Household Appliance Command Filtering for Unauthorized Control Blocking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing security measures for connected devices are inadequate, particularly in networks without administrative input, leaving them vulnerable to cyberattacks and improper control commands.

Innovation Solution

A device monitoring method and apparatus that determines whether a message is intended for a household appliance and contains a control command, using a device list and conditions to filter out unauthorized or improper commands, thereby enhancing security measures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If administrator input is required to configure security criteria, then security control capability is improved, but network protection availability deteriorates in networks without administrators

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity control capabilityVSAvoidnetwork protection availability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring device automatically learns normal communication patterns between devices in the network without requiring administrator configuration. The device autonomously establishes baseline behavior profiles by observing packet flows, device responses, and communication timing, enabling self-configuring security monitoring that works immediately upon deployment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary learning of normal network behavior during an initial observation period before any security decisions are made. This preliminary action establishes baseline communication patterns that are then used to detect anomalies, allowing the system to be protective from the start without requiring pre-configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If security monitoring is implemented immediately without configuration, then network protection availability is improved, but security precision deteriorates due to lack of determination criteria

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork protection availabilityVSAvoidsecurity determination precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring device performs a preliminary learning phase where it observes and records normal communication patterns between devices. During this phase, it collects data on packet flows, response times, and device behavior without making security judgments, establishing accurate baseline criteria before enforcement begins

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The security criteria are not static but dynamically adapt as the system continues to learn network behavior. The determination criteria evolve over time based on observed patterns, allowing the system to maintain high precision while operating immediately without initial configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If all packets are monitored and analyzed in real-time, then security detection capability is improved, but processing time and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity detection capabilityVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring device focuses on monitoring only the essential elements of packet communication - such as source/destination addresses, packet timing, and flow patterns - rather than analyzing every byte of every packet. This partial monitoring approach provides sufficient security detection capability while avoiding excessive processing complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4044521B1Equipment monitoring method, equipment monitoring device, and program
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORP OF AMERICA
  • EP4044521B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4044521B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4044521B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A device monitoring method includes: receiving a message transmitted from a first device to a second device and addressed to the second device (S3001); determining whether the message contains a device control command for controlling the second device (S3004); if the message contains the device control command (Yes in S3004), further determining whether to transmit the message to the second device based on a predetermined condition (S3005); and when the message is determined to be transmitted to the second device (Yes in S3005), transmitting the message to the second device (S3006). The predetermined condition includes a first condition that the first device is registered as a device having a predetermined function in a device list containing information about whether each of the devices is a device having the predetermined function. The message is determined to be transmitted to the second device when the predetermined condition is satisfied.