System and method for configuration of network-capable appliances

• US 9,450,814 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Negron, Eric, Hayes, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS, BRIAN S
• Application Number:
  US14/989,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A controlling device is used to configure a target device for wireless network communications through use of a setup wizard. The setup wizard is used to obtain information required to perform communications on a wireless network via a wireless network router and a digital representation of the information obtained through use of the setup wizard is provided to the target device via use of the controlling device. The target device will use the digital representation of the information to configure itself for wireless network communications.

Claims

1. A method for using a controlling device to configure a target device for association with a wireless local area network, comprising:

using data indicative of at least the type and make of the target device to select from a library of communication protocols a communication protocol appropriate for transmitting commands to the target device;

provisioning the selected communication protocol to the controlling device to thereby enable the controlling device to transmit communications to the target device in response to activations of input elements of the controlling device; and

in response to an activation of one or more predetermined input elements of the controlling device, causing the controlling device to use the provisioned, selected communication protocol to transmit to the target device a communication having network configuration information whereupon the target device will use the network configuration information to configure itself for association with the wireless local area network.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected communication protocol comprises an infrared, wireless communication protocol.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of at least the type and make of the target device is provided to a further device in communication with the controlling device, wherein the further device has an associated data repository from which is selected the communication protocol appropriate for transmitting commands to the target device, and wherein the selected communication protocol is transferred from the computing device to the controlling device for provisioning to the controlling device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of at least the type and make of the target device is provided to the controlling device, wherein the controlling device is associated with a remotely located data repository from which is selected the communication protocol appropriate for transmitting commands to the target device, and wherein the selected communication protocol is transferred from the remotely located data repository to the controlling device for provisioning to the controlling device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of at least the type and make of the target device is provided to the controlling device and wherein the controlling device has a memory in which is stored the library of communication protocols.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected communication protocol comprises a radio frequency communication protocol.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network configuration information comprises data representative of at least a network name.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network configuration information comprises data representative of at least a network password.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling device is caused to communicate a command to the target device to place the target device into a mode to receive the network configuration information prior to transmitting to the target device the communication having the network configuration information.