System and method for appliance detection and app configuration

• US 10,063,625 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Hatambeiki, Arsham
• Primary Examiner(s): Tecklu, Isaac Tuku
• Application Number:
  US14/277,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A system and method is used to provision an app to a smart device for use in connection with an appliance. A presence of the appliance on a wireless network which includes the smart device is detected and data received from the appliance is used to initiate a retrieval of the app. When the retrieved app is installed on the smart device the app is usable with the smart device to provide at least an interface between the smart device and the appliance. In some circumstance, installation of the app on the smart device may also include causing the app to be synchronized with a corresponding app that was prior installed on another smart device capable of communicating with the appliance.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning an app to a first smart device for use in connection with controlling functional operations of an appliance, comprising:

detecting, via use of data received from the appliance, a presence of the appliance on a wireless network which includes the first smart device;

using the data received from the appliance to initiate a retrieval of a first app from a server device;

causing the first app that was retrieved using the data received from the appliance to be installed on the first smart device whereupon the first app is usable with the first smart device to provide at least a controlling interface between the first smart device and the appliance;

using by the server device an identifier for the first app and an identifier for the wireless network to identify a second app having an identifier that corresponds to the identifier for the first app that was prior installed on a second smart device, different than the first device, and which is currently active on the wireless network;

receiving from the server device data related to a state of the second app that was prior installed on the second smart device; and

using the data related the state of the second app that was prior installed on the second smart device to cause the first app installed on the first smart device to be synchronized with the state of the second app that was prior installed on the second smart device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data received from the appliance comprises data indicative of a manufacturer and model of the appliance.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting is automatically initiated by the first smart device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting is initiated by the first smart device in response to user input being provided to the first smart device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data received from the appliance comprises a serial number provided to the appliance.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data received from the appliance comprises a MAC address provided to the appliance.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first app that was retrieved using the data received from the appliance is automatically installed on the first smart device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of using the data received from the appliance to initiate a retrieval of the first app for use in connection with the appliance comprises using the data received from the appliance to identify a server device location from which the first app is to be retrieved and retrieving the first app from the server device location for provision to the first smart device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data related to a state of the second app that was prior installed on the second smart device comprises data indicative of control setting for the appliance.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data related to a state of the second app that was prior installed on the second smart device comprises interface settings for the app that was prior installed on the second smart device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data related to a state of the second app that was prior installed on the second smart device comprises cookie data.