Setup of multiple IoT network devices

• US 9,686,682 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Ryan Yong, Zeira, Ohad
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMITOSKI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/947,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20160088478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• 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 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• 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 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to setup of IoT network devices, and specifically to setup of multiple similar IoT devices at substantially the same time using joint authentication. Embodiments include, for example, receiving, at an existing network device on a network, one or more communications, wherein the one or more communications include an indication that multiple new network devices are associated with the network; receiving an indication that the multiple new network devices have generated a setup access point; establishing a connection with the access point of each of the multiple new network devices; receiving identification information, wherein the identification information includes information identifying each of the multiple new network devices; and transmitting the identification information identifying each of the multiple new network devices, wherein when the identification information is received, the identification information facilitates generating an authentication query to authenticate one or more of the multiple new network devices.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at an existing network device on a network, an indication that a set of new network devices have generated setup access points, wherein the set of new network devices includes multiple network devices;

establishing a connection with the setup access points of the set of new network devices;

receiving new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the set of network devices, wherein new network device identification information includes information identifying the network devices in the set of new network devices;

transmitting, by the existing network device, a communication to each network device in the set of new network devices;

receiving a response from each network device in the set of new network devices that received a communication;

analyzing one or more characteristics of the received responses to determine a characteristic associated with the responses;

establishing a network device group, wherein the network device group includes network devices associated with the determined characteristic of the responses; and

transmitting the new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group, wherein when the new network device identification information is received, the new network device identification information facilitates generating one or more authorization queries to the new network devices in the network device group to join the network, and wherein the network devices in the network device group join the network using the one or more authorization queries.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more authorization queries, wherein receiving authorization queries facilitates displaying identification information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined characteristic includes an amount of time between when the communication is transmitted from the existing network device to a particular new network device in the set of new network devices and when the response is received by the existing network device from the particular new network device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more responses to the one or more authorization queries; and

transmitting network credentials corresponding to each of the responses to the one or more authorization queries, wherein network credentials facilitate new network devices in the network device group joining the network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more association queries, wherein the one or more association queries include a request to determine whether the new network devices in the set of new network devices are associated with the network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the identification information associated with two or more new network devices of the set of new network devices, wherein analyzing includes determining one or more capabilities common to the two or more new network devices; and

generating a grouping of network devices, wherein the grouping includes new network devices that share a common capability.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that an additional new network device of the set of new network devices has generated a setup access point;

establishing a connection with the setup access point of the additional new network device;

receiving additional new network device identification information, wherein the additional new network device identification information includes information identifying the additional new network device; and

transmitting the additional new network device identification information at the same time as the new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the received new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group is aggregated before it is transmitted.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined characteristic includes a locations of the network devices in the network device group, wherein a location of a network device is determined using a communication path that the response took between the network device in the network device group and the existing network device.

10. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including;

receiving, at an existing network device on a network, an indication that a set of new network devices have generated setup access points, wherein the set of new network devices includes multiple network devices;

establishing a connection with the setup access points of the set of new network devices;

receiving new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the set of network devices, wherein new network device identification information includes information identifying the network devices in the set of new network devices;

transmitting, by the existing network device, a communication to each network device in the set of new network devices;

receiving a response from each network device in the set of new network devices that received a communication;

analyzing one or more characteristics of the received responses to determine a characteristic associated with the responses;

establishing a network device group, wherein the network device group includes network devices associated with the determined characteristic of the responses; and

transmitting the new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group, wherein when the new network device identification information is received, the new network device identification information facilitates generating one or more authorization queries to the new network devices in the network device group to join the network, and wherein the network devices in the network device group join the network using the one or more authorization queries.

11. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

transmitting one or more authorization queries, wherein receiving authorization queries facilitates displaying identification information.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the determined characteristic includes an amount of time between when the communication is transmitted from the existing network device to a particular new network device in the set of new network devices and when the response is received by the existing network device from the particular new network device.

13. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

receiving one or more responses to the one or more authorization queries; and

transmitting network credentials corresponding to each of the responses to the one or more authorization queries, wherein network credentials facilitate new network devices in the network device group joining the network.

14. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

transmitting one or more association queries, wherein the one or more association queries include a request to determine whether the new network devices in the set of new network devices are associated with the network.

15. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

analyzing the identification information associated with two or more new network devices of the set of new network devices, wherein analyzing includes determining one or more capabilities common to the two or more new network devices; and

generating a grouping of network devices, wherein the grouping includes new network devices that share a common capability.

16. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

receiving an indication that an additional new network device of the set of new network devices has generated a setup access point;

establishing a connection with the setup access point of the additional new network device;

receiving additional new network device identification information, wherein the additional new network device identification information includes information identifying the additional new network device; and

transmitting the additional new network device identification information at the same time as the new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group.

17. The computing device of claim 10,

wherein the received new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group is aggregated before it is transmitted.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive, at an existing network device on a network, an indication that a set of new network devices have generated setup access points, wherein the set of new network devices includes multiple network devices;

establish a connection with the setup access points of the set of new network devices;

receive new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the set of network devices, wherein new network device identification information includes information identifying the network devices in the set of new network devices;

transmit, by the existing network device, a communication to each network device in the set of new network devices;

receive a response from each network device in the set of new network devices that received a communication;

analyze one or more characteristics of the received responses to determine a characteristic associated with the responses;

establish a network device group, wherein the network device group includes network devices associated with the determined characteristic of the responses; and

transmit the new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group, wherein when the new network device identification information is received, the new network device identification information facilitates generating one or more authorization queries to the new network devices in the network device group to join the network, and wherein the network devices in the network device group join the network using the one or more authorization queries.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computing device to:

transmit one or more authorization queries, wherein receiving authorization queries facilitates displaying identification information.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the determined characteristic includes an amount of time between when the communication is transmitted from the existing network device to a particular new network device in the set of new network devices and when the response is received by the existing network device from the particular new network device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computing device to:

receive one or more responses to the one or more authorization queries; and

transmit network credentials corresponding to each of the responses to the one or more authorization queries, wherein network credentials facilitate new network devices in the network device group joining the network.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computing device to:

transmit one or more association queries, wherein the one or more association queries include a request to determine whether the new network devices in the set of new network devices are associated with the network.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computing device to:

analyze the identification information associated with two or more new network devices of the set of new network devices, wherein analyzing includes determining one or more capabilities common to the two or more new network devices; and

generate a grouping of network devices, wherein the grouping includes new network devices that share a common capability.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions configured to cause the computing device to:

receive an indication that an additional new network device of the set of new network devices has generated a setup access point;

establish a connection with the setup access point of the additional new network device;

receive additional new network device identification information, wherein the additional new network device identification information includes information identifying the additional new network device; and

transmit the additional new network device identification information at the same time as the new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein received new network device identification information associated with the network devices in the network device group is aggregated before it is transmitted.