Communicating with a machine to machine device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for administering an interface between a machine-to-machine, M2M, device and a network application function, NAF, for secure communication between the M2M device and the NAF. In one method, the M2M device administers the interface by transmitting administration data to the NAF, wherein the administration data comprises a name for the M2M device, and wherein the name for the M2M device is equal to, or derived at least in part from, or otherwise linked to, at least part of data that are shared between the M2M device and a boot-strapping server.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a method and system for administering an interface between a machine to machine, M2M, device and a network application function, NAF, for secure communication between the M2M device and the NAF.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Machine to Machine (M2M) devices are often numerous, hard-to-reach, and have constrained capabilities (owing to low cost, small size, low processing power or limited battery life). All of this makes their management, often remote, very complicated. Moreover, M2M devices often need to be managed in a secure manner. For example, they may contain information that is commercially sensitive and / or confidential for the one or more entities that manage and / or own said devices. There is a need to remotely manage them in a secure way, while respecting these constraints.[0003]The M2M device needs to be able to contact a device management (DM) server in a secure manner. Whilst at the time of manufacture the dev...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent is about a method of reducing data overhead in M2M devices and the bootstrapping server by linking the lifetimes of secure interfaces to the lifetime of security information. This helps to avoid unnecessary bootstrapping runs and reduces data transfers between the M2M device and the server. Additionally, the patent describes how the NAF can act as a router to pass traffic between the M2M device and the server without modifying the server's functionality or requiring it to be aware of the GBA. The technical effects of this method are reduced data overhead and more efficient communication between the M2M device and the server.

Problems solved by technology

Machine to Machine (M2M) devices are often numerous, hard-to-reach, and have constrained capabilities (owing to low cost, small size, low processing power or limited battery life).

All of this makes their management, often remote, very complicated.

To date, most of the limited number of deployments of GBA in the world has been for mobile broadcast.

These alternatives all work well with mobile devices and operators already, so service providers use them, although they are not as secure as GBA.

Strong security is not possible with current alternatives such as a user-entered PIN or a bootstrapping message delivered by an SMS.

These alternatives would either not be feasible or they would not provide the required level of security.

First, there might not be a user around to enter a PIN (as most M2M devices operate independently from human intervention).

Second, the service provider may be likely to want strong security (e.g. because M2M devices may include critical infrastructure), whereas PIN-based bootstrapping has weaker security.

Third, if a PIN or SMS-based bootstrapping goes wrong (server connects to wrong client, client connects to wrong server, or there is a Man-In-The-Middle), then the user is likely to notice, complain and get it fixed, whereas an M2M device is unlikely to notice and complain, so may be permanently compromised.

Neither is particularly practical by way of existing methods.

Moreover, as mentioned above, the OMA Device Management is not compatible for use with an M2M device, as discussed above.

Moreover, for the reasons mentioned above, the OMA Device Management and the standard document are incompatible, and a combination of the GBA Push for OMA Device Management with the standard document is not feasible, as it would result in the wrong device management protocol (i.e. one that is not suitable for M2M devices, particularly simple M2M devices), and some very laborious effort to make the two compatible and delete the elements which are redundant.

However, coaps requires a secure association to be provisioned between a device and a network server (DM Server) while providing no strong means to provision such an association from scratch.

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