Systems, devices and methods for provisioning, pairing and activating a newly manufactured device for automatic joining of customer's network

The invention provides systems and methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. Further, the user account, or accounts, for the use of the device is both active and recorded for billing by the various service providers supporting the device use, i.e., the communication network provider(s).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to systems, devices and methods for improved provisioning, automatic network joining and easy access and management of remotely networked devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication device provisioning and device setup is quite complex today, with limited functionality, from an end user perspective. Generally, known systems require the end user to interact with each node, manually provision with a data service, manually establish user and security credentials, and manually connect with a data repository or database. Simplification of this process is one of several objectives of the present invention.

Systems and methods exist that use unique device information encoded on labels, e.g., quick response (QR) codes for providing interactive applications and services to a user via, e.g., mobile devices. Known mobile devices such as a smartphone comprise a scanner to scan the QR code of the labeled object. Typical applications use the QR code or data or the QR code to direct to a specific URL. QR codes are currently used in broader contexts spanning commercial tracking applications, such as tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing processes, and convenience-oriented applications targeting mobile device users. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,435 for disclosure of two-dimensional optically readable codes, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Other machine-readable labels, i.e., scannable codes, relating to an information topic about a particular product or device exist. For example, bar codes, Microsoft TAG or other label on a device comprising unique device information are known in the art.

The types of information typically encoded on known machine-readable labels may comprise data such as serial number(s) or other unique identification data for a product, device and/or individual components or subcomponents, Media Access Control (MAC) address, and the like.

Known exemplary solutions are in U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,737 to Tobin, US application 2009/0287498 to Choi, U.S. Pat. No. 7,779,125 to Wyngarden and U.S. Pat. No. 7,912,426 to Masera, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.

What is not known in the art are systems or methods that provide, inter alia, a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life-cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud-data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well providing end users easy data access relating to the device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides systems and methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. Further, the user account, or accounts, for the use of the device is both active and recorded for billing by the various service providers supporting the device use, i.e., the communication network provider(s).

The figures and the detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these and other embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION, INCLUDING THE BEST MODE

FIG. 1illustrates a system level diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. The inventive system100begins with manufacture of at least one exemplary manufactured device, e.g., a sensor without limitation, at a manufacturing facility101.

“Device” as that term is used herein is defined as a structure that communicates between two or more networks and may comprise gateways, nodes and that may be controlled or monitored remotely including, without limitation, monitoring conditions such as with a sensor, controlling functionality and device characteristics, and actuating or de-actuating device functionality(ies).

The exemplary system100comprises a manufacturing software tool as is well known to the skilled artisan and which performs functional testing102on an exemplary manufactured device such as, without limitation, a sensor device, at the site of the manufacturer101of the device. The manufacturing tool's functional testing102comprises testing of the function of the exemplary manufactured device as well as the capability of adding the manufactured device to a device database104via a device web service106. The device database104and device web service106are, as illustrated, located within a device engine108.

The functional test102comprises actual device testing, e.g., in the exemplary case of a temperature sensor testing is conducted to determine the sensitivity and range, e.g., of the device as well as the functionality of the device's radio modem or other network connectivity mechanism. In addition, the functional test102comprises registration or addition of the device's identification data, including unique data such as the device's serial number, as well as non-unique data, if present, to the device database104via the device web service106of the device engine108. In addition to the serial number of the device, the functional test102may also register or add additional device identification data, such as model type or number, and/or radio modem address and/or mobile equipment identifier (MeID), as well as the unique identifier mapped to the QR code.

The device web service106is in operative communication with the manufacturing tool and with the functional test102and receives thereby the results of the functional testing102, in addition to one or more servers which are well known in the art and therefore not shown in the illustration. In addition, the device engine108comprises a device website110in operative communication with the device database104which is, in turn, in operative communication with the device web service106. Device website110comprises a webpage to which the identification label, e.g., a QR code, resolves when scanned as is well known in the art. Device website110has a webpage URL encoded by the exemplary QR code to which the QR code resolves to as well known in the art once scanned by a distributor601or customer, end user801with, e.g., a smartphone or other similar device having scanning capabilities and connectivity to the internet.

Initially, the device's status at this stage of manufacture is Unassigned as it relates to the cloud data provider160and Unassigned as it relates to its communication network supplier162. As defined herein, communication network supplier may supply communications comprising one or more of the following categories:

(1) wide area networks (WAN) comprising, for example and without limitation, wireless cellular networks and network providers and/or satellite uplinking networks and network providers;

(2) local area networks (LAN) comprising, for example and without limitation, wifi networks and network providers;

(3) personal area networks (PAN) comprising, for example and without limitation, Bluetooth networks and Bluetooth network providers and Near Field Communications (NFC) networks and NFC network providers, as well as ZigBee/802.15.4 as an exemplary communication class; and

The several states of the device and the transitions from state-to-state are described in further detail herein.

Once the exemplary manufactured device's information is added to the device database104, the manufacturer then initiates generation of the identification label, in the illustrated case a QR code, for the device being manufactured. The QR code may contain unique and, in some case, non-unique data obtained during the manufacturing process and based on the identifier data provided to the device database104by the functional test process102, via device web service106. A preferred, but certainly not limiting, unique identifier data element for encoding on the QR code is the exemplary manufactured device's serial number.

The QR code may, in some cases, be assigned additional data as the device progresses through the later steps of distribution kitting and device activation.

The device engine108, comprising device web service106, device database104and device website110, is in operative communication with, inter glia, the communication network provider162and the cloud data service provider160via operative communication with device web service106and the communication network provider162and cloud data service provider160.

When the device is registered, or added to, the device database104via the device web service106, by manufacturer101, a scheduled job is provided in order to register or provision the device with the cloud data service provider160wherein the device engine108, via device web service106, instructs the cloud data provider160to add the exemplary manufactured device as, e.g., a serial number or other unique identifier. If registration or addition of the device's serial number or other unique identifier with the cloud data service provider160is successful, the device's status relative to the cloud data provider160moves from Unassigned to Assigned as Serial Number. This process occurs while the device is still within the factory or manufacturing facility101.

The factory provisioning process concludes with provisioning of the exemplary manufactured device with both the cloud data provider160and the communication network provider162. Thus, the device database104of device engine108also automatically activates, then suspends, the device's network radio modem by negotiating with the communication network provider162. After successful negotiation with the communication network provider162in this activity, the device's network radio modem status, i.e., its network state, with the communication network provider162moves from Unassigned to Network Activated, then to Network Suspended pending action by the distributor601and the end user or customer801. The device engine108coordinates and drives the factory provisioning process with the cloud data provider160and the communication network provider162.

At this point, the device is factory provisioned and ready for further processing through the distributor601once an order from the end user or customer801is received. The device may remain at the manufacturer's factory facility until a customer order is received, at which point the device is transferred to the distributor601. Alternatively, once the device is manufactured and the factory provisioning is complete, the device may be transferred to the distributor601to be stocked while waiting a customer or end user801order.

Generally, as illustrated inFIG. 1, once a customer or end user801order is received, the distributor601will initiate distribution kitting by scanning the identification label, e.g., the QR code previously developed and affixed to, and embedded within, the device. As discussed and as is known in the art, the QR code encodes a URL that comprises the device's identifier information, e.g., the device's serial number. Thus, when scanned by, e.g., a mobile device with scanning capability, e.g., a smartphone or the equivalent, the QR code resolves to a webpage on the device engine website110with a pointer to, e.g., the device's serial number. This webpage within device website110may also cause actions to be taken based on the device's status and provide feedback to the user801.

As stated supra, when the distributor601first scans the device's QR code, the device pairing and activation activities are initiated relating to the communication network provider162and the cloud data service provider160, taking advantage of the device's status following the factory provisioning process. The distribution kitting process is discussed further below.

Once the distribution kitting process is completed by the distributor, the device is activated with the communication network provider162and paired and activated with the cloud data service provider160, the device's status is active with both the communication network provider162and with the cloud data services provider160. A primary advantage is the resulting simplicity for the customer or the end user801who will only need to power the device on in order to enable the activated device142to automatically join the network and access relevant data.

Following shipment by the distributor of the activated device142to the user801, the user801need only power the device142on. The activated device142may be a single networked device or may be one of several devices within, or added to, a device network150comprising more than one networked device. Each networked device, and the device network, is in operative communication with the device engine108, including the device engine website110, the device database104, the device web service106, the cloud data services provider160, and the communication network provider162. Thus, the activated device142and/or device network150may transmit and receive data from the device engine's website110and the cloud data services provider160to end user801.

The activated device142may automatically connect with the communication network provider and the cloud data provider on the initial power up and/or each successive power up in certain embodiment of the present invention.

As a result, if, for example, and as illustrated, the customer or end user801wishes to scan the QR code specific for the activated device142, or otherwise access the QR code embedded therein, the customer or user801may view the relevant data of the activated and operational device142. In the exemplary case, the device142is, in addition to the definition of “device” provided above, a sensor, e.g., a temperature or humidity sensor, though many other devices are contemplated and within the scope of the present invention. In addition, other types of devices that may be manufactured and distributed to enable automatic joining of a network upon powering on comprise sensors for monitoring one of the group consisting of: tank level, liquid leakage, movement, speed (accelerometer) and vibration as are well known to the artisan. In addition, other types of devices amenable to the inventive system and methods described herein will readily present themselves to the skilled artisan. For example, and without limitation, devices amenable to the inventive system and methods described herein include devices for measuring distance, sound, pressure, voltage, current, speed, position, velocity, acceleration, weight, wavelength, frequency, period, duty cycle as well as determining whether a switch or circuit is open or closed. Each such device is within the scope of the inventive system and method.

Thus, generally, the present invention requires the subject product or device to be marked and/or embedded with unique encoded data, captured during the specific device's manufacturing process, to assist in identifying the particular product or device during the inventive process. Identification labels, for example and without limitation QR codes, Microsoft TAG solutions may be employed for this purpose.

Exemplary types of unique data that may be captured during the manufacturing process and used to populate the identification labels, e.g., QR code, comprise: Serial number(s) for the particular device or product, components or subcomponents thereof, identification data, media access control address (MAC), international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) data, subscriber identity module (SIM), machine-to-machine (M2M) identity module (MIM) data. Further, non-unique data may be encoded on an identification label, and/or embedded within the product or device such as, without limitation, product family identities, product data, brand data and fixed or variable uniform resource locator(s) (URL) data.

As discussed,FIG. 1illustrates one embodiment of the present invention at a general system level. There are three basic component systems within the inventive system:

Manufacturing where device provisioning occurs;

Distribution, where device kitting, pairing and pre-joining occurs; and

End user, where device activation and use occurs.

Each of these three basic component systems comprising inventive system100will be discussed now in more detail.

Manufacturing Device Provisioning:

FIG. 2thus illustrates one embodiment of the creation of the exemplary device and provisioning of that device by the manufacturer. We also refer toFIGS. 3, 4 and 5which illustrate the states of the exemplary manufactured device in the provisioning process relating to the cloud data provider160and the cellular network provider162.

With reference toFIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the exemplary device is, under the present invention, in one of the following five states300relative to the cloud data provider162at all times:

1. Unassigned310. The unassigned state310is the state existing before, and during, the adding of the device into the device engine database104within device engine108as discussed above and which, when complete, triggers a pending request for subsequent registration of the device with the cloud data provider160.

2. Assigned As Serial Number320. The assigned-as-serial-number state320occurs when the device's serial number is registered with the cloud data provider160. Thus, this state occurs following the establishment of the unassigned state310and execution of the pending request for registration of the device with the cloud data provider160. If the device's serial number is unable to be registered with the cloud data provider160for any reason, the device's status returns to unassigned310.

3. Assigning As Device330. The assigning-as-device state330occurs as the device is being registered as a device during the distributing kitting process. A device enters this state by having its identification label, e.g., QR code, scanned for the second time. Such second scan of the exemplary QR code is performed by the distributor601during the distribution kitting process which will be discussed in greater detail below. Assigning As Device330is a transient state, dependent upon the success of the registration of the device; typically a device will remain in this state no longer than a few seconds.

4. Assigned As Device340. The assigned-as-device state340occurs when the device is successfully registered with the cloud data provider160. A device enters this state when the cloud data provider160provides a notification to the device engine108of the assigning-as-device330activity.

5. Activated Device350. The activated state350occurs when the device has (1) been activated with the cloud data provider160and (2) its unique device identifying data is entered into the device database104within device engine108.

The Unassigned310and Assigned-as-Serial-Number320states occur at the manufacturing site during a factory provisioning process. The remaining states, i.e., Assigning-as-Device330, Assigned-as-Device340and Activated Device350states are initiated and completed by the distributor601or, alternatively, by the end user801.

The device in the present invention also comprises a radio modem as is well known in the art and which is always in one of three states400as illustrated inFIG. 4, with continued reference toFIGS. 1 and 2:

1. Unassigned410. The device's radio modem is in the unassigned state410when the device is added to the device database104within device engine108by the manufacturer101.

2. Network Activated420. The device's radio modem is in the network-activated state420after the data plan is activated through the communication network provider162. This occurs immediately after successful addition of the device to the device database104of the device engine108by the manufacturer101.

3. Network Suspended430. The device's radio modem is suspended in the network-suspended state430. This suspension occurs immediately after successful network activation and is performed by manufacturer101.

As discussed briefly above, the exemplary manufactured device is provisioned during its manufacturing process, referred to herein as factory provisioning500as illustrated inFIGS. 1, 2 and 5, with continued reference toFIGS. 3 and 4. This process transforms a newly manufactured device into a fully network-activated device that is correctly configured to report data to the cloud data provider160.

Factory provisioning500thus comprises a functional test process510which, inter alia, registers, or adds, the device with/to the device database104as shown inFIG. 1. The functional test process510registers the device's unique identifier data, e.g., serial number, model and/or radio modem address into the device database104in step520. Initially, the device state as it relates to the cloud data provider160is Unassigned310and its radio modem network state is also Unassigned410as it relates to the communication network provider162.

The manufacturer101next initiates generation of the QR code, or other labeling mechanism such as Microsoft TAG as described above in step530. The QR code may be printed and affixed to the device for future scanning and data transmission and reception540. The QR code is further embedded within the device to enable future communication and data transmission and reception540. The functional test process embeds the QR code in the device. This allows the device, once deployed in the field, to query the device database104for its unique cloud data provider identifier, referred to hereinafter as “CIK”, and which will be obtained during the device's distribution kitting process described in detail below.

The QR code is generated by the device database based on the unique identifier data provided to the device database104by the functional test process510. The QR code may, preferably will, be assigned further data as the device progresses beyond manufacturing101through distribution kitting and device activation.

Registration, or addition, of the device with the device database104within device engine108also queues the device to be registered with the cloud data provider160. A scheduled job is provided which automatically handles device provisioning with the cloud data provider160.

The factory provisioning process500concludes with the device provisioning with both the cloud data provider160and the communication network provider162in step550and proceeds in two phases. First, device provisioning with the cloud data provider160occurs when the device engine108instructs the cloud data provider160, via an automatic scheduled job, to add the device as a serial number to the cloud data provider's database records. If the serial number is successfully added to the cloud data provider160, the device's status relative to the cloud data provider160after provisioning moves from Unassigned310to Assigned as Serial Number state320. The device engine108also activates, and suspends, the network modem of the device by negotiating with the communication network provider162. Thus, the device's radio modem state, i.e., its network state, with the communication network provider162moves from Unassigned410, to Network Activated420and Network Suspended430.

We now refer toFIG. 6, within continued reference toFIGS. 1-5to describe the system level distribution kitting, pairing and pre-joining processes occurring at the distributor601. Following the factory provisioning process described above, the exemplary manufactured device moves from the manufacturer101to the distributor601where, in response to a customer or end user801, order, the distribution kitting process600occurs, which (1) pairs the device with a specific user account, (2) activates the device with the cloud data provider160and (3) activates the device with the communication network provider162. Scanning the device's QR code is the primary method for transitioning the device from state to state through the distribution kitting process600.FIGS. 6 and 7illustrate one embodiment of this process600,700in flow chart form.

The customer or end user801, purchases a device which, as discussed above may comprise a gateway, from the distributor601in step710and creates a user account with the cloud data provider160in step720. The distributor601only needs the customer's mailing address for shipment of the device730once the user account has been created.

Once an order is received by a customer801and a customer account created710,720, the device moves from the manufacturing facility or factory to the distributor740. An alternative embodiment comprises shipping the device from the factory to the distributor740in bulk and the distributor740waits for a customer order to send off a single set, or sets, of devices. The distributor601then scans the identification label, e.g., QR code that is affixed on the device in step750, thereby initiating the pairing and activating process. This QR code encodes a URL that includes the device's serial number. As discussed, the QR code, scanned by a device comprising well known software for this purpose, resolves to a webpage on the device engine website with a pointer to its serial number in step760. This webpage will cause appropriate action(s) to be taken based on the status of the device and provide feedback to the user.

When the distributor first scans the device's QR code, the pairing and activating processes are initiated in step750. By the time the end user receives the device after purchase, all that is require to access the data is to power on the device.

In this way, device pairing with the user's account with the cloud data provider is accomplished as part of the distribution kitting process700by scanning the device's QR code.

After this scan of the device's QR code and resolution of the QR code to the webpage with the device's serial number750,760, the device status relative to the cloud data provider160is moved from Assigned as Serial Number320, as the device's state was following the factory provisioning process discussed above, to Assigning as Device330. Assigning As Device330is a transient state, indicating that the software is negotiating with the cloud data provider160. The cloud data provider160will indicate success or failure of process with a callback. If no response is received by the distributor601from the cloud data provider160, the device's software reverts back to the Assigned as Serial Number state320.

If the device is successfully paired with the user's account with the cloud data provider160, the cloud data provider160will invoke a callback to the device engine108and the device's state moves to Assigned as Device340. The device engine108will then instruct the cloud data provider160to (1) activate the device, and (2) obtain the device's unique cloud data provider identifier or CIK, an element well known in the art. The CIK is, as described above, stored in the device's engine database104. If the activation of the device is successful, the device's state relative to the cloud data provider160changes from Assigned as Device340to Activated Device350. If activation fails, the status of the device remains Assigned As Device340and the failure tracked.

The communication network provider162is also called by the distributor601to activate the device on the cellular wireless network, moving the device from Network Suspended430to Network Activated420as illustrated in the Figures.

The device is now ready to be shipped to the end user801for joining the device network and is fully provisioned and activated with respect to both the wireless network provider162and the cloud data service provider160.

Device Activation and Network Joining by User:

FIG. 8illustrates one system level embodiment of the device activation and network joining process800while the process is illustrated in flow chart form inFIG. 9. When the device is powered on by user801and wakes up902, it locates a gateway in its local wireless network904using techniques known to the skilled artisan. This allows the new device to join an existing gateway in the field. It is a possibility that the device may break up an existing pairing between it and a previous gateway in the field, based on signal quality.

Having obtained wireless, cellular, network connectivity via the gateway904, the device connects to the device engine to obtain its cloud data provider CIK by sending its QR code to the cloud data provider906,908. These steps in the inventive process allows for the device to connect to the previously created user account with the cloud data provider160, to which it was previously paired via the CIK during the distribution kitting process described above.

Thus, the device connects to the cloud data provider160using its cloud data provider CIK to retrieve its configuration message for setup908. The cloud data provider160transmits in response a setup configuration message to the device910. Based on the setup message transmitted from the cloud data provider160to the device, the device configures itself to conform with the setup message parameters and instructions912. In the case of a remote sensing device, e.g., a temperature monitor, the temperature monitor is configured to conform with the parameters and instructions contained within the setup message such as maximum/minimum temperature, reporting frequency and other parameters dictating the type and frequency of the message being transmitted from the device to the cloud data provider160. At this point the device is operational and runs within the network914.

Once a device is activated, its QR code can still be scanned by, e.g., the customer or end user801in order to, inter alia, allow the end user801to obtain data from the device as illustrated inFIG. 10. In this case, the webserver will redirect its URL to the cloud data provider160in step918where the customer or end user may view its device's data920.

The device of the inventive system and method may be of various types, e.g., gateway devices comprising both cellular network, e.g., CSMA, GSM, as well as local area wireless network, capabilities. The gateway devices provide connectivity to the device engine website as well as the cloud data provider, via the cellular network radio modem.

Another device embodiment may comprise sensor nodes which have only local area wireless network capabilities. Sensor node devices read sensor data and leverage the gateway devices, as pass through communications means, for connecting to the device engine website as well as the cloud data provider, via the cellular network radio.

The inventive manufacturing and distribution process enable pairing sensor node devices to gateways in the factory/manufacturing and distribution channel so that when the customer or end user powers the devices up they begin working without further interaction or steps required by the customer. Further, a customer may select both the number and type of sensor nodes at the time of purchase and the device engine will pair the purchased devices with the gateway during kitting. Thus, the customer may configure the sensor-gateway combination at the time of purchase yet only needs to power on and scan the devices to access the data.