System and method for in-box electronic device provisioning
View Patent ↗Configurable electronic devices contain identifying information in a dual-ported memory. A plurality of un-configured units are assembled into a set. Using identifying information, a provisioning server matches each particular unit to configuration settings needed to appropriately configure that device for use by a specific end user. The configuration settings and/or data may be transmitted to the devices via their embedded RFID systems and stored in their dual-ported memory (via the first memory port). The electronic devices may comprise processor-based systems and, upon system initialization, the configuration data can be read from the memory via a second port thereof and used to configure the device for use by the user. In this way, devices may be configured as a set destined for a particular end user immediately prior to shipment and/or deployment and it is not necessary to separately track customized units prior to assembling them into a set.
1. A method of configuring a plurality of processor-based systems, each of which comprises:
a processor;
a tag, which comprises:
a radio-frequency receiver configured to provide identity information in response to an identity request radio-frequency signal and to store system configuration data received in a subsequent, system configuration data write radio-frequency signal; and
a data storage device in data communication with both the receiver and the processor and for storing system configuration data received in system configuration data write radio-frequency signals, wherein the system configuration data is data for configuring portions of the processor-based system other than the tag; and
a medium storing instructions for causing the processor to retrieve the system configuration data received in the system configuration data write radio-frequency signal from the data storage device and to configure the operating characteristics of the processor-based system based on the system configuration data;
the method comprising the steps of:
gathering a plurality of the processor-based systems into a co-located set;
sending identity request radio-frequency signals to the set;
receiving identity information provided by a first processor-based system in response to an identity request radio-frequency signal;
matching first system configuration data to the identity information associated with the first processor-based system;
receiving identity information provided by a second processor-based system in response to an identity request radio-frequency signal;
matching second system configuration data to the identity information associated with the second processor-based system; and
sending the first and second system configuration data in individual system configuration data write radio-frequency signals identifying the first or second processor-based system to the set.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor-based systems being configured are teleconferencing endpoints.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor-based systems being configured are selected from the group consisting of: telephones; video terminals; mobile communication devices; personal digital assistants; personal computers; and, active personnel identification devices.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the data storage device is a dual-ported random access memory.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the data storage device is a dual-ported flash memory.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the co-located set is on a shipping pallet.
7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the co-located set is in a shipping container.
8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the shipping container is a corrugated paperboard box.
9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the co-located set comprises a plurality of containers held together with a surrounding shrink-wrap polymer film.
10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein sending the identity request radio-frequency signal is performed when the co-located set is being moved.
11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the movement is through a portal.
12. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the movement is through a shipping facility.
13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the identifying information provided by a first processor-based system comprises the serial number of the device which comprises the first processor-based system.
14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the identifying information provided by a first processor-based system comprises information identifying an intended user of the device which comprises the first processor-based system.
15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the identifying information provided by a first processor-based system comprises information identifying an intended data communication network to which the device which comprises the first processor-based system will be connected.
16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first system configuration data comprises an internet protocol address.
17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first system configuration data comprises a telephone number.
18. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
obtaining ordering information from a prospective end user of the processor-based systems;
correlating the ordering information with system configuration data;
entering the correlated ordering information and system configuration data into a database; and,
reading the first system configuration data and second system configuration data from the database.
19. A device provisioning system for configuring a plurality of processor-based systems each of which comprises:
a processor;
a tag, which comprises:
a radio-frequency receiver configured to provide identity information in response to an identity request radio-frequency signal and to store system configuration data received in a subsequent, system configuration data write radio-frequency signal;
a data storage device in data communication with both the receiver and the processor for storing the system configuration data received in the system configuration data write radio frequency signal and for storing system configuration data received in system configuration data write radio-frequency signals, wherein the system configuration data is data for configuring portions of the processor-based system other than the tag; and
a medium storing instructions for causing the processor to retrieve the system configuration data received in the system configuration data write radio-frequency signal from the data storage device and to configure the operating characteristics of the processor-based system based on the system configuration data;
the device provisioning system comprising:
a radio-frequency transceiver;
a database containing system configuration data for the processor-based systems;
an automatic controller connected to the radio-frequency transceiver and in data communication with the database, the controller programmed to:
send identity request radio-frequency signals from the transceiver to a co-located set comprised of a plurality of the processor-based systems;
receive identity information provided by a first processor-based system in response to an identity request radio-frequency signal;
match first system configuration data to the identity information associated with the first processor-based system;
receive identity information provided by a second processor-based system in response to an identity request radio-frequency signal;
match second system configuration data to the identity information associated with the second processor-based system; and
send the first and second configuration data in individual system configuration data write radio-frequency signals identifying the first or second processor-based system to the set.