Pairing devices by proxy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11974338-B2
Application number	US-202117212897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

In some implementations a system can be configured to reduce the burden of pairing user devices with playback devices. For example, all users (or user devices) who commonly operate within a particular environment (e.g., a home) can be configured as authorized users of playback devices within the particular environment. When one of the authorized users pairs a user device with a playback device, all of the user devices for all authorized users can be automatically paired with the playback device as a result of the single pairing. Thus, only a single authorized user is burdened with the pairing process in order to pair all authorized users with the playback device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device from a second computing device, a particular device-specific pairing token generated for the first computing device by a playback device, wherein the second computing device obtains a plurality of tokens for a respective plurality of devices from the playback device by transmitting one or more requests to the playback device, the plurality of tokens for the respective plurality of devices comprising the particular device-specific pairing token for the first computing device;
wherein the particular device-specific pairing token allows the first computing device to pair with the playback device, and wherein the second computing device has requested the playback device to generate the particular device-specific pairing token for the first computing device;
prior to pairing the first computing device with the playback device: presenting, by the first computing device, a notification indicating that the playback device has been detected;
establishing, by the first computing device, a connection with the playback device using the particular device-specific pairing token; and
subsequent to establishing the connection with the playback device: accessing, by the first computing device, one or more services provided by the playback device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first computing device is registered for use by a first user that is different than a second user registered to use the second computing device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the first computing device from the second computing device, a mapping between the plurality of tokens and respective device identifiers for the plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices are associated with a user of the first computing device, and wherein the plurality of devices are authorized to access services of the playback device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the device identifiers for the plurality of devices are stored to an authorized user database associated with the user of the first computing device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more services provided by the first playback device are selected from a group comprising: audio playback, video playback, media streaming, and remote control of media playback.

6. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device from a second computing device, a particular device-specific pairing token generated for the first computing device by a playback device, wherein the second computing device obtains a plurality of tokens for a respective plurality of devices from the playback device by transmitting one or more requests to the playback device, the plurality of tokens for the respective plurality of devices comprising the particular device-specific pairing token for the first computing device;
the particular device-specific pairing token allowing the first computing device to pair with the playback device, wherein the second computing device has requested the playback device to generate the particular device-specific pairing token for the first computing device;

prior to pairing the first computing device with the playback device: presenting, by the first computing device, a notification indicating that the playback device has been detected;
establishing, by the first computing device, a connection with the playback device using the particular device-specific pairing token; and
subsequent to establishing the connection with the playback device: accessing, by the first computing device, one or more services provided by the playback device.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the first computing device is registered for use by a first user that is different than a second user registered to use the second computing device.

8. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the instructions cause the processors to perform operations comprising receiving, by the first computing device from the second computing device, a mapping between the plurality of tokens and respective device identifiers for the plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices are associated with a user of the first computing device, and wherein the plurality of devices are authorized to access services of the playback device.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the device identifiers for the plurality of devices are stored to an authorized user database associated with the user of the first computing device.

10. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the one or more services provided by the first playback device are selected from a group comprising: audio playback, video playback, media streaming, and remote control of media playback.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device from a second computing device, a particular device-specific pairing token generated for the first computing device by a playback device, wherein the second computing device obtains a plurality of tokens for a respective plurality of devices from the playback device by transmitting one or more requests to the playback device, the plurality of tokens for the respective plurality of devices comprising the particular device-specific pairing token for the first computing device;
the particular device-specific pairing token allowing the first computing device to pair with the playback device, wherein the second computing device has requested the playback device to generate the particular device-specific pairing token for the first computing device;
prior to pairing the first computing device with the playback device: presenting, by the first computing device, a notification indicating that the playback device has been detected;
establishing, by the first computing device, a connection with the playback device using the particular device-specific pairing token; and
subsequent to establishing the connection with the playback device: accessing, by the first computing device, one or more services provided by the playback device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first computing device is registered for use by a first user that is different than a second user registered to use the second computing device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the processors to perform operations comprising receiving, by the first computing device from the second computing device, a mapping between the plurality of tokens and respective device identifiers for the plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices are associated with a user of the first computing device, and wherein the plurality of devices are authorized to access services of the playback device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 13 , wherein the device identifiers for the plurality of devices are stored to an authorized user database associated with the user of the first computing device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the one or more services provided by the first playback device are selected from a group comprising:

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Iyer Deepak
• Alsina Thomas
• Schmidt Edward T
• Leyfman Elena
• Saracino David P
• Yi Astrid
• Sonnanstine Adam A
• Bennett Jonathan A
• Chapman Gregory R
• Akella Aparna S
• Sreesha Shreyas Nandagudi

Classifications

• H04W76/14 Primary

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W12/50

  Secure pairing of devices · CPC title

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W4/70 Primary

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title