Smart Home Provisioning Gateway for Secure Device Arbitration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart home devices connected to the internet pose security concerns due to numerous data connections, and existing network implementations struggle to effectively manage and secure these devices, especially in multi-device environments.
Innovation Solution
A computing device is used to search for smart home devices, generate a smart contract, create a digital twin, and automatically arbitrate communication, acting as a gateway and security device to manage and secure data transfer between devices and external networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If smart home devices are connected to the internet for functionality, then device utility and connectivity are improved, but security risks and vulnerability to attacks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between smart home devices and external networks. The gateway establishes secure tunnels using protocols like WireGuard or IPsec, acting as a mediator that filters and controls all traffic. This allows devices to maintain internet connectivity while the gateway blocks direct access attempts and malicious traffic, resolving the contradiction between connectivity and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the network into isolated zones: a trusted zone containing the gateway and authorized devices, and an untrusted zone for external networks. Each smart home device operates in its own secure context within the trusted zone, with the gateway controlling all cross-zone traffic. This segmentation prevents lateral movement of attacks and isolates security incidents to specific device contexts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple smart devices are deployed in a location, then functionality and automation capabilities are improved, but network complexity and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a security firewall, a protocol translator, a device provisioning server, and an arbitration point for inter-device communication. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single universal gateway, the system manages increasing device complexity without proportionally increasing management burden, as the gateway handles all tasks centrally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements automated device provisioning where new smart home devices automatically register with the gateway, receive security credentials, and are integrated into the network without manual configuration. The gateway autonomously discovers devices, establishes secure connections, and configures communication parameters, eliminating the need for users to manually manage each device's network settings.
3Speed
If direct device-to-device communication is implemented, then communication speed and efficiency are improved, but security control and access management become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as a communication mediator that relays messages between smart home devices. While messages pass through the gateway, the system optimizes by establishing persistent secure tunnels and using efficient serialization formats. The gateway forwards traffic with minimal processing delay, maintaining near-direct communication speeds while enforcing security policies, access controls, and arbitration rules at each message relay point.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure provide for a method implemented by a computing device executing an artificial intelligence electronic assistant application. In some examples, the method includes searching a local area network for smart home devices to determine an identifier associated with a smart home device, provisioning the smart home device to an ecosystem of devices that is managed by the computing device, and automatically arbitrating communication of the smart home device based on the provisioning.