Auto-provisioning of wireless speaker devices for audio/video recording and communication devices

• US 10,412,487 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shahamat, Ahmad, Raval, Ajay M., Lemberger, Elliott, Yoon, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung-Hoang J
• Application Number:
  US15/784,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20180041830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2869 Operational details of access network equipments admission control or resource allocation in access networks H04L12/5692
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0291 Door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Methods for a speaker device in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure are provided. In one embodiment, a method for a speaker device is provided, the method comprising transmitting a first provisioning beacon signal using the communication module; receiving, in response to the provisioning beacon signal, at least one credential signal from a network device configured to provide an access point, wherein the at least one credential signal includes credential data; storing the credential data in the non-volatile memory; attempting to connect to the access point using the credential data; determining whether the attempt to connect to the access point was successful; and playing a first audio prompt, using the speaker, upon determining an unsuccessful connection to the access point, wherein the first audio prompt comprises a statement indicating that the connection to the access point was unsuccessful.

Claims

1. A method for a speaker device comprising a speaker, a non-volatile memory, a communication module, and a processing module operatively connected to the speaker, the non-volatile memory, and to the communication module, the method comprising:

transmitting, from the speaker device, a provisioning beacon signal using the communication module of the speaker device, the provisioning beacon signal comprising a broadcast wireless signal that indicates to other wireless devices that the speaker device is a first wireless access point;

receiving, by the speaker device using the communication module, from a network device configured to provide a second wireless access point, at least one credential signal, wherein the at least one credential signal is in response to the provisioning beacon signal and includes credential data for connecting to the second wireless access point;

storing the credential data in the non-volatile memory of the speaker device;

attempting, by the speaker device, to connect to the second wireless access point provided by the network device using the credential data;

determining that the attempt to connect to the second wireless access point was successful; and

playing a first audio prompt, using the speaker of the speaker device, after determining that the attempt to connect to the second wireless access point was successful, wherein the first audio prompt comprises a statement indicating that the attempt to connect to the second wireless access point was successful.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a connection strength level between the speaker device and the second wireless access point.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that the attempt to connect to the second wireless access point was successful when the connection strength level is above a first connection strength threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that the attempt to connect to the second wireless access point was unsuccessful when the connection strength level is below a connection strength threshold.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the connection strength level is measured using a received signal strength indication (RSSI) score.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising playing a second audio prompt, using the speaker, the second audio prompt comprising a statement indicating that the attempt to connect to the second wireless access point was unsuccessful.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second audio prompt further comprises a statement that includes directions to move the speaker device closer in proximity to the network device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second audio prompt further comprises a statement that includes directions to move the speaker device away from any obstructions between the speaker device and the network device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential data includes an identifier for the network device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier is a service set identifier (SSID).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential data is a password for gaining access to the second wireless access point.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is a wireless router device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from a client device associated with the network device, at least one second credential signal comprising a password for gaining access to the second wireless access point.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising reattempting to connect to the second wireless access point using the credential data stored in the non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the speaker device is associated with a first location when attempting to connect to the second wireless access point and associated with a second location when reattempting to connect to the second wireless access point.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the reattempting to connect to the second wireless access point is performed without any additional input from a user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the speaker device, a second provisioning beacon signal using the communication module of the speaker device, wherein the second provisioning beacon signal includes credential data for connecting to the first wireless access point; and

receiving, by the speaker device, from an audio/video recording and communication device (A/V device), an attempt to connect to the first wireless access point.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the attempt by the A/V device to connect to the first wireless access point was successful; and

playing a third audio prompt, using the speaker of the speaker device, wherein the third audio prompt comprises a statement indicating that the attempt by the A/V device to connect to the first wireless access point was successful.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the speaker device acts as a repeater/extender for the second wireless access point by providing an alternate wireless connection point for the A/V device when the A/V device is not able to connect to the second wireless access point.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that the attempt by the A/V device to connect to the first wireless access point was unsuccessful; and

playing a fourth audio prompt, using the speaker, wherein the fourth audio prompt comprises a statement indicating that the attempt by the A/V device to connect to the first wireless access point was unsuccessful.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the fourth audio prompt further comprises a statement indicating that the connection by the A/V device to the first wireless access point is weak and the speaker device should be moved to a location closer in proximity to the A/V device.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising measuring a connection strength level between the first wireless access point and the A/V device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining that the attempt to connect the A/V device to the first wireless access point was successful when the connection strength level is above a connection strength threshold.