US 11,751,270 B2
Apparatus and method for achieving higher security on re-pairing
Johann Dorrer, Neunburg V. Wald (DE)
Assigned to Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
Filed by Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
Filed on Jan. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/143,271.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 200 392.0 (DE), filed on Jan. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0219367 A1, Jul. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. H04W 76/19 (2018.01); H04W 76/25 (2018.01); H04W 76/15 (2018.01)
CPC H04W 76/19 (2018.02) [H04W 76/15 (2018.02); H04W 76/25 (2018.02)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for measuring or generating data, the apparatus comprising:
an integrated transmitting and receiving module configured to wirelessly communicate the data to a communication node; and
processing circuitry configured to cause the apparatus to
pair the apparatus with the communication node using an installation key,
define a connection key during the pairing, the connection key configured to secure data transfer from the apparatus to the communication node,
transfer data to the communication node using the connection key,
receive, from the communication node, a local time at a first regular time interval,
receive a message from the communication node at a second regular time interval,
adopt the received local time as an apparatus local time,
re-pair, in response to replacing or reconnecting the communication node, the apparatus with the communication node by
determining at least one criterion relating to reachability of the communication node,
determining a first criterion, of the at least one criterion, in response to not receiving the local time at the first regular time interval,
determining a second criterion of the at least one criterion in response to not receive the message from the communication node at the second regular time interval,
determining that the communication node is not reachable in response to determining both of the first criterion and the second criterion, and
re-pairing the apparatus with the communication node using the installation key instead of the connection key only in response to determining that the communication node is not reachable.
 
6. A method for securing re-pairing of an apparatus for measuring or generating data with a communication node, the method comprising:
routing the data via the communication node via wireless communication;
pairing the apparatus with the communication node using an installation key;
defining a connection key during the pairing, the connection key configured to secure data transfer from the apparatus to the communication node;
receiving, from the communication node, a local time at a first regular time interval;
adopting the received local time as an apparatus local time;
receiving a message from the communication node at a second regular time interval; and
re-pairing with the communication node in response to replacing or reconnecting the communication node necessitating the re-pairing, the re-pairing including
determining at least one criterion relating to reachability of the communication node,
determining a first criterion, of the at least one criterion, in response to not receiving the local time at the first regular time interval,
determining a second criterion, of the at least one criterion, in response to not receiving the message from the communication node at the second regular time interval,
determining that the communication node is not reachable in response to determining both of the first criterion and the second criterion, and
re-pairing with the communication node using the installation key instead of the connection key only in response to determining that the communication node is not reachable.