Granted Patent B2

US 12,542,691 · App. 18/163,325 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Inventor: Brandon Gruber (Carlsbad, CA)

Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.

H04L12/2898H04L12/287

Abstract

Claims (72)

1 . A method performed by a control device in a local-area network for authorizing access to the control device, comprising:

receiving a request from a user device in the local-area network to access modifiable settings of the control device;

providing the modifiable settings to the user device in response to the request;

receiving a second request from the user device to modify a first setting of the modifiable settings;

after receiving the second request, determining that a physical interaction with the control device has occurred; and

modifying the first setting in response to determining that the physical interaction has occurred.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control device comprises a router.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control device comprises a home security controller.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that a physical interaction with the control device has occurred comprises:

determining that a pushbutton has been pressed on the control device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining that a physical interaction with the control device has occurred comprises:

determining that the pushbutton has been pressed on the control device within a predetermined time from when the second request was received.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

authorizing a user of the user device to access a portion of the control device prior to receiving the second request.

7 . A method, performed by a control device in a local-area network, for allowing modifications to the control device, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic request from a user device in the local-area network to access particular settings of the control device;

waiting to receive an indication of a physical interaction with the control device;

receiving the indication of the physical interaction with the control device; and

in response to receiving the indication, providing at least some of the particular settings to the user device.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein providing at least some of the particular settings to the user device comprises:

providing the at least some of the particular settings to the user device only when the indication is received within a predetermined time from when the electronic request was received.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the indication comprises an electronic signal generated when a user activates a switch on the control device.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

after receiving the electronic request is received, providing a message to the user device for a user of the user device to physically interact with the control device.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

after providing at least some of the particular settings to the user device, receiving an instruction from the user device to modify a first setting of the particular settings;

determining that the user device has already been authorized by physical interaction with the control device; and

modifying the first setting when the user device has already been authorized by physical interaction with the control device.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring an elapsed time from when the second request was received;

after receiving the second request, receiving a third request from a second user device to modify a second setting of the modifiable settings; and

ignoring the third request when, at the time that the third request is received, the elapsed time has not exceeded a predetermined time.

13 . A control device in a local-area network for authorizing access to the control device, comprising:

a transceiver for sending and receiving information over the local-area network;

an interface for a user to physically interact with the control device;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the interface and the memory for executing the processor-executable instructions that causes the control device to:

receive a request from a user device in the local-area network to access modifiable settings of the control device;

provide the modifiable settings to the user device in response to the request;

receive a second request from the user device to modify a first setting of the modifiable settings;

after receiving the second request, determine that a physical interaction with the control device has occurred; and

modify the first setting in response to determining that the physical interaction has occurred.

14 . The control device of claim 13 , wherein the control device comprises a router.

15 . The control device of claim 13 , wherein the control device comprises a home security controller.

16 . The control device of claim 13 , wherein the processor-executable instructions for determining that a physical interaction with the control device has occurred comprises instructions that causes the control device to:

determine that a pushbutton has been pressed on the control device.

17 . The control device of claim 16 , wherein the processor-executable instructions for determining that a physical interaction with the control device has occurred comprises instructions that causes the control device to:

determine that the pushbutton has been pressed on the control device within a predetermined time from when the second request was received.

18 . The control device of claim 13 , further comprising additional processor-executable instructions that causes the control device to:

authorize a user of the user device to access a portion of the control device prior to receiving the second request.

19 . A control device in a local-area network for authorizing access to the control device, comprising:

a transceiver for sending and receiving information over the local-area network;

an interface for a user to physically interact with the control device;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the interface and the memory for executing the processor-executable instructions that causes the control device to:

receive an electronic request from a user device in the local-area network to access particular settings of the control device;

wait to receive an indication of a physical interaction with the control device;

receive the indication of the physical interaction with the control device; and

in response to receiving the indication, provide at least some of the particular settings to the user device.

20 . The control device of claim 19 , wherein the processor-executable instructions for providing at least some of the particular settings to the user device comprises instructions that causes the control device to:

provide the at least some of the particular settings to the user device only when the indication is received within a predetermined time from when the electronic request was received.

21 . The control device of claim 19 , wherein interface comprises a switch, and the indication comprises an electronic signal generated when a user activates the switch.

22 . The control device of claim 19 , further comprising additional processor-executable instructions that causes the control device to:

after receiving the electronic request is received, provide a message to the user device for a user of the user device to physically interact with the control device.

23 . The control device of claim 19 , further comprising additional processor-executable instructions that causes the control device to:

after providing at least some of the particular settings to the user device, receive an instruction from the user device to modify a first setting of the particular settings;

determine that the user device has already been authorized by physical interaction with the control device; and

modify the first setting when the user device has already been authorized by physical interaction with the control device.

24 . The control device of claim 19 , further comprising additional processor-executable instructions that causes the control device to:

monitor an elapsed time from when the request to modify the first setting of the modifiable settings was received;

after receiving the request, receive a second request from a second user device to modify a second setting of the modifiable settings; and

ignore the second request when, at the time that the second request was received, the elapsed time has not exceeded a predetermined time.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (45)