System and method for network access point installation and access control

• US 10,397,800 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BRK Brands Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BRK Brands Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Judge, Paul Qantas, Allred, Adam Wesley, Biggs, Michael Burkett, Peck, Daniel Jack, Royal, Paul Harris
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Application Number:
  US15/624,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20170374560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1- 7, 380270
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods configured to provide customized and guided instructions for the placement of multiple access points in a home envelope to optimize-coverage therein. The exemplified system and method facilitates the learning of the home envelope, the determining of placements of devices within different locations within the home envelope, and the guiding of the homeowner or occupant through the installation process of the devices at such placements. The provided information are customized and tailored for a given home envelope. In addition, the exemplified systems and methods simplifies the task of adding personal wireless devices to a network whereby no password is used.

Claims

1. A method of customizing installation and placement of wireless access point placement in a building, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more first computing devices, from a second computing device, a request to configure and install a plurality of wireless access point devices in a building, the plurality of wireless access point devices comprising a first wireless access point and a second wireless access point;

accessing, at the one or more first computing devices, a location identifier associated with the first wireless access point;

retrieving, at the one or more first computing devices, i) a building address associated with the location identifier and ii) building layout data associated with the building address and causing a layout description derived from the building layout data and the retrieved building address to be presented on the second computing device;

determining, at the one or more first computing devices, using the building layout data, a first location for the first wireless access point and a second location or the second wireless access point; and

causing, at the one or more first computing devices, the first location and second location to be presented at the second computing device, at a graphical user interface of, a graphical representation of a map of the building, wherein the first location and second location each denotes a floor location and an area location on each respective floor location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the map of the building comprises a representation of a floor plan of the building.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the map of the building comprises a diagram of a floor plan, the diagram comprising a plurality of areas, the plurality of areas having a number of areas selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location and second location are determined by a transfer function that includes variables including a size of the building;

a number of floors;

a number of access points;

a construction type of the building; and

an access point type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the building layout data comprises a building type selected from the group consisting of a single family home, an apartment, and a townhouse.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the building layout data comprises a number of floors and a number of home size.

7. A method of customizing installation and placement of wireless access point placement in a building, the method comprising:

presenting, via a graphical user interface of a computing device, a plurality of widgets to determine layout of a building and a plurality of access points to be installed therein, including a first widget, a second widget, a third widget, and a fourth widget;

wherein the first widget is associated with a number of access points to be installed at a building;

wherein the second widget is associated with a construction type of the building;

wherein the third widget is associated with a number of floors; and

wherein the fourth widget is associated with a size of the building;

wherein data associated with the first, second, third, and fourth widgets are used to calculated, for each access point, a placement location and a floor location in the building;

wherein one or more first computing devices receives a request, from the computing device, to configure and install a plurality of wireless access point devices in a building from inputs received based on the presentation of the plurality of widgets, wherein the plurality of wireless access point devices comprising a first wireless access point;

wherein the one or more first computing devices retrieves i) a location identifier associated with the first wireless access point and, ii) a building address associated with the location identifier, and iii) building layout data associated with the building address;

wherein the one or more first computing devices determines, using at least the building layout data, a first location for the first wireless access point; and

presenting, via the graphical user interface, a graphical representation including a fifth widget associated with a map of the building and one or more sixth widgets each superimposed over the fifth widget at a location corresponding to the calculated placement location, including of the first wireless access point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the one or more sixth widgets has a color value associated with a generated color on a given wireless access point.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising:

presenting, via the graphical user interface, a ninth widget associated with a hypothetical address of the building, the hypothetical address being determined based on GPS or MPS data retrieved from the given wireless access point.

10. A method of operating a network access point device to add a computing device to a secured network without using a password, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device, from a second computing device, a broadcasted request to join the second computing device to a network, the broadcasted request comprising a device identifier and a physical address associated with the second computing device;

adding, at the first computing device, the device identifier associated with the second computing device to a list of restrictive devices, wherein the list of restrictive devices is used to grant the second computing device partial access to communicate with the first computing device;

transmitting, at the first computing device, to the second computing device, an authentication file, the authentication file having instructions, wherein when parsed or executed by the second computing device, cause the second computing device to present, at a display associated with the second computing device, a prompt for a user identity identifier;

in response to receiving the user identity identifier from the second computing device, transferring, at the first computing device, the user identity identifier to a cloud service platform, wherein the cloud service platform is configured to cause the user identity identifier to be presented, at a display, of a third computing device associated with an owner of the network and to be prompted for a selection to provide access of the second computing device to the network; and

in response to receiving a command from the cloud service platform, the command being associated with granted access of the second computing device, adding, at the first computing device, the physical address associated with the second computing device to a list of accessed devices that allows the device listed therein to communicate via an open Internet port associated with the first computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the list of accessed devices is a guest list.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the list of accessed devices is a user list.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving, at the first computing device, a second command to remove the physical address associated with the second computing device from the list of accessed devices, the second command being sent in response to an expiration of a access time allowance.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the list of accessed devices is one of plurality of lists each having an associated set of one or more network devices.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein:

prior to transmitting the cloud service platform to cause the user identity identifier to be presented to the third computing device associated with the owner of the network, the cloud service platform being configured to i) retrieve a social network identifier corresponding to the user identity identifier ii) retrieve a list of associated social network identifier associated with the owner of the network and iii) transmit the command associated with the granted access of the second computing device to the first computing device upon a match of the retrieved social network identifier being present in the retrieved list of associated social network identifier associated with the owner of the network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the command associated with the granted access is transmitted automatically without any input from the owner of the network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the owner of the network is prompted for the command associated with the granted access.

18. A method of managing a network access point device to add a computing device to a secured network without using a password, the method comprising:

in response to receiving, from a first computing device, at one or more second computing devices, a first request to add a user computing device to a network associated with the first computing device, transmitting, at one or more second computing devices, a second request to a third computing device associated with an owner of the network, wherein the second request causes the third computing device to present, in a graphical user interface, a prompt comprising a widget to accept or deny access of the user computing device to the network, wherein the user computing device is listed in a list of restrictive devices that allows the device listed therein to communicate with the one or more second computing devices through the network;

in response to receiving an accept message from the third computing device, transmitting, at the one or more second computing devices, the accept message to the first computing device, wherein the accept message causes the first computing device to add the user computing device to i) a first list of user devices that allows the device listed therein to communicate via an open Internet port associated with the first computing device and/or ii) a second list of users devices that allows the devices listed therein to communicate with the one or more computing devices and/or resources associated with the network; and

in response to receiving a deny message from the third computing device, transmitting, at the one or more second computing devices, the deny message to the first computing device, wherein the deny message causes the first computing device to add the user computing device to i) a third list of user devices that prohibit the device listed therein from communicating via the open Internet port or with the one or more computing devices and/or resources associated with the network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first request comprises a user identity identifier associated with the user computing device, the method comprising:

in response to the first request, i) retrieving one or more social media identifier corresponding to the user identity identifier and ii) retrieving a list of associated social network identifier associated with the owner of the network; and

transmitting the command associated with the granted access of the second computing device to the first computing device upon a match of the retrieved social network identifier being present in the retrieved list of associated social network identifier associated with the owner of the network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first request comprises a name identifier.