TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention concerns in general the technical field of management of devices. More particularly, the invention concerns a deployment of a device.

BACKGROUND

More and more systems are nowadays monitored with different kinds of devices, which may e.g. generate data representing operational information on the system under monitoring. Typically, the devices are first monitored locally by a so called host device, which is further configured to exchange of information with a data center. The data center may be configured to communicate with a plurality of host devices, and in that manner to create a monitoring network. This kind of arrangement is implemented, for example, for monitoring elevators, escalators, but also for monitoring automatic doors as well as building automation related devices among other.

The environment as described creates maintenance related challenges. A first type of challenge relates to authorization issues. More specifically, the challenges arise from preventing unauthorized entities to access the monitoring system e.g. in a context of deployment of one or more devices in the monitoring system. A second type of challenge relates to device authentication i.e. how to safeguard that a device under deployment ends up being in connection to a correct host devices in an environment of a plurality of host devices. A third challenge relates to a location into which the device is installed. The installation point needs to be known and it shall be distinguished from installation points of other devices in many cases. A fourth challenge relates to proving an authenticity of a device coupled to the monitoring system i.e. that the device is such that it is dedicated to the system and not e.g. an unauthorized 3rd party device. Finally, a fifth challenge may relate to preventing unauthorized use of the device e.g. in such a manner that the device may get connected, or coupled, to an unauthorized host device and in that manner use the device for unauthorized purposes.

As may be seen from above there is need to develop solution which may be applied in the context of monitoring systems by means of which at least some of the above described challenges may be mitigated, at least in part.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.

An objective of the invention is to present a method, a device, a system and a computer program product for deploying a new device in a local network. Another objective of the invention is that the method, the device, the system and the computer program product provides a solution for deploying the new device in a secure manner.

The objectives of the invention are reached by a method, a device, a system and a computer program product as defined by the respective independent claims.

According to a first aspect, a method for deploying a device to a local network hosted by a host device is provided, the method comprises: receiving, in the host device, a message causing the host device to request a piece of information from the device under deployment; in response to a receipt of the requested piece of information from the device under deployment requesting a determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to an expected data pattern; in response to an outcome of the determination that the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to the expected data pattern initiating a pairing with the device under deployment to the local network; and in response to the pairing generating an indication that the device is paired with the host device.

The message causing the host device to request the piece of information from the device under deployment may be received from one of the following: a control device, a data center, a data center through a control device. The transmit of the message from the data center may be triggered by the control device.

Further, the request of the determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to the expected data pattern may be performed internally in the host device.

The request of the determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to the expected data pattern may be transmitted, from the host device, to at least one of the following: the control device, the data center.

The request of the piece of information and the determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to an expected data pattern may be implemented with challenge-response authentication.

The generated indication on the pairing may be transmitted to at least one of the following: the control device, the data center.

Still further, the method may further comprise: identifying a user of the control device through a user authentication performed by the control device prior to a communication of the control device causing the host device to request a piece of information from the device under deployment.

According to a second aspect, a host device for deploying a device to a local network hosted by the host device is provided, the host device comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the host device to perform: receive a message causing the host device to request a piece of information from the device under deployment; request, in response to a receipt of the requested piece of information from the device under deployment, a determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to an expected data pattern; initiate, in response to an outcome of the determination that the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to the expected data pattern, a pairing with the device under deployment to the local network; and generate, in response to the pairing, an indication that the device is paired with the host device.

The host device may be configured to receive the message causing the host device to request the piece of information from the device under deployment from one of the following: a control device, a data center, a data center through a control device.

The host device may be configured to perform the request of the determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to the expected data pattern internally in the host device.

The host device may be configured to request the determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to the expected data pattern from at least one of the following: the control device, the data center.

Further, the host device may be configured to implement the request of the piece of information and the determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to an expected data pattern with challenge-response authentication.

The host device may be configured to transmit the generated indication on the pairing to at least one of the following: the control device, the data center.

According to a third aspect, a system for deploying a device to a local network hosted by the host device is provided, the system comprising: the host device, the device under deployment, and a control device, wherein the system: the control device is configured to generate a signal causing the host device to request a piece of information from the device under deployment; and in response to a receipt of the requested piece of information from the device under deployment the host device is configured to request a determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to an expected data pattern; and in response to an outcome of the determination that the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to the expected data pattern the host device is configured to initiate a pairing with the device under deployment to the local network; and in response to the pairing the host device is configured to generate an indication that the device is paired with the host device.

The control device may be configured to, for causing the host device to request the piece of information from the device under deployment, generate the signal to at least one of the following: the host device, a data center belonging to the system.

The host device may also be configured to request the determination if the received piece of information comprises data corresponding to the expected data pattern from one of the following: the host device internally, the control device, the data center.

The host device may be configured to generate the request to an entity that generated the signal causing the host device to request a piece of information from the device.

The control device may be configured to identify a user of the control device through a user authentication prior to a communication causing the host device to request a piece of information from the device under deployment.

According to a fourth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein for performing the method as described above when the computer program product is executed on a computing unit, such as on a host device.

The expression “a number of” refers herein to any positive integer starting from one, e.g. to one, two, or three.

The expression “a plurality of” refers herein to any positive integer starting from two, e.g. to two, three, or four.

Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features. The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.

