Method and apparatus for identifying a physical IoT device

1. A method for identifying an Internet of Things (IoT) device with an image of the IoT device, comprising:

capturing, by a user device, the image of the IoT device, wherein the image of the IoT device includes at least a portion of an environment around the IoT device; and

transmitting the image of the IoT device from the user device to the IoT device, wherein the IoT device stores the image of the IoT device in a memory of the IoT device and associates the image of the IoT device stored in the memory of the IoT device with information identifying the IoT device stored in the memory of the IoT device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

connecting the user device to the IoT device, wherein the transmitting is performed in response to the connecting.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the connecting is performed during an onboarding process of the IoT device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a user of the IoT device instructs the user device to capture the image of the IoT device during an onboarding process of the IoT device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a user of the IoT device instructs the user device to capture the image of the IoT device during a configuration process of the IoT device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the image to the IoT device via an onboarder device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the user device, an alert from the IoT device;

receiving the image of the IoT device from the IoT device; and

displaying the image at the user device.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

requesting the image of the IoT device in response to receiving the alert.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the user device, a request from a user for information about the IoT device; and

forwarding the request to the IoT device.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving information about the IoT device and the image of the IoT device from the IoT device; and

displaying the information about the IoT device and the image.

11. A method for identifying an Internet of Things (IoT) device with an image of the IoT device, comprising:

receiving, by the IoT device, the image of the IoT device from a user device, wherein the image of the IoT device includes at least a portion of an environment around the IoT device;

storing, by the IoT device, the image of the IoT device in a memory of the IoT device; and

associating, by the IoT device, the image of the IoT device stored in the memory of the IoT device with information identifying the IoT device stored in the memory of the IoT device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the IoT device receives the image of the IoT device during an onboarding process of the IoT device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user device onboards the IoT device.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the IoT device receives the image of the IoT device during a configuration process of the IoT device.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the user device configures the IoT device.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

sending, by the IoT device, an alert to the user device; and

sending, by the IoT device, the image of the IoT device to the user device.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by the IoT device, a request from the user device for information about the IoT device; and

sending, by the IoT device, information about the IoT device and the image of the IoT device to the user device.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the user device comprises a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a desktop computer.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the IoT device comprises a headless IoT device.

20. An apparatus for identifying an Internet of Things (IoT) device with an image of the IoT device, comprising:

a camera of a user device configured to capture the image of the IoT device, wherein the image of the IoT device includes at least a portion of an environment around the IoT device; and

a transceiver of the user device configured to transmit the image of the IoT device from the user device to the IoT device, wherein the IoT device stores the image of the IoT device in a memory of the IoT device and associates the image stored in the memory of the IoT device with information identifying the IoT device stored in the memory of the IoT device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the transceiver being configured to transmit comprises the transceiver being configured to transmit the image to the IoT device via an onboarder device.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive an alert from the IoT device; and

receive the image of the IoT device from the IoT device;

the apparatus further comprising:

a user interface of the user device configured to display the image.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive a request from a user for information about the IoT device; and

forward the request to the IoT device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive information about the IoT device and the image of the IoT device from the IoT device;

the apparatus further comprising:

a user interface of the user device configured to display the information about the IoT device and the image.

25. An apparatus for identifying an Internet of Things (IoT) device with an image of the IoT device, comprising:

a transceiver of the IoT device configured to receive the image of the IoT device from a user device, wherein the image of the IoT device includes at least a portion of an environment around the IoT device;

a memory of the IoT device configured to store the image of the IoT device; and

at least one processor of the IoT device configured to associate the image of the IoT device stored in the memory of the IoT device with information identifying the IoT device stored in the memory of the IoT device.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the transceiver receives the image of the IoT device during an onboarding process of the IoT device.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the transceiver receives the image of the IoT device during a configuration process of the IoT device.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

send an alert to the user device; and

send the image of the IoT device to the user device.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive a request from the user device for information about the IoT device; and

send information about the IoT device and the image of the IoT device to the user device.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the IoT device comprises a headless IoT device.