Associating devices and users with a local area network using network identifiers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016165651-A1
Application number	US-201514959192-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 4, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for associating devices and users with a local area network using network identifiers are provided. For example, a method, system, and computer-program product for associating network devices with a local area network using a network identifier are provided. For example, a method may include receiving, at a computing device, a communication including a unique identifier for a network device connected to a network. The method may further include using the unique identifier to determine properties of the network device and generating a network identifier for the network, wherein the network identifier includes an indication of a time at which the network identifier is generated, an indication of the computing device, and an indication of the network device properties. The method can also include transmitting the network identifier, wherein when the network identifier is received, the network identifier facilitates identifying the network and associating the network device with the network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, at a computing device, a communication including a unique identifier for a network device connected to a network; using the unique identifier to determine properties of the network device; generating a network identifier for the network, wherein the network identifier includes an indication of a time at which the network identifier is generated, an indication of the computing device, and an indication of the network device properties; and transmitting the network identifier, wherein when the network identifier is received, the network identifier facilitates identifying the network and associating the network device with the network.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is a hardware address of the network device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the hardware address is a media access control address of the network device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device properties include a device type, a device manufacturer, or a logical name.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a transience level of the network device, wherein determining includes determining the transience level using the network device properties; and assigning a weight to the network device based on the transience level, wherein the network identifier includes an indication of the weight.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining additional unique identifiers, wherein each additional unique identifier is associated with an additional network device connected to the network; using the additional unique identifiers to determine properties for each of the additional network devices; and updating the network identifier to include an indication of the properties of the additional network devices.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
periodically polling the network to determine a change in the network, wherein the change includes a connection of a new network device, a disconnection of an additional network device, or a change in a gateway in the network; and updating the network identifier.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the network identifier is received, the network identifier facilitates determining changes to the network over time, wherein determining includes comparing the network identifier to one or more previously transmitted network identifiers.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the network identifier is received at a cloud-based service, the network identifier facilitates registering the network device with the cloud-based service.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network identifier includes a hash value.

11 . A system, comprising:
one or more data processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: receiving, at a computing device, a communication including a unique identifier for a network device connected to a network; using the unique identifier to determine properties of the network device; generating a network identifier for the network, wherein the network identifier includes an indication of a time at which the network identifier is generated, the computing device, and the properties of the network device; and
transmitting the network identifier, wherein when the network identifier is received, the network identifier is usable to uniquely identify the network and to associate the network device with the network.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
determining a transience level of the network device, wherein determining includes determining the transience level using the network device properties; and assigning a weight to the network device based on the transience level, wherein the network identifier includes an indication of the weight.

13 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
obtaining additional unique identifiers, wherein each additional unique identifier is associated with an additional network device connected to the network; using the additional unique identifiers to determine properties for each of the additional network devices; and updating the network identifier to include an indication of the properties of the additional network devices.

14 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
periodically polling the network to determine a change in the network, wherein the change includes a connection of a new network device, a disconnection of an additional network device, or a change in a gateway in the network; and updating the network identifier.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier is a hardware address of the network device.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein when the network identifier is received at a cloud-based service, the network identifier facilitates:
registering the network device with the cloud-based service; and determining changes to the network over time, wherein determining includes comparing the network identifier to one or more previously transmitted network identifiers.

17 . A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of a computing device, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to:
receive a communication including a unique identifier for a network device connected to a network; use the unique identifier to determine properties of the network device; generate a network identifier for the network, wherein the network identifier includes an indication of a time at which the network identifier is generated, the computing device, and the properties of the network device; and transmit the network identifier, wherein when the network identifier is received, the network identifier is usable to uniquely identify the network and to associate the network device with the network.

18 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more data processors to:
determine a transience level of the network device, wherein determining includes determining the transience level using the network device properties; and assign a weight to the network device based on the transience level, wherein the network identifier includes an indication of the weight.

19 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more data processors to:
obtain additional unique identifiers, wherein each additional unique identifier is associated with an additional network device connected to the network; use the additional unique identifiers to determine properties for each of the additional network devices; and update the network identifier to include an indication of the properties of the additional network devices.

20 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , wherein when the network identifier is received at a cloud-based service, the network identifier facilitates:

Assignees

• Belkin International Inc

Inventors

• Pathuri Venkata Subba Rao
• Kim Ryan Yong
• Sidhu Gursharan
• Yerramsetti Naga
• Chung Jimmy
• Knopf Brian

Classifications

• H04W8/26

  Network addressing or numbering for mobility support · CPC title

• H04W76/11 Primary

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W8/22

  Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W76/021 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic