DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS TO AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE

Description

[0001] This document describes a device and a corresponding method by which the position and / or the relative local proximity of a mobile user device relative to an electrical device, e.g. a household appliance, can be determined in an efficient and reliable manner, in particular to enable or prevent interaction of the user device with the electrical device.

[0002] A household appliance, such as a washing machine, dishwasher, or oven, typically includes a user interface that allows a user to interact with the appliance, for example, to select an operating program and / or to start the appliance. The user interface can include various interaction components, such as a screen and several (mechanical) controls. These components are associated with costs, both in the manufacture and maintenance of the appliance. One way to reduce the cost of a household appliance and / or increase user-friendliness is to enable the appliance's user interface to be accessed via a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone). This may eliminate the need to integrate a user interface directly into the appliance.

[0003] This document addresses the technical challenge of enabling the safe and reliable operation of an electrical appliance, in particular a household appliance, via a (possibly mobile) user device.

[0004] The problem is solved in each case by the subject matter of the independent patent claim. Advantageous embodiments are defined in particular in the dependent patent claims, described in the following description, or illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

[0005] The patent specifications EP 2 814 273 A1 and WO 2018 / 116123 A1 represent relevant prior art.

[0006] According to one aspect of the invention, a device (e.g., a server) for controlling access to an electrical appliance, in particular a household appliance, by a (possibly mobile) user device is described. The household appliance may include a washing machine, a dryer, a dishwasher, an oven, a cooktop, a cleaning robot, a refrigerator, a coffee machine, and / or a food processor. Alternatively or additionally, the electrical appliance may include a home automation device, in particular a lighting and / or ventilation control system, and / or a television. The user device may include a smartphone, a tablet PC, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, or another smart device. The device may be configured to communicate with the electrical appliance and the user device via a communication network.

[0007] The device can be configured to acquire data from electrical appliances in relation to data communication from the electrical appliance. This data communication can take place with the device and / or with one or more other devices. The electrical appliance data can be sent from the electrical appliance to the device. Alternatively or additionally, the electrical appliance data can be acquired directly from the device.

[0008] Furthermore, the device can be configured to acquire user device data related to data communication from the user device. This data communication can take place with the device and / or with one or more other devices. The user device data can be sent from the user device to the device. Alternatively or additionally, the user device data can be acquired directly by the device.

[0009] The device can also be configured to determine, based on the electrical device data and the user device data, whether the electrical device and the user device are located in a common local communication network or not. This common local communication network can be a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wireless LAN (WLAN).

[0010] Furthermore, the device can be configured to allow access by the user device to the electrical device (possibly only if) it is determined that the electrical device and the user device are located in a common local communication network. Conversely, the device can be configured to prevent access by the user device to the electrical device if it is determined that the electrical device and the user device are not located in a common local communication network.

[0011] In particular, the device can be configured to allow a user interface of the electrical device (with which the electrical device can be operated by a user) to be provided via the user device if it is determined that the electrical device and the user device are located in a common local communication network. Furthermore, the device can be configured to prevent the user device from being used as a user interface of the electrical device if it is determined that the electrical device and the user device are not located in a common local communication network.

[0012] The device is thus configured to check, via the electrical device data and the user device data, whether the user device is in close proximity to (i.e., within the same local communication network as) the electrical device. Only in this case is the user device allowed to access the electrical device, for example, to control it. This ensures the reliable and safe operation of the electrical device. Furthermore, it may eliminate the need for a user interface in the electrical device.

[0013] The electrical device data can display at least part of a first IP address through which the electrical device is reachable by a communication partner outside the local communication network in which the electrical device is located (in particular, by the device itself). Similarly, the user device data can display at least part of a second IP address through which the user device is reachable by a communication partner outside the local communication network in which the user device is located (in particular, by the device itself). The portion of the first IP address and / or the portion of the second IP address can each comprise a public IPv4 address or a prefix of an IPv6 address.

[0014] The device can be configured to compare the first IP address with the second IP address in order to determine, in a particularly reliable manner, whether the electrical device and the user device are in a common local communication network or not.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, the electrical device data can include the initial transit time of a data communication between the electrical device and the device. Similarly, the user device data can include the second transit time of a data communication between the user device and the device. These transit times can be average transit times for a multiple of messages (to compensate for static fluctuations in transit times).

[0016] The device can be configured to compare the first and second transit times to determine whether the electrical device and the user device are on a common local area communication network. For example, it can be determined that the electrical device and the user device are on a common local area communication network if the first and second transit times differ by less than a threshold value. Conversely, it can be determined that the electrical device and the user device are not on a common local area communication network if the first and second transit times differ by more than the threshold value.By taking transit times (especially latencies) into account, it is possible to determine in a particularly reliable way whether the electrical device and the user device are located in a common local communication network.

[0017] The electrical device data can display a first hostname of a host through which communication with the electrical device is possible. Similarly, the user device data can display a second hostname of a host through which communication with the user device is possible. The hostnames can be determined, for example, using reverse DNS lookup.

[0018] The device can be configured to compare the first hostname and the second hostname to determine (in a particularly reliable manner) whether the electrical device and the user device are in a common local communication network or not.

[0019] The electrical device data may include an initial list of other devices communicating within the local communication network where the electrical device is located. This initial list may have been determined by the electrical device and sent to the device. Similarly, the user device data may include a second list of other devices communicating within the local communication network where the user device is located. This second list may also have been determined by the user device and sent to the device. Both the initial and the second lists may contain MAC addresses of one or more other devices.

[0020] The device can be configured to determine, based on the first list and the second list, whether the electrical device and the user device are located in a common local area communication network (LAN). In particular, the device can be configured to determine the degree of overlap between the first and second lists. It can then be determined with particular precision, based on the degree of overlap, whether the electrical device and the user device are located in a common LAN. For example, it can be determined that the electrical device and the user device are located in a common LAN if the degree of overlap is greater than a certain overlap threshold (e.g., 80%).On the other hand, it can be determined that the electrical device and the user device are not in a common local communication network if the degree of overlap is less than the overlap threshold. This allows for a particularly high degree of accuracy in determining whether the electrical device and the user device are in a common local communication network or not.

[0021] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for controlling access to an electrical device by a (possibly mobile) user device is described. The method includes determining data from the electrical device relating to its data communication. Furthermore, the method includes determining data from the user device relating to its data communication. The method also includes determining, based on the electrical device data and the user device data, whether the electrical device and the user device are located in a common local communication network. Finally, the method includes enabling access by the user device to the electrical device when it is determined that the electrical device and the user device are located in a common local communication network.

[0022] It should be noted that any aspect of the device and method described in this document can be combined in a variety of ways. In particular, the features of the claims can be combined in a variety of ways.

[0023] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for remote control of a household appliance (as an example of an electrical appliance); Figure 2 is an exemplary local network in a household; and Figure 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary procedure for controlling access to a household appliance (as an example of an electrical appliance).

[0024] As stated at the beginning, this document deals with the safe and reliable control of a household appliance (as an example of an electrical device) using a mobile user device. In this context, it shows Fig. 1 An exemplary system 100 with a household appliance 110 (as an example of an electrical appliance) and a (possibly mobile) user device 120 (e.g., a smartphone). To enable safe operation of the household appliance 110 via a software application on the user device 120, a condition can be imposed that operation is only possible if the user device 120 is located near the household appliance 110. In particular, it can be required that the household appliance 110 and the user device 120 are located within the same local network 131, especially within the same Local Area Network (LAN) or Wireless LAN.

[0025] Fig. 1 Figure 130 shows an exemplary router configured to connect different devices 110 and 120, in particular the home appliance 110 and the user device 120, within a local network 131. In other words, the router 130 enables communication between the home appliance 110 and the user device 120 within a shared local network 131. For this purpose, the home appliance 110 and the user device 120 can each be connected to the router 130 via a local communication link 132. The router 130 can also enable a remote communication link 142 via the internet 140 with a central unit 150 (e.g., a backend server). The central unit 150 is also referred to as the "device" in this document. The home appliance 110 and the user device 120 can be configured to communicate with each other via the central unit 150.In particular, the household appliance 110 can be controlled by the user device 120 via the central unit 150. Alternatively or additionally, data can be transmitted from the household appliance 110 to the user device 120 (indirectly) via the central unit 150.

[0026] The central unit 150 can be configured to check whether the household appliance 110 and the user device 120 are located on the same local network 131. For this purpose, the household appliance 110 and the user device 120 can each establish a communication connection 132, 142 with the central unit 150. One or more parameters of the respective communication connection 132, 142 can be determined to check whether both devices 110, 120 are located on the same local network 131.

[0027] If it is determined that the appliance 110 and the user device 120 are located on the same local network 131, the user device 120 can be allowed to access and / or control the appliance 110. Conversely, if it is detected that the appliance 110 and the user device 120 are not located on the same local network 131, access to the appliance 110 can be blocked. This enables secure control of the appliance 110 by a mobile user device 120.

[0028] It can be checked, based on one or more parameters of the communication links 132, 142 of the household appliance 110 or the user device 120 with the central unit 150, whether both devices 110, 120 are in the same local network 131 or not.

[0029] Examples of client-determined parameters include data values ​​that the respective clients (i.e., the user device 120 or the home device 110) determine themselves. However, these parameters can potentially be manipulated, so a client-determined parameter can typically only be used as an (additional) indicator to determine whether both devices 110 and 120 are on the same local network 131. Examples of client-determined parameters are: BSSID (Basic Service Set Identification): A 6-byte MAC address of the WLAN access point 130 to which the respective device 110, 120 is connected. This parameter is not available for wired devices and not when using a repeater in a WLAN. SSID (Service Set Identifier): A string of up to 32 bytes that provides a human-readable value for the network name. It should be noted that a repeater may have a different network name, and therefore different SSIDs may be detected even though both devices 110, 120 are on the same local network 131. Visible WLAN SSID. Geolocation: Approximate position of the respective client determined via sensors ("GPS") or software-based methods ("IPlocation database"). However, this requires the installation of corresponding sensors in a household device 110.

[0030] On the other hand, one or more server-determined parameters (which can be determined by the central processing unit 150) can be used to reliably verify whether both devices 110 and 120 are located on the same local network 131. Examples of server-determined parameters are: The remote IP address of the connection 142 between the respective device 110, 120 and the central unit 150. The home device 110 and the user device 120 each establish a bidirectional communication connection 132, 142 with the central unit 150. The (external) IP address of the respective device 110, 120 (which typically corresponds to the (external) IP address of the router 130) can then be determined (even if both devices 110, 120 use different IP protocols, i.e., IPv4 and IPv6). This allows for a reliable determination of whether both devices 110, 120 are on the same local network 131. The latency or runtime of the respective communication connection 132, 142 at the application layer level can then be determined. The central unit 150 can be configured to repeatedly, especially periodically, check how long the user device 120 or the household appliance 110 takes to respond to a request (e.g. a so-called "ping").If both devices 110 and 120 are located on the same local network 131, then the response times (i.e., the latency) of both devices 110 and 120 should be approximately the same. Averages, especially moving averages, can be calculated and compared across the response times of multiple requests. This helps to smooth out statistical fluctuations. DNS (Domain Name Server) entry and / or hostname. For IP addresses, a reverse DNS lookup can be performed to determine the hostname(s) associated with a specific IP address. This can be done regardless of the IP version used.

[0031] Within the IP version IPv4, a router 130 typically has a single public IPv4 address, which is used for the communication link 132, 142 of the user device 120 and for the communication link 132, 142 of the home device 110 when both devices 110, 120 are connected to the same router 130.

[0032] In the IPv6 version, a local network 131 is typically assigned a 64-bit prefix, which is then assigned to all clients 110 and 120 on that network. Each client 110 and 120 uses this prefix in their IPv6 addresses, thus uniquely assigning them to the local network 131. Therefore, it can be reliably verified, based on the IP address prefix, whether devices 110 and 120 are on the same local network 131 or not.

[0033] Alternatively or additionally, parameters of the network connections 132, 142 of the household appliance 110 and the user device 120 to the respective access point 130 and to one or more other devices 210 in the vicinity can be determined, as exemplified in Fig. 2 The parameters can be transmitted to the central unit 150, and the central unit 150 can be configured to check, based on the parameters, whether the home appliance 110 and the user device 120 are in the same local network 131 or not.

[0034] Metadata from the data traffic in the local network 131 (especially LAN or WLAN) of the household appliance 110 or the user device 120 can be intercepted with one or more other devices 210. While decoding the user data may not be possible due to (optional) encryption, the communication partners 210 can be identified based on their respective device addresses, especially their MAC addresses.

[0035] The household appliance 110 and the user device 120 can each be configured to monitor data traffic within their respective local network 131 in a so-called monitor mode. In this mode, the sender MAC address and the receiver MAC address can be determined for each data connection. The household appliance 110 and the user device 120 can thus each generate a list of sender MAC addresses and receiver MAC addresses of other devices 210 communicating within their respective local network 131. Based on the Service Set Identifier (SSID), it can be verified whether another device 210 is located within the same local network 131.

[0036] The MAC address lists of the user device 120 and the home appliance 110 can be transmitted to the central unit 150 and compared by the central unit 150. The degree of overlap between the two lists can then be determined. If the degree of overlap of the other devices 210 in both lists is greater than a certain threshold (e.g., 80% or more), it can be concluded that the user device 120 and the home appliance 110 are on the same local network 131. Furthermore, as an additional criterion, it can be checked whether the home appliance 110 and the user device 120 are connected to the same access point 130 and / or the same SSID. This can be verified based on the Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID).

[0037] The degree of coverage of both lists of devices 210, i.e., determining the intersection of both lists of devices 210, provides a reliable criterion to verify whether the home appliance 110 and the user device 120 are located on the same local network 131. In particular, this criterion is relatively secure with respect to relay attacks.

[0038] It is possible that another device 210 is indirectly connected to the router 130 via a repeater. The repeater may have a different SSID. Nevertheless, the home device 110 and the user device 120 can each determine a list of MAC addresses of the devices 210 that are visible to them. Other devices 210 that communicate exclusively with each other via the repeater may not be visible to the home device 110 or the user device 120.

[0039] If a repeater is used, an Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID) can be used to indicate that all access devices (repeater, router 130, etc.) broadcast the same SSID to inform WLAN clients of the network name 131. In this case, the ESSID can be used to reliably determine whether another device 210 is on the same local network 131 as the home device 110 or the user device 120.

[0040] Fig. 3Figure 300 shows a flowchart of an exemplary (possibly computer-implemented) procedure 300 for controlling access to an electrical device 110 (in particular a household appliance) by a mobile user device 120. The procedure 300 comprises retrieving 301 electrical device data relating to data communication of the electrical device 110, as well as retrieving 302 user device data relating to data communication of the user device 120. The electrical device data and / or the user device data may include or display one or more of the aforementioned parameters (e.g., public IP address, list of MAC addresses, runtimes or latencies, etc.).

[0041] Furthermore, the procedure 300 includes determining 303, based on the electrical device data and the user device data, whether the electrical device 110 and the user device 120 are located in a common local communication network 131 or not. The procedure 300 also includes enabling 304 access by the user device 120 to the electrical device 110 (possibly only if) it is determined that the electrical device 110 and the user device 120 are located in a common local communication network 131.

[0042] The measures described in this document enable reliable and secure control of an electrical device 110 by a mobile user device 120. This ensures that the user of the electrical device 110 remains in close proximity to it. Furthermore, the costs for the user interface of the electrical device 110 can be reduced.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. In particular, it should be noted that the description and the figures are intended only to illustrate the principle of the proposed method and the proposed apparatus. The scope of protection claimed is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Apparatus (150) for controlling the access to an electrical appliance (110) by a user device (120); wherein the apparatus (150) is configured so as: - to determine electrical appliance data with regard to a data communication of the electrical appliance (110); and - to determine user device data with regard to a data communication of the user device (120); characterised in that - the electrical appliance data comprises a first list of other appliances / devices (210) which communicate within a local communication network (131), in which the electrical appliance (110) is arranged; - the user device data comprises a second list of other appliances / devices (210) which communicate within a local communication network (131) in which the user device (120) is arranged; - on the basis of the first list and on the basis of the second list to establish whether or not the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131); and - to render possible an access of the user device (120) to the electrical appliance (110) if it is established that the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131).

2. Apparatus (150) according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus (150) is configured so as to prevent an access of the user device (120) to the electrical appliance (110) if it is established that the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are not located in a common local communication network (131).

3. Apparatus (150) according to a preceding claim, wherein - the electrical appliance data comprises data with regard to a data communication of the electrical appliance (110) with the apparatus (150); and - the user device data comprises data with regard to a data communication of the user device (120) with the apparatus (150).

4. Apparatus (150) according to a preceding claim, wherein - the electrical appliance data indicates at least a part of a first IP address via which the electrical appliance (110) can be reached by a communication partner outside the local communication network (131) in which the electrical appliance (110) is arranged; and - the user device data indicates at least a part of a second IP address via which the user device (120) can be reached by a communication partner outside the local communication network (131) in which the user device (120) is arranged; and - the apparatus (150) is configured so as to compare the first IP address with the second IP address in order to establish whether or not the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131).

5. Apparatus (150) according to claim 4, wherein the part of the first IP address and / or the part of the second IP address each comprise a public IPv4 address or a prefix of an IPv6 address.

6. Apparatus (150) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the electrical appliance data comprises a first run time of a data communication of the electrical appliance (110) with the apparatus (150); - the user device data comprises a second run time of a data communication of the user device (120) with the apparatus (150); and - the apparatus (150) is configured so as to compare the first run time and the second run time with one another in order to establish whether or not the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131).

7. Apparatus (150) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the electrical appliance data indicates a first host name of a host via which it is possible to communicate with the electrical appliance (110); - the user device data indicates a second host name of a host via which it is possible to communicate with the user device (120); and - the apparatus (150) is configured so as to compare the first host name and the second host name with one another in order to establish whether or not the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131).

8. Apparatus (150) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus (150) is configured so as: - to determine an extent of the overlap of the first list and the second list; and - in dependence upon the extent of the overlap to establish whether or not the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131).

9. Apparatus (150) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first list and the second list each comprise MAC addresses of one or multiple other appliances / devices (210).

10. Apparatus (150) according to a preceding claim, wherein the apparatus (150) is configured so as: - to render possible that a user interface of the electrical appliance (110) is provided via the user device (120) if it is established that the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131); and / or - to prevent that the user device (120) can be used as a user interface of the electrical appliance (110) if it is established that the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are not located in a common local communication network (131).

11. Apparatus (150) according to a preceding claim, wherein the common local communication network (131) is a local area network, in short LAN, or a wireless LAN, in short WLAN.

12. Apparatus (150) according to a preceding claim, wherein: - the electrical appliance (110) comprises a household appliance, and / or an appliance / device for home automation; and / or - the user device (120) comprises a smartphone or a tablet PC or a desktop PC or a laptop PC or a smart device.

13. Method (300) for controlling the access to an electrical appliance (110) by a user device (120); wherein the method (300) comprises: - determining (301) electrical appliance data with regard to a data communication of the electrical appliance (110); and - determining (302) user device data with regard to a data communication of the user device (120); characterised by the steps - establishing (303) on the basis of the electrical appliance data and on the basis of the user device data whether or not the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131); and - allowing (304) an access of the user device (120) to the electrical appliance (110) if it is established that the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131); - wherein the electrical appliance data comprises a first list of other appliances / devices (210) which communicate within the local communication network (131) in which the electrical appliance (110) is arranged; - the user device data comprises a second list of other appliances / devices (210) which communicate within the local communication network (131) in which the user device (120) is arranged; and - on the basis of the first list and on the basis of the second list it is established whether or not the electrical appliance (110) and the user device (120) are located in a common local communication network (131).