SETUP OF MULTIPLE IOT NETWORK DEVICES

• US 20170094706A1
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2014
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,918,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• 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 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• 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 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

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:

establishing, at an existing network device on a network, a connection between the existing network device and a new network device associated with the network;

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

receiving a communication including an indication that an additional new network device is connected to the new network device;

transmitting a communication, including a request for additional identification information associated with the additional new network device;

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

analyzing the identification information and the additional identification information to determine a characteristic associated with the new network device and the additional new network device;

establishing a network device group, wherein the network device group includes network devices associated with the characteristic, and wherein the network device group includes the new network device and the additional new network device;

transmitting the identification information of the devices in the network device group, wherein when the identification information of the devices in the network device group is received, the identification information facilitates generating one or more authorization queries to authorize the new network devices in the network device group to join the network, and wherein the new 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:

receiving, at the existing network device on the network, a communication, wherein the communication includes an indication that the new network device is associated with the network, and wherein the network includes an access device and a gateway, the gateway having previously provided the existing network device with access to the network;

receiving an indication that the new network device has generated a setup access point; and

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information and the additional identification information are transmitted simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating one or more authorization queries to authorize network devices in the network device group; and

transmitting the authorization queries.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

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

transmitting network credentials corresponding to each of the responses to the one or more authentication queries, wherein network credentials facilitate joining the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information identifying the new network device and the additional identification information identifying the additional new network device are received at the same time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

8. 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;

establishing, at an existing network device on a network, a connection between the existing network device and a new network device associated with the network;

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

receiving a communication including an indication that an additional new network device is connected to the new network device;

transmitting a communication, including a request for additional identification information associated with the additional new network device;

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

analyzing the identification information and the additional identification information to determine a characteristic associated with the new network device and the additional new network device;

establishing a network device group, wherein the network device group includes network devices associated with the characteristic, and wherein the network device group includes the new network device and the additional new network device;

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

9. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

receiving, at the existing network device on the network, a communication, wherein the communication includes an indication that the new network device is associated with the network, and wherein the network includes an access device and a gateway, the gateway having previously provided the existing network device with access to the network;

receiving an indication that the new network device has generated a setup access point; and

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

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the identification information and the additional identification information are transmitted simultaneously.

11. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

generating one or more authorization queries to authorize network devices in the network device group; and

transmitting the authorization queries.

12. The computing device of claim 11, 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 authentication queries; and

transmitting network credentials corresponding to each of the responses to the one or more authentication queries, wherein network credentials facilitate joining the network.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the identification information identifying the new network device and the additional identification information identifying the additional new network device are received at the same time.

14. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

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

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

establish, at an existing network device on a network, a connection between the existing network device and a new network device associated with the network;

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

receive a communication including an indication that an additional new network device is connected to the new network device;

transmit a communication, including a request for additional identification information associated with the additional new network device;

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

analyze the identification information and the additional identification information to determine a characteristic associated with the new network device and the additional new network device;

establish a network device group, wherein the network device group includes network devices associated with the characteristic, and wherein the network device group includes the new network device and the additional new network device;

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

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receiving, at the existing network device on the network, a communication, wherein the communication includes an indication that the new network device is associated with the network, and wherein the network includes an access device and a gateway, the gateway having previously provided the existing network device with access to the network;

receiving an indication that the new network device has generated a setup access point; and

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

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15,

wherein the identification information and the additional identification information are transmitted simultaneously.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

generating one or more authorization queries to authorize network devices in the network device group; and

transmitting the authorization queries.

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

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

transmitting network credentials corresponding to each of the responses to the one or more authentication queries, wherein network credentials facilitate joining the network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the identification information identifying the new network device and the additional identification information identifying the additional new network device are received at the same time.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

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