WO2020120255A1

WO2020120255A1 - A communication method

Info

Publication number: WO2020120255A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/083654
Authority: WO
Inventors: Serkan AKDEMIR; Batuhan EKE; Deniz MARLALI; Ridvan OZAYDIN; Gizem SAHIN; Melike SEVEN; Kazim ULUSOY
Original assignee: Siemens Sanayi Ve Ticaret A. S.
Priority date: 2018-12-10
Filing date: 2019-12-04
Publication date: 2020-06-18
Also published as: TR201818982A2

Abstract

A communication method for sending commands of a user (U) to an agent (MRA1, MRA2), characterized by comprising the steps of; - generating at least one user account (ACC) through an online platform (PF), wherein at least one agent message box (AMB1, AMB2), having a tenant (T1, T2) and security scopes (S), is defined to said user account (ACC); - assigning id number (ID1, ID2) of at least one agent (MRA1, MRA2), to be controlled by the user (U), to the tenant (T1, T2) of said user (U); - through said platform (PF), receiving at least one user command ( C M D ) w i t h i d number (CID1, CID2) of at least one agent (MRA1, MRA2); - creating an agent message (MSG) for each of the agents (MRA1, MRA2), whose id number (CID1, CID2) are received, if id number (ID1, ID2) of s a i d agent (MRA1, MRA2) is present at the tenant (T1) of said user (U); - storing created agent message (MSG) at the agent message box (AMB1, AMB2) of the user (U); - by agent (MRA1, MRA2), requesting (REQ_MSG) received agent message (MSG) from said platform (PF); - comparing the id number (ID1, ID2) of the agent (MRA1, MRA2), requesting agent message (REQ_MSG), with the id number (CID1, CID2) received with the user command (CMD); - if id number (ID1, ID2) of the agent (MRA1, MRA2), requesting agent message (REQ_MSG), matches with the id number (CID1, CID2) received with the user command, sending (SEND_M S G ) the agent message ( M S G ) corresponding said user command (CMD) from agent message box (AMB1, AMB2) to the agent (MRA1, MRA2), requesting agent message.

Description

A COMMUNICATION METHOD

TECHNICAL FIELD

Present invention is related to a method for providing communication between a user and an agent (such as an IoT device).

The communication framework is provided by an online or cloud platform, like the Siemens MindSphere for managing IoT processes and devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the developing technology, electronic devices are able to connect a network and able to receive commands through said network connection. Such devices are commonly referred as internet of things (IoT) devices. In order to control an IoT device through a network (such as internet), at least one control command needed to be sent from a user to said IoT device safely. In order to provide a safe communication between the user and IoT device, some challenges should be handled.

One of said challenges is interoperability. Different IoT devices may use different protocols for communication. Therefore, a standard protocol, that is suitable for majority of the devices, is needed for the communication. Another challenge is reliability. Even in an unstable network connection, it is desired that commands are safely reached to the IoT device. Moreover, users should be informed that their commands reached to the IoT device safely. Another challenge is scalability. High number of IoT devices may needed to be handled at the same time. One other challenge is security. A command should be received only from a permitted user and send to only permitted devices. Other challenges are ease of use and message validity. A command may be needed to send to multiple parties at the same time and a command may be needed to be valid for a period of time.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION In order to handle such challenges, there are several methods proposed. One of the proposed models is pull model communication. In pull model communication, user commands are received by a server and devices to be controlled pulls said commands. Another known model is push model communication. In this model, server pushes the received commands to the device. Although said models handles some of said challenges, they are unable to handle all of them at the same time. Therefore, there is a need for a communication method handling said challenges.

The object of the present invention is to provide a communication method for sending commands from a user to an agent.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication method handling interoperability challenges, which are, whether a system uses a standard protocol underlying so that majority of the devices can use it.

Yet further object of the present invention is to provide a communication method handling reliability challenges, which are measures e.g. to guarantee the delivery of the messages within a system, even the network of the system in the system environment not stable.

Moreover, reliability challenges are, for instance, measures to manage a lost state of an agent, in the case that a message is received but the agent lost its state before taking any action. This can be especially important for low power, low storage devices.

Yet further object of the present invention is to provide a communication method handling scalability challenges, which are for instance the ability to handle a high number of devices at the same time.

Yet further object of the present invention is to provide a communication method handling security challenges, which are necessary to ensure that a message is only received by an intended party, or to prevent a man-in-the -middle-attack, or further, make sure that an IoT device receives messages from a permitted user only.

Yet further object of the present invention is to provide a communication method handling ease of use challenges, i.e. usability challenges, are e.g. measures to send a message to multiple parties at the same time.

Yet further object of the present invention is to provide a communication method handling message validity challenges, which are for instance measures to send messages, which are only valid for a predefined period of time?

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a communication method for sending commands of a user to an agent is provided. Said communication method comprise the steps of, generating at least one user account through an online platform, wherein at least one agent message box, having a tenant and security scopes, is defined to said user account; assigning id number of at least one agent, to be controlled by the user, to the tenant of said user; through said platform, receiving at least one user command with id number of at least one agent; creating an agent message for each of the agents, whose id number are received, if id number of said agent is present at the tenant of said user; storing created agent message at the agent message box of the user; by agent, requesting receiving agent message from said platform; comparing the id number of the agent, requesting agent message, with the id number received with the user command; if id number of the agent, requesting agent message, matches with the id number received with the user command, sending the agent message corresponding said user command from agent message box to the agent, requesting agent message.

A user account is a data representation of a user, usually including an user id and access credentials, and for instance in addition access rights to use assigned system resources.

A message box can be a data service, hosted by an online platform of a communication system, for storing incoming and outgoing messages.

A tenant is an entity authorized for using the system. The tenant can be seen for instance as a registered and approved user at the online platform with respective access rights for input and/or output of data to and/or from the system. Thus, each customer of the platform is assigned to its own tenant.

The tenant information can store for instance the parameters like a tenant type (user, developer, operator), a prefix (ID which is used to identify relevant code components) or an entity information of the tenant (name, location, URL, etc.).

Security scopes can be, for instance, measures to protect the online platform and the system against unauthorized access of data, against interception, against manipulation or deception of data transmission, e.g. in sent messages within the system. For instance, PKI encryption and access credentials can be applied.

The steps of the method can also be arranged in different ways, which are not shown here, and still obtaining the advantages of the invention. Thus, the method claimed is not limited the step sequence of claim 1. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the agent message is stored the agent message box with the received id numbers. This enables a further simplification and a further comparison of ids numbers can be omitted optionally.

According to the present invention, communication between the user and agent is provided through an online platform, which uses representational state transfer communication.

Representational state transfer (REST) is a software architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be used for creating Web services. Web services that conform to the REST architectural style, called RESTful Web services, provide interoperability between computer systems on the Internet. RESTful Web services allow the requesting systems to access and manipulate textual representations of Web resources by using a uniform and predefined set of stateless operations.

By using a stateless protocol and standard operations, RESTful systems aim for fast performance, reliability, and the ability to grow by reusing components that can be managed and updated without affecting the system as a whole, even while it is running.

Moreover, user commands are directed to correct agents using id number of the agents. Therefore, different challenges are handled by the communication method of the present invention.

Furthermore, the agent message box according to the invention sends messages with a quality of service parameter. For instance, the QoS parameter provides users two different ways to send messages:

• QoS:0 Best Effort (Fire and Forget): a message is created for an agent, the agent polls, gets messages, backend never sends same message again.

• QoS:l Confirmed Delivery (Waiting for Acknowledgement): a message is created for an agent, the agent polls and gets messages, persist them and acknowledge the message if agent does not send acknowledgement to the backend, backend will return the same message whenever agent polls its messages.

Another advantage of the agent message box according to the invention sends messages with a“TTF” (time to live in seconds) parameter so that expired, irrelevant messages will not be sent to the agent.

Internet of things (IoT) devices are electronic devices that can connect a network and receive user commands through said connection. In order to provide a safe connection between the IoT devices and users, some challenges (especially interoperability, reliability, scalability, security, handling ease of use and message validity challenges) are needed to be handled. Therefore, with the present invention, a communication method that handles said challenges is provided.

Communication method of the present invention comprises the steps of, generating at least one user account through an online platform, wherein at least one agent message box, having a tenant and security scopes, is defined to said user account; assigning id number of at least one agent, to be controlled by the user, to the tenant of said user; through said platform, receiving at least one user command with id number of at least one agent; creating an agent message for each of the agents, whose id number are received, if id number of said agent is present at the tenant of said user; storing created agent message at the agent message box of the user; by agent, requesting receiving agent message from said platform; comparing the id number of the agent, requesting agent message, with the id number received with the user command; if id number of the agent, requesting agent message, matches with the id number received with the user command, sending the agent message corresponding said user command from agent message box to the agent, requesting agent message.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said online platform uses REST (Representational state transfer) for communication, which is based on HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). In this embodiment, for different users, different user accounts are generated. Each user account comprises at least one agent message box, having a tenant and security scopes. Then, id numbers of the agents (for example IoT devices) to be controlled by the user are assigned to the tenant of the user. In the tenant of the user, id numbers of all agents, which are able to be controlled by said user, are stored. When a user wants to send a command to an agent, said user sends command with the id number of the related agent to the platform. In order to do so, user may have to authenticate first. When a user command and agent id number is received, it is checked that whether the user is permitted to control the agent, whose id number is received. If the received id number is present at the tenant of the user, it means that user is permitted said agent. In this situation, an agent message is generated and stored at the agent message box of the user. Said agent message comprises user command(s) and received id number. Agents try to receive any command sent to them by requesting receiving agent message from the platform. This process preferably periodically repeated. When an agent request is received by the platform, access token of the agent is checked. Said access token holds the id number information and tenant. In number of the agent is compared with the id numbers stored on the agent message box. If id number of the agent is matched with an id number stored on the agent message box, related agent message is sent to the agent. According to the present invention, since HTTP protocol is used and since HTTP is a de facto standard in web technologies, interoperability challenges are able to be handled. Moreover, since HTTP uses TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) which is a reliable transport layer protocol, reliability challenges are also able to be handled. Communication is also secured by the SSL/TLS standard therefore a malicious third party can’t eavesdrop the communication which provides handling security challenges. Moreover, scaling challenges are able to be handled as well. Since communication is provided through an online platform and user commands are received with id numbers, ease of use challenges are able to be handled. In addition, since id number is checked when receiving user command and sending the agent message to the agent, security challenges are handled more reliably.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said communication method comprises the step of sending an acknowledgement message from agent to the platform after the step of sending the agent message corresponding said user command from agent message box to the agent. In this embodiment, said acknowledgement message may comprise quality of service (QoS) level information. Therefore, it is ensured that agent message is received by the agent and necessary actions are performed. In other words, reliability challenges are handled.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, agent messages have time to live attribute. In other words, after validity duration, an agent message is expired whether it is sent to an agent or not. Therefore, message validity challenges are able to be handled as well.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, when an agent message is sent to related agent, said agent message is deleted from the agent message box. This deletion is preferably performed after an acknowledgement message is received by the platform. Alternatively, when the agent message is expired after said validity duration, said agent message is deleted from the agent message box as well.

According to the present invention, communication between the user and agent is provided through an online platform, which uses representational state transfer communication. Moreover, user commands are directed to correct agents using id number of the agents. Therefore, different challenges are handled by the communication method of the present invention. EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The figure shows an embodiment of the communication method according to the invention for sending a command CMD of a user U to a first and second agent MRAl, MRA2 with following steps. Basically, there are no theoretical limitations on the number of users or agents.

First, a user account ACC is generated, initiated by a GEN procedure through an online platform PF, which provides a communication capability preferably based on the REST (Representational State Transfer) principle.

The user account ACC comprises a first agent message box AMB1, having a first tenant T1 and security scopes S, i.e. a secure environment for storing and accessing data at the first agent message box AMB1, e.g. by PKI encrypted data structures at the online platform.

The second user account comprises further a second agent message box AMB2, having a second tenant T2 and security scopes S.

In theory, different security mechanisms are applicable, e.g. for different security levels of users.

Subsequently, a first agent id number ID1 of at first agent MRAl is assigned to the first tenant T1 and a second id agent number ID2 of at second agent MRA2 is assigned to the first tenant T1 of the user U. The user U is in charge of linking logically the first and second agent id number ID1, ID2 with the respective first and second agent MRAl, MRA2.

It is remarked that the invention also works with one single agent or even more agents.

The same applies to the number of users.

When a user submits a user command CMD with a given first command id number CID1 of the first agent MRAl as well as a given second command id number CID2 of the second agent MRA2, the platform PF receives the user command CMD with the given first and second command id number CID1, CID2.

The platform PF creates an agent message MSG(CMD(ID1)) and MSG(CMD(ID2)) for each of the first and second agents MRAl, MRA2, whose given first and second command id numbers CID1, CID2 are received, if the respective first and second agent id number ID1, ID2 of said first or second agent MRAl, MRA2 is present at the first and second tenant Tl, T2 of said user U. With other words, the given first and second command id numbers CID1, CID2 are compared with the respective first or second agent id number IDf , ID2.

The platform PF stores the created agent message MSG(CMD(ID1)), MSG(CMD(ID2)) at the respective first and second agent message box AMB1, AMB2 of the user U;

It is remarked that a creation of the agent message MSG(CMD(IDI)), MSG(CMD(ID2)) is equivalent to an agent message MSG(CMD(CID1)), MSG(CMD(CID2))

Optionally, the platform PF sends a notification message NOTIFY(MSG(IDl)), NOTIFY (MSG(ID2), preferably by a broadcast mechanism to all addressed first and second agents MRAl, MRA2. This optional step can be omitted, if the first and second agents MRAl, MRA2 actively performs, e.g. periodically a check at the platform PF whether new messages have been arrived.

The respective first and second agent MRAl, MRA2 requests to receive the respective agent message MSG(CMD(ID1)), MSG(CMD(ID2)) from said platform PF;

After comparing the respective first and second agent id number ID1, ID2 of the first and second agent MRAl, MRA2, the agent message MSG(CMD(ID1)), MSG(CMD(ID2)) is requested using the respective first or second command id number CID1, CID2 received with the user command CMD.

It is remarked that the sequence of comparisons between ID1, ID2 and CID1, CID2 is adaptable.

If the respective first and second agent id number ID1, ID2 of the first and second agent MRAl, MRA2, which is requesting the agent message MSG(CMD(ID1)), MSG(CMD(ID2)), matches with the respective first and second command id number CID1, CID2 received with the user command CMD, the agent message MSG corresponding said user command CMD is sent from the respective first or second agent message box AMB1, AMB2 to the respective first or second agent MRAl, MRA2, requesting the respective agent message MSG. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS:

ACC user account

ACK_MSG acknowledge message reception

AMB 1 , AMB2 agent message box

CMD1, CMD2 user command

CID 1 , CID2 command id number

GEN generate a user account

ID 1 , ID2 agent id number

MRA1, MRA2 message receive agent

MSG message, e.g. with command

NOTIFY notify agent about available new message

PF Online platform

QOS quality of service attribute

REQ MSG request message

REST Representational State Transfer

S security framework

SEND_MSG send message

T1, T2 tenant

TTL time to life attribute

U User

Claims

1. A communication method for sending commands of a user (U) to an agent (MRAl, MRA2), characterized by comprising the steps of;

- generating at least one user account (ACC) through an online platform (PF), wherein at least one agent message box (AMB1, AMB2), having a tenant (Tl, T2) and security scopes (S), is defined to said user account (ACC);

- assigning id number (ID1, ID2) of at least one agent (MRAl, MRA2), to be controlled by the user (U), to the tenant (Tl, T2) of said user (U);

- through said platform (PF), receiving at least one user command (CMD) with id number (CID1, CID2) of at least one agent (MRAl, MRA2);

- creating an agent message (MSG) for each of the agents (MRAl, MRA2), whose id number (CID1, CID2) are received, if id number (ID1, ID2) of said agent (MRAl, MRA2) is present at the tenant (Tl) of said user (U);

- storing created agent message (MSG) at the agent message box (AMB1, AMB2) of the user (U);

- by agent (MRAl, MRA2), requesting (REQ_MSG) received agent message (MSG) from said platform (PF);

- comparing the id number (ID1, ID2) of the agent (MRAl, MRA2), requesting agent message (REQ MSG), with the id number (CID1, CID2) received with the user command (CMD);

- if id number (ID1, ID2) of the agent (MRAl, MRA2), requesting agent message (REQ MSG), matches with the id number (CID1, CID2) received with the user command, sending (SEND_MSG) the agent message (MSG) corresponding said user command (CMD) from agent message box (AMB1, AMB2) to the agent (MRAl, MRA2), requesting agent message.

2. A communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that said online platform (PF) uses representational state transfer for communication (REST).

3. A communication method according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the step of sending an acknowledgement message (ACK MSG) from agent (MRAl, MRA2) to the platform (PF) after the step of sending (SEND) the agent message (MSG) corresponding said user command (CMD) from agent message box (AMB1, AMB2) to the agent (MRAl, MRA2).

4. A communication method according to claim 3, characterized in that said acknowledgement message (ACK MAG) comprises quality of service (QOS) level information.

5. A communication method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the agent request message (REQ MSG) has time to live attribute (TTL).

6. A communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that when an agent message (MSG) is sent to related agent (MRAl, MRA2), said agent message (MSG) is deleted from the agent message box (AMB1, AMB2).