Home Gateway Service Access Control via Client Type

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing service announcement protocols in communication networks allow unauthorized access to services and enable users to access services with inappropriate clients, leading to security breaches and improper service management.

Innovation Solution

A device that receives service access requests, determines the client type, and authorizes access based on predetermined rules, allowing only authorized clients to access specific services, while also providing mechanisms for service deactivation and adaptive service descriptions to ensure secure and appropriate service management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If services are automatically announced to all clients via browsing protocols, then service accessibility and interoperability are improved, but security vulnerabilities and unauthorized access increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice accessibilityVSAvoidunauthorized access
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating service announcement behavior based on client type. The gateway device performs selective service announcement where different types of clients (e.g., UPnP clients vs. non-UPnP clients) receive different sets of service information. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining high service accessibility for authorized clients while preventing unauthorized access from other clients, thus achieving both service versatility and security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If all services are made available to all clients, then service availability is improved, but improper service management and security breaches increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidservice management integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamics by making the service announcement process adaptive rather than static. The gateway device dynamically determines which services to announce based on the type of client making the request. This dynamic approach ensures that services remain highly available to appropriate clients while automatically restricting access to prevent improper management, thus resolving the contradiction between service availability and management integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If service descriptions are provided to all requesting clients, then service discovery capability is improved, but exposure of inappropriate services increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice discoveryVSAvoidinappropriate service exposure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by customizing service descriptions according to client type. The gateway device analyzes the requesting client's type and provides a tailored service description that includes only appropriate services for that client category. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of service discovery for authorized clients while preventing exposure of inappropriate services to unauthorized clients.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2883341B1Device and method for providing services in a communication network
Publication Date: 2022.08.31 SAGEMCOM BROADBAND SAS
  • EP2883341B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2883341B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2883341B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a device, such as a home gateway, for providing at least one service, in a communication network, to at least one client connected to the communication network. The device uses: a means for obtaining a client type for each client; and a means (311) for exporting a description of services describing at least one service from among said one or more services; and, in order to obtain said description of services, a means (306) for selecting each service described by said description depending on the type of at least one respective client to which said description is to be exported.