Method for connecting an IoT device to an IoT device management entity
By filtering IoT devices at the access point using white and black lists, the method addresses communication congestion in IoT systems, enhancing the efficiency and security of the onboarding process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- VUSIONGROUP
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-25
Smart Images
Figure IB2024000756_25062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] DESCRIPTION
[0002] TITLE : Method for connecting an loT device to an loT device management entity
[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD
[0004] The invention relates to the field of loT (Internet of Things) systems in a store such as a supermarket, a retail outlet in a shopping centre or any other business premises. Particularly, the invention relates to a computer-implemented method for connecting an loT device to an loT system.
[0005] STATE OF THE ART loT devices, for example electronic display devices such as electronic shelf labels or video shelf rails, are used in systems for a variety of tasks at a point of sale and vastly improve the shopping experience. These can be used, for example, to advertise products, to draw customer’s attention to a product or to present product and price information in real-time.
[0006] Therefore, the number of loT devices in stores is growing enormously and rapidly. Today, a single store can house millions of loT devices.
[0007] Each loT device must be connected to an loT system in the shop before it can be used. To do this, a process, called on-boarding, for connecting the loT device to the loT system is executed, said process comprising a step of emitting, by said loT device, an on-boarding request, to the loT device management system through an access point.
[0008] However, the increase in the number of loT devices in a same shop, as well as the development of technologies using similar protocols are clogging up the loT device management system and the communication channel between the access point and the loT device management system. The presence of malicious and / or unwanted devices that spam the loT device management system by sending numerous invalid requests also contributes to bandwidth and system loading and creates noise.
[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a method for connecting an loT device to an loT device management system which allows to reduce the communication traffic load.
[0011] In this respect, the invention proposes a method according to which an loT device filtering is performed at Access Point level so that unwanted loT devices can be rejected without having for each on-boarding request to ask for authorization to a central system.
[0012] The invention more particularly relates to a computer-implemented method of connecting an loT device to an loT system comprising an loT device management entity and a communication network which comprises an access point, the loT device management entity and the access point being configured to communicate together. The method comprises performing, by the access point device (6), the steps of: receiving an on-boarding request emitted by the loT device, the on-boarding request including an identifier of the loT device;
[0013] - verifying whether the loT device is authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity;
[0014] - when it is verified that the loT device is authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity, sending the on-boarding request to the loT device management entity;
[0015] - when it is verified that the loT device is not authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity, blocking the transmission of the on-boarding request to the loT device management entity.
[0016] Certain preferred, but non-limiting aspects of the method are as follows :
[0017] - the step of verifying comprises determining, by the access point, whether the identifier of the loT device is included in a white list and a black list, the white list being a list of identifiers of loT devices authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity and the black list being a list of identifiers of loT devices prohibited from communicating with the loT device management entity, the loT device being authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity if the identifier of the loT device is included at least in the white list and the loT device being not authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity if the identifier of the loT device is included in the black list or absent from both the white list and the black list;
[0018] - the identifier of the loT device is a MAC address; at least one of the white list and the black list includes at least one sub-list of identifiers of loT devices, said sub-list being defined as a range of identifiers of loT devices; it further comprises a step of uploading, by the access point, the white list and the black list from the loT device management entity;
[0019] - the step of uploading is carried out periodically; it comprises a step of indicating to the loT device management entity, by the access point, that an loT device is an unwanted device, said step comprising sending an identifier of said loT device to the loT device management entity;
[0020] - the loT device is an Electronic Shelf Label;
[0021] - the on-boarding request is received by the access point from the loT device through a radio communication link, such as a radio communication link implementing the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol;
[0022] - the loT device management entity comprises a cloud-based service or a local server. The invention further relates to an access point comprising a processor configured to perform the method and to a computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method.
[0023] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0024] Other characteristics, aims and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description, which is purely illustrative and not limiting, and which should be read in relation to the appended drawings in which:
[0025] - Figure 1 is a schematic overview of an loT system according to the invention deployed to handle loT devices installed in one or more premises;
[0026] - Figure 2A is a sequence diagram that visualizes a first embodiment of the method according to the invention.
[0027] - Figure 2B is a sequence diagram that visualizes a variant of the first embodiment of Figure 2A.
[0028] - Figure 3A is a sequence diagram that visualizes a second embodiment of the method according to the invention.
[0029] - Figure 3B is a sequence diagram that visualizes a variant of the second embodiment of Figure 3A.
[0030] In all the figures, similar elements bear identical references.
[0031] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] Figure 1 visualizes an loT system 1 deployed to handle loT devices installed in one or more premises, for instance in one or more stores such as supermarkets.
[0033] Description of the loT system 1 :
[0034] The loT system 1 comprises an loT device management entity 3 and at least one loT device 2 already on-boarded to the loT system 1 , and at least one loT device 10 not yet onboarded to the loT system 1. loT devices 2 and 10 may be identical devices.
[0035] An on-boarded device 2 is a device that is registered and connected to the loT system 1. The loT device management entity 3 can therefore send and / or receive instructions or information to this on-boarded device.
[0036] As for a not yet on-boarded device 10, an on-boarding sequence, which allows an loT device 10 to be on-boarded to the loT system 1 , has to be performed by the loT device management entity 3 after having received a valid on-boarding request emitted by said loT device 10. Every on-boarding request comprises an identifier of its author, i.e the loT device 10 that emitted it. Preferably, the identifier is an address, for instance a network address such as a MAC (Media Access Control) address. Alternatively, the identifier may be a serial number, a unique ID, or any information that allows to designate the loT device 10 that emitted the onboarding request in an unequivocal manner. Generally, the loT system 1 is configured to handle a plurality of loT devices 2. The number of loT devices 2 may depend on the size of the one or more premises, for example a supermarket, a warehouse, or the like, and / or the number of products or product groups offered in the premise (or the like). The loT system 1 may for example handle 200 thousands loT devices in a single location or a billion of loT devices 2 over all locations in which an owner of loT devices has deployed such devices.
[0037] The loT system 1 comprises a communication network 5 deployed within the one or more premises.
[0038] The communication network 5 is in one hand connected with the on-boarded loT devices 2 and on the other hand is connected with the loT device management entity 3.
[0039] More precisely, the communication network 5 comprises one or more access point 6 that allows connecting the loT device management entity 3 with the on-boarded loT devices 2.
[0040] Each access point 6 is configured to perform a communication between at least one of the loT devices 2and the loT device management entity 3. Said access point 6 realizes therefore a gateway. According to the invention, said access points 6 are also configured to receive requests, for example on-boarding requests, from an loT device 10 not yet on-boarded to the loT system 1 , and to check whether it can relay said requests to the loT device management entity 3.
[0041] The communication between each loT device and any access point 6 may be performed wirelessly. Preferably, said communication can be performed using a radio communication protocol running in a bandwidth around 900MHz or around 2,4GHz. For example, said communication may be performed using a radio communication protocol such as Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, Z-Wave, 6L0WPAN, or any other suitable radio communication protocol.
[0042] Each access point 6 defines an access point coverage area. Every loT device 2, 10 (already on-boarded or not yet on-boarded), that is located in said access point coverage area may communicate with said access point 6.
[0043] The communications between access points 6 and the loT device management entity 3 may be wireless, for example by radio signals, or by wires.
[0044] Each access point 6 comprises a memory sized to store a black list (list of forbidden loT devices) and a white list (list of allowed loT devices) of device’s identifiers (said lists being described below), and a processor configured to search for a particular identifier in said black and white lists. Each access point may further be configured to periodically contact the loT device management entity 3 to upload updated black and white lists stored by the loT device management entity 3.
[0045] An loT device 2 is an electronic device which, when it is on-boarded to the loT device management entity 3, may communicate with the loT device management entity 3 in order to receive and / or transmit information from / to it. For example, an loT device 2, 10 may be a display device to display prices or information about products sold in a store, such as an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL), which is usually installed on shelf rails at positions along the shelf rail in proximity to the product groups or products with which they are logically linked. An loT device 2, 10 may also be a video rail, which comprise one or more video screens that are installed on (or along) a shelf rail or form the shelf rail by itself. An loT device 2, 10 may also be a smart poster.
[0046] Particularly, each loT device 2, 10 may comprise a physical output interface, which comprises preferably display means (such as a screen, a LED, or even low- or close-to-zero- power consuming display such as an electronic paper or electrophoretic technology, ...). Some of loT devices 2, 10 may also comprise sound emission means.
[0047] Each loT device 2 is therefore configured to display or transmit information to the customers of the store. More precisely, each loT device 2 is configured to display or communicate an individual content-data-set to customers thanks to its physical output interface. The content-data-sets are provided by the loT device management entity 3 to the loT devices 2 through the access points 6.
[0048] The loT device management entity 3 comprises a computer architecture that may be realized by a cloud-based (hardware and / or software) service or a local server in the store, wherein in both cases a store management software is executed on the computer architecture. The store management software is a software that maintain a data base which stores data about the products sold in the store, for example which stores a plan of the entire store, the products and the loT devices 2 linked to said products. Therefore, the loT device management entity 3 stores and is configured to execute said store management software.
[0049] The loT device management entity 3 comprises a data provision system 4 configured to generate and / or provide individual content-data-sets for the individual loT devices 2. The data provision system 4 comprises a computer architecture that may be realized by a cloud-based (hardware and / or software) service or a local server in the business premises, wherein in both cases a software, which is part of the store management software, is executed on the respective computer architecture which processes human readably text(s) or picture(s) that is content to be displayed or communicated by the respective loT device 2 to the customers of the store. The processing leads to the individual content-data-sets, which are coded in the appropriate data format and which are supplied- typically in an addressed manner - to the individual loT devices 2 through the access points 6.
[0050] The content-data-sets may be generated by the data provision system 4 or may be received by the data provision system 4 from an external device such as a computer-based input device which allows an authorized user, for example an operator (for instance an employee of the one or several stores), to select or to define said content-data-sets. Such an input-device may be for example a computer terminal, a personal digital assistant, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc. This input device executes a user interface software on its computer hardware, which is programmed to allow a user to perform the appropriate user interaction for the selection or the definition of the content-data-sets and to interface with the store management software. The input device further comprises the hardware and software needed to supply a representation of the content-data-sets in an suitable format to the data provision system 4.
[0051] In addition, the loT device management entity 3 comprises an on-boarding system 7 configured to receive on-boarding requests from not-yet on-boarded loT devices 10 and to process on-boarding of said loT devices 10. The on-boarding system 7 comprises a computer architecture that may be realized by a cloud-based (hardware and / or software) service or a local server in the business premises, wherein in both cases a software, which is part of the store management software, is executed on the respective computer architecture which processes on-boarding requests from the loT devices 10. The processing leads, when the onboarding request received is valid, to the on-boarding of the loT device 10 that emitted said request.
[0052] Method for connecting an loT device 10 to the loT device management entity 3 :
[0053] A method will now be described for connecting an loT device 10 to the loT device management entity 3.
[0054] The method is schematically illustrated on figures 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B.
[0055] In an initial step E0, an access point 6 uploads a white list and a black list from the loT device management entity 3. The white list is a list of identifiers of loT devices authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3 and the black list is a list of identifiers of loT devices prohibited from communicating with the loT device management entity 3.
[0056] Both the white list and the black list may comprise entire identifiers and / or at least one sub-list of identifiers of loT devices.
[0057] For example, this sub-list may be defined as a range of identifiers. For example, when the identifier of the loT device is its MAC address, the sub-list can be defined as a range of MAC addresses, such as a range of MAC addresses corresponding to a specific manufacturer. Indeed, in a MAC address, the first three bytes corresponds to the manufacturer. Therefore, it is possible to define a sub-list comprising all the devices from this manufacturer by storing in this sub-list only one range corresponding to all the MAC address whose first three bytes are those of said manufacturer. Therefore, the sub-list is much smaller in terms of memory size than a set of MAC addresses stored in their entirety.
[0058] Defining sub-list makes it therefore possible to reduce the size of the black and white lists. Indeed, given that it takes approximately 6 bytes to store an identifier, a whitelist of 1 billion loT devices stored in their entirety represents 6 GB of data, which would result in significant traffic for the loT device management entity 3 in the event of an upload, especially as this volume of data is multiplied by the number of access points in a location. The size reducing for the black and white lists allows also to make easier their storing at access point 6 level.
[0059] The given example of a sub-list defining all the devices from a single manufacturer is only an example and is not limitative. Another example of sub-list is a sub-list which is dynamically generated based on unwanted specific devices or category devices.
[0060] The step E0 may be carried out periodically or after a request from the loT device management entity 3, so that the access point 6 may store updated black and white lists. For example, the step E0 is carried out every day.
[0061] In a first step E1 , the access points 6 receives an on-boarding request, which is emitted by an loT device 10 not yet on-boarded to the loT device management entity 3. For example, the loT device 10 is a new loT device which has been acquired by a store and which has just been delivered to the store. In another example, the loT device 10 is a device which is not destined to be on-boarded to the loT system 1 (such as a device from another retailer or an unwanted device). The loT device 10 may be any loT device as described above, such as an ESL, a video rail, a smart poster, etc.
[0062] Said on-boarding request comprises an identifier of the loT device 10 that emitted it.
[0063] In the following, we will consider that the identifier of the loT device 10 included in the on-boarding request is its MAC address.
[0064] In a second step E2, the access point 6 verifies if the loT device 10 that emitted the onboarding request is authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3. More precisely, during the second step E2, the access point 6 determines whether the identifier of the loT device 10 included in the on-boarding request is included in the black list and / or in the white list.
[0065] To achieve this second step E2, the access point 6 carries out a sequence of successive checks in each of the black and white lists, an example of which is described below the access point 6 first may check the black list to determine whether the identifier comprised in the on-boarding request, i.e. the identifier of the loT device 10 that emitted said request, is included in the black list or not;
[0066] If said identifier is included in the black list, then the loT device 10 that emitted the on-boarding request is not authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3. On the contrary, if said identifier is not included in the black list, then the access point 6 may check the white list to determine whether said identifier is included is the white list; If said identifier is not included in the white list, then the loT device 10 that emitted the on-boarding request is not authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3. On the contrary, if said identifier is included in the white list, then the loT device 10 that emitted the on-boarding request is authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3.
[0067] This sequence of successive checks of each of the black and white lists is just an example of a sequence that may be carried out by the access point 6 during the second step E2. However, this is not limitative and a different sequence may be carried out, for example during which the white list is first consulted before the black list.
[0068] In a third step E3, if the loT device 10 that emitted the on-boarding request is determined by step E2 to be authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3, then the access point 6 relays the on-boarding request to the loT device management entity 3.
[0069] On the contrary, during the third step E3, if the loT device 10 that emitted the onboarding request is determined by step E2 not to be authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3, then the access point 6 blocks the transmission of the onboarding request to the loT device management entity 3.
[0070] For example, if the loT device 10 that emitted the on-boarding request is a device that has been defined as a spamming device, for example because it has emitted multiple onboarding requests during a predetermined period of time, then its identifier is at least not included in the white list, and preferably included in the black list that is stored by the access point 6, so that said device is not authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3.
[0071] In another example, on the contrary, if the loT device 10 that emitted the on-boarding request is an loT device 10 bought by the store, then its identifier is included in the white list, so that said loT device is authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity 3, and the on-boarding request can be relayed by the access point to the loT device management entity 3.
[0072] Therefore, whereas until now the access point was only a relay that transmitted every received on-boarding request to the loT device management entity 3, according to the invention the access point 6 filters the on-boarding requests that are sent to the loT device management entity 3, thereby reducing the bandwidth load between the access point 6 and the loT device management entity 3, and the processing load on the loT device management entity 3.
[0073] In a fourth step E4, if during the step E3, the on-boarding request is relayed to the loT device management entity 3, the on-boarding request is received by the loT device management entity 3, and more precisely by the on-boarding system 7 of the loT device management entity 3.
[0074] In a fifth step E5, the on-boarding request is processed by the on-boarding system 7, which may execute an on-boarding process for the loT device 10. The process for on-boarding the loT device 10 comprises a set of sub-steps that allows the loT device 10 to be registered and connected to the loT device management entity 3. More precisely, in the fifth step, the loT device management system 3 verifies if the loT device 10 that emitted the on-boarding request is authorized to be on-boarded or not.
[0075] Processing the on-boarding request by the loT device management entity 3 may for instance consists in always allowing the on-boarding or in allowing the on-boarding following a handshake protocol that uses security keys. In case of failure, the loT device management entity 3 will reject the loT device and if that failure happens too many times, it can notify it to a monitoring system that can decide to ban permanently or temporally the loT device from the systeml . In that case the black I white list will be updated.
[0076] If said loT device 10 is authorized to be on-on-boarded, then, the loT device management entity 3 initializes and performs in a sixth step E6 an on-boarding sequence with the loT device 10 through the access point 6. Figure 2A is a sequence diagram illustrating an embodiment wherein the communication between the loT device 10 and the loT device management entity 3 does not use security keys, and wherein the loT device 10 is authorized, during the fifth step E5, to be on-boarded to the loT system 1.
[0077] On the contrary, if said loT device 10 is not authorized to be on-on-boarded, then, in an alternative sixth step E6bis the loT device management entity 3 refuses the on-boarding request, and adds the loT device 10 to the black list. The black list is therefore dynamically updated, so that if the loT device 10 sends another on-boarding request, it will be blocked by the access point 6. Figure 2B is a sequence diagram of the embodiment of figure 2A, wherein the loT device 10 is not authorized, during the fifth step E5, to be on-boarded to the loT system 1.
[0078] In an alternative embodiment, the communication between the loT device management entity 3 and the loT device 10 does use security keys. Figure 3A is a sequence diagram illustrating this alternative embodiment when the loT device 10 is authorized, during the fifth step E5, to be on-boarded to the loT system 1. In this situation, the loT device management entity 3 initializes in a first part E61 of the sixth step E6 through the access point 6 an onboarding sequence with the loT device 10, using a known secure key. For example, first part E61 may comprise performing a handshake protocol, such as the SSL protocol, by which a session key is exchanged between the loT device 10 and the loT device management entity 3. The on-boarding sequence is then performed, in a second part E62 of the step E6, by the loT device management entity 3 via a secured communication session which uses the session key.
[0079] In this alternative embodiment, on the contrary, when the loT device 10 is not authorized, during the fifth step E5, to be on-boarded to the loT system 1 , or when the loT device management entity did not succeed in creating a secure connection with the loT device 10, then, in the alternative sixth step E6bis, the loT device management entity 3 refuses the on-boarding request and adds the identifier of the loT device 10 to the black list. Figure 3B is a sequence diagram of the embodiment of figure 3A, wherein the loT device 10 is not authorized, during the fifth step E5, to be on-boarded to the loT system 1. Alternatively, the loT device management entity 3 can notify the on-boarding request refusal to the monitoring system that can decide to ban permanently or temporally the loT device from the systeml and accordingly update the black I white list.
[0080] In an additional step, the access point 6 may indicate to the loT device management entity 3 that an loT device 10 is an unwanted device, so that this loT device 10 may be added in the black list stored on the loT device management entity 3. Said additional step comprises the transmission of the identifier of said loT device 10 to the device management entity 3, and may be carried out when the loT device 10 generates too much noise for the access point 6, for example when the access point 6 receives a number of on-boarding requests emitted by said loT device 10 that is higher to a predetermined limit in a predetermined period of time (for example more than 100 on-boarding requests in a second).
[0081] Thanks to the method according to the invention, most of the on-boarding requests are therefore processed (filtered) at the access point level, so that the bandwidth between the access point 6 and the loT device management entity 3 and the power computing of the loT device management entity 3 is economised and reserved to the on-boarding requests more likely to be valid (for example, because emitted by an loT device 10 that is not a spamming device). Particularly, the method according to the invention allows the access point 6 to protect the loT device management entity 3 against most of the spamming devices. This protection allows to reduce the traffic between the access point 6 and the loT device management entity 3, and to process these on-boarding requests fastly at access point level.
Claims
CLAIMS1. A computer-implemented method of connecting an loT device (10) to an loT system (1 ) comprising an loT device management entity (3) and a communication network (5) which comprises an access point (6), the loT device management entity (3) and the access point (6) being configured to communicate together, the method comprising performing, by the access point device (6), the steps of: receiving (E1 ) an on-boarding request emitted by the loT device (10), the on-boarding request including an identifier of the loT device (10);- verifying (E2) whether the loT device (10) is authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity (3);- when it is verified that the loT device (10) is authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity (3), sending (E3) the on-boarding request to the loT device management entity (3);- when it is verified that the loT device (10) is not authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity (3), blocking (E3) the transmission of the on-boarding request to the loT device management entity (3).
2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of verifying (E2) comprises determining, by the access point (6), whether the identifier of the loT device (10) is included in a white list and a black list, the white list being a list of identifiers of loT devices authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity and the black list being a list of identifiers of loT devices prohibited from communicating with the loT device management entity, the loT device (10) being authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity (3) if the identifier of the loT device (10) is included at least in the white list and the loT device (10) being not authorized to communicate with the loT device management entity (3) if the identifier of the loT device (10) is included in the black list or absent from both the white list and the black list.
3. Method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the identifier of the loT device (10) is a MAC address.
4. Method according to one of claims 2 and 3, wherein at least one of the white list and the black list includes at least one sub-list of identifiers of loT devices, said sub-list being defined as a range of identifiers of loT devices.
5. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a step of uploading (E0), by the access point (6), the white list and the black list from the loT device management entity (3).
6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the step of uploading (E0) is carried out periodically.
7. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, comprising a step of indicating to the loT device management entity (3), by the access point (6), that an loT device is an unwanted device, said step comprising sending an identifier of said loT device to the loT device management entity (3).
8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the loT device (10) is an Electronic Shelf Label.
9. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the on-boarding request is received by the access point from the loT device through a radio communication link, such as a radio communication link implementing the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol.
10. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the loT device management entity (3) comprises a cloud-based service or a local server.
11. Access point (6) comprising a processor configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
12. Computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of claim 1 to 10.