IoT Provisioning Service Cloud Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing IoT device provisioning systems are limited in their ability to seamlessly integrate diverse hardware and operating system combinations with cloud backends, often requiring specific hardware and backend solutions, and lack flexibility in device registration and management.

Innovation Solution

A globally available cloud provisioning service acts as a single endpoint for IoT devices, using routing rules to connect them to appropriate IoT solutions, enabling registration with selected IoT hubs based on device characteristics, location, and customer information, and managing the lifecycle of IoT devices from creation to decommissioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a globally available cloud provisioning service is implemented to enable seamless integration of diverse hardware and OS combinations, then adaptability and ease of operation are improved, but device complexity and system architecture complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintegration flexibilityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A cloud-based provisioning service acts as an intermediary between IoT devices and IoT hubs. The service receives device information from IoT devices, determines appropriate IoT hubs based on routing rules, and manages device registration and provisioning. This intermediary approach enables diverse hardware and OS combinations to integrate seamlessly without requiring complex device-side logic, resolving the contradiction by centralizing complexity in the cloud while maintaining simplicity at the device level.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The provisioning service implements universal routing rules that can handle multiple types of IoT devices with different hardware and OS combinations through a single unified interface. The service provides multi-functional capabilities including device validation, hub selection, registration management, and provisioning orchestration, allowing one system to serve multiple device types without requiring device-specific customization, thus improving adaptability while managing complexity centrally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If routing rules are implemented to connect IoT devices to appropriate IoT hubs based on device characteristics, then device management precision is improved, but information processing requirements and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice registration accuracyVSAvoidinformation processing load
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Routing rules are pre-configured in the provisioning service with predetermined logic for matching device characteristics to appropriate IoT hubs. When a device connects, the service evaluates device information against these pre-established rules to determine the target hub. This preliminary configuration approach ensures accurate device registration while minimizing real-time information processing requirements, as the decision logic is prepared in advance rather than computed dynamically for each device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple IoT hubs are supported with a single provisioning service, then system versatility is improved, but connection management complexity and security requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehub compatibilityVSAvoidconnection security
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The provisioning service implements feedback mechanisms that validate device information, verify routing rule matches, and confirm successful device-hub connections. The service monitors provisioning outcomes and can adjust routing rules or reject connections that do not meet security or compatibility criteria. This feedback loop ensures that while multiple IoT hubs are supported for versatility, connection security and reliability are maintained through continuous validation and verification processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3526987B1IoT provisioning service
Publication Date: 2021.08.04 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3526987B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3526987B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3526987B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The disclosed technology is generally directed to device provisioning in an IoT environment. For example, such technology is usable in provisioning IoT devices to an IoT Hub. In one example of the technology, an identification message that includes information associated with identification of a first IoT device is received. The validity of the first IoT device is then verified. After the first IoT device is verified, based at least in part on the identification message, an IoT hub is selected from a plurality of IoT hubs. The first IoT device is then caused to be registered with the selected IoT hub.