Providing wireless network authentication data to climate control system devices
View Patent ↗Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of apparatus and methods for provisioning a wireless-capable climate control system device for a wireless network. In an exemplary embodiment, a method of provisioning a wireless-capable target device for a wireless network includes providing, to the target device, wireless network authentication data for joining the wireless network. The providing is performed using a user-interface-equipped device. The target device attempts to join the wireless network using the wireless network authentication data. In some embodiments the user-interface-equipped device receives a signal from the target device indicating whether the attempt to join the wireless network was successful.
1. A method of provisioning a wireless-capable target device for a wireless network, the method comprising:
providing a first WiFi wireless network for communication, in a climate control system, of sensor data sensed by one or more climate control system devices;
providing power to a target climate control system device, the target climate control system device having been manufacturer-programmed to perform, upon being provided with power, as a soft access point for the first WiFi wireless network for recognition by a user device and for access by the user device to the first WiFi wireless network initiated by the target climate control system device;
prompting the user device to send, to the target climate control system device, information for authenticating the user device in the first WiFi wireless network;
authenticating and connecting, by the target climate control system device, the user device to the first WiFi wireless network based on the information;
sending, by the authenticated and connected user device, connection and authentication data for a second WiFi wireless network to the target climate control system device via the first WiFi wireless network; and
attempting, by the target climate control system device, to join the second WiFi wireless network using the sent second WiFi wireless network connection and authentication data;
the target climate control system device further operable, after having joined the second WiFi wireless network, to transmit sensor data sensed by and/or received by the target climate control system device in the climate control system for control of the climate control system via the second WiFi wireless network.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using, by the user, a user interface of the user device to enter and send the information for authenticating the user device in the first WiFi wireless network.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accessing a user energy management account with an energy management service to obtain the information for authenticating the user device in the second WiFi wireless network.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encrypting the information and the data.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target climate control system device includes one or more of the following: a thermostat, a climate control system controller, a climate control system monitoring device, and climate control system monitoring equipment.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device receives a signal from the target climate control system device indicating whether the attempting to join the second WiFi wireless network was successful.
7. A target climate control system device comprising a processor, memory, and a wireless network interface configured to:
upon receiving power and before being authenticated to a second WiFi wireless network for communication, in a climate control system, of sensor data sensed by one or more climate control system devices, initiate beaconing as a first WiFi wireless network node;
receiving, from a neighboring user-interface-equipped device, information for authenticating the user-interface-equipped device to the first WiFi wireless network for communication with the target climate control system device;
authenticating and connecting with the user-interface-equipped device in an ad-hoc mode based on the information to the target climate control system device;
receiving connection and authentication data for the second WiFi wireless network from the user-interface-equipped device in the ad-hoc mode from the user-interface-equipped device;
attempting, by the target climate control system device, to loin the second WiFi wireless network using the received connection and authentication data;
the target climate control system device further operable, after having joined the user wireless network, to transmit sensor data sensed by and/or received by the target climate control system device in the climate control system for control of the climate control system via the wireless network.
8. The target climate control system device of claim 7 , wherein the processor, memory, and wireless network interface are further configured to receive the connection and authentication data entered via a user interface of the user-interface-equipped device.
9. The target climate control system device of claim 7 , comprising one or more of the following: a thermostat, a climate control system controller, a climate control system monitoring device, and climate control system monitoring equipment.
10. The target climate control system device of claim 7 , further configured to send a signal to the user-interface-equipped device indicating whether the attempting to join the second WiFi wireless network was successful.