Method and apparatus for providing privacy management in machine-to-machine communications

1. A method for processing a request from a server of a machine-to-machine service provider, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor in a communication network of a communication network service provider, the request from the server of the machine-to-machine service provider to communicate with a machine-to-machine device, wherein the machine-to-machine device comprises an appliance;

determining, by the system in the communication network, whether to authorize the request based upon a machine-to-machine service provider policy in a machine-to-machine service provider privacy database located in the communication network;

determining, by the system in the communication network, a manner of access that is allowed based upon a machine-to-machine device policy in a machine-to-machine device privacy database located in the communication network when the request is authorized, wherein the machine-to-machine device policy is defined by a user of the machine-to-machine device, wherein the manner of the access that is allowed is defined by the user;

sending, by the system in the communication network, a response to the server of the machine-to-machine service provider, where the response defines the manner of access that is allowed when the request is authorized; and

enabling, by the system, communications between the server of the machine-to-machine service provider and the machine-to-machine device in the manner of access that is allowed based upon the machine-to-machine device policy.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received at a machine-to-machine privacy gateway.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is routed via an application programming interface gateway.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine-to-machine service provider policy associated with the machine-to-machine service provider privacy database is dynamically negotiable.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the machine-to-machine service provider policy associated with the machine-to-machine service provider privacy database is defined by the communication network service provider.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by a processor of a system in a communication network of a communication network service provider, cause the processor to perform operations for processing a request from a server of a machine-to-machine service provider, the operations comprising:

receiving the request from the server of the machine-to-machine service provider to communicate with a machine-to-machine device, wherein the machine-to-machine device comprises an appliance;

determining whether to authorize the request based upon a machine-to-machine service provider policy in a machine-to-machine service provider privacy database located in the communication network;

determining a manner of access that is allowed based upon a machine-to-machine device policy in a machine-to-machine device privacy database located in the communication network when the request is authorized, wherein the machine-to-machine device policy is defined by a user of the machine-to-machine device, wherein the manner of the access that is allowed is defined by, the user;

sending a response to the server of the machine-to-machine service provider, where the response defines the manner of access that is allowed when the request is authorized; and

enabling communications between the server of the machine-to-machine service provider and the machine-to-machine device in the manner of access that is allowed based upon the machine-to-machine device policy.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the request is received at a machine-to-machine privacy gateway.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the request is routed via an application programming interface gateway.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the machine-to-machine service provider policy associated with the machine-to-machine service provider privacy database is dynamically negotiable.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the machine-to-machine service provider policy associated with the machine-to-machine service provider privacy database is defined by the communication network service provider.

11. An apparatus for processing a request from a server of a machine-to-machine service provider, comprising:

a hardware processor in a communication network of a communication network service provider; and

a computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving the request from the server of the machine-to-machine service provider to communicate with a machine-to-machine device, wherein the machine-to-machine device comprises an appliance;

determining whether to authorize the request based upon a machine-to-machine service provider policy in a machine-to-machine service provider privacy database located in the communication network;

determining a manner of access that is allowed based upon a machine-to-machine device policy in a machine-to-machine device privacy database located in the communication network when the request is authorized, wherein the machine-to-machine device policy is defined by a user of the machine-to-machine device, wherein the manner of access that is allowed is defined by the user;

sending a response to the server of the machine-to-machine service provider, where the response defines the manner of access that is allowed when the request is authorized; and

enabling communications between the server of the machine-to-machine service provider and the machine-to-machine device in the manner of access that tis allowed based upon the machine-to-machine device policy.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus comprises a machine-to-machine privacy gateway.