# US 2026/0089232 A1 · Extending the Sparkplug Specification to allow MQTT Communication with Subsets of IoT Devices

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- Number: US 2026/0089232 A1
- Document ID: US20260089232A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/245,552
- Filed: 2025-06-23
- Published: 2026-03-26
- Earliest claimed: 2024-09-26
- Assignees: DigiCert, Inc.
- Applicants: DigiCert, Inc.
- Inventors: Ruslan Ulanov; Atul Gupta
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260089232A1

## CPC

- H04L 67/55: Push-based network services
- H04L 12/66: Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
- H04L 69/26: {Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures (network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12)}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling pub-sub communication in a distributed system are provided. In one implementation, a method includes a step of enabling publication-subscription (pub-sub) communication between a backend server and multiple end point devices using the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol. The method further includes a step of formatting MQTT messages between the backend server and multiple end point devices using the Sparkplug specification. In addition, the method further includes a step of allowing the backend server to publish a single broadcast message targeting a subset of the multiple end point devices, thereby extending the Sparkplug specification.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A backend server comprising:
a processing device; and
memory configured to store computing logic that includes instructions which, when executed, causes the processing device to perform steps of:
enabling publication-subscription (pub-sub) communication with multiple end point devices using the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol,
formatting MQTT messages directed to the multiple end point devices using the Sparkplug specification, and
allowing publication of a single broadcast message targeting a subset of the multiple end point devices, thereby extending the Sparkplug specification.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The backend server of claim 1, wherein the multiple end point devices include a) Internet of Things (IoT) devices, b) Industrial IoT (IIoT) devices, c) resource-constrained devices, and/or d) embedded devices having local agents with low-capacity processing functionality.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The backend server of claim 1, wherein the pub-sub communication remains backward compatible with MQTT and Sparkplug policies.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The backend server of claim 1, wherein the single broadcast message is configured as either a command or data categorically targeting the subset.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The backend server of claim 4, wherein the single broadcast message is formatted in the Sparkplug specification as “<namespace>/<group_id>/GCMD/<subset_id>” for publishing a command or “<namespace>/<group_id>/GDATA/<subset_id>” for publishing data, where:
<namespace> is “spAv1.0” or “spBv1.0,”
<group_id> represents a customer group, a tenant group, an enterprise group, or an organization group, and
<subset_id> represents the subset of the multiple end point devices within the customer group, tenant group, enterprise group, or organization group.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The backend server of claim 1, wherein each end point device of the subset includes a common identifier for essentially creating a subscription to a specific topic associated with the subset.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The backend server of claim 1, wherein publishing the single broadcast message promotes synchronization among the subset of multiple end point devices.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The backend server of claim 1, wherein the pub-sub communication with the multiple end point devices includes communication via a first layer of edge node devices and/or a second layer of enterprise group devices interposed between the backend server and the multiple end point devices.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The backend server of claim 1, wherein the single broadcast message is configured to a) notify the subset of a change in the backend server, b) provide new or updated policies for the subset, c) update configuration settings for the subset, and/or d) change, renew, revoke, and/or update digital certificates for the subset.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The backend server of claim 1, wherein extending the Sparkplug specification is configured to a) reduce network traffic and latency in a distributed system including the backend server and multiple end point devices, b) simplify communication with the multiple end point devices by reducing redundant actions, and/or c) eliminate a need to specifically identify each of the multiple end point devices in the subset.

### Claim 11

A method comprising steps of:
enabling publication-subscription (pub-sub) communication in a distributed system between a backend server and multiple end point devices using the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol;
formatting MQTT messages between the backend server and multiple end point devices using the Sparkplug specification; and
allowing the backend server to publish a single broadcast message targeting a subset of the multiple end point devices, thereby extending the Sparkplug specification.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the multiple end point devices include a) Internet of Things (IoT) devices, b) Industrial IoT (IIoT) devices, c) resource-constrained devices, and/or d) embedded devices having local agents with low-capacity processing functionality.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the distributed system remains backward compatible with MQTT and Sparkplug policies.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the single broadcast message is configured as either a command or data categorically targeting the subset.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the single broadcast message is formatted in the Sparkplug specification as “<namespace>/<group_id>/GCMD/<subset_id>” for publishing a command or “<namespace>/<group_id>/GDATA/<subset_id>” for publishing data, where
<namespace> is “spAv1.0” or “spBv1.0,”
<group_id> represents a customer group, a tenant group, an enterprise group, or an organization group, and
<subset_id> represents the subset of the multiple end point devices.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of issuing a common identifier to each end point device of the subset for essentially creating a subscription to a specific topic associated with the subset.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the pub-sub communication includes a step of transporting messages via a first layer of edge node devices and/or a second layer of enterprise group devices interposed within the distributed system between the backend server and the multiple end point devices.

### Claim 18

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a device trust program having logic instructions that enable one or more processing devices to perform steps of:
enabling publication-subscription (pub-sub) communication in a distributed system between a backend server and multiple end point devices using the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol;
formatting MQTT messages between the backend server and multiple end point devices using the Sparkplug specification; and
allowing the backend server to publish a single broadcast message targeting a subset of the multiple end point devices, thereby extending the Sparkplug specification.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the single broadcast message is configured to a) notify the subset of a change in the backend server, b) provide new or updated policies for the subset, c) update configuration settings of the subset, and/or d) change, renew, revoke, and/or update digital certificates for the subset.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein extending the Sparkplug specification is configured to reduce network traffic and latency in the distributed system, simplify communication with the multiple end point devices by reducing redundant actions, and eliminate a need to specifically identify each of the multiple end point devices in the subset.