively, a barcode or QR code 1501 may be used by IoT hub 110 and/or IoT service 120 to identify or generate a public key (e.g., a public key already stored in secure storage). can be used as a pointer to). The barcode or QR code 1501 can be printed on a separate card (as shown in FIG. 15A) or can be printed directly on the IoT device itself. Regardless of where the barcode is printed, in one embodiment, IoT hub 110 reads the barcode and sends the resulting data to security logic 1312 on IoT hub 110 and/or security logic on IoT service 120 ( 1313), a barcode reader 206 is mounted. The security logic 1312 on the IoT hub 110 can then store the public key for the IoT device in its secure key store 1311, and the security logic 1313 on the IoT service 120 can store the public key ( to be used for subsequent encrypted communications) in its secure storage 1321.

In one embodiment, the data contained in the barcode or QR code 1501 also sends a user device 135 (such as an iPhone or Android device) on which an IoT app or browser-based applet designed by an IoT service provider is installed. can be captured through Once captured, the barcode data can be securely communicated to the IoT service 120 via a secure connection (eg, a secure socket layer (SSL) connection). Barcode data may also be provided from the client device 135 to the IoT hub 110 via a secure local connection (eg, via a local WiFi or Bluetooth LE connection).

Security logic 1302 on IoT device 101 and security logic 1312 on IoT hub 110 may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, in one embodiment, security logic 1302, 1312 is a chip used to establish local communication channel 130 between IoT device 101 and IoT hub 110 (e.g., local channel If 130 is a Bluetooth LE, it is implemented in a Bluetooth LE chip). Regardless of the specific location of security logic 1302, 1312, in one embodiment, security logic 1302, 1312 is designed to establish a secure execution environment for executing certain types of program code. This may be implemented using, for example, TrustZone technology (available on some ARM processors) and/or Trusted Execution Technology (designed by Intel). Of course, the basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of secure implementation technology.

In one embodiment, a barcode or QR code 1501 may be used to pair each IoT device 101 with the IoT hub 110 . For example, rather than using the standard wireless pairing process currently used to pair a Bluetooth LE device, a pairing code embedded within a barcode or QR code 1501 can be used to pair an IoT hub with a corresponding IoT device ( 110) can be provided.

15B illustrates one embodiment where barcode reader 206 on IoT hub 110 captures barcode/QR code 1501 associated with IoT device 101 . As mentioned, the barcode/QR code 1501 can be printed directly on the IoT device 101 or can be printed on a separate card provided with the IoT device 101. In either case, barcode reader 206 reads the pairing code from barcode/QR code 1501 and provides the pairing code to local communication module 1580. In one embodiment, local communication module 1580 is a Bluetooth LE chip and related software, but the basic principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular protocol standard. Once the pairing code is received, it is stored in secure storage containing pairing data 1585, and the IoT device 101 and IoT hub 110 are automatically paired. Whenever an IoT hub is paired with a new IoT device in this way, the pairing data for that pairing is stored in secure storage 1585. In one embodiment, once the local communication module 1580 of the IoT hub 110 receives the pairing code, it can use the code as a key to encrypt communications over the local wireless channel with the IoT device 101.

Similarly, on the IoT device 101 side, the local communication module 1590 stores pairing data indicating pairing with the IoT hub in the local secure storage device 1595. Pairing data 1595 may include a pre-programmed pairing code identified in barcode/QR code 1501 . Pairing data 1595 may also be pairing data received from local communication module 1580 on IoT hub 110, necessary to establish a secure local communication channel (e.g., for encrypting communication with IoT hub 110). additional keys).

Thus, the barcode/QR code 1501 can be used to perform local pairing in a much more secure manner than current wireless pairing protocols because the pairing code is not transmitted over the air. Also, in one embodiment, the same barcode/QR code 1501 used for pairing is used to establish a secure connection from the IoT device 101 to the IoT hub 110 and from the IoT hub 110 to the IoT service 120. It can be used to identify an encryption key for

A method of programming a SIM card according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 16 . The method may be implemented within the system architecture described above, but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

At 1601 the user receives a new IoT device with a blank SIM card, at 1602 the user inserts the blank SIM card into the IoT hub. At 1603, the user programs the blank SIM card to have one or more sets of encryption keys. For example, as described above, in one embodiment, the IoT hub may randomly generate a public/private key pair, store the private key on the SIM card and store the public key in its local secure storage. Also, at 1604, at least the public key is sent to the IoT service, so it can be used to identify the IoT device and establish encrypted communication with the IoT device. As noted above, in one embodiment, a programmable device other than a “SIM” card may be used to perform the same functions as a SIM card in the method shown in FIG. 16 .

A method for integrating a new IoT device into a network is illustrated in FIG. 17 . The method may be implemented within the system architecture described above, but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

At 1701, a user receives a new IoT device with a pre-assigned encryption key. At 1702, the key is securely provided to the IoT hub. As noted above, in one embodiment, this involves reading a barcode associated with the IoT device to identify the public key of the public/private key pair assigned to the device. Barcodes can be read directly by the IoT hub or captured via an app or browser via a mobile device. In an alternative embodiment, a secure communication channel such as a near field communication (NFC) channel or a secure WiFi channel may be established between the IoT device and the IoT hub to exchange keys. Regardless of how the key is transmitted, once received, it is stored in the IoT hub device's secure keystore. As mentioned above, various secure execution technologies such as Secure Enclave, Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) and/or TrustZone may be used on IoT hubs to store and protect keys. Also, at 1703, the key is securely transmitted to the IoT service, which stores the key in its own secure key store. The IoT service can then use the key to encrypt communication with the IoT device. Once again, the exchange can be implemented using certificates/signed keys. Within the hub 110, it is particularly important to prevent changes/additions/removals of stored keys.

A method of securely communicating commands/data to an IoT device using public/private keys is illustrated in FIG. 18 . The method may be implemented within the system architecture described above, but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

At 1801, the IoT service encrypts data/commands using the IoT device public key to generate IoT device packets. It then encrypts the IoT device packet using the IoT hub's public key to create an IoT hub packet (eg, creates an IoT hub wrapper around the IoT device packet). At 1802, the IoT service sends an IoT hub packet to the IoT hub. At 1803, the IoT hub decrypts the IoT hub packet using the IoT hub's private key to generate an IoT device packet. At 1804, it then sends the IoT device packet to the IoT device, and the IoT device decrypts the IoT device packet at 1805 using the IoT device private key to generate data/commands. At 1806, the IoT device processes the data/commands.

In embodiments using symmetric keys, symmetric key exchanges may be negotiated between respective devices (eg, between each device and a hub and between a hub and a service). Once the key exchange is complete, each sending device uses the symmetric key to encrypt and/or sign each transmission before sending the data to the receiving device.

Embodiments of the present invention may include the various steps described above. A step may be embodied in machine-executable instructions that may be used to cause a general purpose or special-purpose processor to perform the step. Alternatively, these steps may be performed by specific hardware components that include hardwired logic to perform the steps, or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components.

As described herein, instructions may be software instructions stored in a memory that is configured to perform certain operations or embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium or hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having a predetermined function. may refer to a specific configuration. Accordingly, the techniques shown in the figures may be implemented using code and data stored on and executed on one or more electronic devices (eg, end stations, network elements, etc.). Such electronic devices include non-transitory computer machine-readable storage media (e.g. magnetic disks, optical disks, random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory devices, phase change memory) and transitory computer machine-readable communication media (e.g. To store code and data (internally and/or network to communicate with other electronic devices). Additionally, such electronic devices typically include one or more storage devices (non-transitory machine-readable storage media), user input/output devices (eg, keyboards, touch screens, and/or displays), and network connections, such as It includes a set of one or more processors coupled to one or more other components. The coupling of the set of processors with other components is typically through one or more buses and bridges (also referred to as bus controllers). A storage device and a signal carrying network traffic represent one or more machine-readable storage media and machine-readable communication media, respectively. Thus, the storage device of a given electronic device typically stores code and/or data for execution on a set of one or more processors of that electronic device. Of course, one or more portions of an embodiment of the invention may be implemented using different combinations of software, firmware, and/or hardware.

Throughout this detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and functions have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope and spirit of this invention should be judged in light of the claims that follow.

Claims (163)

As a system,
a hardware Internet of Things (IoT) hub, the IoT hub including a network interface for coupling the IoT hub to IoT services via a wide area network (WAN);
the IoT service including a master control code database and a control logic circuit; and
At least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT service by connecting with the IoT hub through a wireless communication channel, wherein the IoT device transmits an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) An IR or RF blaster that controls through communication, and the IoT device further includes at least one sensor that measures current environmental conditions related to the operation of the environmental control equipment, and the IoT device uses the wireless communication channel Transmitting the indication of the current environmental conditions to the IoT hub and the IoT service through
including,
A master control code database of the IoT service stores remote control codes usable for controlling the environmental control equipment, and a control logic circuit of the IoT service uses the remote control codes to generate remote control commands;
The IoT hub includes a remote control code learning logic circuit for retrieving remote control codes from the master control code database on the IoT service in response to an end user inputting information identifying the environmental control equipment through a user device; a remote control code database for storing the remote control codes usable for controlling environmental control equipment, and a control logic circuit for generating remote control commands using the remote control codes;
The remote control commands are configured in response to the current environmental conditions measured by the sensor and configuration data indicating desired environmental conditions from the end user provided through an IoT application installed in the user device, Selectable by a control logic circuit of the IoT service and a control logic circuit of the IoT hub, wherein the IoT hub receives remote control commands selected by the IoT service and transmits them to the IoT device through the wireless communication channel;
The IoT device controls the environment control equipment by transmitting the remote control commands to the environment control equipment using the IR or RF blaster in response thereto,
When the end user accesses through the IoT service, the IoT service transmits input from the end user to the IoT hub, and the IoT hub responds to the transmitted input and current environmental conditions of the environmental control equipment. select remote control commands for controlling the environmental control equipment based on the basis and transmit the remote control commands to the IoT device;
The IoT service is configured to continuously or periodically monitor the current environmental conditions measured by the sensor, and if the desired environmental condition is not achieved after a specified period of time, the IoT service ensures that the environmental control equipment operates properly. A system that generates a notification to the IoT application of the user device indicating that it may not. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental control equipment includes an air conditioner and/or heater, the sensor includes a temperature sensor, the current environmental conditions include a first temperature, and the desired environmental condition includes the first temperature. and a second temperature different from The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration data from the end user provided through the IoT application installed on the user device includes a desired temperature, and the control logic circuit generates the remote control commands to control the air conditioner and/or Turning a heater on or off to achieve the desired temperature. The system of claim 1 , wherein the environmental control equipment includes audiovisual equipment, lights, stoves, washing machines and/or dryers. delete 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control code learning logic circuit is communicatively coupled to an IR/RF interface integrated on the IoT hub, the remote control code learning logic circuit originally designed to operate with the environmental control equipment. and learns the remote control codes directly from the original remote controls by capturing remote control codes from remote controls of the system via the IR/RF interface. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote control code learning logic circuitry stores the captured remote control codes in the remote control code database on the IoT hub. delete 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) communication channel. The system of claim 1 , wherein the IoT hub is communicatively coupled to the IoT service via a cellular network connection coupling the IoT hub to the WAN. According to claim 1,
and further comprising a plurality of additional IoT devices communicatively coupled to the IoT service through the IoT hub, each of the IoT devices of different types of environmental control equipment via IR or RF communication with the environmental control equipment. and an IR or RF blaster that controls, each IoT device further comprising at least one sensor for detecting current conditions related to operation of the different environmental control equipment, each IoT device using the wireless communication channel System for transmitting the indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub through. As a method,
communicatively coupling an Internet of Things (IoT) hub to an IoT service via a wide area network (WAN), the IoT service including a master control code database and control logic circuitry;
Communicatively coupling at least one IoT device to the IoT service by connecting at least one IoT device with the IoT hub through a wireless communication channel, the IoT device using an infrared (IR) or radio frequency Includes IR or RF blaster controlled via (RF) communications;
measuring current environmental conditions with a sensor on the IoT device, the current environmental conditions being related to the operation of the environmental control equipment;
transmitting the current environmental conditions from the IoT device to the IoT hub and the IoT service through the wireless communication channel;
Analyzing the current environmental conditions in conjunction with user input and selecting remote control commands using remote control codes in the IoT hub and the IoT service - the IoT hub allows an end user to control the environment through a user device and a remote control code learning logic circuit that retrieves the remote control codes from the master control code database on the IoT service in response to entering information identifying the equipment, wherein the remote control commands are measured by the sensor. selectable by a control logic circuit of the IoT service in response to the current environmental conditions and configuration data indicating a desired environmental condition from the end user provided through an IoT application installed on the user device; and
Transmitting the remote control commands from the IoT service to the IoT device through the wireless communication channel established between the IoT device and the IoT hub - the IoT device responds by sending the remote control commands to the IR or RF Sending to the environmental control equipment using a blaster to control the environmental control equipment -
including,
When the end user accesses through the IoT service, the method:
Transmitting the end user's input from the IoT service to the IoT hub; and
In the IoT hub, selecting remote control commands for controlling the environment control equipment based on the transmitted input and current environmental conditions of the environment control equipment and sending these remote control commands to the IoT device.
Including more,
The IoT service is configured to continuously or periodically monitor the current environmental conditions measured by the sensor, and if the desired environmental condition is not achieved after a specified period of time, the environmental control equipment may not operate properly. Generating a notification indicating a from the IoT service to the IoT application of the user device. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the environmental control equipment includes an air conditioner and/or heater, the sensor includes a temperature sensor, the current environmental conditions include a first temperature, and the desired environmental condition includes the first temperature. a second temperature different from 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the configuration data from the end user provided through the IoT application installed on the user device includes a desired temperature, and a control logic circuit generates the remote control commands to generate the air conditioner and/or heater Turning on or off to achieve the desired temperature. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the environmental control equipment includes audiovisual equipment, lights, stoves, washing machines and/or dryers. delete 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote control code learning logic circuit is communicatively coupled to an IR/RF interface integrated on the IoT hub, wherein the remote control code learning logic circuit is originally designed to operate with the environmental control equipment. learning the remote control codes directly from the original remote controls by capturing remote control codes from the remote controls of the computer via the IR/RF interface. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the remote control code learning logic circuitry stores the captured remote control codes in the remote control code database on the IoT hub. delete 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) communication channel. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the IoT hub is communicatively coupled to the IoT service via a cellular network connection coupling the IoT hub to the WAN. According to claim 12,
Further comprising communicatively coupling a plurality of additional IoT devices to the IoT service via the IoT hub;
Each of the IoT devices includes an IR or RF blaster that controls different types of environmental control equipment through IR or RF communication with the environmental control equipment, and each IoT device has a current related to the operation of the different environmental control equipment. further comprising at least one sensor to detect conditions, wherein each IoT device transmits an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub via the wireless communication channel. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

Images