AUTOMATED PROVISIONING OF MANAGED SERVICES IN A Wi-Fi CAPABLE CLIENT DEVICE

• US 20150043377A1
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cholas, Chris A., Hybertson, Eric D., Cardona, Eduardo, Detty, Michael B., Tyus, Joel C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for deploying and configuring WiFi capable devices are described. A WiFi capable device such as security camera, temperature monitor and/or other device intended for use with a home network including a gateway device is preconfigured with WiFi network connection information, e.g., a network identifier such as a first SSID corresponding to a first WiFi LAN network used to supply configuration information. The gateway device is preconfigured to act as an access point for the configuration network to which the first SSID corresponds. The gateway device also supports one or more additional LAN networks, e.g., home networks which can be used for data traffic. The additional LAN networks may include an Ethernet network, a coax cable network, a powerline network and/or an additional WiFi network corresponding to a second SSID. A WiFi capable device is configured via the first network to communicate traffic data via the second network.

Claims

1. A method of providing a service, the method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless home gateway device preconfigured to serve as an access point for a first wireless network used to supply device configuration information, a first wireless signal including a first wireless network identifier corresponding to said first wireless network from a first device; and

operating said wireless home gateway device to provide, via said first wireless network, device configuration information to said first device.

2. The of claim 1, further comprising:

storing initial wireless connection establishment information in said first device including a wireless interface, said initial wireless connection establishment information corresponding to the first wireless network identified by the first network identifier; and

wherein said device configuration information includes information used to configure said first device for a service which is provided via a different communications network than said first wireless network which is used to supply device configuration information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said device configuration information identifies a home network to be used for data traffic corresponding to the service for which the first device is being configured.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said home network is a wired network, said wired network being one of an Ethernet network or a power line network.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said home network is a second wireless network, the method further comprising:

operating said wireless home gateway device to operate as an access point for said second wireless network in addition to operating as an access point for said first wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first and second wireless networks are WiFi networks, said first wireless network being identified by a first SSID, said second wireless network being identified by a second SSID.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said gateway operates as a policy enforcement point with regard to said first wireless network limiting use of said first wireless network to configuration related traffic.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said gateway limits the amount of bandwidth the first device can use on said first wireless network to a fraction of an amount of bandwidth said first device can use on said second wireless network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first device is a home monitoring device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first device is a wireless camera, temperature sensor, window position sensor, or door position sensor.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said device configuration information further includes information identifying an application server to which said first device being configured is to transmit information detected by said first device via the second network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing initial wireless connection establishment information in said first device including a wireless interface, said initial wireless connection establishment information corresponding to the first wireless network identified by the first network identifier; and

operating the wireless home gateway device to communicate a request for configuration and/or service information received from said first device via said first network to a configuration server; and

operating the wireless home gateway device to communicate device configuration parameters received from said configuration server to the first device via said first wireless network.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

operating the configuration server to communicate gateway configuration information to the wireless home gateway device to be used by the wireless home gateway device in providing said service; and

operating the wireless home gateway device to configure itself in accordance with the gateway configuration information received from the configuration server, said configuration information including a service identifier and addressing information to be used by said wireless home gateway device for sending information received from said first device relating to said service to a service provider server which provides a function with regard to said service.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said service provider server performs a monitoring service.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

operating the configuration server to determine from the request for configuration received from the first device seeking configuration information a device identifier and from information identifying the wireless home gateway device via which said configuration request was communicated which customer premise said first device is located at; and

updating device inventory information indicating that the first device has been received by the customer corresponding to the customer premise at which the identified wireless home gateway device is located.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

accessing a customer record to determine what services are to be provided to the customer to which the identified wireless home gateway device corresponds and what service provider server is to receive communications from said first device as part of said service; and

sending configuration information determined by the service or services to be provided to said first device.

17. A system comprising:

a first device which supports wireless communications; and

a wireless home gateway device, preconfigured to serve as an access point for a first wireless network used to supply device configuration information, the wireless home gateway device comprising;

a module configured to receive a first wireless signal including a first wireless network identifier corresponding to said first wireless network from said first device; and

a module configured to provide, via said first wireless network, device configuration information to said first device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first device comprises:

a module configured to store initial wireless connection establishment information in said first device, said initial wireless connection establishment information corresponding to the first wireless network identified by the first network identifier; and

wherein said device configuration information includes information used to configure said first device for a service which is provided via a different communications network than said first wireless network which is used to supply device configuration information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said device configuration information identifies a home network to be used for data traffic corresponding to the service for which the first device is being configured.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said home network is a wired network, said wired network being one of an Ethernet network or a power line network.