IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,503,965
Granted Patent B2
US 9,503,965 · App. 14/330,546 · Granted Nov 22, 2016

Set-top box setup via near field communication

Inventors: Sankar Ram Dhanabalan (Irving, TX); Kishore Tallapaneni (Flower Mound, TX); Prabhakar Mani (Coppell, TX); Anil Kumar Padi (Flower Mound, TX)
Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
H04W48/08H04L41/00H04W48/18H04W12/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,503,965
App. No.
14/330,546
Granted
Nov 22, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device may be configured to receive network information for connecting to a wireless network that is provided by a network device. The device may store the network information. The device may detect a wireless device based on radio frequency identification (RFID) communication. The device may transmit the network information to the wireless device via the RFID communication. The device may cause the wireless device to connect to the wireless network provided by the network device and set up the wireless device using the wireless network.

Claims (91)

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to:

receive, from a server device operated by a service provider and via a first network, first network information for connecting to a wireless network that is provided by a network device,

the wireless network being a second network;

store the first network information;

detect a plurality of wireless devices based on radio frequency identification (RFID) communication;

transmit the first network information to the plurality of wireless devices via the RFID communication;

cause the plurality of wireless devices, using the first network information, to connect to the wireless network and set up the plurality of wireless devices using the wireless network;

receive second network information for connecting to the wireless network;

store the second network information;

transmit the second network information to the plurality of wireless devices via another RFID communication; and

cause the plurality of wireless devices, using the second network information, to reconnect to the wireless network.

2. The device of claim 1 , where the first network information includes a network identifier that identifies the wireless network and includes a network passcode for authenticating the connection to the wireless network, and

where the one or more processors, when causing the plurality of wireless devices to connect to the wireless network, are to:

cause the plurality of wireless devices to connect to the wireless network based on the network identifier and the network passcode.

3. The device of claim 1 , where the RFID communication is a first RFID communication;

where the other RFID communication is a second RFID communication; and

where the one or more processors, when receiving the second network information, are to:

receive the second network information from the network device via a third RFID communication.

4. The device of claim 1 , where the RFID communication includes Near Field Communication (NFC).

5. The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:

detect a barcode on the network device; and

determine the second network information based on the barcode.

6. The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:

detect text on the network device using optical character recognition; and

determine the second network information based on the text.

7. The device of claim 1 , where the one or more processors are further to:

prevent the device from using the first network information to connect to the wireless network.

8. A computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from a server device operated by a service provider and via a first network, first network information for connecting to a wireless network that is provided by a network device,

the wireless network being a second network,

store the first network information;

detect a plurality of media client devices using radio frequency identification (RFID) communication;

transmit the first network information to the plurality of media client devices using the RFID communication;

cause the plurality of media client devices, using the first network information, to connect to the wireless network and set up the plurality of media client devices via the wireless network;

receive second network information for connecting to the wireless network;

store the second network information;

transmit the second network information to the plurality of media client devices via another RFID communication; and

cause the plurality of media client devices, using the second network information, to reconnect to the wireless network.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

send a request for the first network information to the server device,

the request indicating at least one of;

a user identifier that identifies a user of the network device,

a customer identifier that identifies a customer of the service provider,

an account identifier that identifies an account with the service provider, or

a network device identifier that identifies the network device; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the first network information, cause the one or more processors to;

receive the first network information from the server device based on the request.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the first network information, cause the one or more processors to:

receive the first network information via user input.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to store the first network information, cause the one or more processors to:

store the first network information in a secure memory of a mobile device that is not accessible by a user of the mobile device.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to cause the plurality of media client devices to connect to the wireless network, cause the one or more processors to:

cause the plurality of media client devices to connect to the wireless network by sending the plurality of media client devices a command to connect to the wireless network using the first network information.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a plurality of media client devices, network information from a mobile device via a wireless communication,

the network information being sent to the mobile device from a server device operated by a service provider and via a first network, and

the network information permitting the plurality of media client devices to connect to a wireless network provided by a network device,

the wireless network being a second network;

storing, by the plurality of media client devices, the network information;

connecting, by the plurality of media client devices, to the wireless network based on the network information;

sending, by the plurality of media client devices, a setup message to the server device based on connecting to the wireless network,

the setup message being sent to the server device via the wireless network to activate the plurality of media client devices;

receive, by the plurality of media client devices, updated network information from the mobile device,

the updated network information permitting the plurality of media client devices to connect to the wireless network;

storing, by the plurality of media client devices, the updated network information; and

reconnecting, by the plurality of media client devices, to the wireless network based on the updated network information.

14. The method of claim 13 , where the wireless communication includes Near Field Communication (NFC).

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving a command from the mobile device to use the network information to connect to the wireless network and to send the setup message to the server device,

where connecting to the wireless network includes;

connecting to the wireless network based on the command, and

where sending the setup message to the server device includes;

sending the setup message to the server device based on the command.

16. The method of claim 13 , where receiving the network information comprises:

receiving the network information via a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) chip included in the plurality of media client devices, and

where storing the network information includes;

storing the network information in a memory included in the passive RFID chip.

17. The method of claim 16 , where the memory included in the passive RFID chip is a first memory, the method further comprising:

reading, by the plurality of media client devices, the network information stored in the first memory upon the plurality of media client devices powering on; and

storing the read network information in a second memory included in or accessible by the plurality of media client devices; and

where connecting to the wireless network includes;

connecting to the wireless network based on the read network information stored in the second memory.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

establishing communication with the mobile device using a first type of wireless communication; and

activating a second type of wireless communication based on establishing the communication using the first type of wireless communication; and

where receiving the network information includes:

receiving the network information from the mobile device via the second type of wireless communication.

19. The method of claim 18 , where the first type of communication is Near Field Communication (NFC) and the second type of communication is Bluetooth.

20. The method of claim 13 , where the updated network information indicates a different network passcode than indicated by the network information.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2014
From: DHANABALAN, SANKAR R.
To: VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 033391/0465 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2014
From: VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC.
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 033391/0528 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2014
From: TALLAPANENI, KISHORE; MANI, PRABHAKAR; PADI, ANIL KUMAR
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 033307/0153 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160014820A1 · Jan 14, 2016