IP Library Granted Patent US 9,935,950
Granted Patent B2
US 9,935,950 · App. 14/595,178 · Granted Apr 3, 2018

Systems and methods for establishing ownership and delegation ownership of IOT devices using domain name system services

Inventors: Souheil Ben Yacoub (Jeuss, CH); Stephen Daniel James (South Riding, VA)
Assignee: VERISIGN, INC.
H04L63/0876H04L61/1511H04L61/3025H04L63/102H04L67/12H04W12/10H04L61/305H04L63/12H04W4/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,935,950
App. No.
14/595,178
Granted
Apr 3, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a method for establishing ownership of a component of an internet of things (“IoT”) device. The method comprises receiving, at a registration service, a request to register the component of the IoT device, the request comprising a public key of the component of the IoT device, an identifier of the component of the IoT device, and a public key of an owner of the component of the IoT device; determining a qualified name for the component of the IoT device based on a name associated with the owner of the component of the IoT device; generating one or more domain name system (“DNS”) records for the component of the IoT device, the one or more DNS records comprising an authentication file that identifies a chain of ownership of the component of the IoT device; and storing the one or more DNS records in a registry.

Claims (48)

1. A method for establishing ownership of a component of an internet of things (“IoT”) device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a registration service, a request to register the component of the IoT device, the request comprising a public key of the component of the IoT device, an identifier of the component of the IoT device, and a public key of an owner of the component of the IoT device;

generating, via the registration service, an authorization file that includes rights information associated with the component of the IoT device;

determining a qualified name for the component of the IoT device based on a name associated with the owner of the component of the IoT device;

generating one or more domain name system (“DNS”) records for the component of the IoT device, the one or more DNS records comprising the authorization file and an authentication file that identifies a chain of ownership of the component of the IoT device; and

storing the one or more DNS records in a registry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the qualified name is a domain name based on the name of the owner.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more DNS records comprises a DNS-Based Authentication of Named Entities (“DANE”) record and attribute record (TXT) that describes the attributes of the component of the IoT device, wherein the DNS-Based DANE record comprises a TLSA record or SMIMEA record.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more DNS records can be utilized to verify the authenticity of messages signed by the component of the IoT device.

5. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving, at the registration service, a request to transfer ownership of the component of the IoT device, wherein the request includes the ID of the device that is to be transferred, the name and public key of a new owner of the component of the IoT device and wherein the request is signed with the private key of the current owner of the component of the IoT device;

verifying the request with the public key of the current owner of the component of the IoT device; and

updating the one or more DNS records to reflect the change in ownership of the owner to the new owner.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein updating the one or more DNS records comprises updating the authentication file to associate the public key of the new owner with the component of the IoT device.

7. The method of claim 5 , the method further comprising:

determining a new qualified name for the component of the IoT device based on a name associated with the new owner of the component of the IoT device.

8. The method of claim 5 , the method further comprising:

creating one or more change name (“CNAME”) records in the DNS so as to redirect DNS lookups based on the name of a prior owner to the DNS entries for the new owner.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on a processor, perform a method for establishing ownership of a component of an internet of things (“IoT”) device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a registration service, a request to register the component of the IoT device, the request comprising a public key of the component of the IoT device, an identifier of the component of the IoT device, and a public key of an owner of the component of the IoT device;

generating, via the registration service, an authorization file that includes rights information associated with the component of the IoT device;

determining a qualified name for the component of the IoT device based on a name associated with the owner of the component of the IoT device;

generating one or more domain name system (“DNS”) records for the component of the IoT device, the one or more DNS records comprising the authorization file and an authentication file that identifies a chain of ownership of the component of the IoT device; and

storing the one or more DNS records in a registry.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the qualified name is a domain name based on the name of the owner.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more DNS records comprises a DNS-Based Authentication of Named Entities (“DANE”) record and attribute record (TXT) that describes the attributes of the component of the IoT device, wherein the DNS-Based DANE record comprises a TLSA record or SMIMEA record.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more DNS records can be utilized to verify the authenticity of messages signed by the component of the IoT device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , the method further comprising:

receiving, at the registration service, a request to transfer ownership of the component of the IoT device, wherein the request includes the ID of the device that is to be transferred, the name and public key of a new owner of the component of the IoT device and wherein the request is signed with the private key of the current owner of the component of the IoT device;

verifying the request with the public key of the current owner of the component of the IoT device; and

updating the one or more DNS records to reflect the change in ownership of the owner to the new owner.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein updating the one or more DNS records comprises updating the authentication file to associate the public key of the new owner with the component of the IoT device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the method further comprising:

determining a new qualified name for the component of the IoT device based on a name associated with the new owner of the component of the IoT device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the method further comprising:

creating one or more change name (“CNAME”) records in the DNS so as to redirect DNS lookups based on the name of a prior owner to the DNS entries for the new owner.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method for establishing ownership of a component of an internet of things (“IoT”) device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a registration service, a request to register the component of the IoT device, the request comprising a public key of the component of the IoT device, an identifier of the component of the IoT device, and a public key of an owner of the component of the IoT device;

generating, via the registration service, an authorization file that includes rights information associated with the component of the IoT device;

determining a qualified name for the component of the IoT device based on a name associated with the owner of the component of the IoT device;

generating one or more domain name system (“DNS”) records for the component of the IoT device, the one or more DNS records comprising the authorization file and an authentication file that identifies a chain of ownership of the component of the IoT device; and

storing the one or more DNS records in a registry.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the qualified name is a domain name based on the name of the owner.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more DNS records comprises a DNS-Based Authentication of Named Entities (“DANE”) record and attribute record (TXT) that describes the attributes of the component of the IoT device, wherein the DNS-Based DANE record comprises a TLSA record or SMIMEA record.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more DNS records can be utilized to verify the authenticity of messages signed by the component of the IoT device.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, via the registration service, an attribute file that includes a model or a date of production associated with the component of the IoT device, wherein the one or more DNS records further comprises the attribute file.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2015
From: YACOUB, SOUHEIL BEN; JAMES, STEPHEN DANIEL
To: VERISIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 035206/0677 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160205097A1 · Jul 14, 2016