Patent · US Active

Controlling access to internet of things devices using verifiable credentials

US11777932B1 · kind B1 · utility

3Cited by
7References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 20, 2020
Grant dateOct 3, 2023
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 23, 2041

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L63/20
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In general, this disclosure describes an IoT access control exchange for IoT devices. Verifiable credentials can be generated and used to grant access to IoT devices definitively identified using a Decentralized Identifier (DID). DIDs for IoT devices are registered by the IoT exchange hub acting as an Identity Hub. An organization interested in obtaining data from a collection of devices, the IoT Access Customer, contacts the IoT device owner agent via their mutual agents and obtains a verifiable credential with a request for access. The access request is submitted to the IoT exchange hub. The IoT exchange hub either enforces the access request itself if the devices do not have enough resources or submits the verifiable credential with the access request to the devices for them to enforce access. The IoT access customer agent, IoT device owner agent, and IoT exchange hub similarly identify themselves and prove authentication using DIDs.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.