Apparatus and method for seamless commissioning of wireless devices

• US 9,198,204 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathews, Jeffrey P., Taylor, Lee R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masur, Paul H
• Application Number:
  US13/839,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20130272223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for commissioning a target device onto a wireless local area network (WLAN). The apparatus includes a smart wireless device. The smart wireless device has commissioning logic and a transducer. The commissioning logic is configured to format and direct transmission of one or more WLAN configuration packets that convey WLAN configuration data. The transducer is coupled to the commissioning logic, and is configured to transmit the one or more WLAN configuration packets over the transmission path to the target device, wherein the transducer is an existing component of the smart wireless device.

Claims

1. A smart wireless device for commissioning a target device onto a wireless local area network (WLAN), the smart wireless device including a first processor and a first memory storing programs for execution by the first processor, comprising:

(1) commissioning logic, configured to;

display a user interface for commissioning the target device, wherein the target device is disposed in proximity to the smart wireless device, and includes a second processor and a second memory storing programs for execution by the second processor, the programs stored in the second memory further including program instructions that direct the second processor to decode and process WLAN configuration packets for commissioning the target device itself onto the WLAN;

format and direct transmission of one or more WLAN configuration packets that convey WLAN configuration data associated with the WLAN according to a predetermined data format, wherein the WLAN is accessible to the smart wireless device,

receive, via the WLAN, a contact from the target device indicating that the target device has successfully entered the WLAN, and

in response to the received contact from the target device, continue to commission the target device by communicating via the WLAN device configuration data to the target device, the device configuration data including an Internet Protocol address, proxy, and gateway configuration of the smart wireless device; and

(2) a transducer, coupled to said commissioning logic, configured to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets to the target device over a wireless transmission path allowing signal transmission from the transducer to the target device independently of the WLAN, wherein the target device uses the user interface of the smart wireless device for device commissioning.

2. The smart wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein said smart wireless device comprises a smartphone.

3. The smart wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein said smart wireless device comprises a tablet computer.

4. The smart wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein said commissioning logic comprises a sequence of program instructions in an application directed towards commissioning the target device onto the WLAN.

5. The smart wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein said transducer comprises a camera flash, and wherein said transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein said camera flash is modulated according to said commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said optical transmission path to an optical sensor on the target device.

6. The smart wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein said transducer comprises a backlit display, and wherein said transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein said backlit display is modulated according to said commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said optical transmission path to an optical sensor on the target device.

7. The smart wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein said transducer comprises an audio speaker, and wherein said transmission path comprises an audio transmission path, and wherein said audio speaker is modulated according to said commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said audio transmission path to an audio sensor on the target device.

8. A system for wireless local area network (WLAN) device commissioning, comprising:

a smart wireless device, including a first processor and a first memory storing programs for execution by the first processor, the smart wireless device further including;

(1) first commissioning logic that is configured to;

display a user interface for commissioning the target device,

format and direct transmission of one or more WLAN configuration packets that convey WLAN configuration data associated with the WLAN according to a predetermined data format, wherein the WLAN is accessible to the smart wireless device,

receive, via the WLAN, a contact from the target device indicating that the target device has successfully entered the WLAN, and

in response to the received contact from the target device, continue to commission the target device by communicating, via the WLAN, device configuration data to the target device, the device configuration data including an Internet Protocol address, proxy, and gateway configuration of the smart wireless device; and

(2) a first transducer that is coupled to said first commissioning logic and configured to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets to the target device over a signal transmission path allowing signal transmission from the first transducer to the target device independently of the WLAN, wherein said first transducer is an existing component of said smart wireless device; and

a target device that is disposed in proximity of the smart wireless device, and includes a second processor and a second memory storing programs for execution by the second processor, the target device further including;

a second transducer that is configured to receive said one or more WLAN configuration packets;

second commissioning logic that is coupled to said second transducer and configured to decode and process said one or more WLAN configuration packets to recover WLAN configuration data for commissioning the target device itself onto the WLAN; and

a wireless radio that is operatively coupled to said commissioning logic and configured to employ said WLAN configuration data to enable said target device to join a WLAN.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said smart wireless device comprises a smartphone.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said smart wireless device comprises a tablet computer.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said first and second commissioning logics comprise a sequence of program instructions in one or more applications directed towards commissioning said target device onto said WLAN.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said first transducer comprises a camera flash, and wherein said second transducer comprises an optical sensor, and wherein said transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein said camera flash is modulated according to said first commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said optical transmission path to said optical sensor.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said first transducer comprises a backlit display, and wherein said second transducer comprises an optical sensor, and wherein said transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein said backlit display is modulated according to said first commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said optical transmission path to said optical sensor.

14. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said first transducer comprises an audio speaker, and wherein said second transducer comprises an audio sensor, and wherein said transmission path comprises an audio transmission path, and wherein said audio speaker is modulated according to said first commissioning logic to transmit said one or more WLAN configuration packets over said audio transmission path to said audio sensor.

15. A method for wireless local area network (WLAN) device commissioning for use at a smart wireless device including a display, a first processor and a first memory storing programs for execution by the first processor, comprising:

displaying a user interface on the display;

executing a first application to format one or more WLAN packets associated with a WLAN that is accessible to the smart wireless device according to a predetermined data format, the one or more WLAN packets including WLAN configuration data associated with the WLAN;

providing the WLAN configuration data of the WLAN to a target device disposed in proximity of the smart wireless device, including transmitting by a first transducer of the smart wireless device the one or more WLAN configuration packets over an alternative wireless transmission path to a target device, wherein the target device includes a second processor and a second memory storing programs for execution by the second processor, and uses the user interface of the smart wireless device for device commissioning, the programs stored in the second memory further including program instructions that direct the second processor to decode and process WLAN configuration packets for commissioning the target device itself onto the WLAN, and wherein the alternative wireless transmission path allows signal transmission from the transducer to the target device independently of the WLAN;

causing the target device to execute a second application on the target device to decode and process the one or more WLAN configuration packets to recover the WLAN configuration data associated with the WLAN, wherein a wireless radio disposed within the target device is configured to employ the recovered WLAN configuration data to enable the target device to join the WLAN;

receiving, via the WLAN, a contact from the target device indicating that the target device has successfully entered the WLAN; and

in response to the received contact from the target device, continuing to commission the target device by communicating, via the WLAN, device configuration data to the target device, the device configuration data including an Internet Protocol address, proxy, and gateway configuration of the smart wireless device.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the smart wireless device comprises a smartphone.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the smart wireless device comprises a tablet computer.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second applications comprise first and second sequences of program instructions directed towards commissioning the target device onto the WLAN.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first transducer comprises a camera flash, and wherein the second transducer comprises an optical sensor, and wherein the transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein the camera flash is modulated according to the first application to transmit the one or more WLAN configuration packets over the optical transmission path to the optical sensor.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first transducer comprises a backlit display, and wherein the second transducer comprises an optical sensor, and wherein the transmission path comprises an optical transmission path, and wherein the backlit display is modulated according to the first application to transmit the one or more WLAN configuration packets over the optical transmission path to the optical sensor.

21. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first transducer comprises an audio speaker, and wherein the second transducer comprises an audio sensor, and wherein the transmission path comprises an audio transmission path, and wherein the audio speaker is modulated according to the first application to transmit the one or more WLAN configuration packets over the audio transmission path to the audio sensor.