Apparatuses and methods for fast onboarding an internet-enabled device

• US 10,360,362 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rattner, Zachary David, Wingert, Christopher Rudolf, Daley, Robert Sean, Lundqvist, Patrik Nils
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corum, Jr., William A
• Application Number:
  US14/266,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Various aspects directed towards automating an onboarding procedure are disclosed. In a first aspect, an administrative communication associated with onboarding an onboardable device is received by an access point (AP) device, such that the administrative communication originates from a device different than the onboardable device. The AP device then enables the onboardable device to access a secure network based on the administrative communication. In another aspect, an identifier is transmitted from an onboardable device while the onboardable device operates in an AP mode. The onboardable device then receives credentials associated with accessing a secure network via an AP device. Here, the credentials received from the AP device are in response to an authentication of the identifier by an administrator. The onboardable device then connects to the secure network by utilizing the credentials.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an access point (AP) device within a Wi-Fi network, an administrative communication associated with onboarding an onboardable device from an onboarded device onboarded to the AP device, the administrative communication originating from the onboarded device and being received at the AP device directly from the onboarded device via a peer-to-peer framework of the Wi-Fi network, wherein the onboarded device is different than the onboardable device and the onboarded device comprises a single device within the Wi-Fi network;

extrapolating, by the AP device, an identifier that identifies the onboardable device from the administrative communication; and

connecting, by the AP device, the onboardable device to a secure network via the AP device by transmitting the identifier and access credentials associated with the secure network to the onboardable device, wherein upon connecting to the secure network, the onboardable device communicates with the secure network via the AP device, wherein the onboardable device is connected to the secure network via the AP device upon performing an AP device scan while the onboardable device operates in a Wi-Fi mode and selecting the AP device from a plurality of detected AP devices upon receiving the onboardable device identifier from the AP device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is a service set identifier (SSID) associated with the onboardable device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extrapolating comprises extrapolating the identifier from at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, a text entry, or an image included in the administrative communication.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extrapolating comprises extrapolating the identifier from received data corresponding to a barcode or QR code reading included in the administrative communication.

5. An access point (AP) device within a Wi-Fi network comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive an administrative communication associated with onboarding an onboardable device from an onboarded device onboarded to the AP device, the administrative communication originating from the onboarded device and being received at the AP device directly from the onboarded device via a peer-to-peer framework of the Wi-Fi network, wherein the onboarded device is different than the onboardable device and the onboarded device comprises a single device within the Wi-Fi network;

an identifier circuit configured to extrapolate an identifier that identifies the onboardable device from the administrative communication;

a network access circuit configured to connect the onboardable device to a secure network via the AP device based on the administrative communication, wherein upon connecting to the secure network, the onboardable device communicates with the secure network via the AP; and

a transmitting circuit configured to transmit the identifier and access credentials associated with the secure network to the onboardable device;

wherein the onboardable device is connected to the secure network via the AP device upon performing an AP device scan while the onboardable device operates in a Wi-Fi mode and selecting the AP device from a plurality of detected AP devices upon receiving the onboardable device identifier from the AP device.

6. The AP device according to claim 5, wherein the identifier is a service set identifier (SSID) associated with the onboardable device.

7. The AP device according to claim 5, wherein the identifier circuit is configured to extrapolate the identifier from at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, a text entry, or an image included in the administrative communication.

8. The AP device according to claim 5, wherein the identifier circuit is configured to extrapolate the identifier from received data corresponding to a barcode reading included in the administrative communication.

9. An onboardable device comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive an onboardable device identifier and credentials associated with accessing a secure network from an access point (AP) device within a Wi-Fi network, the credentials received from the AP device in response to the AP device receiving the onboardable device identifier directly from an onboarded device onboarded to the AP device via a peer-to-peer framework of the Wi-Fi network, wherein the onboarded device is different than the onboardable device and the onboarded device comprises a single device within the Wi-Fi network; and

a network interface circuit configured to connect to the secure network via the AP device by utilizing the credentials based on whether the onboardable device identifier matches an internally stored identifier that identifies the onboardable device, wherein upon connecting to the secure network, the onboardable device communicates with the secure network via the AP device;

wherein the network interface circuit further comprises a search circuit configured to perform an AP device scan while the onboardable device operates in a Wi-Fi mode;

wherein the network interface circuit further comprises a selecting circuit configured to select the AP device from a plurality of detected AP devices upon receiving the onboardable device identifier from the AP device.

10. The onboardable device according to claim 9, wherein the identifier is a service set identifier (SSID) associated with the onboardable device.