Automated provisioning of managed services in a Wi-Fi capable client device
Methods and apparatus for deploying and configuring WiFi capable devices are described. A WiFi capable device such as security camera, temperature monitor and/or other device intended for use with a home network including a gateway device is preconfigured with WiFi network connection information, e.g., a network identifier such as a first SSID corresponding to a first WiFi LAN network used to supply configuration information. The gateway device is preconfigured to act as an access point for the configuration network to which the first SSID corresponds. The gateway device also supports one or more additional LAN networks, e.g., home networks which can be used for data traffic. The additional LAN networks may include an Ethernet network, a coax cable network, a powerline network and/or an additional WiFi network corresponding to a second SSID. A WiFi capable device is configured via the first network to communicate traffic data via the second network.
1. A method of providing a service, the method comprising:
storing initial wireless connection establishment information in a first device including a wireless interface, said initial wireless connection establishment information corresponding to a first wireless network used to supply device configuration information, said first wireless network being identified by a first network identifier;
receiving from the first device, at a wireless home gateway device preconfigured prior to being powered on at a customer premise to serve as an access point for the first wireless network used to supply device configuration information, a first wireless signal including the first wireless network identifier corresponding to said first wireless network, said device configuration information including information used to configure said first device for a service which is provided via a different communications network than said first wireless network, said device configuration information identifying a home network to be used for data traffic corresponding to the service for which the first device is being configured; and
operating said wireless home gateway device to provide, via said first wireless network, said device configuration information to said first device; and
wherein said home network is a second wireless network, the method further comprising operating said wireless home gateway device to serve as an access point for said second wireless network in addition to serving as an access point for said first wireless network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second wireless networks are WiFi networks, said first network identifier being a first SSID, said second wireless network being identified by a second SSID.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said wireless home gateway device operates as a policy enforcement point with regard to said first wireless network limiting use of said first wireless network to configuration related traffic.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said wireless home gateway device limits the amount of bandwidth the first device can use on said first wireless network to a fraction of an amount of bandwidth said first device can use on said second wireless network.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first device is a home monitoring device.
6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said wireless home gateway device is located at said customer premise.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said device configuration information further includes information identifying an application server to which said first device being configured is to transmit information detected by said first device via the second wireless network.
8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said initial wireless connection establishment information is stored in said first device prior to receipt of said first wireless signal;
wherein said first wireless signal is a request for at least one of configuration or service information received from said first device;
wherein the method further comprises:
operating the wireless home gateway device to communicate the request for at least one of configuration or service information received from said first device via said first wireless network to a configuration server; and
wherein operating the wireless home gateway device to provide, via the first wireless network, device configuration information to said first device includes:
operating the wireless home gateway device to communicate device configuration parameters received from said configuration server in response to said request for at least one of configuration or service information to the first device via said first wireless network.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
operating the configuration server to communicate gateway configuration information to the wireless home gateway device to be used by the wireless home gateway device in providing a service via said second wireless network which is different from said first wireless network; and
operating the wireless home gateway device to configure itself in accordance with the gateway configuration information received from the configuration server, said gateway configuration information including a service identifier and addressing information to be used by said wireless home gateway device for sending information received from said first device relating to said service to a service provider server which provides a function with regard to said service.
10. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein said first signal is a request for configuration information which includes said first network identifier which is stored in said wireless home gateway device prior to said wireless home gateway device being powered at said customer premise; and
wherein said device configuration information provided to said first device is configuration information received from a configuration server to be used in configuring said first device for a service to be supplied over said second wireless network which is different from said first wireless network.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
operating the configuration server to determine from the request for at least one of configuration or service information a device identifier and from information identifying the wireless home gateway device via which said request for at least one of configuration or service information was communicated, which customer premise said first device is located at; and
updating device inventory information indicating that the first device has been received by a customer corresponding to the customer premise at which the identified wireless home gateway device is located.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
accessing a customer record to determine what services are to be provided to the customer to which the identified wireless home gateway device corresponds and what service provider server is to receive communications from said first device as part of said service; and
sending configuration information determined by the service or services to be provided to said first device.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first wireless signal is a request for configuration information for the first device, the method comprising:
operating the wireless home gateway device to communicate said request for configuration information to a configuration server; and
operating the configuration server to update device inventory information to indicate that the first device has been received by a customer corresponding to a customer premise at which the wireless home gateway device is located in response to receiving the request for configuration information.
14. A system comprising:
a first device which supports wireless communications, said first device including a wireless interface and stored initial wireless connection establishment information, said initial wireless connection establishment information corresponding to a first wireless network used to supply device configuration information, said first wireless network being identified by a first network identifier; and
a wireless home gateway device, preconfigured prior to being powered on at a customer premise to serve as an access point for the first wireless network used to supply device configuration information to said first device and to receive while at the customer premise, requests for configuration information from said first device, said device configuration information including information used to configure said first device for a service which is provided via a different communications network than said first wireless network which is used to supply device configuration information, said device configuration information identifying a home network to be used for data traffic corresponding to the service for which the first device is being configured; and
a configuration server configured, to respond to a request for configuration information for the first device, received from said wireless home gateway device, with configuration information to be supplied to said first device; and
wherein said home network is a second wireless network, said wireless home gateway device being configured to serve as an access point for said second wireless network in addition to serving as an access point for said first wireless network.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said configuration server is further configured to update device inventory information to indicate that the first device has been received by a customer corresponding to said customer premise at which the wireless home gateway device is located in response to receiving the request for configuration information for the first device from the wireless home gateway device.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first device is a security camera or a temperature monitor.