METHOD FOR COIN OPERATED DEVICES

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

[0001] This invention relates generally to the field of computer systems. More particularly, the invention relates to an Internet of Things (loT) apparatus and method for coin operated devices.

Description of the Related Art

[0002] The "Internet of Things" refers to the interconnection of uniquely-identifiable embedded devices within the Internet infrastructure. Ultimately, loT is expected to result in new, wide-ranging types of applications in which virtually any type of physical thing may provide information about itself or its surroundings and/or may be controlled remotely via client devices over the Internet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0004] FIGS. 1A-B illustrates different embodiments of an loT system architecture;

[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates an loT device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0006] FIG. 3 illustrates an loT hub in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0007] FIG. 4A-B illustrate embodiments of the invention for controlling and collecting data from loT devices, and generating notifications;

[0008] FIG. 5 illustrates embodiments of the invention for collecting data from loT devices and generating notifications from an loT hub and/or loT service;

[0009] FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a system in which an intermediary mobile device collects data from a stationary loT device and provides the data to an loT hub;

[0010] FIG. 7 illustrates intermediary connection logic implemented in one embodiment of the invention;

[0011] FIG. 8 illustrates a method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0012] FIG. 9A illustrates an embodiment in which program code and data updates are provided to the loT device;

[0013] FIG. 9B illustrates an embodiment of a method in which program code and data updates are provided to the loT device;

[0014] FIG. 10 illustrates a high level view of one embodiment of a security architecture;

[0015] FIG. 11 illustrates one embodiment of an architecture in which a subscriber identity module (SIM) is used to store keys on loT devices;

[0016] FIG. 12A illustrates one embodiment in which loT devices are registered using barcodes or QR codes;

[0017] FIG. 12B illustrates one embodiment in which pairing is performed using barcodes or QR codes;

[0018] FIG. 13 illustrates one embodiment of a method for programming a SIM using an loT hub;

[0019] FIG. 14 illustrates one embodiment of a method for registering an loT device with an loT hub and loT service; and

[0020] FIG. 15 illustrates one embodiment of a method for encrypting data to be transmitted to an loT device;

[0021] FIGS. 16A-B illustrate different embodiments of the invention for encrypting data between an loT service and an loT device;

[0022] FIG. 17 illustrates embodiments of the invention for performing a secure key exchange, generating a common secret, and using the secret to generate a key stream;

[0023] FIG. 18 illustrates a packet structure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 19 illustrates techniques employed in one embodiment for writing and reading data to/from an loT device without formally pairing with the loT device;

[0025] FIG. 20 illustrates an exemplary set of command packets employed in one embodiment of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary sequence of transactions using command packets;

[0027] FIG. 22 illustrates a method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 23A-C illustrates a method for secure pairing in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0029] FIGS. 24A-C illustrate different embodiments of the invention for

implementing a reverse beacon; [0030] FIG. 25 illustrates a method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0031] FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary coin operated machine;

[0032] FIG. 27 illustrates one embodiment of the invention in which an loT device is integrated within a coin operated machine; and

[0033] FIG. 28 illustrates a method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention described below. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of the embodiments of the invention.

[0035] One embodiment of the invention comprises an Internet of Things (loT) platform which may be utilized by developers to design and build new loT devices and applications. In particular, one embodiment includes a base hardware/software platform for loT devices including a predefined networking protocol stack and an loT hub through which the loT devices are coupled to the Internet. In addition, one embodiment includes an loT service through which the loT hubs and connected loT devices may be accessed and managed as described below. In addition, one embodiment of the loT platform includes an loT app or Web application (e.g., executed on a client device) to access and configured the loT service, hub and connected devices. Existing online retailers and other Website operators may leverage the loT platform described herein to readily provide unique loT functionality to existing user bases.

[0036] Figure 1 A illustrates an overview of an architectural platform on which embodiments of the invention may be implemented. In particular, the illustrated embodiment includes a plurality of loT devices 101 -105 communicatively coupled over local communication channels 130 to a central loT hub 1 10 which is itself

communicatively coupled to an loT service 1 20 over the Internet 220. Each of the loT devices 101 -105 may initially be paired to the loT hub 1 1 0 (e.g., using the pairing techniques described below) in order to enable each of the local communication channels 130. In one embodiment, the loT service 1 20 includes an end user database 122 for maintaining user account information and data collected from each user's loT devices. For example, if the loT devices include sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, accelerometers, heat sensors, motion detectore, etc), the database 122 may be continually updated to store the data collected by the loT devices 101 -1 05. The data stored in the database 122 may then be made accessible to the end user via the loT app or browser installed on the user's device 135 (or via a desktop or other client computer system) and to web clients (e.g., such as websites 130 subscribing to the loT service 1 20).

[0037] The loT devices 1 01 -105 may be equipped with various types of sensors to collect information about themselves and their surroundings and provide the collected information to the loT service 120, user devices 135 and/or external Websites 130 via the loT hub 1 10. Some of the loT devices 1 01 -1 05 may perform a specified function in response to control commands sent through the loT hub 1 10. Various specific examples of information collected by the loT devices 1 01 -105 and control commands are provided below. In one embodiment described below, the loT device 101 is a user input device designed to record user selections and send the user selections to the loT service 1 20 and/or Website.

[0038] In one embodiment, the loT hub 1 10 includes a cellular radio to establish a connection to the Internet 220 via a cellular service 1 15 such as a 4G (e.g., Mobile WiMAX, LTE) or 5G cellular data service. Alternatively, or in addition, the loT hub 1 10 may include a WiFi radio to establish a WiFi connection through a WiFi access point or router 1 16 which couples the loT hub 1 10 to the Internet (e.g., via an Internet Service Provider providing Internet service to the end user). Of course, it should be noted that the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of communication channel or protocol.

[0039] In one embodiment, the loT devices 101 -105 are ultra low-power devices capable of operating for extended periods of time on battery power (e.g., years). To conserve power, the local communication channels 130 may be implemented using a low-power wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth Low Energy (LE). In this embodiment, each of the loT devices 101 -105 and the loT hub 1 10 are equipped with Bluetooth LE radios and protocol stacks.

[0040] As mentioned, in one embodiment, the loT platform includes an loT app or Web application executed on user devices 135 to allow users to access and configure the connected loT devices 101 -105, loT hub 1 10, and/or loT service 1 20. In one embodiment, the app or web application may be designed by the operator of a Website 130 to provide loT functionality to its user base. As illustrated, the Website may maintain a user database 1 31 containing account records related to each user.

[0041] Figure 1 B illustrates additional connection options for a plurality of loT hubs 1 10-1 1 1 , 1 90 In this embodiment a single user may have multiple hubs 1 1 0-1 1 1 installed onsite at a single user premises 180 (e.g., the user's home or business). This may be done, for example, to extend the wireless range needed to connect all of the loT devices 101 -105. As indicated, if a user has multiple hubs 1 10, 1 1 1 they may be connected via a local communication channel (e.g., Wifi, Ethernet, Power Line

Networking, etc). In one embodiment, each of the hubs 1 1 0-1 1 1 may establish a direct connection to the loT service 1 20 through a cellular 1 15 or WiFi 1 16 connection (not explicitly shown in Figure 1 B). Alternatively, or in addition, one of the loT hubs such as loT hub 1 1 0 may act as a "master" hub which provides connectivity and/or local services to all of the other loT hubs on the user premises 180, such as loT hub 1 1 1 (as indicated by the dotted line connecting loT hub 1 10 and loT hub 1 1 1 ). For example, the master loT hub 1 10 may be the only loT hub to establish a direct connection to the loT service 1 20. In one embodiment, only the "master" loT hub 1 1 0 is equipped with a cellular communication interface to establish the connection to the loT service 120. As such, all communication between the loT service 1 20 and the other loT hubs 1 1 1 will flow through the master loT hub 1 10. In this role, the master loT hub 1 10 may be provided with additional program code to perform filtering operations on the data exchanged between the other loT hubs 1 1 1 and loT service 120 (e.g., servicing some data requests locally when possible).

[0042] Regardless of how the loT hubs 1 10-1 1 1 are connected, in one embodiment, the loT service 120 will logically associate the hubs with the user and combine all of the attached loT devices 101 -105 under a single comprehensive user interface, accessible via a user device with the installed app 135 (and/or a browser-based interface).

[0043] In this embodiment, the master loT hub 1 10 and one or more slave loT hubs 1 1 1 may connect over a local network which may be a WiFi network 1 1 6, an Ethernet network, and/or a using power-line communications (PLC) networking (e.g., where all or portions of the network are run through the user's power lines). In addition, to the loT hubs 1 10-1 1 1 , each of the loT devices 101 -105 may be interconnected with the loT hubs 1 10-1 1 1 using any type of local network channel such as WiFi, Ethernet, PLC, or Bluetooth LE, to name a few.

[0044] Figure 1 B also shows an loT hub 190 installed at a second user premises 181 . A virtually unlimited number of such loT hubs 1 90 may be installed and configured to collect data from loT devices 1 91 -192 at user premises around the world. In one embodiment, the two user premises 180-181 may be configured for the same user. For example, one user premises 180 may be the user's primary home and the other user premises 181 may be the user's vacation home. In such a case, the loT service 120 will logically associate the loT hubs 1 1 0-1 1 1 , 190 with the user and combine all of the attached loT devices 101 -105, 191 -192 under a single comprehensive user interface, accessible via a user device with the installed app 1 35 (and/or a browser-based interface).

[0045] As illustrated in Figure 2, an exemplary embodiment of an loT device 101 includes a memory 210 for storing program code and data 201 -203 and a low power microcontroller 200 for executing the program code and processing the data. The memory 210 may be a volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or may be a non-volatile memory such as Flash memory. In one embodiment, a non-volatile memory may be used for persistent storage and a volatile memory may be used for execution of the program code and data at runtime. Moreover, the memory 210 may be integrated within the low power microcontroller 200 or may be coupled to the low power microcontroller 200 via a bus or communication fabric. The underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular implementation of the memory 210.

[0046] As illustrated, the program code may include application program code 203 defining an application-specific set of functions to be performed by the loT device 201 and library code 202 comprising a set of predefined building blocks which may be utilized by the application developer of the loT device 101 . In one embodiment, the library code 202 comprises a set of basic functions required to implement an loT device such as a communication protocol stack 201 for enabling communication between each loT device 101 and the loT hub 1 10. As mentioned, in one embodiment, the

communication protocol stack 201 comprises a Bluetooth LE protocol stack. In this embodiment, Bluetooth LE radio and antenna 207 may be integrated within the low power microcontroller 200. However, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular communication protocol.

[0047] The particular embodiment shown in Figure 2 also includes a plurality of input devices or sensors 210 to receive user input and provide the user input to the low power microcontroller, which processes the user input in accordance with the

application code 203 and library code 202. In one embodiment, each of the input devices include an LED 209 to provide feedback to the end user. [0048] In addition, the illustrated embodiment includes a battery 208 for supplying power to the low power microcontroller. In one embodiment, a non-chargeable coin cell battery is used. However, in an alternate embodiment, an integrated rechargeable battery may be used (e.g., rechargeable by connecting the loT device to an AC power supply (not shown)).

[0049] A speaker 205 is also provided for generating audio. In one embodiment, the low power microcontroller 299 includes audio decoding logic for decoding a compressed audio stream (e.g., such as an MPEG-4/ Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) stream) to generate audio on the speaker 205. Alternatively, the low power microcontroller 200 and/or the application code/data 203 may include digitally sampled snippets of audio to provide verbal feedback to the end user as the user enters selections via the input devices 21 0.

[0050] In one embodiment, one or more other/alternate I/O devices or sensors 250 may be included on the loT device 101 based on the particular application for which the loT device 101 is designed. For example, an environmental sensor may be included to measure temperature, pressure, humidity, etc. A security sensor and/or door lock opener may be included if the loT device is used as a security device. Of course, these examples are provided merely for the purposes of illustration. The underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of loT device. In fact, given the highly programmable nature of the low power microcontroller 200 equipped with the library code 202, an application developer may readily develop new application code 203 and new I/O devices 250 to interface with the low power microcontroller for virtually any type of loT application.

[0051] In one embodiment, the low power microcontroller 200 also includes a secure key store for storing encryption keys for encrypting communications and/or generating signatures. Alternatively, the keys may be secured in a subscriber identify module (SIM).

[0052] A wakeup receiver 207 is included in one embodiment to wake the loT device from an ultra low power state in which it is consuming virtually no power. In one embodiment, the wakeup receiver 207 is configured to cause the loT device 101 to exit this low power state in response to a wakeup signal received from a wakeup transmitter 307 configured on the loT hub 1 10 as shown in Figure 3. In particular, in one embodiment, the transmitter 307 and receiver 207 together form an electrical resonant transformer circuit such as a Tesla coil. In operation, energy is transmitted via radio frequency signals from the transmitter 307 to the receiver 207 when the hub 1 10 needs to wake the loT device 101 from a very low power state. Because of the energy transfer, the loT device 101 may be configured to consume virtually no power when it is in its low power state because it does not need to continually "listen" for a signal from the hub (as is the case with network protocols which allow devices to be awakened via a network signal). Rather, the microcontroller 200 of the loT device 1 01 may be configured to wake up after being effectively powered down by using the energy electrically transmitted from the transmitter 307 to the receiver 207.

[0053] As illustrated in Figure 3, the loT hub 1 10 also includes a memory 31 7 for storing program code and data 305 and hardware logic 301 such as a microcontroller for executing the program code and processing the data. A wide area network (WAN) interface 302 and antenna 310 couple the loT hub 1 10 to the cellular service 1 15.

Alternatively, as mentioned above, the loT hub 1 10 may also include a local network interface (not shown) such as a WiFi interface (and WiFi antenna) or Ethernet interface for establishing a local area network communication channel. In one embodiment, the hardware logic 301 also includes a secure key store for storing encryption keys for encrypting communications and generating/verifying signatures. Alternatively, the keys may be secured in a subscriber identify module (SIM).

[0054] A local communication interface 303 and antenna 31 1 establishes local communication channels with each of the loT devices 101 -105. As mentioned above, in one embodiment, the local communication interface 303/antenna 31 1 implements the Bluetooth LE standard. However, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular protocols for establishing the local communication channels with the loT devices 1 01 -105. Although illustrated as separate units in Figure 3, the WAN interface 302 and/or local communication interface 303 may be embedded within the same chip as the hardware logic 301 .

[0055] In one embodiment, the program code and data includes a communication protocol stack 308 which may include separate stacks for communicating over the local communication interface 303 and the WAN interface 302. In addition, device pairing program code and data 306 may be stored in the memory to allow the loT hub to pair with new loT devices. In one embodiment, each new loT device 101 -105 is assigned a unique code which is communicated to the loT hub 1 10 during the pairing process. For example, the unique code may be embedded in a barcode on the loT device and may be read by the barcode reader 1 06 or may be communicated over the local

communication channel 130. In an alternate embodiment, the unique ID code is embedded magnetically on the loT device and the loT hub has a magnetic sensor such as an radio frequency ID (RFID) or near field communication (NFC) sensor to detect the code when the loT device 101 is moved within a few inches of the loT hub 1 10.

[0056] In one embodiment, once the unique ID has been communicated, the loT hub 1 10 may verify the unique ID by querying a local database (not shown), performing a hash to verify that the code is acceptable, and/or communicating with the loT service 120, user device 135 and/or Website 1 30 to validate the ID code. Once validated, in one embodiment, the loT hub 1 10 pairs the loT device 101 and stores the pairing data in memory 317 (which, as mentioned, may include non-volatile memory). Once pairing is complete, the loT hub 1 10 may connect with the loT device 101 to perform the various loT functions described herein.

[0057] In one embodiment, the organization running the loT service 120 may provide the loT hub 1 10 and a basic hardware/software platform to allow developers to easily design new loT services. In particular, in addition to the loT hub 1 10, developers may be provided with a software development kit (SDK) to update the program code and data 305 executed within the hub 1 10. In addition, for loT devices 1 01 , the SDK may include an extensive set of library code 202 designed for the base loT hardware (e.g., the low power microcontroller 200 and other components shown in Figure 2) to facilitate the design of various different types of applications 101 . In one embodiment, the SDK includes a graphical design interface in which the developer needs only to specify input and outputs for the loT device. All of the networking code, including the communication stack 201 that allows the loT device 1 01 to connect to the hub 1 1 0 and the service 120, is already in place for the developer. In addition, in one embodiment, the SDK also includes a library code base to facilitate the design of apps for mobile devices (e.g., iPhone and Android devices).

[0058] In one embodiment, the loT hub 1 10 manages a continuous bi-directional stream of data between the loT devices 101 -105 and the loT service 120. In

circumstances where updates to/from the loT devices 101 -105 are required in real time (e.g., where a user needs to view the current status of security devices or environmental readings), the loT hub may maintain an open TCP socket to provide regular updates to the user device 1 35 and/or external Websites 130. The specific networking protocol used to provide updates may be tweaked based on the needs of the underlying application. For example, in some cases, where may not make sense to have a continuous bi-directional stream, a simple request/response protocol may be used to gather information when needed. [0059] In one embodiment, both the loT hub 1 10 and the loT devices 101 -105 are automatically upgradeable over the network. In particular, when a new update is available for the loT hub 1 10 it may automatically download and install the update from the loT service 120. It may first copy the updated code into a local memory, run and verify the update before swapping out the older program code. Similarly, when updates are available for each of the loT devices 101 -105, they may initially be downloaded by the loT hub 1 10 and pushed out to each of the loT devices 101 -105. Each loT device 101 -105 may then apply the update in a similar manner as described above for the loT hub and report back the results of the update to the loT hub 1 1 0. If the update is successful, then the loT hub 1 10 may delete the update from its memory and record the latest version of code installed on each loT device (e.g., so that it may continue to check for new updates for each loT device).

[0060] In one embodiment, the loT hub 1 10 is powered via A/C power. In particular, the loT hub 1 10 may include a power unit 390 with a transformer for transforming A/C voltage supplied via an A/C power cord to a lower DC voltage.

[0061] Figure 4A illustrates one embodiment of the invention for performing universal remote control operations using the loT system. In particular, in this embodiment, a set of loT devices 101 -103 are equipped with infrared (IR) and/or radio frequency (RF) blasters 401 -403, respectively, for transmitting remote control codes to control various different types of electronics equipment including air

conditioners/heaters 430, lighting systems 431 , and audiovisual equipment 432 (to name just a few). In the embodiment shown in Figure 4A, the loT devices 1 01 -103 are also equipped with sensors 404-406, respectively, for detecting the operation of the devices which they control, as described below.

[0062] For example, sensor 404 in loT device 101 may be a temperature and/or humidity sensor for sensing the current temperature/humidity and responsively controlling the air conditioner/heater 430 based on a current desired temperature. In this embodiment, the air conditioner/heater 430 is one which is designed to be controlled via a remote control device (typically a remote control which itself has a temperature sensor embedded therein). In one embodiment, the user provides the desired temperature to the loT hub 1 10 via an app or browser installed on a user device 135. Control logic 412 executed on the loT hub 1 1 0 receives the current

temperature/humidity data from the sensor 404 and responsively transmits commands to the loT device 101 to control the IR/RF blaster 401 in accordance with the desired temperature/humidity. For example, if the temperature is below the desired temperature, then the control logic 412 may transmit a command to the air

conditioner/heater via the IR/RF blaster 401 to increase the temperature (e.g., either by turning off the air conditioner or turning on the heater). The command may include the necessary remote control code stored in a database 413 on the loT hub 1 1 0.

Alternatively, or in addition, the loT service 421 may implement control logic 421 to control the electronics equipment 430-432 based on specified user preferences and stored control codes 422.

[0063] loT device 102 in the illustrated example is used to control lighting 431 . In particular, sensor 405 in loT device 1 02 may photosensor or photodetector configured to detect the current brightness of the light being produced by a light fixture 431 (or other lighting apparatus). The user may specify a desired lighting level (including an indication of ON or OFF) to the loT hub 1 10 via the user device 1 35. In response, the control logic 412 will transmit commands to the IR/RF blaster 402 to control the current brightness level of the lights 431 (e.g., increasing the lighting if the current brightness is too low or decreasing the lighting if the current brightness is too high; or simply turning the lights ON or OFF).

[0064] loT device 103 in the illustrated example is configured to control audiovisual equipment 432 (e.g., a television, A/V receiver, cable/satellite receiver, AppleTV™, etc). Sensor 406 in loT device 103 may be an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone and associated logic) for detecting a current ambient volume level and/or a photosensor to detect whether a television is on or off based on the light generated by the television (e.g., by measuring the light within a specified spectrum). Alternatively, sensor 406 may include a temperature sensor connected to the audiovisual equipment to detect whether the audio equipment is on or off based on the detected temperature. Once again, in response to user input via the user device 135, the control logic 412 may transmit commands to the audiovisual equipment via the IR blaster 403 of the loT device 103.

[0065] It should be noted that the foregoing are merely illustrative examples of one embodiment of the invention. The underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of sensors or equipment to be controlled by loT devices.

[0066] In an embodiment in which the loT devices 101 -103 are coupled to the loT hub 1 10 via a Bluetooth LE connection, the sensor data and commands are sent over the Bluetooth LE channel. However, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to Bluetooth LE or any other communication standard.

[0067] In one embodiment, the control codes required to control each of the pieces of electronics equipment are stored in a database 413 on the loT hub 1 1 0 and/or a database 422 on the loT service 120. As illustrated in Figure 4B, the control codes may be provided to the loT hub 1 10 from a master database of control codes 422 for different pieces of equipment maintained on the loT service 120. The end user may specify the types of electronic (or other) equipment to be controlled via the app or browser executed on the user device 135 and, in response, a remote control code learning module 491 on the loT hub may retrieve the required IR/RF codes from the remote control code database 492 on the loT service 120 (e.g., identifying each piece of electronic equipment with a unique ID).

[0068] In addition, in one embodiment, the loT hub 1 10 is equipped with an IR/RF interface 490 to allow the remote control code learning module 491 to "learn" new remote control codes directly from the original remote control 495 provided with the electronic equipment. For example, if control codes for the original remote control provided with the air conditioner 430 is not included in the remote control database, the user may interact with the loT hub 1 10 via the app/browser on the user device 1 35 to teach the loT hub 1 10 the various control codes generated by the original remote control (e.g., increase temperature, decrease temperature, etc). Once the remote control codes are learned they may be stored in the control code database 413 on the loT hub 1 1 0 and/or sent back to the loT service 1 20 to be included in the central remote control code database 492 (and subsequently used by other users with the same air conditioner unit 430).

[0069] In one embodiment, each of the loT devices 101 -103 have an extremely small form factor and may be affixed on or near their respective electronics equipment 430-432 using double-sided tape, a small nail, a magnetic attachment, etc. For control of a piece of equipment such as the air conditioner 430, it would be desirable to place the loT device 101 sufficiently far away so that the sensor 404 can accurately measure the ambient temperature in the home (e.g., placing the loT device directly on the air conditioner would result in a temperature measurement which would be too low when the air conditioner was running or too high when the heater was running). In contrast, the loT device 102 used for controlling lighting may be placed on or near the lighting fixture 431 for the sensor 405 to detect the current lighting level.

[0070] In addition to providing general control functions as described, one embodiment of the loT hub 1 10 and/or loT service 120 transmits notifications to the end user related to the current status of each piece of electronics equipment. The notifications, which may be text messages and/or app-specific notifications, may then be displayed on the display of the user's mobile device 135. For example, if the user's air conditioner has been on for an extended period of time but the temperature has not changed, the loT hub 1 10 and/or loT service 120 may send the user a notification that the air conditioner is not functioning properly. If the user is not home (which may be detected via motion sensors or based on the user's current detected location), and the sensors 406 indicate that audiovisual equipment 430 is on or sensors 405 indicate that the lights are on, then a notification may be sent to the user, asking if the user would like to turn off the audiovisual equipment 432 and/or lights 431 . The same type of notification may be sent for any equipment type.

[0071] Once the user receives a notification, he/she may remotely control the electronics equipment 430-432 via the app or browser on the user device 135. In one embodiment, the user device 1 35 is a touchscreen device and the app or browser displays an image of a remote control with user-selectable buttons for controlling the equipment 430-432. Upon receiving a notification, the user may open the graphical remote control and turn off or adjust the various different pieces of equipment. If connected via the loT service 120, the user's selections may be forwarded from the loT service 1 20 to the loT hub 1 1 0 which will then control the equipment via the control logic 412. Alternatively, the user input may be sent directly to the loT hub 1 1 0 from the user device 135.

[0072] In one embodiment, the user may program the control logic 41 2 on the loT hub 1 1 0 to perform various automatic control functions with respect to the electronics equipment 430-432. In addition to maintaining a desired temperature, brightness level, and volume level as described above, the control logic 41 2 may automatically turn off the electronics equipment if certain conditions are detected. For example, if the control logic 41 2 detects that the user is not home and that the air conditioner is not functioning, it may automatically turn off the air conditioner. Similarly, if the user is not home, and the sensors 406 indicate that audiovisual equipment 430 is on or sensors 405 indicate that the lights are on, then the control logic 412 may automatically transmit commands via the IR/RF blasters 403 and 402, to turn off the audiovisual equipment and lights, respectively.

[0073] Figure 5 illustrates additional embodiments of loT devices 104-1 05 equipped with sensors 503-504 for monitoring electronic equipment 530-531 . In particular, the loT device 104 of this embodiment includes a temperature sensor 503 which may be placed on or near a stove 530 to detect when the stove has been left on. In one embodiment, the loT device 104 transmits the current temperature measured by the temperature sensor 503 to the loT hub 1 10 and/or the loT service 120. If the stove is detected to be on for more than a threshold time period (e.g., based on the measured temperature), then control logic 512 may transmit a notification to the end user's device 135 informing the user that the stove 530 is on. In addition, in one embodiment, the loT device 104 may include a control module 501 to turn off the stove, either in response to receiving an instruction from the user or automatically (if the control logic 51 2 is programmed to do so by the user). In one embodiment, the control logic 501 comprises a switch to cut off electricity or gas to the stove 530. However, in other embodiments, the control logic 501 may be integrated within the stove itself.

[0074] Figure 5 also illustrates an loT device 1 05 with a motion sensor 504 for detecting the motion of certain types of electronics equipment such as a washer and/or dryer. Another sensor that may be used is an audio sensor (e.g., microphone and logic) for detecting an ambient volume level. As with the other embodiments described above, this embodiment may transmit notifications to the end user if certain specified conditions are met (e.g., if motion is detected for an extended period of time, indicating that the washer/dryer are not turning off). Although not shown in Figure 5, loT device 105 may also be equipped with a control module to turn off the washer/dryer 531 (e.g., by switching off electric/gas), automatically, and/or in response to user input.

[0075] In one embodiment, a first loT device with control logic and a switch may be configured to turn off all power in the user's home and a second loT device with control logic and a switch may be configured to turn off all gas in the user's home. loT devices with sensors may then be positioned on or near electronic or gas-powered equipment in the user's home. If the user is notified that a particular piece of equipment has been left on (e.g., the stove 530), the user may then send a command to turn off all electricity or gas in the home to prevent damage. Alternatively, the control logic 512 in the loT hub 1 10 and/or the loT service 1 20 may be configured to automatically turn off electricity or gas in such situations.

[0076] In one embodiment, the loT hub 1 10 and loT service 120 communicate at periodic intervals. If the loT service 120 detects that the connection to the loT hub 1 1 0 has been lost (e.g., by failing to receive a request or response from the loT hub for a specified duration), it will communicate this information to the end user's device 135 (e.g., by sending a text message or app-specific notification).

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING DATA THROUGH AN INTERMEDIARY DEVICE

[0077] As mentioned above, because the wireless technologies used to interconnect loT devices such as Bluetooth LE are generally short range technologies, if the hub for an loT implementation is outside the range of an loT device, the loT device will not be able to transmit data to the loT hub (and vice versa).

[0078] To address this deficiency, one embodiment of the invention provides a mechanism for an loT device which is outside of the wireless range of the loT hub to periodically connect with one or more mobile devices when the mobile devices are within range. Once connected, the loT device can transmit any data which needs to be provided to the loT hub to the mobile device which then forwards the data to the loT hub.

[0079] As illustrated in Figure 6 one embodiment includes an loT hub 1 1 0, an loT device 601 which is out of range of the loT hub 1 10 and a mobile device 61 1 . The out of range loT device 601 may include any form of loT device capable of collecting and communicating data. For example, the loT device 601 may comprise a data collection device configured within a refrigerator to monitor the food items available in the refrigerator, the users who consume the food items, and the current temperature. Of course, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of loT device. The techniques described herein may be implemented using any type of loT device including those used to collect and transmit data for smart meters, stoves, washers, dryers, lighting systems, HVAC systems, and audiovisual equipment, to name just a few.

[0080] Moreover, the mobile device In operation, the loT device 61 1 illustrated in Figure 6 may be any form of mobile device capable of communicating and storing data. For example, in one embodiment, the mobile device 61 1 is a smartphone with an app installed thereon to facilitate the techniques described herein. In another embodiment, the mobile device 61 1 comprises a wearable device such as a communication token affixed to a neckless or bracelet, a smartwatch or a fitness device. The wearable token may be particularly useful for elderly users or other users who do not own a smartphone device.

[0081] In operation, the out of range loT device 601 may periodically or continually check for connectivity with a mobile device 61 1 . Upon establishing a connection (e.g., as the result of the user moving within the vicinity of the refrigerator) any collected data 605 on the loT device 601 is automatically transmitted to a temporary data repository 615 on the mobile device 61 1 . In one embodiment, the loT device 601 and mobile device 61 1 establish a local wireless communication channel using a low power wireless standard such as BTLE. In such a case, the mobile device 61 1 may initially be paired with the loT device 601 using known pairing techniques. [0082] One the data has been transferred to the temporary data repository, the mobile device 61 1 will transmit the data once communication is established with the loT hub 1 10 (e.g., when the user walks within the range of the loT hub 1 10). The loT hub may then store the data in a central data repository 41 3 and/or send the data over the Internet to one or more services and/or other user devices. In one embodiment, the mobile device 61 1 may use a different type of communication channel to provide the data to the loT hub 1 10 (potentially a higher power communication channel such as WiFi).

[0083] The out of range loT device 601 , the mobile device 61 1 , and the loT hub may all be configured with program code and/or logic to implement the techniques described herein. As illustrated in Figure 7, for example, the loT device 601 may be configured with intermediary connection logic and/or application, the mobile device 61 1 may be configured with an intermediary connection logic/application, and the loT hub 1 10 may be configured with an intermediary connection logic/application 721 to perform the operations described herein. The intermediary connection logic/application on each device may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the intermediary connection logic/application 701 of the loT device 601 searches and establishes a connection with the intermediary connection

logic/application 71 1 on the mobile device (which may be implemented as a device app) to transfer the data to the temporary data repository 61 5. The intermediary connection logic/application 701 on the mobile device 61 1 then forwards the data to the

intermediary connection logic/application on the loT hub, which stores the data in the central data repository 413.

[0084] As illustrated in Figure 7, the intermediary connection logic/applications 701 , 71 1 , 721 , on each device may be configured based on the application at hand. For example, for a refrigerator, the connection logic/application 701 may only need to transmit a few packets on a periodic basis. For other applications (e.g., temperature sensors), the connection logic/application 701 may need to transmit more frequent updates.

[0085] Rather than a mobile device 61 1 , in one embodiment, the loT device 601 may be configured to establish a wireless connection with one or more intermediary loT devices, which are located within range of the loT hub 1 10. In this embodiment, any loT devices 601 out of range of the loT hub may be linked to the hub by forming a "chain" using other loT devices. [0086] In addition, while only a single mobile device 61 1 is illustrated in Figures 6-7 for simplicity, in one embodiment, multiple such mobile devices of different users may be configured to communicate with the loT device 601 . Moreover, the same techniques may be implemented for multiple other loT devices, thereby forming an intermediary device data collection system across the entire home.

[0087] Moreover, in one embodiment, the techniques described herein may be used to collect various different types of pertinent data. For example, in one embodiment, each time the mobile device 61 1 connects with the loT device 601 , the identity of the user may be included with the collected data 605. In this manner, the loT system may be used to track the behavior of different users within the home. For example, if used within a refrigerator, the collected data 605 may then include the identify of each user who passes by fridge, each user who opens the fridge, and the specific food items consumed by each user. Different types of data may be collected from other types of loT devices. Using this data the system is able to determine, for example, which user washes clothes, which user watches TV on a given day, the times at which each user goes to sleep and wakes up, etc. All of this crowd-sourced data may then be compiled within the data repository 41 3 of the loT hub and/or forwarded to an external service or user.

[0088] Another beneficial application of the techniques described herein is for monitoring elderly users who may need assistance. For this application, the mobile device 61 1 may be a very small token worn by the elderly user to collect the information in different rooms of the user's home. Each time the user opens the refrigerator, for example, this data will be included with the collected data 605 and transferred to the loT hub 1 10 via the token. The loT hub may then provide the data to one or more external users (e.g., the children or other individuals who care for the elderly user). If data has not been collected for a specified period of time (e.g., 12 hours), then this means that the elderly user has not been moving around the home and/or has not been opening the refrigerator. The loT hub 1 1 0 or an external service connected to the loT hub may then transmit an alert notification to these other individuals, informing them that they should check on the elderly user. In addition, the collected data 605 may include other pertinent information such as the food being consumed by the user and whether a trip to the grocery store is needed, whether and how frequently the elderly user is watching TV, the frequency with which the elderly user washes clothes, etc.

[0089] In another implementation, the if there is a problem with an electronic device such as a washer, refrigerator, HVAC system, etc, the collected data may include an indication of a part that needs to be replaced. In such a case, a notification may be sent to a technician with a request to fix the problem. The technician may then arrive at the home with the needed replacement part.

[0090] A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 8. The method may be implemented within the context of the architectures described above, but is not limited to any particular architecture.

[0091] At 801 , an loT device which is out of range of the loT hub periodically collects data (e.g., opening of the refrigerator door, food items used, etc). At 802 the loT device periodically or continually checks for connectivity with a mobile device (e.g., using standard local wireless techniques for establishing a connection such as those specified by the BTLE standard). If the connection to the mobile device is established, determined at 802, then at 803, the collected data is transferred to the mobile device at 803. At 804, the mobile device transfers the data to the loT hub, an external service and/or a user. As mentioned, the mobile device may transmit the data immediately if it is already connected (e.g., via a WiFi link).

[0092] In addition to collecting data from loT devices, in one embodiment, the techniques described herein may be used to update or otherwise provide data to loT devices. One example is shown in Figure 9A, which shows an loT hub 1 10 with program code updates 901 that need to be installed on an loT device 601 (or a group of such loT devices). The program code updates may include system updates, patches, configuration data and any other data needed for the loT device to operate as desired by the user. In one embodiment, the user may specify configuration options for the loT device 601 via a mobile device or computer which are then stored on the loT hub 1 10 and provided to the loT device using the techniques described herein. Specifically, in one embodiment, the intermediary connection logic/application 721 on the loT hub 1 10 communicates with the intermediary connection logic/application 71 1 on the mobile device 61 1 to store the program code updates within a temporary storage 615. When the mobile device 61 1 enters the range of the loT device 601 , the intermediary connection logic/application 71 1 on the mobile device 61 1 connects with the

intermediary/connection logic/application 701 on the loT device 601 to provide the program code updates to the device. In one embodiment, the loT device 601 may then enter into an automated update process to install the new program code updates and/or data. [0093] A method for updating an loT device is shown in Figure 9B. The method may be implemented within the context of the system architectures described above, but is not limited to any particular system architectures.

[0094] At 900 new program code or data updates are made available on the loT hub and/or an external service (e.g., coupled to the mobile device over the Internet). At 901 , the mobile device receives and stores the program code or data updates on behalf of the loT device. The loT device and/or mobile device periodically check to determine whether a connection has been established at 902. If a connection is established, determined at 903, then at 904 the updates are transferred to the loT device and installed.

EMBODIMENTS FOR I MPROVED SECURITY

[0095] In one embodiment, the low power microcontroller 200 of each loT device 101 and the low power logic/microcontroller 301 of the loT hub 1 10 include a secure key store for storing encryption keys used by the embodiments described below (see, e.g., Figures 10-15 and associated text). Alternatively, the keys may be secured in a subscriber identify module (SIM) as discussed below.

[0096] Figure 10 illustrates a high level architecture which uses public key infrastructure (PKI) techniques and/or symmetric key exchange/encryption techniques to encrypt communications between the loT Service 1 20, the loT hub 1 1 0 and the loT devices 101 -102.

[0097] Embodiments which use public/private key pairs will first be described, followed by embodiments which use symmetric key exchange/encryption techniques. In particular, in an embodiment which uses PKI, a unique public/private key pair is associated with each loT device 101 -102, each loT hub 1 10 and the loT service 120. In one embodiment, when a new loT hub 1 1 0 is set up, its public key is provided to the loT service 1 20 and when a new loT device 1 01 is set up, it's public key is provided to both the loT hub 1 10 and the loT service 1 20. Various techniques for securely exchanging the public keys between devices are described below. In one embodiment, all public keys are signed by a master key known to all of the receiving devices (i.e., a form of certificate) so that any receiving device can verify the validity of the public keys by validating the signatures. Thus, these certificates would be exchanged rather than merely exchanging the raw public keys.

[0098] As illustrated, in one embodiment, each loT device 1 01 , 102 includes a secure key storage 1001 , 1003, respectively, for security storing each device's private key. Security logic 1 002, 1 304 then utilizes the securely stored private keys to perform the encryption/decryption operations described herein. Similarly, the loT hub 1 10 includes a secure storage 101 1 for storing the loT hub private key and the public keys of the loT devices 101 -102 and the loT service 1 20; as well as security logic 1012 for using the keys to perform encryption/decryption operations. Finally, the loT service 120 may include a secure storage 1021 for security storing its own private key, the public keys of various loT devices and loT hubs, and a security logic 1013 for using the keys to encrypt/decrypt communication with loT hubs and devices. In one embodiment, when the loT hub 1 10 receives a public key certificate from an loT device it can verify it (e.g., by validating the signature using the master key as described above), and then extract the public key from within it and store that public key in it's secure key store 101 1 .

[0099] By way of example, in one embodiment, when the loT service 120 needs to transmit a command or data to an loT device 101 (e.g., a command to unlock a door, a request to read a sensor, data to be processed/displayed by the loT device, etc) the security logic 1013 encrypts the data/command using the public key of the loT device 101 to generate an encrypted loT device packet. In one embodiment, it then encrypts the loT device packet using the public key of the loT hub 1 1 0 to generate an loT hub packet and transmits the loT hub packet to the loT hub 1 10. In one embodiment, the service 1 20 signs the encrypted message with it's private key or the master key mentioned above so that the device 101 can verify it is receiving an unaltered message from a trusted source. The device 101 may then validate the signature using the public key corresponding to the private key and/or the master key. As mentioned above, symmetric key exchange/encryption techniques may be used instead of public/private key encryption. In these embodiments, rather than privately storing one key and providing a corresponding public key to other devices, the devices may each be provided with a copy of the same symmetric key to be used for encryption and to validate signatures. One example of a symmetric key algorithm is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), although the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any type of specific symmetric keys.

[00100] Using a symmetric key implementation, each device 101 enters into a secure key exchange protocol to exchange a symmetric key with the loT hub 1 10. A secure key provisioning protocol such as the Dynamic Symmetric Key Provisioning Protocol (DSKPP) may be used to exchange the keys over a secure communication channel (see, e.g., Request for Comments (RFC) 6063). However, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular key provisioning protocol. [00101] Once the symmetric keys have been exchanged, they may be used by each device 101 and the loT hub 1 10 to encrypt communications. Similarly, the loT hub 1 10 and loT service 120 may perform a secure symmetric key exchange and then use the exchanged symmetric keys to encrypt communications. In one embodiment a new symmetric key is exchanged periodically between the devices 101 and the hub 1 10 and between the hub 1 10 and the loT service 120. In one embodiment, a new symmetric key is exchanged with each new communication session between the devices 101 , the hub 1 10, and the service 120 (e.g., a new key is generated and securely exchanged for each communication session). In one embodiment, if the security module 1 012 in the loT hub is trusted, the service 120 could negotiate a session key with the hub security module 1312 and then the security module 1012 would negotiate a session key with each device 120. Messages from the service 120 would then be decrypted and verified in the hub security module 1 012 before being re-encrypted for transmission to the device 101 .

[00102] In one embodiment, to prevent a compromise on the hub security module 1012 a one-time (permanent) installation key may be negotiated between the device 101 and service 120 at installation time. When sending a message to a device 101 the service 1 20 could first encrypt/MAC with this device installation key, then encrypt/MAC that with the hub's session key. The hub 1 10 would then verify and extract the encrypted device blob and send that to the device.

[00103] In one embodiment of the invention, a counter mechanism is implemented to prevent replay attacks. For example, each successive communication from the device 101 to the hub 1 10 (or vice versa) may be assigned a continually increasing counter value. Both the hub 1 10 and device 101 will track this value and verify that the value is correct in each successive communication between the devices. The same techniques may be implemented between the hub 1 10 and the service 1 20. Using a counter in this manner would make it more difficult to spoof the communication between each of the devices (because the counter value would be incorrect). However, even without this a shared installation key between the service and device would prevent network (hub) wide attacks to all devices.

[00104] In one embodiment, when using public/private key encryption, the loT hub 1 10 uses its private key to decrypt the loT hub packet and generate the encrypted loT device packet, which it transmits to the associated loT device 1 01 . The loT device 101 then uses its private key to decrypt the loT device packet to generate the

command/data originated from the loT service 120. It may then process the data and/or execute the command. Using symmetric encryption, each device would encrypt and decrypt with the shared symmetric key. If either case, each transmitting device may also sign the message with it's private key so that the receiving device can verify it's authenticity.

[00105] A different set of keys may be used to encrypt communication from the loT device 101 to the loT hub 1 1 0 and to the loT service 1 20. For example, using a public/private key arrangement, in one embodiment, the security logic 1002 on the loT device 101 uses the public key of the loT hub 1 10 to encrypt data packets sent to the loT hub 1 1 0. The security logic 1012 on the loT hub 1 1 0 may then decrypt the data packets using the loT hub's private key. Similarly, the security logic 1002 on the loT device 101 and/or the security logic 1 012 on the loT hub 1 10 may encrypt data packets sent to the loT service 1 20 using the public key of the loT service 1 20 (which may then be decrypted by the security logic 101 3 on the loT service 1 20 using the service's private key). Using symmetric keys, the device 101 and hub 1 10 may share a symmetric key while the hub and service 1 20 may share a different symmetric key.

[00106] While certain specific details are set forth above in the description above, it should be noted that the underlying principles of the invention may be implemented using various different encryption techniques. For example, while some embodiments discussed above use asymmetric public/private key pairs, an alternate embodiment may use symmetric keys securely exchanged between the various loT devices 101 -1 02, loT hubs 1 10, and the loT service 120. Moreover, in some embodiments, the

data/command itself is not encrypted, but a key is used to generate a signature over the data/command (or other data structure). The recipient may then use its key to validate the signature.

[00107] As illustrated in Figure 11 , in one embodiment, the secure key storage on each loT device 101 is implemented using a programmable subscriber identity module (SIM) 1 101 . In this embodiment, the loT device 1 01 may initially be provided to the end user with an un-programmed SIM card 1 101 seated within a SIM interface 1 1 00 on the loT device 101 . In order to program the SIM with a set of one or more encryption keys, the user takes the programmable SIM card 1 101 out of the SIM interface 500 and inserts it into a SIM programming interface 1 102 on the loT hub 1 10. Programming logic 1 1 25 on the loT hub then securely programs the SIM card 1 101 to register/pair the loT device 101 with the loT hub 1 10 and loT service 120. In one embodiment, a public/private key pair may be randomly generated by the programming logic 1 1 25 and the public key of the pair may then be stored in the loT hub's secure storage device 41 1 while the private key may be stored within the programmable SIM 1 101 . In addition, the programming logic 525 may store the public keys of the loT hub 1 10, the loT service 120, and/or any other loT devices 101 on the SIM card 1401 (to be used by the security logic 1302 on the loT device 1 01 to encrypt outgoing data). Once the SIM 1 1 01 is programmed, the new loT device 101 may be provisioned with the loT Service 120 using the SIM as a secure identifier (e.g., using existing techniques for registering a device using a SIM). Following provisioning, both the loT hub 1 10 and the loT service 120 will securely store a copy of the loT device's public key to be used when encrypting communication with the loT device 101 .

[00108] The techniques described above with respect to Figure 11 provide enormous flexibility when providing new loT devices to end users. Rather than requiring a user to directly register each SIM with a particular service provider upon sale/purchase (as is currently done), the SIM may be programmed directly by the end user via the loT hub 1 10 and the results of the programming may be securely communicated to the loT service 1 20. Consequently, new loT devices 1 01 may be sold to end users from online or local retailers and later securely provisioned with the loT service 120.

[00109] While the registration and encryption techniques are described above within the specific context of a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to a "SIM" device. Rather, the underlying principles of the invention may be implemented using any type of device having secure storage for storing a set of encryption keys. Moreover, while the embodiments above include a removable SIM device, in one embodiment, the SIM device is not removable but the loT device itself may be inserted within the programming interface 1 102 of the loT hub 1 1 0.

[00110] In one embodiment, rather than requiring the user to program the SIM (or other device), the SIM is pre-programmed into the loT device 101 , prior to distribution to the end user. In this embodiment, when the user sets up the loT device 1 01 , various techniques described herein may be used to securely exchange encryption keys between the loT hub 1 1 0/loT service 120 and the new loT device 101 .

[00111] For example, as illustrated in Figure 12A each loT device 1 01 or SIM 401 may be packaged with a barcode or QR code 1501 uniquely identifying the loT device 101 and/or SIM 1 001 . In one embodiment, the barcode or QR code 1201 comprises an encoded representation of the public key for the loT device 101 or SIM 1001 .

Alternatively, the barcode or QR code 1201 may be used by the loT hub 1 1 0 and/or loT service 1 20 to identify or generate the public key (e.g., used as a pointer to the public key which is already stored in secure storage). The barcode or QR code 601 may be printed on a separate card (as shown in Figure 12A) or may be printed directly on the loT device itself. Regardless of where the barcode is printed, in one embodiment, the loT hub 1 1 0 is equipped with a barcode reader 206 for reading the barcode and providing the resulting data to the security logic 1 012 on the loT hub 1 1 0 and/or the security logic 1013 on the loT service 120. The security logic 1012 on the loT hub 1 10 may then store the public key for the loT device within its secure key storage 101 1 and the security logic 1 013 on the loT service 120 may store the public key within its secure storage 1021 (to be used for subsequent encrypted communication).

[00112] In one embodiment, the data contained in the barcode or QR code 1201 may also be captured via a user device 135 (e.g., such as an iPhone or Android device) with an installed loT app or browser-based applet designed by the loT service provider. Once captured, the barcode data may be securely communicated to the loT service 120 over a secure connection (e.g., such as a secure sockets layer (SSL) connection). The barcode data may also be provided from the client device 135 to the loT hub 1 1 0 over a secure local connection (e.g., over a local WiFi or Bluetooth LE connection).

[00113] The security logic 1002 on the loT device 101 and the security logic 1012 on the loT hub 1 10 may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof. For example, in one embodiment, the security logic 1002, 1012 is implemented within the chips used for establishing the local communication channel 130 between the loT device 101 and the loT hub 1 1 0 (e.g., the Bluetooth LE chip if the local channel 1 30 is Bluetooth LE). Regardless of the specific location of the security logic 1002, 1 01 2, in one embodiment, the security logic 1002, 1012 is designed to establish a secure execution environment for executing certain types of program code. This may be implemented, for example, by using TrustZone technology (available on some ARM processors) and/or Trusted Execution Technology (designed by Intel). Of course, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of secure execution technology.

[00114] In one embodiment, the barcode or QR code 1501 may be used to pair each loT device 101 with the loT hub 1 10. For example, rather than using the standard wireless pairing process currently used to pair Bluetooth LE devices, a pairing code embedded within the barcode or QR code 1501 may be provided to the loT hub 1 10 to pair the loT hub with the corresponding loT device.

[00115] Figure 12B illustrates one embodiment in which the barcode reader 206 on the loT hub 1 10 captures the barcode/QR code 1201 associated with the loT device 101 . As mentioned, the barcode/QR code 1201 may be printed directly on the loT device 101 or may be printed on a separate card provided with the loT device 1 01 . In either case, the barcode reader 206 reads the pairing code from the barcode/QR code 1201 and provides the pairing code to the local communication module 1280. In one embodiment, the local communication module 1280 is a Bluetooth LE chip and associated software, although the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular protocol standard. Once the pairing code is received, it is stored in a secure storage containing pairing data 1285 and the loT device 1 01 and loT hub 1 10 are automatically paired. Each time the loT hub is paired with a new loT device in this manner, the pairing data for that pairing is stored within the secure storage 685. In one embodiment, once the local communication module 1280 of the loT hub 1 10 receives the pairing code, it may use the code as a key to encrypt communications over the local wireless channel with the loT device 101 .

[00116] Similarly, on the loT device 101 side, the local communication module 1590 stores pairing data within a local secure storage device 1595 indicating the pairing with the loT hub. The pairing data 1 295 may include the pre-programmed pairing code identified in the barcode/QR code 1 201 . The pairing data 1295 may also include pairing data received from the local communication module 1280 on the loT hub 1 10 required for establishing a secure local communication channel (e.g., an additional key to encrypt communication with the loT hub 1 10).

[00117] Thus, the barcode/QR code 1201 may be used to perform local pairing in a far more secure manner than current wireless pairing protocols because the pairing code is not transmitted over the air. In addition, in one embodiment, the same barcode/QR code 1 201 used for pairing may be used to identify encryption keys to build a secure connection from the loT device 101 to the loT hub 1 1 0 and from the loT hub 1 10 to the loT service 1 20.

[00118] A method for programming a SIM card in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 13. The method may be implemented within the system architecture described above, but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

[00119] At 1301 , a user receives a new loT device with a blank SIM card and, at 1602, the user inserts the blank SIM card into an loT hub. At 1303, the user programs the blank SIM card with a set of one or more encryption keys. For example, as mentioned above, in one embodiment, the loT hub may randomly generate a

public/private key pair and store the private key on the SIM card and the public key in its local secure storage. In addition, at 1304, at least the public key is transmitted to the loT service so that it may be used to identify the loT device and establish encrypted communication with the loT device. As mentioned above, in one embodiment, a programmable device other than a "SIM" card may be used to perform the same functions as the SIM card in the method shown in Figure 13.

[00120] A method for integrating a new loT device into a network is illustrated in Figure 14. The method may be implemented within the system architecture described above, but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

[00121] At 1401 , a user receives a new loT device to which an encryption key has been pre-assigned. At 1402, the key is securely provided to the loT hub. As mentioned above, in one embodiment, this involves reading a barcode associated with the loT device to identify the public key of a public/private key pair assigned to the device. The barcode may be read directly by the loT hub or captured via a mobile device via an app or bowser. In an alternate embodiment, a secure communication channel such as a Bluetooth LE channel, a near field communication (NFC) channel or a secure WiFi channel may be established between the loT device and the loT hub to exchange the key. Regardless of how the key is transmitted, once received, it is stored in the secure keystore of the loT hub device. As mentioned above, various secure execution technologies may be used on the loT hub to store and protect the key such as Secure Enclaves, Trusted Execution Technology (TXT), and/or Trustzone. In addition, at 803, the key is securely transmitted to the loT service which stores the key in its own secure keystore. It may then use the key to encrypt communication with the loT device. One again, the exchange may be implemented using a certificate/signed key. Within the hub 1 10 it is particularly important to prevent modification/addition/ removal of the stored keys.

[00122] A method for securely communicating commands/data to an loT device using public/private keys is illustrated in Figure 15. The method may be implemented within the system architecture described above, but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

[00123] At 1 501 , the loT service encrypts the data/commands using the loT device public key to create an loT device packet. It then encrypts the loT device packet using loT hub's public key to create the loT hub packet (e.g., creating an loT hub wrapper around the loT device packet). At 1502, the loT service transmits the loT hub packet to the loT hub. At 1 503, the loT hub decrypts the loT hub packet using the loT hub's private key to generate the loT device packet. At 1504 it then transmits the loT device packet to the loT device which, at 1 505, decrypts the loT device packet using the loT device private key to generate the data/commands. At 1506, the loT device processes the data/commands.

[00124] In an embodiment which uses symmetric keys, a symmetric key exchange may be negotiated between each of the devices (e.g., each device and the hub and between the hub and the service). Once the key exchange is complete, each transmitting device encrypts and/or signs each transmission using the symmetric key before transmitting data to the receiving device.

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING SECURE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS IN AN INTERNET OF THINGS (loT) SYSTEM

[00125] In one embodiment of the invention, encryption and decryption of data is performed between the loT service 120 and each loT device 101 , regardless of the intermediate devices used to support the communication channel (e.g., such as the user's mobile device 61 1 and/or the loT hub 1 10). One embodiment which

communicates via an loT hub 1 10 is illustrated in Figure 16A and another embodiment which does not require an loT hub is illustrated in Figure 16B.

[00126] Turning first to Figure 16A, the loT service 120 includes an encryption engine 1660 which manages a set of "service session keys" 1650 and each loT device 101 includes an encryption engine 1661 which manages a set of "device session keys" 1651 for encrypting/decrypting communication between the loT device 1 01 and loT service 1 20. The encryption engines may rely on different hardware modules when performing the security/encryption techniques described herein including a hardware security module 1630-1631 for (among other things) generating a session public/private key pair and preventing access to the private session key of the pair and a key stream generation module 1640-1641 for generating a key stream using a derived secret. In one embodiment, the service session keys 1 650 and the device session keys 1651 comprise related public/private key pairs. For example, in one embodiment, the device session keys 1651 on the loT device 101 include a public key of the loT service 1 20 and a private key of the loT device 101 . As discussed in detail below, in one embodiment, to establish a secure communication session, the public/private session key pairs, 1650 and 1 651 , are used by each encryption engine, 1660 and 1661 , respectively, to generate the same secret which is then used by the SKGMs 1 640-1641 to generate a key stream to encrypt and decrypt communication between the loT service 120 and the loT device 101 . Additional details associated with generation and use of the secret in accordance with one embodiment of the invention are provided below. [00127] In Figure 16A, once the secret has been generated using the keys 1650- 1651 , the client will always send messages to the loT device 1 01 through the loT service 1 20, as indicated by Clear transaction 161 1 . "Clear" as used herein is meant to indicate that the underlying message is not encrypted using the encryption techniques described herein. However, as illustrated, in one embodiment, a secure sockets layer (SSL) channel or other secure channel (e.g., an Internet Protocol Security (IPSEC) channel) is established between the client device 61 1 and loT service 1 20 to protect the communication. The encryption engine 1 660 on the loT service 120 then encrypts the message using the generated secret and transmits the encrypted message to the loT hub 1 10 at 1602. Rather than using the secret to encrypt the message directly, in one embodiment, the secret and a counter value are used to generate a key stream, which is used to encrypt each message packet. Details of this embodiment are described below with respect to Figure 17.

[00128] As illustrated, an SSL connection or other secure channel may be established between the loT service 1 20 and the loT hub 1 1 0. The loT hub 1 1 0 (which does not have the ability to decrypt the message in one embodiment) transmits the encrypted message to the loT device at 1603 (e.g., over a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) communication channel). The encryption engine 1661 on the loT device 101 may then decrypt the message using the secret and process the message contents. In an embodiment which uses the secret to generate a key stream, the encryption engine 1661 may generate the key stream using the secret and a counter value and then use the key stream for decryption of the message packet.

[00129] The message itself may comprise any form of communication between the loT service 120 and loT device 101 . For example, the message may comprise a command packet instructing the loT device 101 to perform a particular function such as taking a measurement and reporting the result back to the client device 61 1 or may include configuration data to configure the operation of the loT device 101 .

[00130] If a response is required, the encryption engine 1661 on the loT device 101 uses the secret or a derived key stream to encrypt the response and transmits the encrypted response to the loT hub 1 10 at 1 604, which forwards the response to the loT service 1 20 at 1605. The encryption engine 1660 on the loT service 120 then decrypts the response using the secret or a derived key stream and transmits the decrypted response to the client device 61 1 at 1606 (e.g., over the SSL or other secure communication channel). [00131] Figure 16B illustrates an embodiment which does not require an loT hub. Rather, in this embodiment, communication between the loT device 101 and loT service 120 occurs through the client device 61 1 (e.g., as in the embodiments described above with respect to Figures 6-9B). In this embodiment, to transmit a message to the loT device 101 the client device 61 1 transmits an unencrypted version of the message to the loT service 120 at 1 61 1 . The encryption engine 1660 encrypts the message using the secret or the derived key stream and transmits the encrypted message back to the client device 61 1 at 161 2. The client device 61 1 then forwards the encrypted message to the loT device 101 at 1613, and the encryption engine 1661 decrypts the message using the secret or the derived key stream. The loT device 101 may then process the message as described herein. If a response is required, the encryption engine 1661 encrypts the response using the secret and transmits the encrypted response to the client device 61 1 at 1614, which forwards the encrypted response to the loT service 120 at 161 5. The encryption engine 1660 then decrypts the response and transmits the decrypted response to the client device 61 1 at 1 616.

[00132] Figure 17 illustrates a key exchange and key stream generation which may initially be performed between the loT service 1 20 and the loT device 101 . In one embodiment, this key exchange may be performed each time the loT service 1 20 and loT device 101 establish a new communication session. Alternatively, the key exchange may be performed and the exchanged session keys may be used for a specified period of time (e.g., a day, a week, etc). While no intermediate devices are shown in Figure 17 for simplicity, communication may occur through the loT hub 1 10 and/or the client device 61 1 .

[00133] In one embodiment, the encryption engine 1660 of the loT service 120 sends a command to the HSM 1 630 (e.g., which may be such as a CloudHSM offered by Amazon®) to generate a session public/private key pair. The HSM 1630 may subsequently prevent access to the private session key of the pair. Similarly, the encryption engine on the loT device 101 may transmit a command to the HSM 1631 (e.g., such as an Atecc508 HSM from Atmel Corporation®) which generates a session public/private key pair and prevents access to the session private key of the pair. Of course, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any specific type of encryption engine or manufacturer.

[00134] In one embodiment, the loT service 120 transmits its session public key generated using the HSM 1630 to the loT device 101 at 1701 . The loT device uses its HSM 1631 to generate its own session public/private key pair and, at 1702, transmits its public key of the pair to the loT service 1 20. In one embodiment, the encryption engines 1660-1661 use an Elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) protocol, which is an anonymous key agreement that allows two parties with an elliptic curve public-private key pair, to establish a shared secret. In one embodiment, using these techniques, at 1703, the encryption engine 1660 of the loT service 120 generates the secret using the loT device session public key and its own session private key. Similarly, at 1704, the encryption engine 1661 of the loT device 101 independently generates the same secret using the loT service 120 session public key and its own session private key. More specifically, in one embodiment, the encryption engine 1660 on the loT service 1 20 generates the secret according to the formula secret = loT device session pub key ^* loT service session private key, where ' ^* ' means that the loT device session public key is point-multiplied by the loT service session private key. The encryption engine 1661 on the loT device 101 generates the secret according to the formula secret = loT service session pub key ^* loT device session private key, where the loT service session public key is point multiplied by the loT device session private key. In the end, the loT service 120 and loT device 101 have both generated the same secret to be used to encrypt communication as described below. In one embodiment, the encryption engines 1660- 1661 rely on a hardware module such as the KSGMs 1 640-1641 respectively to perform the above operations for generating the secret.

[00135] Once the secret has been determined, it may be used by the encryption engines 1660 and 1661 to encrypt and decrypt data directly. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the encryption engines 1 660-1661 send commands to the KSGMs 1640- 1641 to generate a new key stream using the secret to encrypt/decrypt each data packet (i.e., a new key stream data structure is generated for each packet). In particular, one embodiment of the key stream generation module 1640-1641

implements a Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) in which a counter value is incremented for each data packet and is used in combination with the secret to generate the key stream. Thus, to transmit a data packet to the loT service 1 20, the encryption engine 1661 of the loT device 101 uses the secret and the current counter value to cause the KSGMs 1640-1641 to generate a new key stream and increment the counter value for generating the next key stream. The newly-generated key stream is then used to encrypt the data packet prior to transmission to the loT service 1 20. In one

embodiment, the key stream is XORed with the data to generate the encrypted data packet. In one embodiment, the loT device 101 transmits the counter value with the encrypted data packet to the loT service 120. The encryption engine 1 660 on the loT service then communicates with the KSGM 1640 which uses the received counter value and the secret to generate the key stream (which should be the same key stream because the same secret and counter value are used) and uses the generated key stream to decrypt the data packet.

[00136] In one embodiment, data packets transmitted from the loT service 120 to the loT device 101 are encrypted in the same manner. Specifically, a counter is

incremented for each data packet and used along with the secret to generate a new key stream. The key stream is then used to encrypt the data (e.g., performing an XOR of the data and the key stream) and the encrypted data packet is transmitted with the counter value to the loT device 101 . The encryption engine 1661 on the loT device 101 then communicates with the KSGM 1641 which uses the counter value and the secret to generate the same key stream which is used to decrypt the data packet. Thus, in this embodiment, the encryption engines 1 660-1661 use their own counter values to generate a key stream to encrypt data and use the counter values received with the encrypted data packets to generate a key stream to decrypt the data.

[00137] In one embodiment, each encryption engine 1660-1661 keeps track of the last counter value it received from the other and includes sequencing logic to detect whether a counter value is received out of sequence or if the same counter value is received more than once. If a counter value is received out of sequence, or if the same counter value is received more than once, this may indicate that a replay attack is being attempted. In response, the encryption engines 1660-1661 may disconnect from the communication channel and/or may generate a security alert.

[00138] Figure 18 illustrates an exemplary encrypted data packet employed in one embodiment of the invention comprising a 4-byte counter value 1800, a variable-sized encrypted data field 1801 , and a 6-byte tag 1802. In one embodiment, the tag 1802 comprises a checksum value to validate the decrypted data (once it has been decrypted).

[00139] As mentioned, in one embodiment, the session public/private key pairs 1650- 1651 exchanged between the loT service 1 20 and loT device 101 may be generated periodically and/or in response to the initiation of each new communication session.

[00140] One embodiment of the invention implements additional techniques for authenticating sessions between the loT service 120 and loT device 1 01 . In particular, in one embodiment, hierarchy of public/private key pairs is used including a master key pair, a set of factory key pairs, and a set of loT service key pairs, and a set of loT device key pairs. In one embodiment, the master key pair comprises a root of trust for all of the other key pairs and is maintained in a single, highly secure location (e.g., under the control of the organization implementing the loT systems described herein). The master private key may be used to generate signatures over (and thereby authenticate) various other key pairs such as the factory key pairs. The signatures may then be verified using the master public key. In one embodiment, each factory which manufactures loT devices is assigned its own factory key pair which may then be used to authenticate loT service keys and loT device keys. For example, in one embodiment, a factory private key is used to generate a signature over loT service public keys and loT device public keys. These signature may then be verified using the corresponding factory public key. Note that these loT service/device public keys are not the same as the "session" public/private keys described above with respect to Figures 16A-B. The session public/private keys described above are temporary (i.e., generated for a service/device session) while the loT service/device key pairs are permanent (i.e., generated at the factory).

[00141] With the foregoing relationships between master keys, factory keys, service/device keys in mind, one embodiment of the invention performs the following operations to provide additional layers of authentication and security between the loT service 1 20 and loT device 101 :

A. In one embodiment, the loT service 1 20 initially generates a message containing the following:

1 . The loT service's unique ID:

• The loT service's serial number;

• a Timestamp;

• The ID of the factory key used to sign this unique ID;

• a Class of the unique ID (i.e., a service);

• loT service's public key

• The signature over the unique ID.

2. The Factory Certificate including:

• A timestamp

• The ID of the master key used to sign the certificate

• The factory public key

• The signature of the Factory Certificate

3. loT service session public key (as described above with respect to Figures 16A-B) 4. loT service session public key signature (e.g., signed with the loT service's private key)

B. In one embodiment, the message is sent to the loT device on the negotiation channel (described below). The loT device parses the message and:

1 . Verifies the signature of the factory certificate (only if present in the message payload)

2. Verifies the signature of the unique ID using the key identified by the unique ID

3. Verifies the loT service session public key signature using the loT service's public key from the unique ID

4. Saves the loT service's public key as well as the loT service's session public key

5. Generates the loT device session key pair

C. The loT device then generates a message containing the following:

1 . loT device's unique ID

• loT device serial number

• Timestamp

• ID of factory key used to sign this unique ID

• Class of unique ID (i.e., loT device)

• loT device's public key

• Signature of unique ID

2. loT device's session public key

3. Signature of (loT device session public key + loT service session public key) signed with loT device's key

D. This message is sent back to the loT service. The loT service parses the message and:

1 . Verifies the signature of the unique ID using the factory public key

2. Verifies the signature of the session public keys using the loT device's public key

3. Saves the loT device's session public key E. The loT service then generates a message containing a signature of (loT device session public key + loT service session public key) signed with the loT service's key.

F. The loT device parses the message and:

1 . Verifies the signature of the session public keys using the loT

service's public key

2. Generates the key stream from the loT device session private key and the loT service's session public key

3. The loT device then sends a "messaging available" message.

G. The loT service then does the following:

1 . Generates the key stream from the loT service session private key and the loT device's session public key

2. Creates a new message on the messaging channel which contains the following:

• Generates and stores a random 2 byte value

• Set attribute message with the boomerang attribute Id

(discussed below) and the random value

H. The loT device receives the message and:

1 . Attempts to decrypt the message

2. Emits an Update with the same value on the indicated attribute Id

I. The loT service recognizes the message payload contains a boomerang attribute update and:

1 . Sets its paired state to true

2. Sends a pairing complete message on the negotiator channel

J. loT device receives the message and sets his paired state to true

[00142] While the above techniques are described with respect to an "loT service" and an "loT device," the underlying principles of the invention may be implemented to establish a secure communication channel between any two devices including user client devices, servers, and Internet services. [00143] The above techniques are highly secure because the private keys are never shared over the air (in contrast to current Bluetooth pairing techniques in which a secret is transmitted from one party to the other). An attacker listening to the entire

conversation will only have the public keys, which are insufficient to generate the shared secret. These techniques also prevent a man-in-the-middle attack by exchanging signed public keys. In addition, because GCM and separate counters are used on each device, any kind of "replay attack" (where a man in the middle captures the data and sends it again) is prevented. Some embodiments also prevent replay attacks by using asymmetrical counters.

TECHNIQUES FOR EXCHANGING DATA AND COMMANDS WITHOUT FORMALLY PAIRING DEVICES

[00144] GATT is an acronym for the Generic Attribute Profile, and it defines the way that two Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) devices transfer data back and forth. It makes use of a generic data protocol called the Attribute Protocol (ATT), which is used to store Services, Characteristics and related data in a simple lookup table using 16-bit

Characteristic IDs for each entry in the table. Note that while the "characteristics" are sometimes referred to as "attributes."

[00145] On Bluetooth devices, the most commonly used characteristic is the devices "name" (having characteristic ID 10752 (0x2A00)). For example, a Bluetooth device may identify other Bluetooth devices within its vicinity by reading the "Name" characteristic published by those other Bluetooth devices using GATT. Thus, Bluetooth device have the inherent ability to exchange data without formally pairing/bonding the devices (note that "paring" and "bonding" are sometimes used interchangeably; the remainder of this discussion will use the term "pairing").

[00146] One embodiment of the invention takes advantage of this capability to communicate with BTLE-enabled loT devices without formally pairing with these devices. Pairing with each individual loT device would extremely inefficient because of the amount of time required to pair with each device and because only one paired connection may be established at a time.

[00147] Figure 19 illustrates one particular embodiment in which a Bluetooth (BT) device 1910 establishes a network socket abstraction with a BT communication module 1901 of an loT device 101 without formally establishing a paired BT connection. The BT device 1910 may be included in an loT hub 1 10 and/or a client device 61 1 such as shown in Figure 16A. As illustrated, the BT communication module 1901 maintains a data structure containing a list of characteristic IDs, names associated with those characteristic IDs and values for those characteristic IDs. The value for each

characteristic may be stored within a 20-byte buffer identified by the characteristic ID in accordance with the current BT standard. However, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular buffer size.

[00148] In the example in Figure 19, the "Name" characteristic is a BT-defined characteristic which is assigned a specific value of "loT Device 14." One embodiment of the invention specifies a first set of additional characteristics to be used for negotiating a secure communication channel with the BT device 1910 and a second set of additional characteristics to be used for encrypted communication with the BT device 1 910. In particular, a "negotiation write" characteristic, identified by characteristic ID <65532> in the illustrated example, may be used to transmit outgoing negotiation messages and the "negotiation read" characteristic, identified by characteristic ID <65533> may be used to receive incoming negotiation messages. The "negotiation messages" may include messages used by the BT device 1910 and the BT communication module 1 901 to establish a secure communication channel as described herein. By way of example, in Figure 17, the loT device 1 01 may receive the loT service session public key 1701 via the "negotiation read" characteristic <65533>. The key 1 701 may be transmitted from the loT service 120 to a BTLE-enabled loT hub 1 10 or client device 61 1 which may then use GATT to write the key 1701 to the negotiation read value buffer identified by characteristic ID <65533>. loT device application logic 1902 may then read the key 1701 from the value buffer identified by characteristic ID <65533> and process it as described above (e.g., using it to generate a secret and using the secret to generate a key stream, etc).

[00149] If the key 1 701 is greater than 20 bytes (the maximum buffer size in some current implementations), then it may be written in 20-byte portions. For example, the first 20 bytes may be written by the BT communication module 1903 to characteristic ID <65533> and read by the loT device application logic 1 902, which may then write an acknowledgement message to the negotiation write value buffer identified by

characteristic ID <65532>. Using GATT, the BT communication module 1 903 may read this acknowledgement from characteristic ID <65532> and responsively write the next 20 bytes of the key 1701 to the negotiation read value buffer identified by characteristic ID <65533>. In this manner, a network socket abstraction defined by characteristic IDs <65532> and <65533> is established for exchanging negotiation messages used to establish a secure communication channel. [00150] In one embodiment, once the secure communication channel is established, a second network socket abstraction is established using characteristic ID <65534> (for transmitting encrypted data packets from loT device 101 ) and characteristic ID <65533> (for receiving encrypted data packets by loT device). That is, when BT communication module 1903 has an encrypted data packet to transmit (e.g., such as encrypted message 1603 in Figure 16A), it starts writing the encrypted data packet, 20 bytes at a time, using the message read value buffer identified by characteristic ID <65533>. The loT device application logic 1902 will then read the encrypted data packet, 20 bytes at a time, from the read value buffer, sending acknowledgement messages to the BT communication module 1 903 as needed via the write value buffer identified by characteristic ID <65532>.

[00151] In one embodiment, the commands of GET, SET, and UPDATE described below are used to exchange data and commands between the two BT communication modules 1 901 and 1903. For example, the BT communication module 1903 may send a packet identifying characteristic ID <65533> and containing the SET command to write into the value field/buffer identified by characteristic ID <65533> which may then be read by the loT device application logic 1902. To retrieve data from the loT device 101 , the BT communication module 1 903 may transmit a GET command directed to the value field/buffer identified by characteristic ID <65534>. In response to the GET command, the BT communication module 1901 may transmit an UPDATE packet to the BT communication module 1 903 containing the data from the value field/buffer identified by characteristic ID <65534>. In addition, UPDATE packets may be transmitted automatically, in response to changes in a particular attribute on the loT device 101 . For example, if the loT device is associated with a lighting system and the user turns on the lights, then an UPDATE packet may be sent to reflect the change to the on/off attribute associated with the lighting application.

[00152] Figure 20 illustrates exemplary packet formats used for GET, SET, and UPDATE in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, these packets are transmitted over the message write <65534> and message read <65533> channels following negotiation. In the GET packet 2001 , a first 1 -byte field includes a value (0X10) which identifies the packet as a GET packet. A second 1 -byte field includes a request ID, which uniquely identifies the current GET command (i.e., identifies the current transaction with which the GET command is associated). For example, each instance of a GET command transmitted from a service or device may be assigned a different request ID. This may be done, for example, by incrementing a counter and using the counter value as the request ID. However, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular manner for setting the request ID.

[00153] A 2-byte attribute ID identifies the application-specific attribute to which the packet is directed. For example, if the GET command is being sent to loT device 1 01 illustrated in Figure 19, the attribute ID may be used to identify the particular

application-specific value being requested. Returning to the above example, the GET command may be directed to an application-specific attribute ID such as power status of a lighting system, which comprises a value identifying whether the lights are powered on or off (e.g., 1 = on, 0 = off). If the loT device 101 is a security apparatus associated with a door, then the value field may identify the current status of the door (e.g., 1 = opened, 0 = closed). In response to the GET command, a response may be

transmitting containing the current value identified by the attribute ID.

[00154] The SET packet 2002 and UPDATE packet 2003 illustrated in Figure 20 also include a first 1 -byte field identifying the type of packet (i.e., SET and UPDATE), a second 1 -byte field containing a request ID, and a 2-byte attribute ID field identifying an application-defined attribute. In addition, the SET packet includes a 2-byte length value identifying the length of data contained in an n-byte value data field. The value data field may include a command to be executed on the loT device and/or configuration data to configure the operation of the loT device in some manner (e.g., to set a desired parameter, to power down the loT device, etc). For example, if the loT device 101 controls the speed of a fan, the value field may reflect the current fan speed.

[00155] The UPDATE packet 2003 may be transmitted to provide an update of the results of the SET command. The UPDATE packet 2003 includes a 2-byte length value field to identify the length of the n-byte value data field which may include data related to the results of the SET command. In addition, a 1 -byte update state field may identify the current state of the variable being updated. For example, if the SET command attempted to turn off a light controlled by the loT device, the update state field may indicate whether the light was successfully turned off.

[00156] Figure 21 illustrates an exemplary sequence of transactions between the loT service 1 20 and an loT device 101 involving the SET and UPDATE commands.

Intermediary devices such as the loT hub and the user's mobile device are not shown to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of the invention. At 2101 , the SET command 2101 is transmitted form the loT service to the loT device 101 and received by the BT communication module 1 901 which responsively updates the GATT value buffer identified by the characteristic ID at 21 02. The SET command is read from the value buffer by the low power microcontroller (MCU) 200 at 2103 (or by program code being executed on the low power MCU such as loT device application logic 1 902 shown in Figure 19). At 2104, the MCU 200 or program code performs an operation in response to the SET command. For example, the SET command may include an attribute ID specifying a new configuration parameter such as a new temperature or may include a state value such as on/off (to cause the loT device to enter into an "on" or a low power state). Thus, at 2104, the new value is set in the loT device and an UPDATE command is returned at 2105 and the actual value is updated in a GATT value field at 2106. In some cases, the actual value will be equal to the desired value. In other cases, the updated value may be different (i.e., because it may take time for the loT device 101 to update certain types of values). Finally, at 2107, the UPDATE command is transmitted back to the loT service 120 containing the actual value from the GATT value field.

[00157] Figure 22 illustrates a method for implementing a secure communication channel between an loT service and an loT device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The method may be implemented within the context of the network architectures described above but is not limited to any specific architecture.

[00158] At 2201 , the loT service creates an encrypted channel to communicate with the loT hub using elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) certificates. At 2202, the loT service encrypts data/commands in loT device packets using the a session secret to create an encrypted device packet. As mentioned above, the session secret may be independently generated by the loT device and the loT service. At 2203, the loT service transmits the encrypted device packet to the loT hub over the encrypted channel. At 2204, without decrypting, the loT hub passes the encrypted devic packet to the loT device. At 22-5, the loT device uses the session secret to decrypt the encrypted device packet. As mentioned, in one embodiment this may be accomplished by using the secret and a counter value (provided with the encrypted device packet) to generate a key stream and then using the key stream to decrypt the packet. At 2206, the loT device then extracts and processes the data and/or commands contained within the device packet.

[00159] Thus, using the above techniques, bi-directional, secure network socket abstractions may be established between two BT-enabled devices without formally pairing the BT devices using standard pairing techniques. While these techniques are described above with respect to an loT device 101 communicating with an loT service 120, the underlying principles of the invention may be implemented to negotiate and establish a secure communication channel between any two BT-enabled devices.

[00160] Figures 23A-C illustrate a detailed method for pairing devices in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The method may be implemented within the context of the system architectures described above, but is not limited to any specific system architectures.

[00161] At 2301 , the loT Service creates a packet containing serial number and public key of the loT Service. At 2302, the loT Service signs the packet using the factory private key. At 2303, the loT Service sends the packet over an encrypted channel to the loT hub and at 2304 the loT hub forwards the packet to loT device over an unencrypted channel. At 2305, the loT device verifies the signature of packet and, at 2306, the loT device generates a packet containing the serial number and public key of the loT Device. At 2307, the loT device signs the packet using the factory private key and at 2308, the loT device sends the packet over the unencrypted channel to the loT hub.

[00162] At 2309, the loT hub forwards the packet to the loT service over an encrypted channel and at 2310, the loT Service verifies the signature of the packet. At 231 1 , the loT Service generates a session key pair, and at 2312 the loT Service generates a packet containing the session public key. The loT Service then signs the packet with loT Service private key at 2313 and, at 2314, the loT Service sends the packet to the loT hub over the encrypted channel.

[00163] Turning to Figure 23B, the loT hub forwards the packet to the loT device over the unencrypted channel at 2315 and, at 2316, the loT device verifies the signature of packet. At 231 7 the loT device generates session key pair (e.g., using the

techniques described above), and, at 2318, an loT device packet is generated containing the loT device session public key. At 2319, the loT device signs the loT device packet with loT device private key. At 2320, the loT device sends the packet to the loT hub over the unencrypted channel and, at 2321 , the loT hub forwards the packet to the loT service over an encrypted channel.

[00164] At 2322, the loT service verifies the signature of the packet (e.g., using the loT device public key) and, at 2323, the loT service uses the loT service private key and the loT device public key to generate the session secret (as described in detail above). At 2324, the loT device uses the loT device private key and loT service public key to generate the session secret (again, as described above) and, at 2325, the loT device generates a random number and encrypts it using the session secret. At 2326, the loT service sends the encrypted packet to loT hub over the encrypted channel. At 2327, the loT hub forwards the encrypted packet to the loT device over the unencrypted channel. At 2328, the loT device decrypts the packet using the session secret.

[00165] Turning to Figure 23C, the loT device re-encrypts the packet using the session secret at 2329 and, at 2330, the loT device sends the encrypted packet to the loT hub over the unencrypted channel. At 2331 , the loT hub forwards the encrypted packet to the loT service over the encrypted channel. The loT service decrypts the packet using the session secret at 2332. At 2333 the loT service verifies that the random number matches the random number it sent. The loT service then sends a packet indicating that pairing is complete at 2334 and all subsequent messages are encrypted using the session secret at 2335.

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SECURELY TRACKING EVENT ATTENDEES USING loT DEVICES

[00166] Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) "beacons" have been developed with small battery-powered BTLE transmitters that transmit an identifier when interrogated by a mobile device such a smartphone or tablet. A common use case is to alert a mobile device's user to nearby stores, services, products, and/or hazards. In some cases, the mobile device picks up the beacon's identifier and then uses it to look up additional information online (e.g., information related to the store, service, product, etc, in the vicinity of the beacon).

[00167] One embodiment of the invention uses loT devices as "reverse beacons" (sometimes referred to herein as a "meacon" using the portmanteau of "me" and "beacon") which communicate with loT hubs using the advanced security techniques described herein to securely identify and track a user as the user moves around an event such as a trade show or concert. In particular, in contrast to a typical beacon which provides identification data to a user's mobile device (which may then retrieve relevant information related to the identifying data), a meacon transmits data over a local BTLE channel uniquely identifying the event attendee to whom it has been assigned. As the user moves around the event, the meacon connects to different loT hubs in different locations. The identity of both the attendee/meacon and each loT hub to which the meacon connects may then be transmitted to an loT service, which compiles the data collected from different loT hubs to determine the portions of the event visited by the user. This information may then be used to transmit targeted content to the user, either during or after the event (e.g., content related to the booths visited by the user during a trade show). [00168] Figure 24A illustrates an exemplary system architecture in which meacons are implemented as loT devices 101 -106 each equipped with a secure Bluetooth (BT) module 2401 -2406, respectively. In one embodiment, the secure BT modules 2401 - 2406 connect to the loT service 1 20 through the loT hubs 2410-241 1 using the various secure communication techniques described above (see, e.g., Figures 16A to 23C and associated text) to ensure that the data exchanged with the loT service 120 is protected. In the example shown in Figure 24A, users of loT devices 104-106 at a first event location 2400A are communicatively coupled to loT hub 2410 and users of loT devices 101 -103 at a second event location 2400B are communicatively coupled to loT hub 241 1 . As in prior embodiments, each loT hub 2410-241 1 includes a BT module 2420-2421 for establishing the local BT connection with the secure BT modules 2401 - 2406 of each of the loT devices 101 -106. In addition, each loT hub includes at least one additional communication interface such as a WiFi interface and/or cellular interface (e.g., an LTE interface) for establishing a connection to the loT service 1 20 over the Internet.

[00169] In one embodiment, each loT hub 2410-241 1 is associated with a particular location within the event. For example, loT hub 2410 may be associated with a first booth or set of booths at a trade show and loT hub 241 1 may be associated with a second booth or set of booths. By way of another example, at a concert, each loT hub 2410-241 1 may be associated with a different stage. Each loT device 1 01 -1 06 uses the techniques described above to communicate its current connection status to an event transaction module 2430 on the loT service 120 which stores the current connection status in a database 2435. In one embodiment, the event transaction module 2430 includes or utilizes the various security components shown in Figures 16A-Figure 17 such as the encryption engine 1660, HSM 1630, and KSGM 1640 to support secure connections with the loT devices 101 -106, each of which includes an encryption engine 1661 , HSM 1631 , and KSGM 1641 to implement the security techniques described above when communicating with the loT service 120.

[00170] In one embodiment, when an loT device 101 connects to an loT hub 2410 it transmits a data packet to the event transaction module 2430 on the loT service 120 indicating that is has a connection to the loT hub 241 0. The loT device 101 may periodically transmit such data packets to indicate its connection status to the event transaction module 2430 (e.g., every 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc) which may then store the connection data within a database 2435 to compile a history of the locations visited by each user during the course of the event (e.g., the booths visited at the trade show).

[00171] Note that "connecting to" an loT hub as used herein does not necessarily mean formally pairing with the loT hub as might be done for a standard BTLE connection. Rather, "connecting to" the loT hub can simply mean detecting a signal from the loT hub which, as discussed above, may include the loT hub's name (i.e., identified by BTLE characteristic ID 1 0752 (0x2A00)). In one embodiment, the connection to an loT hub may utilize the message read/write and negotiation read/write socket abstractions illustrated in Figure 19, which may be accomplished without using formal BTLE pairing. For example, the loT device may use the negotiation read/write socket abstractions to form a secure channel, and may then use the message read/write socket abstractions to communicate the Name attribute of the loT hub to the loT service 120.

[00172] In some embodiments, each loT device may concurrently connect to multiple loT hubs 2410-241 1 and report this data back to the event transaction module 2430. In Figure 24A, for example, loT device 1 03 is shown connecting to both loT hub 2410 and loT hub 2410. In one embodiment, the loT device 103 may take signal strength measurements from two or more loT hubs and this data may be used to determine the actual position of the loT device 103 at the event with greater accuracy (e.g., using a received signal strength indicator (RSSI)). For example, if a concurrent connection is made to two loT hubs 2410-241 1 as illustrated in Figure 24A, then the signal strength measurements may indicate the relative position of loT device 103 between loT hub 2410 and loT hub 241 1 . If an loT device connects to three or more loT hubs, then triangulation techniques may be performed using the RSSI values to arrive at an even more precise calculation of the user's location (e.g., by triangulating the user's position with RSSI measurements). By way of example, if each booth at a trade show is equipped with an loT hub, then each loT device may connect to three or more loT hubs at a given time, providing precise location measurements. In one embodiment, the location detection system may be calibrated prior to the event, by moving an loT device into different known locations at the event venue and collecting RSSI measurements at those locations. A table of RSSI values may then be compiled on the loT service and stored in the database 2435 to uniquely associated each location with a different set of RSSI values measured between the loT device and the various loT hubs. Additional techniques which may be employed for determining a user's location with signal strength values are described in the co-pending application entitled "System and Method for Accurately Sensing User Location in an loT System," Serial No. 14/673,551 , Filed 3/20/15, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and which is incorporated herein by reference.

[00173] As mentioned, in one embodiment, the locations visited by the user are stored within a database 2435 by the event transaction module 2430. In one

embodiment, this data may be used to target content to the attendee, either during or after the event. For example, if it has been determined that the attendee spent a significant amount of time at a particular booth at a trade show, or watched a particular presentation given at a particular time, then targeted communications from the company operating the booth or giving the presentation may be sent to the user. The targeted content may be generated by one of more external services 2440 (e.g., such as an advertising service and/or the company running the booth).

[00174] Figure 24B illustrates an embodiment in which a single loT hub 2410 provides connectivity to the loT service 120 and all other loT hubs 241 1 communicate to the loT service 120 via this loT hub 2410. In this example, the loT hub 241 1

establishes a local wireless connection with loT hub 2410 which provides the WAN connection to the Internet. This configuration may be particularly suitable for events of a smaller scale in which the communication channel shared by the loT hub 241 9 is sufficient to support all of the data communication to the loT service 1 20.

[00175] Figure 24C illustrates yet another embodiment in which client devices 61 1 of users attending the event provide loT device connectivity to the loT service 120. The client devices 61 1 of this embodiment establish a connection to the loT service 120 via a WiFi or cellular data connection and connect to the loT devices 104-106 via Bluetooth (e.g., utilizing the secure communication techniques described above with respect to Figure 16B). An app or browser-based program code executed on the client device 61 1 provides the network connectivity to the loT devices 104-106. In this embodiment, the location of the client device 61 1 may be determined from the client device's GPS chip or using other location detection techniques implemented on the client device 61 1 . As in prior embodiments, this location may be provided to the loT service 120, compiled in the database 2435 and used to determine the locations within the event venue visited by the users of loT devices 1 04-1 06 (i.e., based on the connectivity of those devices to the client device 61 1 and the location of the client device 61 1 when connected). In one embodiment, the client devices 61 1 which connect the loT devices 101 -106 to the loT service 1 20 are client devices of participants in the event such as the employees working booths at the tradeshow or individuals working for the event promoter. The client devices 61 1 may be configured to perform this roll by installing an app or browser- based code on the client devices 61 1 of all event participants/employees.

[00176] While only two event locations 2400A-B are illustrated in Figures 24A-C for the purpose of explanation, many more loT hubs 2410-241 1 may be set up in many more different event locations. For example, hundreds or even thousands of loT hubs and/or client devices may be set up to collect data from each loT device.

[00177] One embodiment of the invention allows an event attendee to pay for goods and services using the loT device assigned to that attendee. In particular, when an event-configured loT device is registered with the attendee (e.g., when the attendee initially arrives at the venue) various information related to the user may be collected and associated with the loT device including the user's name, phone number, email address, and credit card information or other financial account information for making purchases. The loT device itself may be identified using a unique loT device

identification code (e.g., a public key, serial number, etc, associated with the loT device). In one embodiment, a record is created in the database 2435 associating the loT device identification code with the attendee's data, including attendee's credit card information (or other financial account data such as the attendee's Paypal® account information). Subsequently, when the user arrives at a booth or other location within the event where payment is required, the user may simply provide his/her loT device for payment. In response, the loT device will transmit an encrypted/signed message to the loT service (e.g., using the security techniques discussed above) which includes the purchase amount and other information related to the purchase (e.g., the item/service purchased). The event transaction module 2430 on the loT service 1 20 may then access an external service 2440 such as a credit card service to complete the transaction. If the transaction is approved, an indication may be transmitted back from the event transaction module 2430 to the loT hub 2410, client device 61 1 and/or the loT device itself to confirm the transaction.

[00178] A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 25. The method may be implemented within the context of the architectures described above but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

[00179] At 2501 , an event-configured loT device is registered with an event attendee. An "event-configured" loT device is one which has the appropriate hardware and software installed thereon to form connections with loT hubs and/or user devices to communicate with the loT service (as described above). In one embodiment, registration of the loT device includes recording the user's name, phone number, email address, and/or any other pertinent information and associating this data with an loT device identification code (e.g., a public key, serial number, etc, associated with the loT device). In one embodiment, a record is created in the database 2435 associating the loT device identification data with the attendee.

[00180] At 2502, the loT device securely connects to different loT hubs and/or user devices as the user moves around the event and, at 2503, each loT hub to which the loT device connects transmits identification data to the loT service uniquely identifying the loT device and the loT hub. As mentioned, this data may be used to identify the location of the user (potentially in combination with other data sent from other loT hubs such as RSSI data). At 2504 the loT service stores user behavior data related to the attendee's behavior at the event (e.g., in a database). In its simplest form, the behavior data comprises the various loT hubs to which the loT device connects during the event. However, as described above, various other data may be collected such as purchases made with the loT device and the amount of time spent at each location within the event (as measured via loT hub connections).

[00181] At 2505, the user behavior data is used to identify and transmit targeted content to the attendee. For example, if the behavior data indicates that the user spent most of his/her time at a particular set of booths during a tradeshow, then targeted content related to the companies demonstrating products at those booths may be sent to the attendee (e.g., promotional offers, links to additional product content, etc).

Similarly, if the event is a concert with multiple stages, then the behavior data may indicate the performances viewed by the attendee. In this case, the targeted content may include offers or additional information related to the performers (e.g., free music tracks, discounts on upcoming shows, etc). The targeted content may be transmitted to the attendee in various ways including via text, email, and/or social network

communications.

[00182] It should be noted that while some of the communication techniques are described herein within the context of the BTLE protocol, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to BTLE. In fact, the underlying principles of the invention may be implemented on any system in which wireless loT devices establish communication with an loT service.

[00183] In addition, while a dedicated loT hub 1 10 is illustrated in many embodiments above, a dedicated loT hub hardware platform is not required for complying with the underlying principles of the invention. For example, the various loT hubs described above may be implemented as software executed within various other networking devices such as iPhones® and Android® devices. In fact, the loT hubs described herein may be implemented on any device capable of communicating with loT devices (e.g., using BTLE or other local wireless protocol) and establishing a connection over the Internet (e.g., to an loT service using a WiFi or cellular data connection).

INTERNET OF THINGS (loT) APPARATUS AND

METHOD FOR COIN OPERATED DEVICES

[00184] One embodiment of the invention integrates an loT device into a coin operated machine such as an arcade game, a massage chair, or a public washer/dryer. With the loT device integrated into the machine, the loT system described herein includes techniques to allow a user to pay for using the machine with a mobile device such as a smartphone.

[00185] Figure 26 illustrates an exemplary coin operated machine 2600, which includes a coin acceptor 2690 into which coins are deposited for payment. A ribbon cable 2695 electrically and communicatively connects the coin acceptor 2690 to a connector slot 2692 on a machine control unit 2615 (e.g., using at least one set of power lines and one set of communication lines). As each coin is inserted into the coin acceptor 2690, a pulse signal is sent along the communication line(s) of the ribbon cable 2695 and the machine control unit 2615 determines when the required number of coins have been deposited based on the number of pulses detected. In response to detecting the required number of coins, the machine control unit 2615 allows the user to operate the machine 2600.

[00186] As illustrated in Figure 27, in one embodiment, an loT device 2710 is communicatively coupled between the machine control unit 2715 and the coin acceptor 2790 of a coin operated machine 2700. The illustrated loT device 2710 includes a microcontroller unit (MCU) 2704 for executing application-specific program code, a machine/coin acceptor interface 2712 for transmitting signals to a machine control unit 2715 to enable/disable the coin operated machine 2700 in response to inserted coins or commands from software executed on the MCU 2704, and a secure communication module 2702 to establish a secure communication channel with a secure

communication module 2703 on the loT service 120.

[00187] In one embodiment, the secure communication module 2702 implements the techniques described above to establish a secure communication channel with the secure communication module 2703 on the loT service 120. For example, the secure communication module 2702 of the loT device 271 0 within the coin operated machine 2700 may include the HSM 1630, KSG M 1640 and encryption engine 1 660 illustrated in Figures 16A-B and the secure communication module 2703 on the loT service 1 20 may include the HSM 1 631 , KSGM 1641 and encryption engine 1661 illustrated in

Figures 16A-B. As in prior embodiments, secure communication module 2702 may include a BTLE communication interface to establish a BTLE link with the loT hub 2410 or client devices. Using these security components, the secure communication modules 2602-2603 may establish an encrypted communication channel using techniques described above (e.g., performing a secure key exchange, encrypting communication, etc). Once connected, the coin operated machine 2700 may be securely accessed by the loT service 120.

[00188] The MCU 2704 may be any form of general purpose processor capable of processing application-specific program code. In addition, in one embodiment, the MCU may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular MCU implementation.

[00189] In one embodiment, the machine/coin acceptor interface 271 0 includes a connector slot 2792 into which the connector at the end of the ribbon cable from the coin acceptor 2790 is inserted and a ribbon cable 2794 with a connector that connects to a connector interface slot 2793 on the machine control unit 2715. In this manner, the loT device 2710 may be integrated within a coin operated machine 2700 using standard coin acceptors 2790 with standard ribbon cables 2794 and associated interfaces. In one embodiment, when a user inserts coins into the coin acceptor 2790, the

machine/coin acceptor interface 2712 receives the pulses for each coin through the ribbon cable 2794 conductors and the connector slot 2792 and generates/forwards pulses through a ribbon cable 2796 with a connector inserted in slot 2793 to cause the machine control unit 2715 to register the coins. If a sufficient number of coins are registered, then the machine control unit 2715 enables the operation of the coin operated machine 2700.

[00190] Using the techniques described herein, the user may also pay to use the coin operated machine 2700 with a client device 135. In particular, in one embodiment, the user scans a QR code 2791 (or barcode) displayed on the coin operated machine 2700 with the client device 135 (e.g., using the camera integrated in the client device 1 35), which extracts identification data uniquely identifying the coin operated machine 2700. It then transmits the identification data to the loT service 120. If the user has not yet been authenticated with the loT service 1 20, the user will be asked to authenticate (e.g., via a user name and password or using biometric authentication such as a fingerprint). Once authenticated the loT service 120 may access the user's account information to be used for payment transactions and/or may access an external payment service such as the user's bank or credit card service. In one embodiment, the user may also specify a number of credits to be used in the coin operated machine by entering a cash amount or an amount of usage credits (e.g., where each credit allows a single use of the machine).

[00191] Once the user is authenticated and the number of credits have been specified, a payment transaction module 2706 on the loT service 1 20 processes payment to use the coin operated machine 2700. For example, a database 2720 may be maintained on the loT service containing the identity of each coin operated machine 2700 along with pricing data (e.g., the cost for each individual use of the machine, the cost for using the machine N times, etc). Using this data, the payment transaction module 2706 debits the user's account or records the transaction in a credit account by the amount required to use the machine. To do so, the payment transaction module 2706 may interface with APIs exposed by online financial services (not shown) such as the user's online credit card or bank service to ensure that the correct amount is charged to the user.

[00192] In one embodiment, if the charge is successful, then authorization logic 2707 on the loT service 1 20 transmits a command to enable use of the coin operated machine 2700 via the secure communication channel established between the secure communication module 2702 on the loT device 2710 and the secure communication module 2703 on the loT service. Machine-specific software executed on the MCU 2704 receives the command from the secure communication module 2702 and sends a signal/command to the machine/coin acceptor interface 271 2 to enable use of the coin operated machine 2700. In response, in one embodiment, the machine/coin acceptor interface 271 2 transmits a sequence of pulses over the ribbon cable through the connector in slot 2793 to mimic the signals which would normally be generated by the coin acceptor 2790 (i.e., in cases where the coin acceptor 2790 is directly connected to the machine control unit 2715). For example, the machine/coin acceptor interface 271 2 may generate a number of pulses equal to the number of coins required to use the coin operated machine 2700.

[00193] In one embodiment, data collection program code is executed by the MCU on the loT device 2710 to collect various types of data and/or report the data back to the loT service 120 where it may be accessed by the owner/operator of the coin operated machine. For example, the data collection program code may collect information related to the frequency of use of the coin operated machine at different times of the day or week, the average time between usages, and the number of coins inserted in the coin operated machine. In one embodiment, an alert may be transmitted to the loT service 1 20 when the number of coins in the coin operated machine 2700 has reached a threshold value (e.g., so that the owner of the machine may retrieve the coins).

Various other forms of data may be gathered and transmitted to the loT service 1 20 including data related to the health of the coin operated machine 2700 (e.g., transmitting an alert when the machine is inoperative or not functioning properly).

[00194] Note that while the loT device 2710 is illustrated in Figure 27 as a separate unit for the purpose of illustration, in one embodiment, the loT device 2710 is integrated within the coin acceptor 2790 and sold as a single, integrated unit. In this embodiment, an antenna for the loT device 2710 may be integrated on the outward facing panel of the coin acceptor 2790, to improve the signal strength of the communication channel between the loT device 2710 and the loT hub 2410. In an embodiment in which the loT device is configured as shown in Figure 27, the antenna may be integrated on an outward face of the external housing of the coin operated machine 2700.

[00195] In addition, while a QR code 2791 is illustrated in Figure 27, other techniques may be used to uniquely identify the coin operated machine 2700 such as by providing a graphical user interface on the client device 135 to allow the user to enter a number or alphanumeric code associated with the machine (e.g., printed on the machine). Similarly, a local wireless communication link between the coin operated machine 2700 and the client device 135 may be established (e.g., using Near Field Communication (NFC) or BTLE) and the coin operated machine may transmit its identification data over this link to the client device 135.

[00196] Moreover, while Figure 27 illustrates communication only between the loT device 2710 and the loT service 120, in one embodiment, an external network service owned/operated by the owner/operator of the coin operated machine 2700 may communicate with the loT service 1 20 to retrieve data and control each machine. In one embodiment, this communication is established via a secure API exposed by the loT service 120.

[00197] In one embodiment, power is provided to the loT device from power lines within the ribbon cable 2796 coupled to the machine control unit 2715 and the machine/coin acceptor interface 2712. In addition, power may be provided via a rechargeable battery integrated within the loT device 2710. For example, when the machine control unit 2715 is on, the battery may be recharged and when the machine control unit 2715 is off, the loT device 2710 may operate from battery power.

[00198] In one embodiment, a user may share/gift "credits" for using the coin operated machine 2700 to another user. For example, a first user may log in to the loT service 1 20 via a client device 1 35 with an app/browser code installed, authenticate, and specify an amount of money or number of credits to apply to a second user's account. The second user may then log in to the loT service 120 with a client device with an app/browser code, identify the coin operated machine (as described above), and apply the credit to use the coin operated machine.

[00199] In one embodiment, the coin operated machine 2700 may be associated with a particular user account on the loT service 120 for a specified period of time and placed in an "open tab" mode. For example, if the coin operated machine 2700 is an arcade game at a party being hosted by a user, the attendees at the party may use the coin operated machine 2700 and the data collection program code executed by the MCU 2704 on the loT device 2710 will track the number of times the coin operated machine 2700 is used. The "open tab" mode may be initiated by the authorization logic 2707 on the loT service 1 20. The payment transaction module 2706 may then automatically pay for the number of uses, either all at once at the end of the party, or each time the coin operated machine 2700 is used. The user may be prompted via the app on the client device 135 to verify the transaction.

[00200] A method in accordance with one embodiment is illustrated in Figure 28. The method may be implemented within the context of the system architectures described above, but is not limited to any particular system architecture.

[00201] At 2800, a secure communication channel is established between the loT device of a coin operated machine and the loT service. As mentioned, this may be accomplished using the techniques described above with respect to Figures 16A-23C. At 2801 , the user scans the QR code/barcode on the coin operated machine with the client device to extract identification data. As mentioned, other techniques may be used to uniquely identify the coin operated machine such as by entering a unique code in a GUI of the client device.

[00202] At 2802, the client device transmits the identification data to the loT service and, at 2803, the loT service identifies the coin operated machine using the

identification data. If the user has not yet been authenticated, then the user is authenticated at 2804. At 2805, the loT service transmits a command to the loT device integrated in the coin operated machine to enable the machine and, at 2806, the user uses the machine in accordance with the command transmitted (e.g., based on the number of credits included in the command).

[00203] Embodiments of the invention may include various steps, which have been described above. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable instructions which may be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor to perform the steps. Alternatively, these steps may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the steps, or by any

combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components.

[00204] As described herein, instructions may refer to specific configurations of hardware such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) configured to perform certain operations or having a predetermined functionality or software instructions stored in memory embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium. Thus, the techniques shown in the figures can be implemented using code and data stored and executed on one or more electronic devices (e.g., an end station, a network element, etc.). Such electronic devices store and communicate (internally and/or with other electronic devices over a network) code and data using computer machine-readable media, such as non-transitory computer machine-readable storage media (e.g., magnetic disks; optical disks; random access memory; read only memory; flash memory devices; phase-change memory) and transitory computer machine-readable

communication media (e.g., electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signals - such as carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.). In addition, such electronic devices typically include a set of one or more processors coupled to one or more other components, such as one or more storage devices (non-transitory machine- readable storage media), user input/output devices (e.g., a keyboard, a touchscreen, and/or a display), and network connections. The coupling of the set of processors and other components is typically through one or more busses and bridges (also termed as bus controllers). The storage device and signals carrying the network traffic

respectively represent one or more machine-readable storage media and machine- readable communication media. Thus, the storage device of a given electronic device typically stores code and/or data for execution on the set of one or more processors of that electronic device. Of course, one or more parts of an embodiment of the invention may be implemented using different combinations of software, firmware, and/or hardware.

[00205] Throughout this detailed description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In certain instances, well known structures and functions were not described in elaborate detail in order to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope and spirit of the invention should be judged in terms of the claims which follow.