Internet of things provisioning

• US 9,917,903 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Clernon, George F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaidi, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US14/980,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20170187807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 370311-339, 455456
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium provides an installation of an IoT device in which the installation includes to store Internet of Things (IoT) management information, which includes IoT device information of the IoT device; upload the IoT management information to a network device in response to the storing of the IoT management information; store the IoT management information at the IoT device in response to the upload; present a map of the location; receive a designation of a location point on the map that indicates where the IoT device is to be installed; determine whether the IoT device is to be updated; update the IoT device in response to a determination that an update for the IoT device is available; calibrate one or more sensors of the IoT device; and configure the IoT device to transmit IoT data to another network device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, by an end device in a memory, Internet of Things (IoT) management information that includes IoT device information of an IoT device to be installed at a location, wherein the end device includes installer software that includes a workflow, wherein the workflow includes interactive graphical user interfaces that guide a user of the end device through tasks of an installation process that provisions the IoT device, and wherein during an execution of the workflow at the end device the IoT management information is stored at the end device;

uploading, by the end device, the IoT management information to a network device in response to the storing and based on the workflow;

storing, by the end device, the IoT management information at the IoT device in response to the uploading and based on the workflow;

displaying, by the end device via a display of the end device, a map of the location;

receiving, by the end device, from the user, a designation of a location point on the map that indicates where the IoT device is to be installed, based on the displaying and the workflow;

determining, by the end device, whether the IoT device is to be updated based on the workflow and the IoT device information;

updating, by the end device, firmware or software at the IoT device in response to determining that an update for the IoT device is available and based on the workflow;

calibrating, by the end device, one or more sensors of the IoT device in response to the updating and based on the workflow; and

configuring, by the end device, the IoT device to transmit IoT data to another network device in response to the calibrating and based on the workflow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

comparing the IoT management information that includes version information of the IoT device with update information that includes version information pertaining to the IoT device;

determining whether the IoT device is to be updated in response to the comparing of the version information included in the IoT management information and the version information included in the update information; and

presenting an indication to the user that the IoT device is to be updated in response to determining that the version information included in the IoT management information and the version information included in the update information do not match.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibrating further comprises:

configuring the IoT device to measure one or more samples;

configuring the IoT device to transmit test IoT data to the network device, wherein the test IoT data includes one or more values in correspondence to one or more measurements, performed by the IoT device, of the one or more samples;

establishing a connection between the end device and the network device; and

presenting the test IoT data to the user via the end device and the connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, from the user via the end device, sensor information that indicates a number and a type of the one or more sensors included in the IoT device;

receiving, by the network device, from the user via the end device, end device information that indicates an operating system of the end device and a type of the end device;

selecting, by the network device, the installer software from among multiple versions of the installer software that includes multiple versions of the workflows based on the sensor information and the end device information; and

offering, by the network device, to the user of the end device to download the installer software in response to the selecting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the end device, geographic coordinates of the location point on the map based on the workflow;

uploading, by the end device, the geographic coordinates to the network device based on the workflow;

storing the geographic coordinates with the IoT management information based on the workflow; and

receiving one or more designations of one or more location points on the map that indicate where one or more other IoT devices are to be installed based on the workflow.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the end device, location points on the map, wherein each location point indicates where each IoT device is to be installed at the location, based on the workflow; and

updating, by the end device, a presentment of each location point on the map to indicate that each IoT device is successfully installed at each location point in correspondence to a progress of the user successfully installing each IoT device at each location point and based on the workflow.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing the IoT management information at the end device further comprises:

pairing, by the end device, with the IoT device based on the workflow, wherein the IoT device is turned off and a connection is established between the end device and the IoT device; and

reading, by the end device via the connection, at least a portion of the IoT management information from a memory of the IoT device based on the workflow, and wherein the storing of the IoT management information at the IoT device further comprises;

writing, by the end device and via the connection, all of the IoT management information to the memory of the IoT device based on the workflow, wherein the IoT management information includes a user-assigned identifier of the IoT device and the IoT device information includes an equipment identifier, a make and a model of the IoT device, security credentials, and a number and type of the one or more sensors included in the IoT device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibrating further comprises:

receiving, by the end device, a user input indicating a calibration error pertaining to one of the one or more sensors included in the IoT device;

selecting, by the end device, a troubleshoot task in response to receiving the user input and based on the workflow; and

guiding, by the end device, the user to perform the troubleshoot task in response to the selecting and based on the workflow.

9. A device comprising:

a display;

a first communication interface;

a second communication interface;

a memory, wherein the memory stores installer software that includes a workflow, wherein the workflow includes interactive graphical user interfaces that guide a user of the device through tasks of an installation process that provisions an Internet of Things (IoT) device; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes instructions of the installer software to;

store IoT management information that includes IoT device information of the IoT device to be installed at a location;

upload, via the second communication interface, the IoT management information to a network device in response to the storing of the IoT management information;

store, via the first communication interface, the IoT management information at the IoT device in response to the upload;

present, via the display, a map of the location;

receive a designation of a location point on the map that indicates where the IoT device is to be installed based on the presentment of the map;

determine whether the IoT device is to be updated based on the IoT device information;

update, via the first communication interface, firmware or software at the IoT device in response to a determination that an update for the IoT device is available;

calibrate one or more sensors of the IoT device in response to the update at the IoT device; and

configure the IoT device to transmit IoT data to another network device in response to the calibration of the one or more sensors.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein when calibrating, the processor further executes the instructions to:

configure the IoT device to measure one or more samples;

configure the IoT device to transmit test IoT data to the network device;

establish, via the second communication interface, a connection between the device and the network device, wherein the test IoT data includes one or more values in correspondence to one or more measurements, performed by the IoT device, of the one or more samples; and

present, via the display, the test IoT data to the user based on the connection.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to:

determine geographic coordinates of the location point on the map based;

upload, via the second communication interface, the geographic coordinates to the network device; and

receive one or more designations of one or more location points on the map that indicate where one or more other IoT devices are to be installed.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to:

present, via the display, location points on the map, wherein each location point indicates where each IoT device is to be installed at the location; and

update a presentment of each location point on the map, via the display, to indicate that each IoT device is successfully installed at each location point in correspondence to a progress of the user successfully installing each IoT device at each location point.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to:

pair, via the first communication interface, with a communication interface of the IoT device, wherein the IoT device is turned off and a connection is established between the device and the IoT device; and

read via the connection at least a portion of the IoT management information from a memory included in the communication interface of the IoT device in response to the establishment of the connection with the IoT device, and wherein when storing the IoT management information at the IoT device, the processor further executes the instructions to;

write via the connection all of the IoT management information to the memory, wherein the IoT management information includes a user-assigned identifier of the IoT device and the IoT device information includes an equipment identifier, a make and a model of the IoT device, security credentials, and a number and type of the one or more sensors included in the IoT device.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein when calibrating, the processor further executes the instructions to:

receive a user input indicating a calibration error pertaining to one of the one or more sensors included in the IoT device;

select a troubleshoot task in response to the user input; and

guide the user, based on presentment of information via the display, to perform the troubleshoot task in response to the selection of the troubleshoot task.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the first communication interface includes a near field communication interface and the second communication interface includes at least one of a Long Term Evolution communication interface or a LoRa interface.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores installer software that includes instructions of a workflow, executable by a processor of a computational device, wherein the workflow includes interactive graphical user interfaces that guide a user of the computational device through tasks of an installation process that provisions an IoT device, which when executed cause the computational device to:

store Internet of Things (IoT) management information, which includes IoT device information of the IoT device to be installed at a location, at the computational device;

upload the IoT management information to a network device in response to the storing of the IoT management information;

store the IoT management information at the IoT device in response to the upload;

present a map of the location;

receive a designation of a location point on the map that indicates where the IoT device is to be installed based on the presentment of the map;

determine whether the IoT device is to be updated based on the IoT device information;

update firmware or software at the IoT device in response to a determination that an update for the IoT device is available;

calibrate one or more sensors of the IoT device; and

configure the IoT device to transmit IoT data to another network device in response to the calibration of the one or more sensors.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

configure the IoT device to measure one or more samples;

configure the IoT device to transmit test IoT data to the network device;

establish a connection between the computational device and the network device, wherein the test IoT data includes one or more values in correspondence to one or more measurements, performed by the IoT device, of the one or more samples; and

present the test IoT data to a user of the computational device based on the connection.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

present location points on the map, wherein each location point indicates where each IoT device is to be installed at the location; and

update a presentment of each location point on the map to indicate that each IoT device is successfully installed at each location point in correspondence to a progress of a user successfully installing each IoT device at each location point.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

pair with a communication interface of the IoT device, wherein the IoT device is turned off and a connection is established between the computational device and the IoT device; and

read via the connection at least a portion of the IoT management information from a memory included in the communication interface of the IoT device in response to the establishment of the connection with the IoT device, and wherein the instructions to store the IoT management information at the IoT device comprise further instructions to;

write via the connection all of the IoT management information to the memory, wherein the IoT management information includes a user-assigned identifier of the IoT device and the IoT device information includes an equipment identifier, a make and a model of the IoT device, security credentials, and a number and type of the one or more sensors included in the IoT device.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

receive a user input indicating a calibration error pertaining to one of the one or more sensors included in the IoT device;

select a troubleshoot task in response to the user input; and

guide the user to perform the troubleshoot task in response to the selection of the troubleshoot task.