SENSOR BASED CONFIGURATION AND CONTROL OF NETWORK DEVICES

• US 20150327304A1
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tinnakornsrisuphap, Peerapol, Swaminathan, Ashwin, Somasundaram, Kiran K., Mohanty, Bibhu Prasad
• Granted Patent: US 10,129,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A mobile device, such as a smartphone or a tablet computer, can execute functionality for configuring a network device in a communication network and for subsequently controlling the operation of the network device with little manual input. The mobile device can detect sensor information from a network device. The mobile device can determine device configuration information based, at least in part, on decoding the sensor information. The mobile device can provide the device configuration information to an access point of a network. The mobile device can receive communication link information from the access point. The mobile device can provide the communication link information to the network device. The mobile device can receive a message indicating a communication link between the network device and the access point is established.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a sensor of a mobile device, sensor information from a network device;

determining, by the mobile device, device configuration information based, at least in part, on decoding the sensor information;

providing, by the mobile device, the device configuration information to an access point of a network;

receiving, by the mobile device, communication link information from the access point;

providing, by the mobile device, the communication link information to the network device; and

receiving, by the mobile device, a message indicating a communication link between the network device and the access point is established.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor information comprises at least one of:

a near field communication (NFC) signal, a quick response (QR) code, a bar code, printed text, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) signal, and an encoded image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link information comprises at least one of:

a medium access control (MAC) identifier;

a personal identification number (PIN);

a password; and

a shared secret key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device communicates with the access point using a first communication protocol, and the communication link uses a second communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to receiving the communication link information, establishing that the mobile device is an external registrar; and

subsequent to the communication link being established, establishing that the mobile device is not the external registrar.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

subsequent to the communication link being established, indicating to a user that the communication link is established.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, a storage location of device specific applications for the network device based, at least in part, on decoding the sensor information.

8. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to;

detect, by a sensor of a mobile device, sensor information from a network device;

determine device configuration information based, at least in part, on decoding the sensor information;

provide the device configuration information to an access point of a network;

receive communication link information from the access point;

provide the communication link information to the network device; and

receive a message indicating a communication link between the network device and the access point is established.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the sensor information comprises at least one of:

a near field communication (NFC) signal, a quick response (QR) code, a bar code, printed text, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) signal, and an encoded image.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the communication link information comprises at least one of:

a medium access control (MAC) identifier;

a personal identification number (PIN);

a password; and

a shared secret key.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the mobile device communicates with the access point using a first communication protocol, and the communication link uses a second communication protocol.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile device to:

prior to receiving the communication link information, establish that the mobile device is an external registrar; and

subsequent to the communication link being established, establish that the mobile device is not the external registrar.

13. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile device to:

subsequent to the communication link being established, indicate to a user that the communication link is established.

14. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile device to:

determine a storage location of device specific applications for the network device based, at least in part, on decoding the sensor information.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor of a mobile device cause the mobile device to:

detect, by a sensor of a mobile device, sensor information from a network device;

determine device configuration information based, at least in part, on decoding the sensor information;

provide the device configuration information to an access point of a network;

receive communication link information from the access point;

provide the communication link information to the network device; and

receive a message indicating a communication link between the network device and the access point is established.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the sensor information comprises at least one of:

a near field communication (NFC) signal, a quick response (QR) code, a bar code, printed text, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) signal, and an encoded image.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the communication link information comprises at least one of:

a medium access control (MAC) identifier;

a personal identification number (PIN);

a password; and

a shared secret key.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the mobile device communicates with the access point using a first communication protocol, and the communication link uses a second communication protocol.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile device to:

prior to receiving the communication link information, establish that the mobile device is an external registrar; and

subsequent to the communication link being established, establish that the mobile device is not the external registrar.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile device to:

subsequent to the communication link being established, indicate to a user that the communication link is established.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile device to:

determine a storage location of device specific applications for the network device based, at least in part, on decoding the sensor information.