IP Library Granted Patent US 11,856,395
Granted Patent B2
US 11,856,395 · App. 17/407,054 · Granted Dec 26, 2023

Grouping of network devices

Inventors: Ryan Yong Kim (Rolling Hills Estates, CA); Jon Plummer (Los Angeles, CA); Matt Glidden (Manhattan Beach, CA); Douglas Edward McLaughlin (Los Angeles, CA)
Assignee: BELKIN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
H04W76/14H04L41/0893H04L63/0876H04L63/102H04L67/141H04L67/303H04W4/08H04W4/60H04W4/70H04W8/005H04W12/06H04W12/08H04W12/50H04W48/18H04W48/20H04W76/15H04W12/04H04W76/11H04W88/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,856,395
App. No.
17/407,054
Granted
Dec 26, 2023
Kind
B2
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 (53)

1. A network device comprising:

one or more processing devices; and

memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the network device to perform operations comprising:

receiving identification information for each network device of a plurality of other network devices associated with a network, where the identification information identifies each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

detecting operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

based at least in part on the detecting, collecting data corresponding to observations of the operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

analyzing the data corresponding to the observations of the operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

based at least in part on the analyzing the data corresponding to the observations of the operations, automatically generating a grouping of network devices that comprises two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices; and

transmitting grouping data to at least the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices;

where the two or more network devices of the grouping of network devices are treated within the network as a single virtual device that is controlled to perform functions together based at least in part on determining a least common denominator of functions shared by the two or more network devices.

2. The network device as recited in claim 1 , where the grouping of network devices further comprises the network device.

3. The network device as recited in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

based at least in part on the analyzing, determining, by the network device, that the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices are activated or turned on.

4. The network device as recited in claim 3 , where the determining corresponds to detecting a pattern of activating or turning on the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices.

5. The network device as recited in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

based at least in part on the analyzing, determining, by the network device, that the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices are turned off.

6. The network device as recited in claim 5 , where the determining corresponds to detecting a pattern of turning off the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices.

7. The network device as recited in claim 1 , where:

the detecting the operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices comprises receiving one or more signals from a respective network device of the plurality of other network devices when the respective network device performs a function; and

the collecting the data corresponds to compiling performed functions for each network device of the plurality of other network devices over time and storing the data with time data and device data related to each function.

8. One or more non-transitory, processor-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving identification information for each network device of a plurality of other network devices associated with a network, where the identification information identifies each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

detecting operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

based at least in part on the detecting, collecting data corresponding to observations of the operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

analyzing the data corresponding to the observations of the operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

based at least in part on the analyzing the data corresponding to the observations of the operations, automatically generating a grouping of network devices that comprises two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices; and

transmitting grouping data to at least the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices;

where the two or more network devices of the grouping of network devices are treated within the network as a single virtual device that is controlled to perform functions together based at least in part on determining a least common denominator of functions shared by the two or more network devices.

9. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable storage media as recited in claim 8 , where the grouping of network devices further comprises the network device.

10. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable storage media as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:

based at least in part on the analyzing, determining, by the network device, that the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices are activated or turned on.

11. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable storage media as recited in claim 10 , where the determining corresponds to detecting a pattern of activating or turning on the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices.

12. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable storage media as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:

based at least in part on the analyzing, determining, by the network device, that the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices are turned off.

13. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable storage media as recited in claim 12 , where the determining corresponds to detecting a pattern of turning off the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices simultaneously or substantially simultaneously.

14. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable storage media as recited in claim 8 , where:

the detecting the operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices comprises receiving one or more signals from a respective network device of the plurality of other network devices when the respective network device performs a function; and

the collecting the data corresponds to compiling performed functions for each network device of the plurality of other network devices over time and storing the data with time data and device data related to each function.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device on a network, identification information for each network device of a plurality of other network devices associated with the network, where the identification information identifies each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

detecting, by the network device, operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

based at least in part on the detecting, collecting, by the network device, data corresponding to observations of the operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

analyzing, by the network device, the data corresponding to the observations of the operations of each network device of the plurality of other network devices;

based at least in part on the analyzing the data corresponding to the observations of the operations, automatically generating, by the network device, a grouping of network devices that comprises two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices; and

transmitting, by the network device, grouping data to at least the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices;

where the two or more network devices of the grouping of network devices are treated within the network as a single virtual device that is controlled to perform functions together based at least in part on determining a least common denominator of functions shared by the two or more network devices.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , where the grouping of network devices further comprises the network device.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:

based at least in part on the analyzing, determining, by the network device, that the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices are activated or turned on.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , where the determining corresponds to detecting a pattern of activating or turning on the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:

based at least in part on the analyzing, determining, by the network device, that the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices are turned off.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 , where the determining corresponds to detecting a pattern of turning off the two or more network devices of the plurality of other network devices.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2025
From: BELKIN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 070796/0254 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2021
From: KIM, RYAN YONG; PLUMMER, JON; GLIDDEN, MATT; MCLAUGHLIN, DOUGLAS EDWARD
To: BELKIN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 057422/0816 →
Continuity (17)
Continuation 15881306 · Jan 26, 2018
Continuation 15363051 · Nov 29, 2016
Continuation In Part 15217118 · Jul 22, 2016
Continuation In Part 14947001 · Nov 20, 2015
Continuation In Part 14947697 · Nov 20, 2015
Continuation In Part 14946308 · Nov 19, 2015
Continuation In Part 14946290 · Nov 19, 2015
Continuation In Part 14946348 · Nov 19, 2015
Continuation 14529745 · Oct 31, 2014
Continuation 14479545 · Sep 8, 2014
Continuation 14462725 · Aug 19, 2014
Continuation 14455940 · Aug 10, 2014
Continuation In Part 14455938 · Aug 10, 2014
Continuation 14455940
Continuation 14454163 · Aug 7, 2014
Continuation In Part 14242806 · Apr 1, 2014
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