Network-Assisted Fabric Pairing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019052683-A1
Application number	US-201816159315-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 12, 2018
Priority date	Oct 8, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for joining a device to a fabric using an assisting device include an indication to add a joining device to a fabric. If the joining device supports network-assisted fabric pairing, a first connection is established between a commissioning device and the assisting device. The assisting device also connects to a joining device. Through the assisting device, the commissioning device and the joining device establish a communication channel over which fabric credentials may be sent.

First claim

1 . A method for joining a joining device to a fabric network by a device control client, the method comprising:
transmitting, by the device control client, a remote passive rendezvous (RPR) request to a device control server via a first network connection that is effective to cause the device control server to listen for a rendezvous connection with the joining device via a second network connection; receiving, from the device control server, a status report indicating that the device control server has registered the device control client as an RPR listener of the device control server; receiving, from the device control server, a remote connection complete message indicating that a tunneled connection is established, via the device control server, between the device control client and the joining device; transmitting, to the joining device and via the tunneled connection, fabric credentials for the fabric network; and transmitting a command to the joining device that is effective to cause the joining device to join the fabric network using the fabric credentials.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the RPR request includes a node identifier (ID) for the joining device, wherein the RPR request configures the device control server to filter rendezvous connections, and wherein the device control server rejects rendezvous connections other than a rendezvous connection for the node ID.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving, by the device control client, the fabric credentials for the fabric network from the device control server before transmitting the fabric credentials for the fabric network to the joining device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network connection is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection or a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) connection.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the command to the joining device to cause the joining device to join the fabric network secures the tunneled connection.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device control server allows a single device control client to register at a time, and wherein if another device control client is registered with the device control server, a status report indicates that the RPR request has failed.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the RPR request includes a timeout value that configures the device control server to listen for the rendezvous connection on the second network connection for a time period equal to the timeout value.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the RPR request includes an inactivity timeout that configures the device control server to terminate the tunneled connection after receiving no data over the first network connection or the second network connection for a time period equal to the inactivity timeout.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the device control client, if the joining device has Wi-Fi capability; and transmitting Wi-Fi credentials for a Wi-Fi network associated with the fabric network to the joining device that are effective to cause the joining device to join the Wi-Fi network associated with the fabric network.

10 . A commissioning device comprising:
a network interface; a processor; and memory comprising instructions for a device control client application, the instructions executable by the processor to configure the processor to:
transmit, using the network interface, a remote passive rendezvous (RPR) request to a device control server via a first network connection that is effective to cause the device control server to listen for a rendezvous connection with a joining device via a second network connection;
receive a status report indicating that the device control server has registered the device control client as an RPR listener of the device control server;
receive a remote connection complete message indicating that a tunneled connection is established, via the device control server, between the device control client and the joining device;
transmit, to the joining device and via the tunneled connection, fabric credentials for a fabric network; and
transmit a command to the joining device that is effective to cause the joining device to join the fabric network using the fabric credentials.

11 . The commissioning device of claim 10 , wherein the RPR request includes a node identifier (ID) for the joining device, wherein the RPR request configures the device control server to filter rendezvous connections, and wherein the device control server rejects rendezvous connections other than a rendezvous connection for the node ID.

12 . The commissioning device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to configure the processor to:
retrieve, via the network interface, the fabric credentials for the fabric network from the device control server before transmitting the fabric credentials for the fabric network to the joining device.

13 . The commissioning device of claim 10 , wherein the first network connection is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection or a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) connection.

14 . The commissioning device of claim 10 , wherein the RPR request includes a timeout value that configures the device control server to listen for the rendezvous connection on the second network connection for a time period equal to the timeout value, and wherein the RPR request includes an inactivity timeout that configures the device control server to terminate the tunneled connection after receiving no data over the first network connection or the second network connection for a time period equal to the inactivity timeout.

15 . The commissioning device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to configure the processor to:
determine if the joining device has Wi-Fi capability; and transmit Wi-Fi credentials for a Wi-Fi network associated with the fabric network to the joining device that are effective to cause the joining device to join the Wi-Fi network associated with the fabric network.

16 . A non-transitory, computer-readable memory comprising instructions for a device control client, the instructions executable by a processor to:
transmit a remote passive rendezvous (RPR) request to a device control server via a first network connection that is effective to cause the device control server to listen for a rendezvous connection with a joining device via a second network connection; receive a status report indicating that the device control server has registered the device control client as an RPR listener of the device control server; receive a remote connection complete message indicating that a tunneled connection is established, via the device control server, between the device control client and the joining device; transmit, to the joining device and via the tunneled connection, fabric credentials for a fabric network; and transmit a command to the joining device that is effective to cause the joining device to join the fabric network using the fabric credentials.

17 . The non-transitory, computer-readable memory of claim 16 , wherein the RPR request includes a node identifier (ID) for the joining device, wherein the RPR request configures the device control server to filter rendezvous connections, and wherein the device control server rejects rendezvous connections other than a rendezvous connections for the node ID.

18 . The non-transitory, computer-readable memory of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Logue Jay D
• Stebbins Andrew William
• Tinkoff Roger Loren

Classifications

• H04L67/141

  Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) · CPC title

• F24F11/62

  characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values · CPC title

• G08B25/001

  Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation · CPC title

• H04L12/2803

  Home automation networks · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title