Device activation method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9661495-B2
Application number	US-201414474716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2014
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A method of activating a first device is disclosed. The method includes: the first device pairing with a second device; receiving a connection request from a second device; connecting to the second device; opening a communication channel to the second device; transmitting an activation package to the second device; receiving an activation payload from the second device; and performing an activation using information from the activation payload.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of activating a first device comprising: the first device
pairing with a second device;
receiving a connection request from the second device;
connecting to the second device;
opening a communication channel to the second device;
transmitting an activation package to the second device, the activation package comprising first information for validating the first device to a server;
receiving an activation payload from the second device, the activation payload comprising second information for activating the first device; and
performing an activation using the second information from the activation payload.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein pairing with the second device comprises generating and displaying a computer-readable code.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
prompting a user to wear the first device before displaying the computer-readable code.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the computer-readable code comprises a Quick Response (QR) code or a bar code.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the computer-readable code comprises a key for establishing a secure communication channel.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the computer-readable code comprises a device ID associated with the first device.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein connecting to the second device uses third information embedded in the computer-readable code to determine whether the first device and the second device are connectable.

8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the first device advertising itself for connecting to another device using a short distance network protocol when the computer-readable code is displayed.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication channel comprises a messaging system configured for transmitting messages between the first device and the second device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying the second device regarding whether the activation is successful or not.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein opening the communication channel with the second device comprises determining whether the second device is a trusted device.

12. A first device comprising:
a pairing module configured for pairing the first device with a second device;
a connecting module configured for connecting to the second device;
an activation package creating module configured for creating an activation package;
a transmitting module configured for transmitting the activation package to the second device, the activation package comprising information for validating the first device to a server;
a receiving module configured for receiving an activation payload from the second device, the activation payload comprising information for activating the first device;
a notifying module configured for notifying the second device regarding whether the first device is successfully activated; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including the pairing module, the connecting module, the activation package creating module, the transmitting module, the receiving module, and the notifying module.

13. The first device of claim 12 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprising a prompting module configured for prompting a user to wear the first device.

14. The first device of claim 12 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprising an advertising module configured for advertising the first device for connecting to another device.

15. The first device of claim 12 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprising a determining module configured for determining whether the second device is a trusted device.

16. The first device of claim 12 , wherein the pairing module further comprises a displaying module configured for displaying a computer-readable code.

17. The first device of claim 16 , wherein the computer-readable code comprises a key for establishing a secure communication channel.

18. The first device of claim 16 , wherein the computer-readable code comprises a Quick Response (QR) code or a bar code.

19. A method of activating a first device by a second device, comprising the second device:
pairing with the first device;
establishing a communication channel with the first device;
receiving an activation package from the first device through the communication channel, the activation package comprising information for validating the first device to a server;
performing a proxy activation for the server using the activation package; and
forwarding an activation payload to the first device, the activation payload comprising information required to activate the first device.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining whether the first device is a trusted device.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
receiving a notification from the first device regarding whether the first device has been activated successfully.

22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
capturing a computer-readable code from the first device; and
extracting information from the computer-readable code.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the extracted information comprises a device ID associated with the first device.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the activation package comprises at least one of: a device type, serial number, and unique ID associated with the first device.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the activation payload comprises at least one of: a confirmation that the first device is a valid device, an update for device regulatory images, and a key for digital rights management security.

26. The method of claim 19 , wherein the activation package comprises a URL request associated with a network server.

27. A second device comprising:
a connecting module configured for pairing the second device with a first device and establishing a communication channel with the first device;
a receiving module configured for receiving an activation package from the first device through the communication channel, the activation package comprising information for validating the first device to a server;
a proxy activation module configured for performing a proxy activation for the server using the activation package;
an activation payload forwarding module configured for forwarding an activation payload to the first device, the activation payload comprising information required to activate the first device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including the connecting module, the receiving module, the proxy activation package creating module, and the activation payload forwarding module.

28. The second device of claim 27 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprising a determining module configured for determining whether the first device is a trusted device.

29. The second device of claim 27 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprising a notifying module configured for notifying the first device to initiate an activation process.

30. The second device of claim 27 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprising:
a scanning module configured for capturing a computer-readable code from the first device; and
an extracting module configured for extracting

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hawkins Tyler
• Wilson Christopher
• Sauerwald Conrad
• Novick Gregory
• Crane Neil G
• Van Der Merwe Rudolph
• Noble Samuel
• Chinn Paul William

Classifications

• H04W12/04

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W8/265 Primary

  for initial activation of new user · CPC title

• H04W8/18 Primary

  Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title