Granted Patent B2

US 12,581,279 · App. 18/033,824 · Granted Mar 17, 2026

Inventor: James Fisher (Mount Holly, NC)

Assignee: ELECTROLUX CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.

H04W4/50H04L41/0806H04W48/16H04W48/18H04W76/19

Abstract

Claims (56)

1 . A network device, comprising:

a memory comprising computer-readable program code stored thereon;

a communication module; and

a processor configured to execute the computer-readable program code to:

establish an access point connection with a user device;

receive, via the access point connection and from the user device, network information;

while maintaining the access point connection:

attempt to establish, using the network information, a network connection with a network;

if the attempt to establish the network connection fails, transmit a first error notification to the user device via the access point connection to cause the user device to display a description of an error;

if the attempt to establish the network connection succeeds, attempt to establish a connection to a remote server via the network connection;

if the attempt to establish the connection to the remote server fails, transmit, via the access point connection, a second error notification to the user device to cause the user device to display a corresponding description of an error; and

if the attempt to establish the connection to the remote server succeeds, transmit a verification to the user device via the access point connection.

2 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the description of the error comprises at least one of an error type, an error description, or a recommended solution for the error.

3 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the verification is a second verification, and wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to:

if the attempt to establish the network connection succeeds, transmit, to the user device and via the access point connection, a first verification for display on the user device; and

when transmitting the second verification to the user device, transmit the second verification for display on the user device.

4 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to, when transmitting the second error notification to the user device, cause the user device to display a description of an error, wherein the description of the error comprises at least one of an error type, an error description, or a recommended solution for the error.

5 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the user device is configured to maintain a log comprising the first error notification and the second error notification and transmit the log to the remote server.

6 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to, after transmitting the verification to the user device via the access point connection, disconnect the access point connection and thereafter communicate with the user device via the network.

7 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to, if the attempt to establish the network connection fails and after transmitting the first error notification to the user device:

receive, from the user device and via the access point connection, additional information; and attempt to establish, using the additional information, another network connection with the network.

8 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the network device is an appliance.

9 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the access point connection is a Wi-Fi connection or a Bluetooth connection.

10 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to, when establishing the access point connection, establish the access point connection based on a selection, at the user device, by the user from a list displayed on the user device.

11 . The network device of claim 1 , comprising an input unit, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to, before establishing the access point connection, receive, with the input unit, activation.

12 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to, after establishing the access point connection:

perform a network scan to identify available networks; and

transmit, to the user device and via the access point connection, a list of the available networks for display on the user device.

13 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the network information is selected by a user at the user device.

14 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the description of the error comprises a recommended solution including at least one out of re-entering a network password and selecting a different home network and wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to, after transmitting the first error notification, receive, via the access point connection and from the user device, new network information including the network password or selection of the different home network and to attempt to establish, using the new network information, the network connection.

15 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to, if the attempt to establish the network connection succeeds, store the network information in the memory.

16 . The network device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to:

receive, from the user device and via the access point connection, remote server information; and

when attempting to establish the connection to the remote server, attempt to establish the connection to the remote server using the remote server information.

17 . A system comprising the network device of claim 1 and a user device, wherein the user device comprises a memory and a user interface.

18 . A method for provisioning a network device on a network, the method comprising:

activating a network device;

establishing, with a user device, an access point connection to the network device;

sending, with the user device, network information for a network to which the network device is to be connected to the network device via the access point connection;

attempting to establish, with the network device using the network information, a network connection to the network;

while the user device maintains the access point connection:

if the attempt to establish the network connection fails, communicating a first error notification by the network device to the user device via the access point connection and displaying a corresponding description of an error on a user interface of the user device;

if the attempt to establish the network connection succeeds, attempting to establish, by the network device, a connection to a remote server via the network connection;

if the attempt, by the network device, to establish the connection to the remote server via the network connection fails, communicating a second error notification by the network device to the user device via the access point connection and displaying a corresponding description of an error on the user interface of the user device; and

if the attempt, by the network device, to establish the connection to the remote server via the network connection succeeds, communicating a verification by the network device to the user device via the access point connection and displaying the verification on the user interface of the user device.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein activating the network device comprises using a user input of the network device.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first error notification or the second error notification comprises a recommended solution for an error, and wherein the method comprises performing the recommended solution.

21 . A computer program product for provisioning a network device on a network, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code configured to cause a processor to:

establish an access point connection with a user device, wherein the access point connection comprises a Wi-Fi connection to the user device or a Bluetooth connection to the user device;

receive via the access point connection, and from the user device, network information selected by a user at the user device;

while maintaining the access point connection:

attempt to establish, using a communication module and using the network information, a Wi-Fi connection with a network;

if the attempt to establish the Wi-Fi connection fails, transmit a first error notification to the user device via the access point connection to cause the user device to display a corresponding description of an error on a user interface of the user device;

if the attempt to establish the Wi-Fi connection succeeds, attempt to establish, using the communication module, a connection to a remote server via the Wi-Fi connection;

if the attempt to establish the connection to the remote server fails, transmit a second error notification to the user device via the access point connection to cause the user device to display a corresponding description of an error on the user interface of the user device; and

if the attempt to establish the connection to the remote server succeeds, transmit a verification to the user device via the access point connection.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (64)