Device Provisioning or Pairing Using Graphical Representation of Device Identifier

• US 20130103847A1
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hunter, James, Brown, Bill, Mutz, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 8,484,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Provisioning a local device with an account associated with a client device or pairing an accessory device with a local device is disclosed. A client device captures a graphical representation of a local device identifier using an image capture device, identifies the local device identifier and transmits the local device identifier to a remote server. The remote server determines an account associated with the client device and associates the local device identifier with the account. An accessory device includes a graphical representation of an accessory device identifier that is captured by an image capture device of the client device. An accessory device identifier is identified and transmitted to the remote server or to the local device, which associates the accessory device identifier with a local device identifier.

Claims

1. A system for device provisioning comprising:

a local device associated with a local device identifier, the local device including a graphical representation of the local device identifier comprising an image generated by encoding the local device identifier and a remote server address;

a client device including an image capture device, the client device associated with an account, the image capture device configured to capture the graphical representation of the local device identifier from the local device and the client device configured to determine the local device identifier from the graphical representation of the local device identifier and to generate a message including the local device identifier; and

a remote server associated with the remote server address coupled to the local device and to the client device, the remote server including data describing the account associated with the client device and the remote server configured to receive the message from the client device and to associate the local device identifier from the message with the account.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote server is further configured to receive the local device identifier from the local device and to transmit data describing the account associated with the client device to the local device responsive to receiving the local device identifier from the local device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote server is further configured to transmit an authentication token to the client device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the remote server is configured to transmit the authentication token to additional devices associated with the account.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the local device identifier comprises a quick response (QR) code.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the local device identifier comprises one or more of a type associated with the local device, metadata describing one or more attributes of the local device or a command for provisioning the local device with the account.

7. A system for device pairing comprising:

a local device associated with a local device identifier;

an accessory device associated with an accessory device identifier, the accessory device including a graphical representation of the accessory device identifier comprising an image generated by encoding the accessory device identifier;

a client device including an image capture device, the client device associated with an account, the image capture device configured to capture the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier from the accessory device and the client device configured to determine the accessory device identifier from the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier and to generate a message including the accessory device identifier; and

a remote server coupled to the local device, to the accessory device and to the client device, the remote server including data describing the account associated with the client device and the remote server configured to receive the message from the client device, to associate the accessory device identifier with the account and to transmit to the local device an instruction to accept a pairing request including the accessory device identifier received by the local device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the accessory device is further configured to transmit the pairing request to the local device; and

the local device is configured to accept the pairing request responsive to receiving the pairing request and receiving the instruction to accept the pairing request from the remote server.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier comprises a quick response (QR) code.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier comprises one or more of a type associated with the accessory device, a type associated with the local device, metadata describing one or more attributes of the accessory device, metadata describing one or more attributes of the local device or a command for provisioning the local device with the account.

11. A system for device pairing comprising:

an accessory device associated with an accessory device identifier, the accessory device including a graphical representation of the accessory device identifier comprising an image generated by encoding the accessory device identifier and a remote server address;

a client device including an image capture device, the client device associated with an account, the image capture device configured to capture the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier from the accessory device and the client device configured to determine the accessory device identifier from the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier and to generate a message including the accessory device identifier; and

a local device associated with a local device identifier, the local device coupled to the client device and configured to receive the message from the client device and to store the accessory device identifier included in the message.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the accessory device is further configured to transmit a pairing request including the accessory device identifier to the local device; and

the local device is configured to accept the pairing request responsive to receiving the pairing request and to storing the accessory device identifier.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier comprises a quick response (QR) code.

14. A method for device provisioning comprising:

capturing a graphical representation of a local device identifier from a local device, the graphical representation of the local device identifier generated from the local device identifier and a remote server address;

identifying the local device identifier and the remote server address from the graphical representation of the local device identifier;

generating a message including the local device identifier;

transmitting the message to a remote server associated with the remote server address for associating the local device identifier with an account.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the message includes an account identifier identifying the account.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving an authentication token from the remote server, the authentication token associating the account with the local device identifier.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the graphical representation of the local device identifier comprises a quick response (QR) code.

18. A method for pairing devices comprising:

capturing a graphical representation of an accessory device identifier from an accessory device, the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier generated from the accessory device identifier and a remote server address;

identifying the accessory device identifier and the remote server address from the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier;

generating a message including the accessory device identifier;

transmitting the message to a destination for associating the accessory device identifier with a local device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the message to the destination for associating the accessory device identifier with the local device comprises:

transmitting the message to a remote server associated with the remote server address, the remote server associating the accessory device identifier with the local device using an account including a local device identifier associated with the local device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the message to the destination for associating the accessory device identifier with the local device comprises:

transmitting the message to the local device, the local device storing the accessory device identifier to identify the accessory device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the graphical representation of the accessory device identifier comprises a quick response (QR) code.