Dynamic provisioning of IoT devices from an online application marketplace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12199790-B2
Application number	US-202318542199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2023
Priority date	Sep 15, 2022
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A method for provisioning a group of devices with control-group data defining one or more functional interrelationships between the devices. The method includes providing a GUI defining an online application marketplace, the GUI specifying multiple applications available for download, each application including a different respective set of control-group data defining a different respective set of one or more functional interrelationships. Further, the method includes receiving user input selecting a given one of the applications, the selected application defining given control-group data defining a given set of one or more functional interrelationships. And the method includes responsively (i) downloading the selected application and (ii) provisioning the devices of the group with the given set of control-group data, the provisioning establishing the given set of one or more functional interrelationships between the devices of the group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for provisioning a group of devices with control-group data defining one or more functional interrelationships between the devices of the group, the method comprising:
providing by a computing system a graphical user interface (GUI) defining an online application marketplace, wherein the GUI specifies a plurality of applications available for download, each of the applications including a different respective set of control-group data that defines a different respective set of one or more functional device interrelationships, and wherein the providing of the GUI includes controlling, based on a brand of the devices, which plurality of applications the GUI specifies as available for download;
receiving into the computing system user input selecting a given one of the specified applications, the selected application defining a given set of control-group data that defines a given set of one or more functional device interrelationships; and
responsive to the user input, (i) downloading by the computing system the selected application and (ii) provisioning by the computing system the devices of the group with the given set of control-group data of the downloaded application, wherein the provisioning establishes the given set of one or more functional device interrelationships between the devices of the group.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the group of devices includes a first device, a second device, and a third device, wherein the given set of one or more functional device interrelationships established between the devices of the group includes (i) a first functional interrelationship between the first device and the second device and (ii) a second functional interrelationship between the second device and the third device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second functional interrelationship comprises the second device controlling an operational state of the third device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the given set of control-group data of the downloaded application includes control logic executable by the second device to control the operational state of the third device.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the operational state of the third device comprises an on/off state of the third device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing system comprises an over the top (OTT) device, wherein providing the GUI comprises the OTT device providing the GUI on an associated display, and wherein receiving the user input comprises the OTT device receiving the user input.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the GUI includes a menu that allows user selection of streaming media channels, the menu further allowing user selection of an application from among the plurality of applications.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected application defines device placeholders, the method further comprising substituting the device placeholders for actual identifiers of the devices of the group.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein provisioning the devices of the group with the given set of control-group data of the downloaded application comprises provisioning each device of the group with the given set of control-group data of the downloaded application.

10. A computing system for provisioning a group of devices with control-group data defining one or more functional interrelationships between the devices of the group, the method comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one non-transitory data storage;
program instructions stored in the at least one non-transitory data storage and executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to carry out operations including:
providing a graphical user interface (GUI) defining an online application marketplace, wherein the GUI specifies a plurality of applications available for download, each of the applications including a different respective set of control-group data that defines a different respective set of one or more functional device interrelationships, and wherein the providing of the GUI includes controlling, based on a brand of the devices, which plurality of applications the GUI specifies as available for download,
receiving user input selecting a given one of the specified applications, the selected application defining a given set of control-group data that defines a given set of one or more functional device interrelationships, and
responsive to the user input, (i) downloading the selected application and (ii) provisioning the devices of the group with the given set of control-group data of the downloaded application, wherein the provisioning establishes the given set of one or more functional device interrelationships between the devices of the group.

11. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the group of devices includes a first device, a second device, and a third device, wherein the given set of one or more functional device interrelationships established between the devices of the group includes (i) a first functional interrelationship between the first device and the second device and (ii) a second functional interrelationship between the second device and the third device.

12. The computing system of claim 11 , wherein the second functional interrelationship comprises the second device controlling an operational state of the third device.

13. The computing system of claim 12 , wherein the given set of control-group data of the downloaded application includes control logic executable by the second device to control the operational state of the third device.

14. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the computing system comprises an over the top (OTT) device, wherein providing the GUI comprises the OTT device providing the GUI on an associated display, and wherein receiving the user input comprises the OTT device receiving the user input.

15. The computing system claim 14 , wherein the GUI includes a menu that allows user selection of streaming media channels, the menu further allowing user selection of an application from among the plurality of applications.

16. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by at least one processor to carry out operations for provisioning a group of devices with control-group data defining one or more functional interrelationships between the devices of the group, the operations comprising:
providing a graphical user interface (GUI) defining an online application marketplace, wherein the GUI specifies a plurality of applications available for download, each of the applications including a different respective set of control-group data that defines a different respective set of one or more functional device interrelationships, and wherein the providing of the GUI includes controlling, based on a brand of the devices, which plurality of applications the GUI specifies as available for download;
receiving user input selecting a given one of the specified applications, the selected application defining a given set of control-group data that defines a given set of one or more functional device interrelationships; and
responsive to the user input, (i) downloading the selected application and (ii) provisioning the devices of the group with the given set of control-group data of the downloaded application, wherein the provisioning establishes the given set of one or more functional device interrelationships between the devices of the group.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the group of devices includes a first device, a

Assignees

• Roku Inc

Inventors

• Wood Anthony
• Stern David
• Ramesh Sunil

Classifications

• H04L12/2816

  Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00) · CPC title

• H04L2012/284

  characterised by the type of medium used · CPC title

• H04L2012/2849

  Audio/video appliances · CPC title

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04L12/281 Primary

  indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network (for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025) · CPC title