Automatic Configuration of Household Playback Devices

• US 20140230015A1
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: POLLOCK, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for causing a playback device to be automatically added to a secure network for rendering media in synchrony with other devices in the secure network. The playback device may, without any input from a user, transmit a first message indicating that the playback device is available to join the network. Upon receiving the first message, a device already in the secure network may transmit to the playback device a second message indicating security parameters for joining the network. The playback device may then join the secure network accordingly. Embodiments are also provided for causing a playback device to be automatically configured, without any input from a user. Another device in the secure network may receive a configuration table indicating setup information for the playback device, and may subsequently transmit the setup information to the playback device and cause the playback device to be configured accordingly.

Claims

1. A method for automatically connecting a playback device to a secure network, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the playback device that is unconfigured for the secure network, a first message indicating that the playback device is available to join the secure network, wherein the first message is transmitted without receiving a user command on the playback device;

receiving at the playback device a second message from a controller that received the first message, the second message comprising a security parameter to be used by the playback device to connect to the secure network; and

establishing a connection between the playback device and the secure network using the security parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting by the playback device a third message over the secure network confirming the established connection between the playback device and the secure network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is transmitted in response to powering on the playback device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first message is transmitted in response to the completion of a boot cycle by the playback device subsequent to powering on the playback device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message identifies the playback device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is transmitted over a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message includes a household identifier (HHID) identifying the secure network.

8. A method for automatically connecting a playback device to a secure network, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller device, a configuration table from a server over a wide area network,

determining, by the controller device, that the configuration table includes an entry corresponding to the playback device that is not joined to the secure network of the controller device;

responsively listening, by the controller device, for a first message from the playback device over an unsecure network, wherein the first message indicates that the playback device is available to join the secure network;

receiving, by the controller device, the first message over the unsecure network;

transmitting, by the controller device, in response to the first message, a second message comprising a security parameter to be used by the playback device to connect to the secure network; and

establishing a connection between the playback device and the secure network using the security parameter.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the controller device, the configuration table from the server responsive to the server receiving a request message from the controller device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the controller device storing the configuration table in memory.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the controller device removing the configuration table entry corresponding to the playback device after a connection between the playback device and the secure network has been established.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

transmitting, by a playback device that is unconfigured for a secure network, a first message indicating that the playback device is available to join the secure network, wherein the first message is transmitted without receiving a user command on the playback device;

receiving at the playback device, a second message from a controller that received the first message, the second message comprising a security parameter to be used by the playback device to connect to the secure network; and

establishing a connection between the playback device and the secure network using the security parameter.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the functions further comprise:

transmitting by the playback device a third message over the secure network confirming the established connection between the playback device and the secure network.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first message is transmitted in response to the completion of a boot cycle by the playback device subsequent to powering on the playback device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first message is transmitted over a wireless network.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second message includes a household identifier (HHID) identifying the secure network.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, by a controller device, a configuration table from a server over a wide area network,

determining, by the controller device, that the configuration table includes an entry corresponding to the playback device that is not joined to the secure network of the controller device;

responsively listening, by the controller device, for a first message from the playback device over an unsecure network, wherein the first message indicates that the playback device is available to join the secure network;

receiving, by the controller device, the first message over the unsecure network;

transmitting, by the controller device, in response to the first message, a second message comprising a security parameter to be used by the playback device to connect to the secure network; and

establishing a connection between the playback device and the secure network using the security parameter.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving, by the controller device, the configuration table from the server responsive to the server receiving a request message from the controller device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

the controller device storing the configuration table in memory.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the functions further comprise:

the controller device removing the configuration table entry corresponding to the playback device after a connection between the playback device and the secure network has been established.