Systems and methods for provisioning devices using acoustic signals

• US 10,209,690 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tannenbaum, Harry, Irvine, Benjamin, Sayadi, Shayan, Singer, James Vanhook
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukhari, Sibte H
• Application Number:
  US14/997,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 709220
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0675 the resonating marks being of the surface acoustic wave [SAW] kind SAW devices per se H03H9/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204

Abstract

A computer system is communicably coupled to one or more sensor devices. The computer system obtains a database of stored acoustic signatures characterizing predefined acoustic signals generated by passive tags in response to physical motion of the passive tags. The passive tags are associated with non-provisioned devices, and the acoustic signatures are associated with sets of executable instructions for provisioning the non-provisioned devices. A first acoustic signal characterized by a respective acoustic signature and generated by a first passive tag is detected. In response, and based on the respective acoustic signature and information in the database, a first non-provisioned device associated with the respective acoustic signature is identified, and a first set of executable instructions for provisioning the first non-provisioned device is identified. After, the computer system causes execution of the first set of executable instructions, thereby causing to commence a software process for provisioning the first non-provisioned device.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning devices for use in a smart home environment, comprising:

at a computer system having one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors, wherein the computer system is communicably coupled to one or more sensor devices;

obtaining a database of stored acoustic signatures characterizing predefined acoustic signals generated by passive tags in response to physical motion of the passive tags, wherein the passive tags are electrically non-powered and are associated with non-provisioned devices, and wherein the acoustic signatures are associated with respective sets of executable instructions for provisioning the non-provisioned devices for use in the smart home environment;

receiving a first acoustic signal characterized by a respective acoustic signature and generated by a first one of the passive tags; and

in response to the receiving;

comparing one or more respective characteristics of the respective acoustic signature of the first acoustic signal with one or more respective characteristics of one or more of the stored acoustic signatures from the database;

identifying, from the one or more acoustic signatures from the database, a matching acoustic signature that satisfies a match criterion, wherein the matching acoustic signature is associated with a first non-provisioned device of the non-provisioned devices and a first set of the respective sets of executable instructions corresponding to the first non-provisioned device;

identifying the first non-provisioned device associated with the respective acoustic signature and in accordance with the matching acoustic signature;

identifying the first set of executable instructions for provisioning the first non-provisioned device; and

causing execution of the first set of executable instructions, thereby causing to commence a software process for provisioning the first non-provisioned device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein provisioning the first non-provisioned device comprises pairing or associating an online user account with a respective identifier of the first non-provisioned device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein acoustic signatures, which include the stored acoustic signatures in the database and the respective acoustic signature of the first acoustic signal, are respectively defined by one or more characteristics of acoustic signatures, the characteristics including at least one of:

an acoustic signature length;

one or more amplitude values; and

one or more spectral coefficients for one or more respective frequencies.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each or any combination of the one or more characteristics respectively defining the stored acoustic signatures is associated with:

a device type and/or a respective set of executable instructions.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each or any combination of the one or more characteristics respectively defining the stored acoustic signatures is associated with a respective stage of a plurality of stages of the software process for provisioning the first non-provisioned device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein each or any combination of the one or more characteristics respectively defining the stored acoustic signatures is associated with a location in which a respective non-provisioned device is configured to operate.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein each or any combination of the one or more characteristics respectively defining the stored acoustic signatures is associated with a current software and/or firmware version of a respective non-provisioned device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first passive tag comprises a material configured to generate the first acoustic signal in response to physical contact when physically moved in a predetermined manner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first passive tag is a component of a packaging associated with the first non-provisioned device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after identifying and prior to causing execution of the first set of executable instructions, downloading the identified first set of executable instructions from a remote server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the execution of the first set of executable instructions comprises executing the first set of executable instructions on the computer system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the execution of the first set of executable instructions comprises sending a command to the first non-provisioned device, wherein the command causes the first non-provisioned device to execute the first set of executable instructions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of executable instructions includes instructions for executing installation software.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of executable instructions includes instructions for registering the first non-provisioned device with the computer system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of executable instructions includes instructions for commencing a pairing operation to establish a communications channel between the computer system and the first non-provisioned device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in response to establishing the communications channel between the computer system and the non-provisioned device, causing execution of a second set of executable instructions corresponding to a subsequent stage in the software process.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of executable instructions includes instructions for:

determining, based on the respective acoustic signature and information in the database, whether a respective software version of the first non-provisioned device is outdated; and

commencing a software update process in accordance with a determination that the respective software version of the first non-provisioned device is outdated.

18. A computer system for provisioning devices for use in a smart home environment, comprising:

one or more sensor devices that are communicatively coupled to the computer system;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

obtaining a database of stored acoustic signatures characterizing predefined acoustic signals generated by passive tags in response to physical motion of the passive tags, wherein the passive tags are electrically non-powered and are associated with non-provisioned devices, and wherein the acoustic signatures are associated with respective sets of executable instructions for provisioning the non-provisioned devices;

receiving from the one or more sensor devices a first acoustic signal characterized by a respective acoustic signature and generated by a first one of a plurality of passive tags; and

in response to the receiving;

comparing one or more respective characteristics of the respective acoustic signature of the first acoustic signal with one or more respective characteristics of one or more of the stored acoustic signatures from the database;

identifying, from the one or more acoustic signatures from the database, a matching acoustic signature that satisfies a match criterion, wherein the matching acoustic signature is associated with a first non-provisioned device of the non-provisioned devices and a first set of the respective sets of executable instructions corresponding to the first non-provisioned device;

identifying the first non-provisioned device associated with the respective acoustic signature and in accordance with the matching signature;

identifying the first set of executable instructions for provisioning the first non-provisioned device; and

causing execution of the first set of executable instructions, thereby causing to commence a software process for provisioning the first non-provisioned device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a computer system, the one or more programs including instructions for:

obtaining a database of stored acoustic signatures characterizing predefined acoustic signals generated by passive tags in response to physical motion of the passive tags, wherein the passive tags are electrically non-powered and are associated with non-provisioned devices, and wherein the acoustic signatures are associated with respective sets of executable instructions for provisioning the non-provisioned devices for use in a smart home environment;

receiving a first acoustic signal characterized by a respective acoustic signature and generated by a first one of the passive tags;

in response to the receiving;

comparing one or more respective characteristics of the respective acoustic signature of the first acoustic signal with one or more respective characteristics of one or more of the stored acoustic signatures from the database;

identifying, from the one or more acoustic signatures from the database, a matching acoustic signature that satisfies a match criterion, wherein the matching acoustic signature is associated with a first non-provisioned device of the non-provisioned devices and a first set of the respective sets of executable instructions corresponding to the first non-provisioned device;

identifying the first non-provisioned device associated with the respective acoustic signature and in accordance with the matching acoustic signature;

identifying the first set of executable instructions for provisioning the first non-provisioned device; and

causing execution of the first set of executable instructions, thereby causing to commence a software process for provisioning the first non-provisioned device.