Patent ID: 7783879

Claim:
A method, comprising: generating by a first apparatus which controls access to a low power radio communications network a shared secret at the first apparatus and storing the shared secret in a memory of the first apparatus, wherein the stored secret is associated with an operational mode of the first apparatus where a user of the first apparatus is not to be interrupted and where the stored secret is used for automatic pairing when the first apparatus is in the operational mode; making the stored shared secret available at a second apparatus; receiving a signal from the second apparatus to initiate a pairing process with the first apparatus on the low power radio communications network, where the signal comprises a request to pair with the first apparatus for a required service from the first apparatus; determining whether the first apparatus is in the operational mode where the user of the first apparatus is not to be interrupted and whether the required service is associated with the stored shared secret; and for the case where it is determined that the first apparatus is in the operational mode where the user of the first apparatus is not to be interrupted and the required service is associated with the stored shared secret, then initiating the pairing process, automatically with no intervention from the user of the first apparatus, using the stored shared secret or else prompting the user of the first apparatus to enter a shared secret associated with the requested service and initiating the pairing process using the user entered shared secret.