System and method for appliance detection and app configuration

• US 10,868,858 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2018
• Issued: 12/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Hatambeiki, Arsham
• Primary Examiner(s): Tecklu, Isaac T
• Application Number:
  US16/216,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20190109894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• 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: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A system and method is used to provision an app to a smart device for use in connection with an appliance. A presence of the appliance on a wireless network which includes the smart device is detected and data received from the appliance is used to initiate a retrieval of the app. When the retrieved app is installed on the smart device the app is usable with the smart device to provide at least an interface between the smart device and the appliance. In some circumstance, installation of the app on the smart device may also include causing the app to be synchronized with a corresponding app that was prior installed on another smart device capable of communicating with the appliance.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning an app to a first smart device registered with a server device for use in connection with controlling functional operations of an appliance, comprising:

detecting by a second smart device, via use of data received from the appliance by the second smart device, a presence of the appliance on a wireless network, wherein the wireless network includes both the second smart device and the first smart device;

providing from the second smart device to the server device the data received from the appliance;

providing from the second smart device to the server device an identifier for the wireless network;

receiving by the first smart device a first app that was caused to be automatically downloaded from the server device to the first smart device in response to the server device receiving from the second smart device both the data received from the appliance and the identifier for the wireless network; and

causing installation of the first app that was received by the first smart device from the server device on the first smart device whereupon the first app is usable with the first smart device to provide at least a controlling interface between the first smart device and the appliance.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving at the first smart device from the server device data related to a state of a second app, having an identifier that corresponds to the identifier for the first app, that was prior installed within the wireless network and using the data related the state of the second app to cause a state of the first app, when installed on the first smart device, to be synchronized with the state of the second app.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data received from the appliance comprises data indicative of a manufacturer and model of the appliance.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting is automatically initiated by the second smart device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting is initiated by the second smart device in response to user input being provided to the first smart device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data received from the appliance comprises a serial number provided to the appliance.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data received from the appliance comprises a MAC address provided to the appliance.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first app is automatically installed on the first smart device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier for the wireless network comprises a user identifier.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier for the wireless network comprises a network name.

11. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the data related to a state of the second app comprises data indicative of control setting for the appliance.

12. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the data related to a state of the second app comprises interface settings for the app that was prior installed on the second smart device.

13. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the data related to a state of the second app comprises cookie data.