Methods for embedding device-specific data to enable remote identification and provisioning of specific devices
The invention provides systems and methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. Device-specific data is, at manufacture, encoded onto machine-readable labels and complied in a table within a remote database. The present invention thus allows identification and provisioning of individual devices using a mobile device such as a smartphone or the like.
1. A method for specifically identifying a remotely located device and then provisioning the identified device with a mobile device having internet access and scanning capability, comprising:
manufacturing a device with at least one network radio modem;
providing provisioning and activation of the device with a communication network provider during the manufacturing and distribution process;
providing provisioning and activating of the device with a cloud data services provider during the device manufacturing and distribution process;
providing pairing of a user's account relating to an end user with the cloud data services provider during the manufacturing and distribution process;
automatically joining the device with the cloud data services provider and the provisioned and activated communication network provider upon power up by the end user;
obtaining device-specific data for the manufactured device;
embedding the device-specific data obtained on an optically scannable identification label;
attaching the optically scannable identification label to the manufactured device;
entering the device-specific data in a database;
scanning the identification label with the mobile device to identify the manufactured device in the database; and
provisioning the identified manufactured device with the mobile device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning comprises powering up the identified manufactured device on and thereby enabling the identified manufactured device to automatically join with a device network.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the provisioning comprises remotely monitoring the device with the mobile device after powering up the manufactured device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning comprises remotely controlling the manufactured device with the mobile device after power up.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising remotely actuating or de-actuating the manufactured device after power up.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning comprises actuating or deactuating one or more elements within the identified manufactured device with the mobile device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning comprises remotely monitoring the manufactured device with the mobile device after power up.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning comprises remotely monitoring the environment within which the manufactured device is deployed with the mobile device.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the provisioning comprises remotely monitoring physical and/or chemical parameters within the environment with the mobile device.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning comprises powering the identified manufactured device off with the mobile device.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication network comprises one of the group consisting of wide area network, local area network, personal area network and ethernet network.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wide area communication network comprises a wireless cellular network and/or a wifi network.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the local area network comprises a satellite uplink network.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the personal area communication network comprises a Bluetooth network, a ZigBee network, a 802.15.4 network, and/or a Near Field Communication network.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optically scannable identification label comprises a QR code.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optically scannable identification label comprises Microsoft TAG.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a smartphone.
18. A method for specifically identifying a remotely located device and then provisioning the identified device with a mobile device having internet access and scanning capability, comprising:
manufacturing a device with at least one network radio modem;
providing provisioning and activation of the device with a communication network provider during the manufacturing and distribution process, wherein the communication network comprises one of the group consisting of wide area network, local area network, personal area network and ethernet network,
wherein the wide area communication network comprises a wireless cellular network and/or a wifi network, wherein the local area network comprises a satellite uplink network, and wherein the personal area communication network comprises a Bluetooth network, a ZigBee network, a 802.15.4 network, and/or a Near Field Communication network;
providing provisioning and activating of the device with a cloud data services provider during the device manufacturing and distribution process;
providing pairing of a user's account relating to an end user with the cloud data services provider during the manufacturing and distribution process;
automatically joining the device with the cloud data services provider and the provisioned and activated communication network upon power up by the end user;
obtaining device-specific data for the manufactured device;
embedding the device-specific data obtained in an identification label, wherein the identification label is selected from the group consisting of QR code and Microsoft TAG;
attaching the identification label to the manufactured device;
entering the device-specific data in a database;
scanning the identification label with the mobile device to identify the manufactured device in the database; and
provisioning the identified manufactured device with the mobile device.