KR20170102937A - System and method for implementing Internet (IoT) remote control applications - Google Patents

Abstract

The Internet (IoT) hub includes a network interface for coupling the IoT hub to the IoT service over a wide area network (WAN), and at least one IoT device is communicatively coupled to the IoT hub via a wireless communication channel. IoT devices include IR or RF blasters that control specified electronic equipment through infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) communications with electronic equipment. The IoT device includes at least one sensor for detecting current conditions associated with the operation of the electronic equipment, and the current conditions are transmitted to the IoT hub via the 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 for generating remote control commands using remote control codes in response to current conditions and input from an end user provided via the user device.

Description

System and method for implementing Internet (IoT) remote control applications

The present invention relates generally to the field of computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for implementing an IoT remote control application.

"Object Internet" refers to the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded devices within the Internet infrastructure. Ultimately, IoT is a new broad type of application that can provide virtually any type of physical object itself or information about its surroundings and / or can be remotely controlled via a client device via the Internet It is expected to generate.

IoT development and adoption was slow due to issues related to lack of connectivity, power, and standardization. For example, one obstacle to IoT development and adoption is that there is no standard platform for allowing developers to design and deliver new IoT devices and services. To enter the IoT market, developers must design the entire IoT platform from start to finish, including the network protocols and infrastructure, hardware, software and services required to support the desired IoT implementation. As a result, each provider of IoT devices uses proprietary techniques for designing and connecting IoT devices, making the adoption of multiple types of IoT devices burden the end user. Another hurdle to adopting IOT is the difficulty associated with connecting and powering IoT devices. For example, connecting a device such as a refrigerator, a garage door opener, an environmental sensor, a house security sensor / controller, etc. requires an electrical source to power each connected IoT device, (E.g., an AC outlet is not normally found in the refrigerator).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the following drawings.
Figures 1a and 1b illustrate different embodiments of the 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.
Figures 4A and 4B illustrate embodiments of the present invention for controlling and collecting data from IoT devices and generating notifications.
Figure 5 illustrates embodiments of the present invention for collecting data from IoT devices and generating notifications from an IoT hub and / or IoT service.
Figure 6 illustrates embodiments of the present invention for detecting loss of hub connectivity and notifying a user.
Figures 7A-7C illustrate different embodiments of a miniature IOT hub device having LED light and a USB port.
Figure 8 illustrates a method for controlling electronics and other equipment with an IoT device.
Figure 9 illustrates one embodiment of an IoT hub that selects among different cell carriers.
Figure 10 illustrates one embodiment of a method of selecting from different cell carriers.
Figure 11 illustrates one embodiment of an IoT hub for filtering events from IoT devices.
Figure 12 illustrates one embodiment of an IoT hub that collects data related to user behavior within the IoT system.
Figure 13 illustrates a high-level view of one embodiment of a security architecture.
Figure 14 illustrates one embodiment of an architecture in which a subscriber identity module (SIM) is used to store a key on an IoT device.
15A illustrates an embodiment in which the IoT device is registered using a bar code or QR code.
15B illustrates an embodiment in which pairing is performed using a bar code or QR code.
Figure 16 illustrates one embodiment of a method of programming a SIM using an IoT hub.
17 illustrates an embodiment of a method of registering an IoT device with 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 the embodiments of the invention described below. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the 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 underlying principles of an embodiment of the invention.

One embodiment of the present invention includes a 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 a predefined networking protocol stack through which IoT devices are coupled to the Internet and a base hardware / software platform for IoT devices including IoT hubs. Additionally, one embodiment includes an IoT service in which IoT hubs and connected IoT devices can be accessed and managed as described below through it. Additionally, one embodiment of the IoT platform includes an IoT service or a web application for accessing and configuring IoT services, hubs, and connected devices (e.g., running on a client device). Existing online retailers and other web site operators can leverage the IoT platform described herein to easily provide native IoT functionality to an existing user base.

Figure 1A illustrates an overview of an architectural platform in which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. In particular, the illustrated embodiment includes a plurality of IoTs 120 communicatively coupled to a central IoT hub 110 communicatively coupled to the IoT service 120 via the local communication channel 130, Devices 101-105. Each of the IoT devices 101-105 may be initially paired to the IoT hub 110 to enable each of the local communication channels 130 (e.g., using the pairing scheme described below). In one embodiment, 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 (e.g., temperature sensors, accelerometers, thermal sensors, motion detectors, etc.), the database 122 continues to store the data collected by the IoT devices 101-105 Can be updated. The data stored in the database 122 may then be accessed by the end user (e.g., via the IOT service 120 (e.g., via a desktop or other client computer system) via an IoT app or browser installed on the user's device 135 (E. G., A web site 130 subscribed to a web site).

The IoT devices 101 to 105 collect information about themselves and their surroundings and send the collected information to the IoT service 120, the user device 135 and / or the external website 130 via the IoT hub 110 Various types of sensors may be provided for providing. Some of the IoT devices 101-105 may perform designated functions in response to control commands transmitted via the IoT hub 110. [ Various specific examples of information and control commands collected by 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 to send user selections to IoT service 120 and / or a website.

In one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 may include a cellular radio for establishing a connection to the Internet 220 via a cellular service 115, such as 4G (e.g., Mobile WiMAX, LTE) or 5G cellular data service . Alternatively or additionally, the IoT hub 110 may be coupled to a WiFi access point or router 116 (e.g., via an Internet service provider that provides Internet service to end users) that couples the IoT hub 110 to the Internet Gt; WiFi < / RTI > Of course, it should be noted that the underlying principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of communication channel or protocol.

In one embodiment, IoT devices 101-105 are ultra low power devices that can operate for extended periods of time (e. G., Several years) with 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 is equipped with a Bluetooth LE radio and a protocol stack.

As mentioned, in one embodiment, the IoT platform is configured to allow the user to access and configure the IoT devices 101-105, the IoT hub 110, and / or the IoT service 120, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 135 < / RTI > In one embodiment, the app or web application may be designed by an operator of the website 130 to provide IoT functionality to its user base. As illustrated, the web site may maintain a user database 131 containing account records associated with each user.

Figure IB illustrates additional connection options for a plurality of IoT hubs (110, 111, 190). In this embodiment, a single user may have multiple hubs 110, 111 installed on-site in a single user premises 180 (e.g., a user's home or business). This can be done, for example, to extend the radio range needed to connect all of the IoT devices 101-105. As indicated, when a user has multiple hubs 110 and 111, they may be connected via a local communication channel (e.g., Wifi, Ethernet, power line networking, etc.). In one embodiment, each of the hubs 110 and 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 the IoT hub 110, may be coupled to the IoT hub 111 (as indicated by the dashed line connecting the IoT hub 110 and the IoT hub 111) Master hub " that provides connectivity and / or local services to all of the other < RTI ID = 0.0 > IoT hubs on user premises 180. < / RTI > For example, the master IoT hub 110 may be the only IoT hub for establishing a direct connection to the IoT service 120. In one embodiment, only a "master" IoT hub 110 is equipped with a cellular communication interface for establishing a connection to the IoT service 120. Therefore, all communication between the IoT service 120 and the other IoT hub 111 will flow through the master IoT hub 110. In this role, the master IoT hub 110 performs a filtering operation on data exchanged between the other IoT hub 111 and the IoT service 120 (e.g., where possible, servicing some data requests locally) Additional program codes may be provided for execution.

Regardless of how the IoT hub 110, 111 is connected, the IoT service 120, in one embodiment, is a single, comprehensive user interface (and / or browser- Based interface), the hub will logically associate with the user and combine both attached IoT devices 101-105.

In this embodiment, the master IoT hub 110 and the 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 a power-line communications (PLC) (E. G., Where all or part of the network is driven through the user ' s power line). Additionally, for the IoT hubs 110 and 111, each of the IoT devices 101-105 may communicate with the IoT devices 101-105 using any type of local network channel, such as WiFi, Ethernet, PLC or Bluetooth LE, And may be interconnected with the hubs 110 and 111.

Figure lb also shows the IoT hub 190 installed in the second user premises 181. [ An essentially unlimited number of such IoT hubs 190 may be installed and configured to collect data from IoT devices 191, 192 in user premises worldwide. 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 primary home, while the other user premises 181 may be the user's home. In such a case, the IoT service 120 may provide the IoT hub 110 (110, 111, 190) with a single user interface (and / or browser-based interface) Will logically associate and combine all of the attached IoT devices (101-105, 191, 192).

2, an exemplary embodiment of IoT device 101 includes a memory 210 for storing program code and data 201-203, and a low power microcontroller < RTI ID = 0.0 > (200). The memory 210 may be a volatile memory such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or may be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. In one embodiment, non-volatile memory may be used for persistent storage, and volatile memory may be used for execution of program code and data at runtime. The memory 210 may also be integrated into the low power microcontroller 200 or coupled to the low power microcontroller 200 via a bus or a communication fabric. The underlying 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 a predefined definition that can be used by the application developer of IoT device 101 And a library code 202 comprising a set of building blocks. In one embodiment, the library code 202 is stored in a storage medium such as a storage medium, such as a communication protocol stack 201 for enabling communication between each IoT device 101 and the IoT hub 110, And a set of functions. As noted, in one embodiment, the communication protocol stack 201 includes a Bluetooth LE protocol stack. In this embodiment, the Bluetooth LE radio and antenna 207 may be integrated into the low power microcontroller 200. However, the underlying principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular communication protocol.

2 also includes a plurality of input devices or sensors 210 for receiving user inputs and providing user inputs to a low power microcontroller, which low power microcontroller includes application code 203 and library code Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 202 < / RTI > In one embodiment, each of the input devices includes an LED 209 for providing 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 (e.g., by charging the IoT device to an AC power supply (not shown)).

A speaker 205 for generating audio is also provided. In one embodiment, the low power microcontroller 299 includes audio for decoding a compressed audio stream (e.g., an MPEG-4 / Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) stream) Decoding logic. Alternatively, the low power microcontroller 200 and / or the application code / data 203 may comprise a digital sampled piece of audio to provide language feedback to the end user as the user enters a selection through the input device 210 a snippet may 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 particular application for which the IoT device 101 is designed for. For example, an environmental sensor may be included to measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and the like. A security sensor and / or a door lock opener may be included when the IoT device is used as a secure device. Of course, these examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. The underlying principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of IoT device. In fact, in view of the highly programmable nature of the low power microcontroller 200 with the library code 202 installed, the application developer can use the new application code 203 to interface with a low power microcontroller for virtually any type of IoT application ) And a new I / O device 250 can be easily developed.

In one embodiment, the low power microcontroller 200 also includes a security key store for storing encryption keys for encrypting communications and / or generating signatures. Alternatively, the key may be secured in the subscriber identity module (SIM).

In one embodiment, a wake-up receiver 207 is included to wake up the IoT device from an ultra-low power state where the IoT device is not actually consuming any power. In one embodiment, the wake-up receiver 207 responds to the wake-up signal received from the wake-up transmitter 307 configured on the IoT hub 110, as shown in Fig. 3, And is configured to exit the low power state. In particular, in one embodiment, the transmitter 307 and the receiver 207 together form an electrically 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, the IoT device 101 can be configured to not actually consume any power when it is in its low power state, since (such as in a network protocol that allows the device to be awake through a network signal) Because it does not have to "hear" the signal from the hub. Rather, the microcontroller 200 of the IoT device 101 may be configured to wake up after virtually power-off by using energy electrically transmitted from the transmitter 307 to the receiver 207. [

3, the IoT hub 110 also includes a memory 317 for storing the program code and data 305, and hardware logic 301 (such as a microcontroller for executing the program code and processing data) ). A wide area network (WAN) interface 302 and an antenna 310 couple the IoT hub 110 to the 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 a WiFi antenna) or an 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 the subscriber identity module (SIM).

The local communication interface 303 and the antenna 311 establish a local communication channel with each of the IoT devices 101 to 105. As mentioned 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. 3, the WAN interface 302 and / or the local communication interface 303 may be embedded within the same chip as the hardware logic 301. [

In one embodiment, the program code and data includes a communication protocol stack 308 that may include a separate stack for communicating via the local communication interface 303 and the WAN interface 302. [ Additionally, the device pairing program code and data 306 may be stored in memory to allow the IoT hub to pair with the new IoT device. In one embodiment, each new IoT device 101-105 is assigned a unique code communicated to the IoT hub 110 during the pairing process. For example, the unique code may be embedded in a bar code on the IoT device, read by the bar code reader 106, or communicated over the 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 may be configured such that the IoT device 101 communicates with the IoT hub 110, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > inches. ≪ / RTI >

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

In one embodiment, the organization that drives the IoT service 120 may provide an IoT hub 110 and a basic hardware / software platform to allow the developer to easily design a new IoT service. In particular, in addition to the IoT hub 110, a developer may be provided with a software development kit (SDK) for updating the program code and data 305 executed in the hub 110. Additionally, for the IoT device 101, the SDK may be configured to support the base IoT hardware (e. G., The low power microcontroller 200 shown in FIG. 2 and another Component) designed for a particular application. In one embodiment, the SDK includes a graphical design interface in which the developer only needs to specify input and output to the IoT device. All of the networking code, including the communication stack 201, which allows the IoT device 101 to connect to the hub 110 and the service 120 is already in place for the developer. Additionally, in one embodiment, the SDK also includes a library code base for facilitating the design of the app for mobile devices (e.g., iPhone and Android devices). In addition, in one embodiment, the SDK also includes a library code base to facilitate the design of applications and APIs that reside within IoT service 120 or web site 130. [

In one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 manages a continuous bi-directional stream of data between the IoT devices 101-105 and the IoT service 120. [ In situations where updates to / from the IoT devices 101-105 are required in real time (e.g., where the user needs to view the current state of the secure device or environment measurements), the IoT hub sends periodic updates to the user device 135 < / RTI > and / or to external web sites 130. < RTI ID = 0.0 > The particular networking protocol used to provide the update may be fine-tuned based on the needs of the underlying application. For example, in some cases where it may not be feasible to have a continuous bidirectional stream, a simple request / response protocol can be used to gather information when needed.

In one embodiment, both the IoT hub 110 and the IoT devices 101-105 are automatically upgradeable over the network. In particular, if a new update is available to the IoT hub 110, it can automatically download and install updates 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 for each of the IoT devices 101-105, the update may be initially downloaded by the IoT hub 110 and pushed out to each of the IoT devices 101-105. Each IoT device 101-105 may then 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 updates from its memory (e.g., so that it can keep checking for new updates for each IoT device) and updates the latest You can record the version.

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

4A illustrates an embodiment of the present invention for performing a universal remote control operation 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 but not limited to air conditioning / heater 430, lighting system 431 and audiovisual equipment 432) Infrared (IR) and / or radio frequency (RF) blasters 401 to 403 for transmitting a remote control code to control the radio frequency (RF) In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4A, IoT devices 101-103 are also each equipped with sensors 404-406 for detecting the operation of the devices they control as described below.

For example, the sensor 404 in the IoT device 101 senses the current temperature / humidity and, in response thereto, a temperature and / or humidity sensor for controlling the air conditioner / heater 430 based on the current desired temperature Lt; / RTI > In this embodiment, the air conditioner / heater 430 is designed to be controlled via a remote control device (typically a remote control, which itself incorporates a temperature sensor). In one embodiment, the user provides the desired temperature to the IoT hub 110 via an app or browser installed on the user device 135. [ The control logic 412 running on the IoT hub 110 receives the current temperature / humidity data from the sensor 404 and responds to it to control the IR / RF blaster 401 in accordance with the desired temperature / (101). For example, if the temperature is below a desired temperature, the control logic 412 sends a command to the air conditioner / heater via the IR / RF blaster 401 (e.g., by turning off the air conditioner or turning on the heater) The temperature can be increased. The command may include the necessary remote control code stored in the database 413 on the IoT hub 110. Alternatively or additionally, IoT service 421 may implement control logic 421 for controlling electronic equipment 430 to 432 based on a designated user preference and stored control code 422.

The illustrated example IoT device 102 is used to control the illumination 431. In particular, the sensor 405 in the IoT device 102 may be an optical sensor or photodetector configured to detect the current brightness of the light generated by the lighting fixture 431 (or other lighting device). The user may specify the desired illumination level (including an indication of on or off) to the IoT hub 110 via 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 illuminant 431 (e.g., if the current brightness is too low, If the current brightness is too high, lower the light; or simply turn the illuminant on or off).

The illustrated example IoT device 103 is configured to control the audiovisual equipment 432 (e.g., a television, an A / V receiver, a cable / satellite receiver, an Apple TV ™, etc.). The sensor 406 in the IoT device 103 may be configured to detect a current ambient volume level based on an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone and associated logic) and / or light generated by a television (e.g., (E.g., by measuring light in the spectrum) to detect whether the television is on or off. Alternatively, the 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 the user device 135, the control logic 412 may send commands to the audiovisual equipment through the IR blaster 403 of the IoT device 103.

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

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

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

In addition, in one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 is also provided with a remote control code learning module 491, which allows the IR control module 491 to "learn" a new remote control code directly from the original remote control 495, / 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, then the user interacts with the IoT hub 110 via the app / browser on the user device 135 (For example, temperature increase, temperature decrease, etc.) generated by the original remote control to the IoT hub 110. [0054] 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 and included in the central remote control code database 492 And is used by other users having the same air conditioning unit 430).

In one embodiment, each of the IoT devices 101-103 has an extremely small form factor and is mounted on or near their respective electronic equipment 430-432 using double-sided tape, small nails, . For control of equipment, such as the air conditioner 430, it may 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., Placing the IoT device will result in a temperature reading that is either too low when the air conditioner is active or too high when the heater is operating). In contrast, the IoT device 102 used to control the illumination can be placed on or near the lighting fixture 431 for the sensor 405 to detect the current illumination level.

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

When the user receives the notification, he / she can remotely control the electronic equipment 430 to 432 via an app or browser on the user device 135. In one embodiment, the user device 135 is a touch screen device and the app or browser displays an image of the remote control with buttons that the user can select to control the 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 choice may be transferred from the IoT service 120 to the IoT hub 110, which in turn controls the equipment through the control logic 412 will be. Alternatively, the user input may be transmitted directly from the user device 135 to the IoT hub 110.

In one embodiment, the user may program the control logic 412 on the IoT hub 110 to perform various automatic control functions on the 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 off the electronic equipment once a predetermined condition is detected. For example, if the control logic 412 detects that the user is not at home and the air conditioner is not functioning, it may automatically turn off the air conditioner. Similarly, if the user is not at home and the sensor 406 indicates that the audiovisual equipment 430 is on, or if the sensor 405 indicates that the illuminant is on, the control logic 412 controls the IR / RF blasters 403, 402 to turn off the audiovisual equipment and the illuminant, respectively.

5 illustrates a further embodiment of an IoT device 104, 105 on which sensors 503, 504 for monitoring electronic equipment 530, 531 are mounted. In particular, the IoT device 104 of this embodiment includes a temperature sensor 503 that may be disposed on or near the stove 530 to detect when the stove remains on. In one embodiment, the IoT device 104 transmits the current temperature measured by the temperature sensor 503 to the IoT hub 110 and / or the IoT service 120. If the stove is determined to be on (e.g., based on the measured temperature during this period) beyond the critical period, the control logic 512 informs the user that the stove 530 is on, Device 135 as shown in FIG. In one embodiment, the app or browser based code on the end user's device 135 displays the notification and the ability to control the stove 530 (e.g., to send a command to turn off the stove) Lt; / RTI >

Further, in one embodiment, the IoT device 104 may be controlled in response to receiving an instruction from a user or automatically (if the control logic 512 is programmed to do so by the user) Module 501 as shown in FIG. In one embodiment, the control logic 501 includes a switch for shutting off electricity or gas to the stove 530. However, in other embodiments, the control logic 501 may be integrated within the stove itself.

Figure 5 also illustrates an IoT device 105 having a motion sensor 504 for detecting motion of certain types of electronic equipment, such as a washer and / or dryer. Other sensors that may be used are audio sensors (e. G., Microphone and logic) for detecting ambient volume levels. As with the other embodiments described above, this embodiment provides a notification to the end user when certain specified conditions are met (e.g., motion is detected for a long period of time and the washer / dryer is not turned off) Lt; / RTI > Although not shown in FIG. 5, the IoT device 105 is also provided with a control module that turns off the washer / dryer 531 automatically and / or in response to user input (e.g., by switching off the electricity / gas) Lt; / RTI >

In one embodiment, the first IoT device with the control logic and the switch can be configured to turn off all power in the user's home, and the second IoT device with the control logic and the switch will turn on all the gas in the user's home Off. The IoT device with the sensor can then be placed on or near the electronic or gas driven equipment in the user's home. When the user is notified that a particular piece of equipment (e.g., stove 530) is left on, the user may send a command to turn off all the 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 situations.

In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 and IoT service 120 communicate at periodic intervals. If the IoT service 120 detects that a connection to the IoT hub 110 has been lost (e.g., by not receiving a request or response from the IoT hub for a specified duration), then (e.g., (By sending an app-specific notification) to the end-user's device 135. This feature is graphically illustrated in FIG. 6, which shows that the connection between the IoT hub 110 and the IoT service 120 is disabled. The connection monitoring and notification logic 600 on the IoT service 120 detects that the connection has been disabled and responds in response to a notification (e.g., a cellular communication channel, a WiFi, or a device 135) To the end user's device 135 (via any other communication channel used by the end user). In particular, in one embodiment, the connection monitoring logic detects when the first communication channel between the IoT service and the IoT hub becomes inoperable and the notification logic detects that the connection monitoring logic has failed to operate the first communication channel And sends a notification to the user's data processing device 135 in response.

The user can then perform 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 only. In one embodiment, if the connection monitoring and notification logic 600 does not receive communications from the IoT hub for a specified period of time, it may ping the hub 110 in an attempt to determine the state of the hub. After several failed attempts (i.e., no response from the hub), it may send a notification to the end user's device 135.

In an embodiment in which the IoT hub is connected via both a cellular network and a broadband connection in the user's home, this mechanism can be used to detect failure of any one connection and the IoT hub 110 Can be maintained.

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

Figures 7A-7C illustrate one particular embodiment of the integrated IoT hub integrated into a small package designed to be plugged directly into an A / C outlet via an A / C input interface 702. [ In this manner, the IoT hub 110 can be strategically placed for ideal acceptance anywhere in the home of a user with a power outlet. In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 includes a transformer for converting a high voltage A / C input to a low voltage D / C signal. The IoT hub 110 includes all the features described herein for connecting to the IoT service 120 and a plurality of IoT devices 101-105. For example, although not explicitly shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, in one embodiment, the IOT hub 110 includes a plurality of communication interfaces (e.g., antenna and software) for communicating with the IoT device and the IoT service, . ≪ / RTI > In one embodiment, IoT hub 110 includes a power line communication (PLC) or similar network interface for establishing communications with IoT devices 101-105 over the A / C power line.

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

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

Once programmed, the LED 701 may be turned on / off by the integrated low power uC 200 of the IoT hub. In one embodiment, the IoT hub has an integrated photodetector for turning on night illumination in response to ambient brightness falling below a specified threshold. Further, in one embodiment, the IoT hub has one or more integrated USB ports 710 to be used to charge other devices (e.g., user's mobile device 135). Of course, the basic principle of the present invention is not limited to the IoT hub 110 in which the USB charger is integrated.

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

Once IoT devices are attached in place, they may be programmed via user device 135 and IoT hub 110 at 802. For example, a user may connect to the IoT hub 110 with an app or browser installed on the user device 135 (either directly or via the IoT service 120). The app or browser-executable code may include a user interface that allows the user to identify and program each IoT device. For example, if an IoT device is selected, the user may be provided with a list of different equipment types to choose from (e.g., different models of remote controllable air conditioner / heater, A / V equipment, etc.). Once the correct equipment is selected, the remote control code is stored on the IoT hub and transmitted to the IR / RF blaster on the IoT device as described above to control the equipment at 803. In addition, as described above, various automatic control functions can be implemented by the IoT hub.

In one embodiment of the present invention, IoT service 120 may agree with a plurality of 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 position serviced by two or more supported cell carriers.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, in one embodiment of the present invention, IoT hub 901 includes cellular carrier selection logic 901 for selecting between two or more available cell carriers 915, 916. In one embodiment, the cell carrier selection logic is programmed with a set of rules 918 for selection among two or more cell carriers 915, 916. When a particular 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. For example, if IoT service 120 has a more favorable agreement (e.g., a lower aggregate rate / cost 912) with first cell carrier 915 over second cell carrier 916, The rule may be to connect with the first cell carrier 915 only assuming that all other variables are within the same or a specified threshold (e.g., assuming that the signal strength of the second cell carrier is sufficient).

In one embodiment, the selection rule 918 implemented by the cell carrier selection logic 901 may include, for example, the current or past signal strength (e.g., the current or previous signal strength) of each cell carrier 915,916 measured at the IoT hub 110 Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 911). ≪ / RTI > For example, although the IoT service 120 may have a more favorable agreement with the first cell carrier 915, as described above, the cell carrier selection logic 901 may determine that the signal strength for the first carrier is below a specified threshold Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 916 < / RTI >

Similarly, the cell carrier selection logic 901 may evaluate the reliability / performance data 913 of each of the cell carriers 915, 916 when making decisions. For example, if the first cell carrier 915 is known to be unreliable in a particular region and / or provides significantly lower performance (e.g., a reduced data rate) than the second cell carrier 916 , The cell carrier selection logic 901 may select the second cell carrier (despite a more favorable 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, the IoT hub 110 may continuously monitor signal strength, connection status, bandwidth, and other connection variables with respect to each cell carrier 915, 916, and (at least partially) It is possible to make a connection determination based on this.

In one embodiment, IoT service 120 may provide an update to the IoT hub that includes the agreed upon existing cell carriers 915, 916 and / or new / updated selection rules 918 associated with the new cell carrier . For example, if the agreement between the IoT service 120 and the second cell carrier 916 is updated to lower the cost of accessing via the second cell carrier 916, a new selection rule 918 And / or a new cell service rate 912 may be transmitted from the IoT service 120 to the IoT hub 110. The cell carrier selection logic 901 may then take this new rule / rate into consideration when making cell carrier selection decisions (e.g., preferring this if the connection with the second cell carrier 916 is more cost effective In this case).

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) A subscriber identity module (SIM) 903 or other authentication data required to do so. In an embodiment, a single SIM 903 (or other authentication device) may be provisioned for multiple cell carriers 915, 916. Thus, after selecting the first cell carrier 915 (e.g., based on the selection rule 918 and other variables), the IoT hub 110 may still be able to determine if the first cell carrier 915 is still available And fall back to the second cell carrier 916. Similarly, the IoT hub 110 may be configured to provide a change in current conditions (e.g., a decrease in signal strength for the first cell carrier 915 and / or a decrease in cost for the second cell carrier 916) and / And may switch from the first cell carrier 915 to the second cell carrier 916 in response to the new selection rules 918 sent from the IoT service 120. [

When the IoT hub 110 is provisioned for multiple carriers 915 and 916, it can dynamically switch between them all day, in accordance with parameter changes. For example, the cost associated with each cellular carrier 915, 916 may vary throughout the day (e.g., the first carrier 915 may be more expensive during a heavy use period, such as a rush hour, The second carrier 916 may be more expensive in the evening). Similarly, the cell towers of one carrier may be overloaded during the day or evening for a certain amount of time to reduce connectivity. Using the techniques described herein, the cell carrier selection logic 901 can continuously evaluate these conditions and dynamically switch between the carriers as the conditions change.

A method according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 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 associated with connections to different cell carriers. For example, one rule may allow the IoT hub to connect to the first service provider through a second service provider (all other variables are within the same or defined threshold). At 1002, data related to cell carrier connectivity, cost, and / or other appropriate variables are collected. For example, as discussed above, the signal strength of each cell carrier may be used to make a connection decision.

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

As illustrated in Figure 11, in one embodiment, various 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 example, and not limitation, events 1101,1102-N may include, by way of example only, opening doors or windows at the user's home, for example without a security code or other necessary authentication, For example, the stove burner remains on or indicates a potential fire), the motion detector is triggered when the user and the user's family are not at home, the smoke detector is triggered, the sprinkler has been operating for longer than the specified period A sensor on the sprinkler system, and a security event such as a refrigerator sensor or fan tree sensor indicating to the user that a particular food item is scarce.

In one embodiment, the IoT service 120 and / or the one or more external services 1120 through 1122 are connected to the IoT hub (via the API) to receive events 1101, 1102 through N generated by the various IoT devices 110 and may take a variety of actions in response to an event including sending a notification to the user 1115 (e.g., via a user's mobile device). For example, an external grocery service can receive events related to the level of different food items in the user's refrigerator or panning tree, automatically update the user's online grocery list, or schedule an order. The external security service may receive security-related events at the user's home and attempt to notify the user in response to the alert. When another service rises above a certain threshold the temperature sensor can notify the fire department and / or send a notification to the user. It should be noted that these specific examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. The underlying principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of event or event response.

In some cases, the events generated by the IoT device may be harmless and may not need to be transmitted to the IoT service 120 and / or to the external services 1120-1122. For example, a user's IoT thermostat device can periodically report the current temperature of the user's home, and other IoT devices can periodically report an event that only shows measurements within an acceptable threshold. As a result, to reduce the number of events that are transmitted over the network of cellular carriers (or through a user's Internet connection), one embodiment of the IoT hub 110 may provide for certain types of events to the IoT service 120 and / 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 an event type. Based on the set of filtering rules 1111 (e.g., configured via an app / browser) provided by the IoT service 120 and / or the end user 1115, While other event types are stored in the IoT hub 110 and sent to the IoT service 120 and / or other external services 1120-1122.

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

In one embodiment, external services 1120 through 1122 and IoT service 120 utilize an application programming interface (API) exposed by IoT hub 110. For example, a particular service may register via the API to receive a specific set of events. Because IoT service 120 knows which API (and which event accordingly) each external service 1120-1122 is configured to receive, it dynamically transfers filter rule update 1111 to event filter 1110 ) To send only those events subscribed by itself and various external services 1120-1122. Depending on the configuration, the IoT hub 110 may keep a log of all events (including those events that have not been sent to the external service), or may simply discard the events that have not been sent.

In one embodiment, IoT service 120 includes an event filter (not shown) for filtering events according to a set of filtering rules as described herein (in addition to or instead of event filter 1110 on IoT hub 110) . In this embodiment, each of the external services 1120 through 1122 may subscribe to receive certain types of events via the API exposed by the IoT service 120. [ Events are generated from the IoT hub 110 (possibly filtered by the local event filter 1110), sent to the IoT service 120 (potentially filtered by the IoT service filter), transmitted to the external services 1120-1122, And / or to the end user's device. The IoT service filter may be configured in a manner similar to the IoT hub filter described herein (i.e., it only sends certain types of events / notifications according to a set of filtering rules).

The technique of filtering events on the IoT hub 110 and / or the IoT service 120 as described above is advantageous because it allows a significant amount of unnecessary traffic through the network of cellular carriers and / . These embodiments may be particularly advantageous for houses 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 behavior data related to the interaction of each user with the various IoT devices and provides targeted content updates tailored to each user's interest in response. 12 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which two users 1201 and 1202 control the IoT devices 101 and 102 in the house via the IoT device control logic 412 on the IoT hub 110. [ Although only two IoT devices 101 and 102 and two users 1201 and 1202 are shown for brevity, there may be more IoT devices and / or users communicatively coupled through the IoT hub 110 have. As mentioned, the users 1201 and 1201 can interact with the IoT devices 101 and 102 through an app or browser installed on each user's data processing device (e.g., a smartphone, personal computer, etc.) have. As mentioned, the app interfaces with the IoT service 120 and / or the IoT hub 110 to allow the user to review data provided from the various IoT devices 101 and 102 and control the IoT devices 101 and 102 And the like.

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

The information associated with each of these activities may be collected via the user behavior data collection logic 1200 to generate a user profile for each user. For example, in one embodiment, behavior data is transmitted from IoT hub 110 to IoT service 120, where it is analyzed to determine the preference of each user. Targeted content may then be sent to each individual user 1201, 1202 in accordance with these preferences. For example, a user who manages a garden may receive information related to sales of garden care articles, and a user who is cooking may receive information related to kitchen utensils and / or recipes. In one embodiment, the owner / operator of the IoT service 120 may, in agreement with an online advertising company, generate 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 generates a target notification and content for the end user's data processing device.

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

Precision targeting of this type has not previously been performed because the specific real-world behavior captured through the IoT system described herein has not previously been available. For example, current targeted advertisements are based on a user's browsing history and / or purchase history, but data related to the user's real-world activity (e.g., grooming, cooking, house maintenance, etc.) are not available . Such data may be particularly advantageous when providing targeted information to an end user as described herein because it is based on the actual activity of the user in connection with 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 provide a security for storing encryption keys used by the embodiments described below. Key stores (see, e.g., Figures 13-15 and related text). Alternatively, the key may be secured in the subscriber identity module (SIM) as discussed below.

Figure 13 illustrates a high level architecture using a public key infrastructure (PKI) technology and / or a symmetric key exchange / encryption technique to encrypt communication between the IoT service 120, the IoT hub 110 and the IoT devices 101, .

An embodiment using a public / private key pair will be described first, and then an embodiment using a symmetric key exchange / encryption technique will be described. In particular, in an embodiment using a 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 the new IoT hub 110 is set up, its public key is provided to the IoT service 120, and when the new IoT device 101 is set up, its public key is sent 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 (i.e., in the form of a certificate) known to all receiving devices so that any receiving device can validate the public key by verifying the signature. Thus, rather than exchanging only 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 for secure storage of the private key of each device. Security logic 1302,1304 then performs the encryption / decryption operations described herein using securely stored private keys. Similarly, the IoT hub 110 includes a secure storage 1311 for storing the public key of the IoT hub private key and the IoT devices 101, 102 and the IoT service 120, as well as the encryption / And security logic 1312 for performing security functions. Finally, the IoT service 120 includes a secure store 1321 for securely storing its own private key, various IoT devices, and the public key of the IoT hub, and keys for encrypting / And may include security logic 1313 for decrypting. In one embodiment, when the IoT hub 110 receives a public key certificate from the IoT device, the IoT hub may verify it (e.g., by verifying the signature using the master key, as described above) And then extracts the public key from within it and stores the public key in its secure key store 1311.

For example, in one embodiment, the IoT service 120 may communicate commands or data (e.g., a command to open a door, a request to read a sensor, data to be processed / displayed by the IoT device, etc.) 101, the security logic 1313 encrypts the data / command using the public key of the IoT device 101 to generate 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 generate an IoT hub packet and sends the IoT hub packet to the IoT hub 110. [ In one embodiment, the service 120 signs the encrypted message with its private key or the master key referred to above, so that the device 101 can verify that it is receiving unchanged messages from the trust source . The device 101 can then verify the signature using the private key and / or the public key corresponding to 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 the other device, each of the devices may be provided with a copy of the same symmetric key, each of which is used for encryption and used to verify the signature. While an example of a symmetric key algorithm is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the underlying principles of the present invention are not limited to any particular type of symmetric key.

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

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

In one embodiment, a one-time (permanent) installation key may be negotiated between the device 101 and the service 120 at installation time to prevent compromise on the hub security module 1312. When sending a message to the device 101, the service 120 may first encrypt / MAC with the device setup key and then encrypt / MAC with the session key of the hub. The hub 110 then verifies and extracts the encrypted device blob and sends 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 the device 101 to the 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 in each successive communication between the devices. The same technology may be implemented between the hub 110 and the service 120. Using a counter in this manner would make it more difficult to spoof communication between each of the devices (because the counter value would be incorrect). Without this, however, a shared installation key between the service and the device will prevent a network (hub) overall attack on all devices.

In one embodiment, when using public / private key encryption, the IoT hub 110 decrypts the IoT Hub packet using its private key, generates an encrypted IoT device packet and sends it to the associated IoT device 101 send. The IoT device 101 then decrypts the IoT device packet using its private key and generates the command / data starting from the IoT service 120. [ The IoT device can then process data and / or execute commands. Using symmetric encryption, each device will encrypt and decrypt using a shared symmetric key. In either case, each transmitting device can also sign the message with its private key, so that the receiving device can verify its authenticity.

A different set of keys may be used to encrypt 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 is transmitted to the IoT hub 110 using the public key of the IoT hub 110 Encrypt the data packet. The security logic 1312 on the IoT hub 110 may then decrypt the data packet using the private key of the IoT hub. Similarly, the security logic 1302 on the IoT device 101 and / or the security logic 1312 on the IoT hub 110 may use the public key of the IoT service 120 to transmit data packets < RTI ID = 0.0 > (The data packet may then be decrypted using the private key of the service by the security logic 1313 on the IoT service 120). When using a symmetric key, the device 101 and the hub 110 may share a single symmetric key, while the hub and service 120 may share a different symmetric key.

While certain specific details are set forth in the foregoing description, it is to be understood that the underlying principles of the invention may be implemented using a variety of different encryption techniques. For example, while some embodiments discussed above use asymmetric public / private key pairs, alternative embodiments may be used to securely secure between various IoT devices 101, 102, IoT hub 110 and IoT service 120 A symmetric key to be exchanged can be used. Moreover, in some embodiments, the data / command itself is not encrypted, but the key is used to generate a signature for the data / command (or other data structure). The recipient can then verify the signature using its key.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, in one embodiment, a secure key store 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 the end user with an unprogrammed SIM card 1401 seated in the SIM interface 1400 on the IoT device 101. The user takes the programmable SIM card 1401 from the SIM interface 500 and inserts it into the SIM programming interface 1402 on the IoT hub 110 to program the SIM to have the set of one or more encryption keys. The programming logic 1425 on the IoT hub then securely programs the SIM card 1401 to register and pair the IoT device 101 with the IoT hub 110 and the IoT service 120. [ In one embodiment, a public / private key pair may be randomly generated by the programming logic 1425, and then the pair's public key may be stored in the secure storage device 411 of the IoT hub, while the private key May be stored in the programmable SIM 1401. In addition, the programming logic 1425 can be configured to communicate the public key of the IoT hub 110, the IoT service 120 and / or any other IoT device 101 (with the security logic 1302 on the IoT device 101) May be stored on the SIM card 1401 to be used for encrypting the SIM card 1401. Once the SIM 1401 is programmed, the new IoT device 101 uses the SIM as a security identifier (e.g., using existing technology to register the device using a SIM) to provision to the IoT service 120 . After provisioning, both the IoT hub 110 and the IoT service 120 will securely store a copy of the public key of the IoT device to be used when encrypting communications with the IoT device 101.

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

Although registration and encryption techniques are described in the specific context of a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), the basic principles of the invention are not limited to a "SIM" device. Rather, the underlying principles of the present invention may be implemented using any type of device having a secure repository for storing a set of encryption keys. In addition, although the above embodiment includes a mobile SIM device, in one embodiment, the SIM device is not mobile, but the IoT device itself may 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 in the IoT device 101 before being distributed to the end user. In this embodiment, when the user configures the IoT device 101, various techniques described herein may safely exchange the encryption key between the IoT hub 110 / IoT service 120 and the new IoT device 101 Can be used.

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

In one embodiment, the data contained in the bar code or QR code 1501 may also include a user device 135 (e.g., an iPhone or Android device) with an IoT app designed by an IoT service provider or a browser based applet installed ≪ / RTI > Once captured, the barcode data may be securely communicated to the IoT service 120 over a secure connection (e.g., 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 (e.g., 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 may be implemented on a chip (e. G., A local channel < RTI ID = 0.0 > (Bluetooth LE chip when the Bluetooth LE 130 is a Bluetooth LE). Regardless of the particular location of the security logic 1302, 1312, in one embodiment, security logic 1302, 1312 is designed to set up 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 underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of security implementation technology.

In one embodiment, a bar code 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, the pairing code embedded within the bar code or QR code 1501 is used by the IoT hub to pair the IoT hub with the corresponding IoT device 110).

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

Similarly, on the IoT device 101 side, the local communication module 1590 stores the pairing data indicating the pairing with the IoT hub in the local secure storage device 1595. The pairing data 1595 may include a pre-programmed pairing code identified in the bar code / QR code 1501. [ The pairing data 1595 also includes pairing data 1560 that is required to establish a secure local communication channel and which is used to encrypt communication with the local communication module 1580 on the IoT hub 110 Additional keys).

Thus, the bar code / QR code 1501 can be used to perform local pairing in a way that is much more secure than the current wireless pairing protocol because the pairing code is not transmitted wirelessly. Also, in one embodiment, the same bar code / QR code 1501 used for pairing may be 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 Lt; / RTI > may be used to identify the encryption key for the user.

A method of programming a SIM card according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. The methodology 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 and at 1602 the user inserts the blank SIM card into the IoT hub. At 1603, the user programs the blank SIM card to have a set of one or more 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 store. Also at 1604, at least the public key is transmitted to the IoT service, which can be used to identify the IoT device and establish encrypted communication with the IoT device. As described above, in one embodiment, a programmable device other than the "SIM" card may be used to perform the same function as the SIM card in the method shown in FIG.

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

At 1701, the user receives a new IoT device pre-assigned with an encryption key. At 1702, the key is securely provided to the IoT hub. As discussed above, in one embodiment, this involves reading the 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 secure key store of the IoT hub device. As described above, various security enforcement techniques, such as Secure Enclave, Trusted Execution Technology (TXT), and / or Trust Zone, may be used on the IoT hub 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 may be implemented using a certificate / signed key. Within hub 110, it is particularly important to prevent modification / addition / removal of stored keys.

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

At 1801, the IoT service encrypts the data / command using the IoT device public key to generate the IoT device packet. It then encrypts the IoT device packet using the public key of the IoT hub to create an IoT hub packet (e.g., creating an IoT hub wrapper around the IoT device packet). At 1802, the IoT service sends the IoT hub packet to the IoT hub. At 1803, the IoT hub decrypts the IoT hub packet using the private key of the IoT hub to generate the IoT device packet. At 1804, it then sends the IoT device packet to the IoT device, which at 1805 decrypts the IoT device packet using the IoT device private key to generate the data / command. At 1806, the IoT device processes the data / command.

In embodiments using a symmetric key, the symmetric key exchange may be negotiated between each of the devices (e.g., between each device and the hub and between the hub and the service). Once the key exchange is complete, each transmitting device encrypts and / or signs each transmission using a symmetric key before transmitting the data to the receiving device.

Embodiments of the present invention may include the various steps described above. Steps may be implemented with machine-executable instructions that may be used to cause a general purpose or special-purpose processor to perform the steps. Alternatively, these steps may be performed by specific hardware components including hardwired logic for performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computer components and customized hardware components.

As described herein, an instruction may be implemented in hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having software instructions or predetermined functionality stored in a memory configured to perform a predetermined operation or contained in a non-volatile computer readable medium Can refer to a specific configuration. Thus, the techniques shown in the figures may be implemented using code and data stored on and executed on one or more electronic devices (e.g., end stations, network elements, etc.). Such electronic devices include non-volatile computer-readable storage media (e.g., magnetic disks, optical disks, random access memories, read only memories, flash memory devices, phase change memories) For example, a computer-readable medium, such as an electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signal (e.g., carrier wave, infrared signal, digital signal, etc.) To other electronic devices). Additionally, such electronic devices typically include one or more storage devices (non-volatile machine readable storage media), user input / output devices (e.g., keyboard, touch screen, and / or display) And a set of one or more processors coupled to one or more other components. The combination of a set of processors and other components typically takes place via one or more buses and bridges (also referred to as bus controllers). The storage device and the signal carrying the network traffic each represent one or more machine-readable storage media and machine-readable communication media. Thus, a storage device of a given electronic device typically stores code and / or data for execution on a set of one or more processors of the 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 the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those 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 the present invention should be determined in light of the following claims.

Claims (163)

As a system,
An Internet (IoT) hub, said IoT hub comprising a network interface for coupling said IoT hub to an IoT service via a wide area network (WAN); And
At least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub via a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising: an IR (infrared) or radio frequency (RF) communication device for controlling designated electronic equipment with infrared Further comprising an RF blaster, wherein the IoT device further comprises at least one sensor for detecting current conditions associated with operation of the electronic equipment, wherein the IoT device transmits an indication of the current conditions via the wireless communication channel to the IoT Sent to hub -
/ RTI >
The IoT hub further comprises a remote control code database storing remote control codes usable for controlling the electronic equipment, the IoT hub further comprising control logic for generating remote control commands using the remote control codes Wherein the remote control commands are selected by the control logic responsive to the current conditions and an input from an end user provided via the user device and the IoT hub sends the commands via the wireless communication channel to the IoT device Lt; / RTI >
And wherein the IoT device transmits the remote control commands to the electronic equipment in response thereto to control the electronic equipment. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment includes an air conditioner and / or a heater, the sensor includes a temperature sensor, and the current conditions include temperature. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the input from the end user provided by the user device comprises a desired temperature and the control logic generates the remote control commands to turn the air conditioner and / or the heater on or off To achieve said desired temperature. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment comprises audiovisual equipment, a light, a stove, a washer, and / or a dryer. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the IoT hub comprises remote control code learning logic to retrieve remote control codes from a master control code database on the IoT service in response to the user entering information identifying the electronic equipment. system. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the remote control code learning logic is communicatively coupled to an IR / RF interface integrated on the IoT hub, and the remote control code learning logic comprises an original remote control The remote control codes are learned directly from the original remote controls by capturing remote control codes via the IR / RF interface from the remote control. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote control code learning logic stores the captured remote control codes in the remote control code database on the IoT hub. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the input from the user is provided to the IoT hub via the IoT service. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) communication channel. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the IoT hub is communicatively coupled to the IoT service via a cellular network connection that couples the IoT hub to the WAN. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a plurality of additional IoT devices communicatively coupled to the IoT hub, wherein each of the IoT devices is an IR or RF blaster that controls different types of electronic equipment through IR or RF communications with the electronic equipment Wherein each IoT device further comprises at least one sensor for detecting current conditions associated with the operation of the different electronic equipment, wherein each IoT device transmits an indication of the current conditions via the wireless communication channel IoT is a system that transmits to the hub. As a method,
Communicatively coupling an Internet (IoT) hub to an IoT service via a wide area network (WAN);
Communicatively coupling at least one IoT device to the IoT hub via a wireless communication channel, wherein the IoT device controls designated electronic equipment via infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) communication with the electronic equipment An IR or RF blaster;
Sensing current conditions with a sensor on the IoT device, the current conditions being related to operation of the electronic equipment;
Sending the current conditions from the IoT device to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel;
Analyzing the current conditions in conjunction with user input to select remote control commands using the remote control codes at the IoT hub; And
Sending the remote control commands over the wireless communication channel from the IoT hub to the IoT device, the IoT device being responsive to controlling the electronic equipment by sending the remote control commands to the electronic equipment,
/ RTI > 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic equipment includes an air conditioner and / or a heater, the sensor includes a temperature sensor, and the current conditions include temperature. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the input from the end user provided by the user device comprises a desired temperature and the control logic generates the remote control commands to turn the air conditioner and / or the heater on or off To achieve said desired temperature. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic equipment comprises audiovisual equipment, an illuminator, a stove, a washer and / or a dryer. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the IoT hub comprises remote control code learning logic to retrieve remote control codes from a master control code database on the IoT service in response to the user entering information identifying the electronic equipment. Way. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote control code learning logic is communicatively coupled to an integrated IR / RF interface on the IoT hub, the remote control code learning logic comprising an original remote control Wherein the remote control codes are learned directly from the original remote controls by capturing remote control codes via the IR / RF interface from the remote control. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the remote control code learning logic stores the captured remote control codes in the remote control code database on the IoT hub. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the input from the user is provided to the IoT hub via the IoT service. 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. 13. The method of claim 12,
Further comprising communicatively coupling a plurality of additional IoT devices to the IoT hub, wherein each of the IoT devices is an IR or < RTI ID = 0.0 > IR < / RTI > Wherein each IoT device further comprises at least one sensor for detecting current conditions associated with the operation of the different electronic equipment, wherein each IoT device is operable to transmit, via the wireless communication channel, To the IoT hub. As a system,
An Internet (IoT) hub, said IoT hub comprising a network interface for coupling said IoT hub to an IoT service via a wide area network (WAN); And
At least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub via a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising: an IR (IoT) device for controlling environmental control equipment through infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) Or an RF blaster, wherein the IoT device further comprises at least one sensor for measuring current environmental conditions that can be controlled by the environmental control equipment, wherein the IoT device is operable, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > IoT < / RTI &
/ RTI >
Wherein the IoT hub includes a remote control code database for storing remote control codes usable for controlling the environment control equipment and the IoT hub further comprises control logic for generating remote control commands using the remote control codes Wherein the remote control commands are selected by the control logic in response to an input from an end user provided through a user device indicating the current environmental conditions and the desired environmental conditions measured by the sensor, The IoT hub transmits the commands to the IoT device via the wireless communication channel,
Wherein the IoT device is responsive to attempting to control the environmental control equipment by sending the remote control commands to the environmental control equipment,
Wherein the IoT hub 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 the specified period of time, indicating that the environmental control equipment may not be functioning properly From the IoT hub. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the environmental control equipment comprises an air conditioner and / or a heater, wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor, the current environmental conditions include a first temperature, And a second temperature that is different from the second temperature. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the notification is sent from the IoT hub to the user's data processing device. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the IoT hub is further configured to transmit one or more remote control commands to turn off the environmental control equipment if the desired environmental condition is not achieved after the designated time period. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the IoT hub comprises remote control code learning logic for retrieving remote control codes from a master control code database on the IoT service in response to the user entering information identifying the environmental control equipment , system. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the remote control code learning logic is communicatively coupled to an integrated IR / RF interface on the IoT hub, the remote control code learning logic comprising an original remote designed to operate with the remote control equipment And learning the remote control codes directly from the original remote controls by capturing remote control codes from the controls via the IR / RF interface. 29. The system of claim 28, wherein the remote control code learning logic stores the captured remote control codes in the remote control code database on the IoT hub. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the input from the user is provided to the IoT hub via the IoT service. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) communication channel. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the IoT hub is communicatively coupled to the IoT service via a cellular network connection that couples the IoT hub to the WAN. 24. The method of claim 23,
Further comprising a plurality of additional IoT devices communicatively coupled to the IoT hub, each of the IoT devices further comprising: an IR or RF controller for controlling different types of environmental control equipment through IR or RF communication with the environmental control equipment; Wherein each IoT device further comprises at least one sensor for detecting current conditions associated with the operation of the different environmental control equipment, wherein each IoT device is operable to transmit, via the wireless communication channel, And sends an indication to the IoT hub. As a method,
Communicatively coupling an Internet (IoT) hub to an IoT service via a wide area network (WAN);
Communicatively coupling at least one IoT device to the IoT hub via a wireless communication channel, wherein the IoT device is configured to control the environmental control equipment via infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) communication with the environmental control equipment Wherein the IoT device further comprises at least one sensor for measuring current environmental conditions that can be controlled by the environmental control equipment, Sending an indication of current conditions to the IoT hub;
Storing remote control codes usable for controlling the environmental control equipment in a remote control database of the IoT hub;
Generating remote control commands using the remote control codes, wherein the remote control commands are indicative of the current environmental conditions and the desired environmental conditions as measured by the sensor; an input from an end user provided through the user device Selected by the control logic in response to the control logic;
Sending commands from the IoT hub to the IoT device over the wireless communication channel; And
Transmitting the remote control commands from the IoT device to the environment control equipment in response thereto to attempt to control the environmental control equipment
/ RTI >
Wherein the IoT hub 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 the specified period of time, indicating that the environmental control equipment may not be functioning properly To generate a notification. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the environmental control equipment comprises an air conditioner and / or a heater, the sensor includes a temperature sensor, the current environmental conditions include a first temperature, And a second temperature that is different from the second temperature. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the notification is sent from the IoT hub to the user's data processing device. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the IoT hub is further configured to transmit one or more remote control commands to turn off the environmental control equipment if the desired environmental condition is not achieved after the designated time period. 35. The system of claim 34 wherein the IoT hub comprises remote control code learning logic to retrieve remote control codes from a master control code database on the IoT service in response to the user entering information identifying the environment control equipment , Way. 39. The system of claim 38, wherein the remote control code learning logic is communicatively coupled to an integrated IR / RF interface on the IoT hub, the remote control code learning logic comprising an original remote designed to operate with the remote control equipment And learning the remote control codes directly from the original remote controls by capturing remote control codes from the controls via the IR / RF interface. 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the remote control code learning logic stores the captured remote control codes in the remote control code database on the IoT hub. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the input from the user is provided to the IoT hub via the IoT service. 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. 13. The method of claim 12,
Further comprising a plurality of additional IoT devices communicatively coupled to the IoT hub, each of the IoT devices further comprising: an IR or RF controller for controlling different types of environmental control equipment through IR or RF communication with the environmental control equipment; Wherein each IoT device further comprises at least one sensor for detecting current conditions associated with the operation of the different environmental control equipment, wherein each IoT device is operable to transmit, via the wireless communication channel, And sending an indication to the IoT hub. As a system,
An Internet (IoT) hub, said IoT hub comprising a network interface for coupling said IoT hub to an IoT service via a wide area network (WAN); And
An IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub via a wireless communication channel
/ RTI >
Wherein the IoT device includes a sensor that measures a local condition that is affected by a local device in the user's home, the local device is potentially at risk if left in an on state, Communicate measurements to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel,
Wherein the control logic on the IoT hub receives the one or more measurements of the local condition from the sensor and evaluates the one or more measurements to determine whether the local device has been left on by chance, The local device is turned off in response to a determination that the local device has been left in an on state. 46. The system of claim 45, wherein the local condition comprises a temperature and the control logic determines that the local device has been left on by chance if the temperature exceeds a first specified threshold for a period longer than a specified amount of time. . 47. The system of claim 46, wherein the local device comprises a stove. 48. The system of claim 47, wherein the control logic sends the signal to the IoT device to cause the IoT device to turn off the stove. 49. The system of claim 48, wherein the IoT device turns off the stove by blocking a source of electricity or gas provided to the stove. 49. The system of claim 48, wherein the IoT device turns off the stove by wirelessly transmitting a signal to the stove. 47. The system of claim 46, wherein the control logic determines that the local device is left in an on state by chance if the temperature ever rises above a second specified threshold regardless of the amount of time. 51. The system of claim 50, wherein the radio signals comprise infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) signals generated from a blaster on the IoT device. 47. The system of claim 46, wherein the local device comprises an electric or gas heater. 46. The system of claim 45, wherein the IoT hub is configured to notify the IoT service that the local device has been left on by chance, the IoT service notifying the user that the local device has been left on by chance And sends a notification to the data processing device of the user. 55. The system of claim 54, wherein the data processing device comprises an app or browser executable code that provides the user with the ability to display the notification and to control the local device. As a method,
Providing an Internet (IoT) hub, the IoT hub including a network interface for coupling the IoT hub to the IoT service via a wide area network (WAN);
Providing an IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub via a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising a sensor measuring a local condition affected by a local device in the user's home, Wherein the IoT device communicates one or more measurements of the local condition to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel if the IoT device is accidentally left on; And
Receiving the one or more measurements of the local condition from the sensor by the control logic on the IoT hub and evaluating the one or more measurements to determine if the local device has been left on by chance, Generating a signal to turn off said local device in response to determining that said local device has been left on by chance;
/ RTI > 58. The method of claim 56, wherein the local condition comprises a temperature, and wherein the control logic determines that the local device has been left on by chance if the temperature exceeds a first specified threshold for longer than a specified amount of time. . 58. The method of claim 57, wherein the local device comprises a stove. 59. The method of claim 58, wherein the control logic sends the signal to the IoT device to cause the IoT device to turn off the stove. 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the IoT device turns off the stove by blocking a source of electricity or gas provided to the stove. 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the IoT device turns off the stove by wirelessly transmitting a signal to the stove. 58. The method of claim 57, wherein the control logic determines that the local device is left on by chance if the temperature ever rises above a second specified threshold regardless of the amount of time. 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the wireless signals comprise infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) signals generated from a blaster on the IoT device. 58. The method of claim 57, wherein the local device comprises an electric or gas heater. 57. The system of claim 56, wherein the IoT hub is configured to notify the IoT service that the local device has been left on by chance, and the IoT service notifies the user that the local device has been left on by chance And send a notification to the data processing device of the user. 55. The method of claim 54, wherein the data processing device includes an app or browser executable code that provides the user with the ability to display the notification and to control the local device. As an IoT system,
An Internet (IoT) hub, said IoT hub comprising a network interface for coupling said IoT hub to an IoT service via a first communication channel;
At least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub via a second communication channel;
Connection monitoring logic for detecting when the first communication channel between the IoT service and the IoT hub becomes inoperable; And
A notification logic for sending a notification to a data processing device of a user of the IoT system in response to the connection monitoring logic detecting that the first communication channel has failed;
. ≪ / RTI > 68. The system of claim 67, wherein the connection monitoring logic and the notification logic are implemented on the IoT service. 69. The system of claim 68, wherein the connection monitoring logic is configured to periodically send a request to the IoT hub, and determine that the first communication channel fails after the IoT hub fails to transmit a response. 70. The system of claim 69, wherein the connection monitoring logic determines that the first communication channel fails after the IoT hub fails to transmit a response after a specified number of requests. 68. The method of claim 67 wherein the first communication channel comprises a cellular network connection and the IoT hub is also communicatively coupled to the IoT service via a home Internet connection, Wherein the notification logic is configured to notify the user of a failed connection in response thereto. 72. The method of claim 71, wherein the IoT service is configured to continue to communicate with the IoT hub through the home Internet connection if the cellular network connection is determined not to work, RTI ID = 0.0 > IoT < / RTI > 73. The method of claim 72, wherein the notification logic sends the notification to the user ' s data processing device over the Internet, the data processing device receives the notification and generates a visual notification for the user on the data processing device Wherein the visual notification includes an indication of the current state of the first communication channel. As a method,
Providing an Internet (IoT) hub, the IoT hub including a network interface for coupling the IoT hub to the IoT service via a first communication channel;
Providing at least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub via a second communication channel;
Detecting when the first communication channel between the IoT service and the IoT hub becomes inoperable; And
Sending a notification to the user's data processing device in response to the connection monitoring logic detecting that the first communication channel has failed;
/ RTI > 76. The method of claim 74, wherein the detecting and transmitting operations are performed on the IoT service. 76. The method of claim 75 wherein detecting comprises periodically transmitting a request from the IoT service to the IoT hub and determining that the first communication channel fails after the IoT hub fails to transmit a response / RTI > 80. The method of claim 76, wherein a determination is made that after the specified number of requests sent from the IoT service, the first communication channel fails to operate after the IoT hub fails to send a response to the IoT service. 75. The method of claim 74, wherein the first communication channel comprises a cellular network connection, the IoT hub is also communicatively coupled to the IoT service via a home Internet connection, a failure exists for either connection, The notification logic notifying the user of the failed connection in response. 79. The system of claim 78, wherein the IoT service is configured to continue to communicate with the IoT hub through the home Internet connection if the cellular network connection is determined not to work, RTI ID = 0.0 > IoT < / RTI > 75. The method of claim 74, wherein the notification is sent over the Internet to the user's data processing device, the data processing device is an app running on the data processing device to receive the notification and generate a visual notification for the user, Browser-based program code, the visual notification comprising an indication of the current state of the first communication channel. As a Miniature Object Internet (IoT) hub,
A housing having a compact form factor;
A first network interface integrated within the housing to couple the IoT hub to the IoT service over a first communication channel;
A second network interface integrated in the housing to couple the IoT hub to at least one IoT device via a second communication channel, the second communication channel being a local wireless communication channel;
An A / C input interface for coupling the miniature IoT hub to an alternating current (A / C) power outlet;
A transformer incorporated within the housing to convert A / C power from the A / C input interface to a low voltage D / C signal; And
At least one light emitting diode (LED) powered by the low voltage D / C signal, the LED notifying a user of the current status of the IoT hub and further configurable as a user programmable night light,
Lt; / RTI > hub. 83. The IoT hub of claim 81, wherein the housing comprises a cube of 1.5 inches or less. 83. The IoT hub of claim 81, wherein the housing comprises a depth of 1 to 2 inches or less and a height of 1 to 3 inches. 83. The IoT hub of claim 81, further comprising a third network interface coupled to the A / C input interface to establish a third communication channel via the A / C power outlet. 83. The IoT hub of claim 81, further comprising program code executable on a user's data processing device to enable the user to program when the LED is turned on and off. 93. The IoT hub of claim 85, wherein the program code provides the user with the option of turning the LED on at a first designation time and turning off the LED at a second designation time. 88. The method of claim 86,
Further comprising a low power microcontroller programmable via the program code and configured to cause the LEDs to be turned on and off at the first and second designated times, respectively. 88. The method of claim 87,
Further comprising a photodetector integrated on the IoT hub to detect ambient visible light, the photodetector being communicatively coupled to the low power microcontroller, wherein the low power microcontroller is operable to allow the photodetector to detect ambient visible light And to turn on the LED in response to measuring the IoT hub. 90. The IoT hub of claim 88, wherein the low power microcontroller is further configured to turn off the LED responsive to the photodetector measuring ambient visible light above a specified threshold. 83. The method of claim 81,
An IoT hub further comprising one or more universal serial bus (USB) ports providing voltage and current that can be used to charge other electronic devices. As a method,
Providing a Miniature Object Internet (IoT) hub comprising a housing having a compact form factor;
Communicatively coupling the IoT hub to the IoT service over a first communication channel;
Communicatively coupling the IoT hub to at least one IoT device via a second communication channel, the second communication channel being a local wireless communication channel;
Electrically coupling the miniature IoT hub to an AC (A / C) power outlet to receive A / C power through an integrated A / C input interface;
Converting the A / C power from the A / C input interface to a low voltage D / C signal;
Powering at least one light emitting diode (LED) with the low voltage D / C signal; And
Further notifying the user of the current status of the IoT hub with the LED and further executing the program code to program the LED to be a programmable night illumination
/ RTI > 92. The method of claim 91, wherein the housing comprises a cube of 1.5 inches or less. 92. The method of claim 91, wherein the housing comprises a depth of 1 to 2 inches or less and a height of 1 to 3 inches. 92. The method of claim 91, further comprising communicatively coupling a third network interface to the A / C input interface to establish a third communication channel over the A / C power outlet. 92. The method of claim 91, further comprising: executing the program code on a user's data processing device to enable the user to program when the LED is turned on and off. 95. The method of claim 95 wherein the program code provides the user with the option of turning the LED on at a first designated time and turning off the LED at a second designated time. 96. The method of claim 96,
Further comprising programming the low power microcontroller in the IoT hub through the program code and to cause the LEDs to be turned on and off at the first and second designated times, respectively. 98. The method of claim 97,
Further comprising detecting ambient visible light through an integrated photodetector on the IoT hub, wherein the photodetector is communicatively coupled to the low power microcontroller, wherein the low power microcontroller is configured such that the photodetector is below a predetermined threshold Is configured to turn on the LED in response to measuring the ambient visible light. 98. The method of claim 98, wherein the low power microcontroller is further configured to turn off the LED in response to the ambient light being measured beyond a predetermined threshold. 92. The method of claim 91, further comprising providing one or more universal serial bus (USB) ports on the IoT hub to provide voltage and current that can be used to charge other electronic devices. As a system,
An Internet (IoT) hub, said IoT hub comprising a network interface for coupling said IoT hub to a IoT service via a cellular carrier, said IoT hub communicating said IoT hub via a plurality of IoT Further comprising a local communication interface for communicatively coupling to the devices; And
Cell carrier selection logic on the IoT hub for implementing a set of rules to select from among two or more cell carriers for connecting the IoT hub to the IoT service, the rules being for each of the two or more cell carriers The cost associated with the connection and the connectivity data associated with the cell connections between the IoT hub and each of the two or more cell carriers,
. ≪ / RTI > 102. The system of claim 101, wherein upon selection of a first cell carrier, the cell carrier selection logic causes the network interface to connect the IoT hub to the first cell carrier. 102. The system of claim 101, wherein the connectivity data comprises signal strength between the IoT hub and each of the cell carriers. 104. The system of claim 103, wherein the connectivity data further comprises reliability and / or performance data associated with connections between the IoT hub and each of the cell carriers. 104. The method of claim 103, wherein the rules are adapted to determine whether the cell carrier selection logic is in the lowest state as long as the connectivity data indicates that the signal strength and / or other connectivity variables associated with the lowest cost cell carrier exceed specified thresholds. A cost cell carrier. 102. The system of claim 101, wherein the IoT hub is pre-provisioned with the ability to connect to each of the two or more cell carriers. 102. The system of claim 101, wherein the set of rules is periodically updated on the IoT hub from the IoT service. 102. The system of claim 101, wherein the local communication channels comprise Bluetooth low energy (LE) communication channels. 108. The apparatus of claim 108, wherein at least one of the IoT devices comprises an IR or RF blaster controlling IR or RF communications with different types of electronic equipment with the electronic equipment, each IoT device comprising: Wherein each IoT device sends an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub via the wireless communication channel. As a method,
Programming the IoT hub with rules associated with connections with cell carriers, including rules related to cell carrier cost and / or connectivity;
Collecting data related to cell carrier cost and / or connectivity;
Executing the rules using the collected data to determine a primary cell carrier to which to connect the IoT hub; And
Connecting the IoT hub to the primary cell carrier
/ RTI > 112. The method of claim 110, wherein upon selection of a first cell carrier, the cell carrier selection logic causes the network interface to connect the IoT hub to the first cell carrier. 112. The method of claim 110, wherein the connectivity data comprises signal strength between the IoT hub and each of the cell carriers. 114. The method of claim 112, wherein the connectivity data further comprises reliability and / or performance data associated with connections between the IoT hub and each of the cell carriers. 113. The method of claim 112, wherein the rules are based on at least one of the cell carrier selection logic and the cell carrier selection logic as long as the connectivity data indicates that the signal strength and / or other connectivity variables associated with the lowest cost cell carrier exceed specified thresholds. Cost cell carrier. 112. The method of claim 110, wherein the IoT hub is pre-provisioned with the ability to connect to each of the two or more cell carriers. 112. The method of claim 110, wherein the set of rules is periodically updated on the IoT hub from the IoT service. 112. The method of claim 110, wherein the local communication channels comprise Bluetooth low energy (LE) communication channels. 117. The system of claim 117, wherein one or more of the IoT devices comprises an IR or RF blaster that controls different types of electronic equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronic equipment, each IoT device comprising: Wherein each IoT device transmits an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub via the wireless communication channel. As a system,
An Internet (IoT) hub, said IoT hub comprising a network interface for coupling said IoT hub to an IoT service, said IoT hub communicatively coupling said IoT hub to a plurality of IoT devices via local communication channels Further comprising a local communication interface for communicating,
Wherein the IoT hub receives a plurality of different events of different event types from each of the IoT devices,
Further comprising an event filter for evaluating each event and responsively responsive to the set of event filtering rules programmed on the IoT hub to determine whether to transmit the event via the network interface to one or more external services, Wherein the event filtering rules are provided by the IoT service and specify how different event types are to be handled by the IoT hub. 120. The system of claim 119, wherein the event filtering rules are at least partially specified by a user of the IoT hub. 119. The method of claim 119, wherein the one or more external services interfaces with the IoT hub via an application programming interface (API) exposed by the IoT hub, the one or more external services The system comprising: 121. The apparatus of claim 121, wherein the IoT service is configured to detect the events registered by the one or more external services, and wherein the IoT service updates the event filtering rules in response to the updated event filtering rules Providing the system. 124. The system of claim 122, wherein at least one of the events to be sent by the event filter includes an event in which notification is sent to the external service as well as to the end user's data processing device. 120. The system of claim 119, wherein the plurality of IoT devices are configured to generate different types of events including events having detected values that are greater than and less than predetermined thresholds. 123. The apparatus of claim 124, wherein the event filter transmits events with values that exceed the specified thresholds to the IoT service and / or the one or more external services, and wherein the event filter has values less than the specified thresholds The system does not transmit events. 127. The system of claim 127, wherein at least some of the events include security related events. 120. The method of claim 119, wherein the IoT service evaluates each event sent from the IoT hub and responsively responsive to the set of event filtering rules programmed on the IoT service, And an event filter for determining whether to transmit to the user devices. 127. The system of claim 127, wherein each of the external services subscribe to receive events via an API exposed by the IoT service. As a method,
Communicatively coupling the Internet of Things (IoT) hub to the IoT service via a network interface;
Communicatively coupling the IoT hub to a plurality of IoT devices via local communication channels;
Receiving a plurality of different events of different event types from each of the IoT devices at the IoT hub; And
Evaluating each event by an event filter on the IoT hub and responsively determining whether to transmit the event via the network interface to one or more external services according to a set of event filtering rules programmed on the IoT hub Wherein the event filtering rules are provided by the IoT service and specify how different event types are to be handled by the IoT hub,
/ RTI > 129. The method of claim 129, wherein the event filtering rules are at least partially specified by a user of the IoT hub. 129. The system of claim 129, wherein the one or more external services interfaces with the IoT hub via an application programming interface (API) exposed by the IoT hub, the one or more external services are notified of certain types of events Gt; 133. The apparatus of claim 131, wherein the IoT service is configured to detect the events registered by the one or more external services, the IoT service updating the event filtering rules in response to the updated event filtering rules Providing. 132. The method of claim 132, wherein at least one of the events to be sent by the event filter includes an event that a notification is sent to the end user's data processing device as well as to the external service. 133. The method of claim 131, wherein the plurality of IoT devices are configured to generate different types of events including events having detected values that are greater than and less than predetermined thresholds. 134. The apparatus of claim 134, wherein the event filter transmits events with values that exceed the specified thresholds to the IoT service and / or the one or more external services, and wherein the event filter has values less than the specified thresholds ≪ / RTI > 136. The method of claim 135, wherein at least some of the events include security related events. As a system,
An Internet (IoT) hub, said IoT hub comprising a network interface for coupling said IoT hub to an IoT service, said IoT hub communicatively coupling said IoT hub to a plurality of IoT devices via local communication channels Further comprising a local communication interface for communicating,
The IoT hub receives a plurality of different events of different event types from each of the IoT devices and transmits the events to the IoT service,
The IoT service includes an event filter that evaluates each event and responsively determines whether to send the event to one or more external services and / or user devices according to a set of event filtering rules programmed on the IoT service And wherein the event filtering rules specify how different event types are to be handled by the IoT service. 143. The system of claim 137, wherein the event filtering rules are at least partially specified by a user of the IoT hub. 143. The method of claim 137, wherein the one or more external services interfaces with the IoT service via an application programming interface (API) exposed by the IoT service, wherein the one or more external services provide notification of certain types of events The system comprising: 144. The method of claim 139, wherein the IoT service is configured to detect the events registered by the one or more external services, the IoT service updating the event filtering rules in response thereto and sending the updated event filtering rules Providing the system. 143. The system of claim 140, wherein at least one of the events to be sent by the event filter includes an event that a notification is sent to the end user's data processing device as well as to the external service. 120. The system of claim 119, wherein the plurality of IoT devices are configured to generate different types of events including events having detected values that are greater than and less than predetermined thresholds. 143. The system of claim 142, wherein the event filter transmits events with values that exceed the specified thresholds to the external services, and wherein the event filter does not send events with values less than the specified thresholds. As an IoT system,
An Internet (IoT) hub, said IoT hub comprising a network interface for coupling said IoT hub to an IoT service, said IoT hub communicatively coupling said IoT hub to a plurality of IoT devices via local communication channels Further comprising a local communication interface
The IoT hub including logic for collecting data from each of the IoT devices and controlling the IoT devices in response to user input from a plurality of different users;
User behavior data collection logic for collecting user behavior data in the IoT system, wherein the user behavior data collection logic is configured to monitor data accessed by each user from each of the IoT devices and the IoT devices controlled by each user And recording;
User profile creation logic for analyzing the user behavior data to determine a profile for each user; And
A target content generation logic for generating target content to be transmitted to each user in accordance with each determined profile,
. ≪ / RTI > 144. The system of claim 144, wherein the user behavior data collection logic is run on the IoT hub and the user behavior data is sent to the IoT service. 145. The system of claim 145, wherein the user profile creation logic is run on the IoT service or external service to generate the profile for each user. 146. The system of claim 146, wherein the target content creation logic is run on the IoT service or an external service to generate the target content to be sent to each user. 144. The system of claim 144, wherein the profile is generated for each user according to data accessed by each user in the IoT system and IoT devices controlled by each user in the IoT system. 144. The computer-readable medium of claim 144, further comprising an app or browser executable code running on a user's data processing device, wherein the user controls the IoT devices and the IoT device To access data collected by the system. 153. The system of claim 149, wherein the app or browser executable code is further configured to receive the targeted content generated based on the profile of the user and to display the targeted content to the user. 153. The system of claim 150, wherein the target content comprises one or more network links that enable the user to access additional information associated with the target content. 144. The method of claim 144, wherein the IoT service sends the user behavior data to one or more external services executing the user profile creation logic to create the profile for each user, And generate the target content based on the user profile. 153. The system of claim 152, wherein at least one of the external services sends the targeted content to a data processing device that is operated by a user. A method implemented in an IoT system,
Communicatively coupling an Internet (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to an IoT service;
Communicatively coupling the IoT hub to a plurality of IoT devices via a local communication interface over local communication channels;
Collecting data from each of the IoT devices and controlling each of the IoT devices in response to user input from a plurality of different users;
Collecting user behavior data in the IoT system by monitoring and recording the data accessed by each user from each of the IoT devices and the IoT devices controlled by each user;
Analyzing the user behavior data to determine a profile for each user; And
Generating target content to be transmitted to each user according to each determined profile
/ RTI > 156. The method of claim 154, wherein the act of collecting user behavior data is performed by the IoT hub transmitting the user behavior data to the IoT service. The method of claim 155, wherein analyzing the user behavior data and generating a profile for each user is performed by the IoT service or on an external service. 156. The method of claim 156, wherein the act of generating the target content is performed by the IoT service or on an external service. 156. The method of claim 154, wherein the profile is generated for each user according to data accessed by each user in the IoT system and IoT devices controlled by each user in the IoT system. 154. The method of claim 154, further comprising providing an app or browser executable code that runs on a user's data processing device, wherein the app or browser executable code is configured to allow the user to control the IoT devices, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > IoT < / RTI > 159. The method of claim 159, wherein the app or browser executable code is further configured to receive the targeted content generated based on the profile of the user and to display the targeted content to the user. 154. The method of claim 160, wherein the target content comprises one or more network links that enable the user to access additional information associated with the target content. 156. The method of claim 154, wherein the IoT service sends the user behavior data to one or more external services executing the user profile creation logic to generate the profile for each user, And generate the target content based on the user profile. 169. The method of claim 162, wherein at least one of the external services sends the targeted content to a data processing device that is operated by a user.

Images