Playback device connection

• US 9,960,969 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Millington, Nicholas A. J., Hainsworth, Paul V.
• Primary Examiner(s): MADAMBA, GLENFORD J
• Application Number:
  US15/091,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 709220, 709231, 370254
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 : Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques for automatically configuring necessary parameters of a device to be coupled to a network with minimum human intervention are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wired and/or wireless Ad-hoc network is established to facilitate communications among a group of devices. When a new device is added to the network, a rudimentary communication path is initially established between one of the devices in the network and the new device such that necessary parameters (e.g., SSID, WEP security, channel frequency) can be exchanged for the new device to function properly in the network. To ensure the parameters are exchanged in a secure fashion, an additional public security procedure can be used between the two devices.

Claims

1. A first computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a network interface;

an audio interface; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first computing device to perform functions comprising;

broadcasting via the network interface over a first network, a message indicating a network name of the first network;

receiving via the network interface from a second computing device over the first network, a message indicating a selection of the first network;

responsive to receiving the message indicating the selection of the first network, outputting audio content via the audio interface;

after outputting the audio content, receiving via the network interface over the first network, a message indicating parameters of a second network;

joining via the network interface, the second network according to the parameters of the second network;

receiving via the network interface over the second network, audio content for playback; and

outputting via the audio interface, the audio content.

2. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to broadcasting the message indicating the network name, establishing via the network interface, the first network.

3. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

after joining the second network, broadcasting via the network interface over the first network, a message without the network name of the first network.

4. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

after joining the second network, disconnecting from the first network.

5. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the message indicating the selection of the first network comprises a message indicating a selection of the first computing device.

6. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the message indicating the network name of the first network comprises an alive message.

7. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the first network is an unsecure network.

8. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the second network is a secure network.

9. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the first network is configured for communication over a 2.4 GHz frequency band.

10. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to joining the second network, activating a first indication via an indicator light of the first computing device; and

after joining the second network, activating a second indication via the indicator light.

11. The first computing device of claim 10, wherein the first indication is a flashing indication.

12. The first computing device of claim 10, wherein the second indication is a solid indication.

13. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving from the second computing device, data indicating a name corresponding to the first computing device; and

storing in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory, the data indicating the name corresponding to the first computing device.

14. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a first computing device, cause the first computing device to perform a method comprising:

broadcasting via a network interface of the first computing device over a first network, a message indicating a network name of the first network;

receiving via the network interface from a second computing device over the first network, a message indicating a selection of the first network;

responsive to receiving the message indicating the selection of the first network, outputting via an audio interface, audio content;

after outputting the audio content, receiving via the network interface over the first network, a message indicating parameters of a second network;

joining via the network interface, the second network according to the parameters of the second network;

receiving via the network interface over the second network, audio content for playback; and

outputting via an audio interface, the audio content.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to broadcasting the message indicating the network name, establishing via the network interface, the first network.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

after joining the second network, broadcasting via the network interface over the first network, a message without the network name of the first network.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

after joining the second network, disconnecting from the first network.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the message indicating the selection of the first network comprises a message indicating a selection of the first computing device.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the message indicating the network name of the first network comprises an alive message.

20. A method comprising:

broadcasting via a network interface of a first computing device over a first network, a message indicating a network name of the first network;

receiving via the network interface from a second computing device over the first network, a message indicating a selection of the first network;

responsive to receiving the message indicating the selection of the first network, outputting via an audio interface, audio content;

after outputting the audio content, receiving via the network interface over the first network, a message indicating parameters of a second network;

joining via the network interface, the second network according to the parameters of the second network;

receiving via the network interface over the second network, audio content for playback; and

outputting via an audio interface, the audio content.