Patents Assigned to AFERO, INC.
  • Patent number: 10841759
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for securely providing a User ID and/or password to an IoT device. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: receiving at an Internet of Things (IoT) service a request from a mobile device over a first communication channel to transmit credentials for a particular online service to an IoT device, responsively encrypting the credentials to generate encrypted credentials and transmitting the encrypted credentials to the IoT device over a second communication channel, decrypting the encrypted credentials at the IoT device, and providing the credentials by the IoT device to a computer over a third communication channel, the computer causing the credentials to be provided to the online service to authenticate the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Bartlett, Scott Zimmerman, Joe Britt
  • Patent number: 10838705
    Abstract: A system and method are described for performing service-initiated updates to IoT devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Erhard Riedl, Clif Liu, Lucas Finkelstein
  • Patent number: 10816944
    Abstract: A platform, apparatus and method for disabling IoT-enabled home devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Shin Matsumura, Houman Forood, Scott Zimmerman, Phillip Myles, Sean Zawicki, Daisuke Kutami
  • Patent number: 10805165
    Abstract: A system and method are described for managing attributes in an IoT system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: AFERO, INC.
    Inventors: Erhard Riedl, Joe Britt
  • Patent number: 10805344
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for obscuring wireless communication patterns. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) device comprising a wireless communication interface to establish communication with an IoT service; the IoT device including an application to execute commands received from the IoT service and to responsively generate a response; and messaging obfuscation logic to modify timing for transmitting the response to the IoT service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: AFERO, INC.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Scott Zimmerman, Omar Zakaria
  • Patent number: 10798523
    Abstract: A system and method are described for accurately detecting a location of a wireless device. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: collecting signal strength data indicating signal strength between a wireless device and a plurality of IoT devices and/or IoT hubs in a user's home; associating the signal strength data with locations in the user's home and storing the association in a location database; and determining a current location of the wireless device by comparing the signal strength data in the database with current signal strength data indicating current signal strength between the wireless device and the plurality of IoT devices and/or IoT hubs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventor: Omar Zakaria
  • Patent number: 10791446
    Abstract: A system and method are described for an Internet of Things (IoT) gas pump or charging station implementation. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an automotive IoT device to be integrated within a vehicle of a user; an IoT service comprising IoT device authentication and management logic to authenticate the identity of the automotive IoT device integrated within the vehicle; an Internet of Things (IoT) hub to be communicatively coupled to a gas pump or charging station, the IoT hub to establish a communication channel with the IoT service, the IoT hub further comprising a local wireless communication interface to establish a local wireless communication channel with the automotive IoT device, the automotive IoT device to establish a secure communication channel with the IoT service through the IoT hub; the IoT service to authenticate the automotive IoT device and responsively transmit a command to the IoT hub authorizing use of the gas pump or charging station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventor: Tim Reynders
  • Patent number: 10776080
    Abstract: A system and method are described for an IoT integrated development tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventor: Joe Britt
  • Patent number: 10779296
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for intelligent selection of a communication channel. One embodiment of an IoT device comprises: a first set of one or more communication interfaces having first power consumption characteristics; a second set of one or more communication interfaces having second power consumption characteristics, the second power consumption characteristics comprising lower power requirements than the first power consumption characteristics; a connection manager to determine whether to transmit a message over a communication interface from the first set of one or more communication interfaces when an interface from the second set of one or more communication interfaces is unavailable and in accordance with a priority associated with the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventor: Aric Wilmunder
  • Patent number: 10734703
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for integration of an RF antenna in an appliance. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus includes: a dielectric having a specified length and width defining an area; a ground plane made of conductive material directly adjacent to the dielectric, the ground plane formed from one or more components of a handle or a door of a heating device; an antenna element made of conductive material forming a plane adjacent to the dielectric and parallel to the ground plane, the antenna having a first dimension defining a first end and a second end, the first end electrically coupled to the ground plane; and an antenna feed electrically coupled to the antenna element at specified distance from the first end, the distance from the first end selected in accordance with a wavelength of a radio frequency (RF) signal to be transmitted and/or received by the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Bartlett, Doug Kough, Joe Britt, Nam La
  • Patent number: 10721208
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are described for a secure IoT wireless network configuration. For example, one embodiment of an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprises: a local wireless communication interface to establish local wireless connections with one or more IoT devices and/or IoT extender hubs; a network router to establish network connections over the Internet on behalf of the IoT devices and/or IoT extender hubs; an authentication module pre-configured with a passphrase and a hidden service set identifier (SSID), the authentication module to receive a connection requests from the IoT devices and/or an IoT extender hubs and to grant the connection requests when the IoT devices and/or IoT extender hubs use the pre-configured passphrase and hidden SSID; and a firewall of the IoT hub to block all outgoing and incoming connection requests other than those directed to designated servers of an IoT service with known host names.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Clif Liu, Robey Pointer, Kerry Quinn
  • Patent number: 10659961
    Abstract: A method and system for connecting an Internet of Things (IoT) hub to a wireless network. One embodiment of the method includes establishing a secure communication channel between an IoT hub and an IoT service through a client device using a first secret; generating a second secret on the client device and transmitting it to the IoT hub; encrypting a wireless key using the second secret to generate a first-encrypted key and transmitting it to the IoT service; encrypting the first-encrypted key using the first secret to generate a twice-encrypted key and transmitting it to the IoT hub over the secure communication channel; decrypting the twice-encrypted key at the IoT hub using the first secret to generate the first-encrypted key and decrypting it using the second secret to generate the wireless key usable to establish a secure wireless connection between the IoT hub and the local wireless network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Zimmerman, Evan Jeng, Shannon Holland, Clif Liu, Chris Aiuto
  • Patent number: 10631040
    Abstract: A system and method are described for capturing video in an IoT system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventor: Joe Britt
  • Patent number: 10613499
    Abstract: A system and method are described for virtualizing Internet of Things (IoT) devices and hubs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Zimmerman, Joe Britt
  • Patent number: 10587400
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for sharing network credentials. One embodiment of a method comprises: establishing a Bluetooth connection between a first Internet of Things (IoT) device and a mobile device of a first user having an IoT app installed, the mobile device to couple the first IoT device to an IoT service; receiving a request from a user from the mobile device to configure the first IoT device using network credentials from a second IoT device, the second IoT device registered with an account of the user on the IoT service and configured to connect to a secure network of the user with the network credentials; establishing a communication channel between the first IoT device and the second IoT device through the IoT service and the mobile device to obtain the network credentials; and using the network credentials at the first IoT device to securely connect to the secure network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Zimmerman, Joe Britt
  • Patent number: 10581875
    Abstract: A system and method are described for preventing security breaches in an IoT system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Shannon Holland, Robey Pointer, Stephen Sewerynek, Nickolas Heckman, Chris Auito, Lucas Finkelstein, Scott Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10523672
    Abstract: A system and method are described for connecting an IoT device to a wireless router and/or access point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventor: Omar Zakaria
  • Patent number: 10524119
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for sharing WiFi credentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Altin, Scott Zimmerman, Clif Liu, Stephen Sewerynek
  • Patent number: 10470063
    Abstract: Embodiments comprise: a plurality of channel filters, each channel filter to remove all but a specified portion of a wireless network spectrum; a plurality of radios each configured to receive one of the specified portions of the wireless network spectrum associated with one of the channels; wireless device identification logic to analyze the digital data stream for each channel to identify wireless devices and to packetize the transmissions using the identity of the sender and/or recipient; a plurality of wireless networking stacks each associated with one of the wireless devices identified by the wireless device identification logic; stack forwarding logic to receive packets from the wireless device identification logic and to forward the packets to wireless networking; and a communication feature extraction module to extract a specified set of features from the digital data stream generated by the radios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Omar Zakaria
  • Patent number: 10455452
    Abstract: A system and method are described for performing flow control in an IoT system. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: a plurality of IoT devices; an IoT hub to establish local wireless connections with the plurality of IoT devices to communicatively couple the plurality of IoT devices to an IoT service; the IoT hub to store flow control parameters for each of the plurality of IoT devices, the flow control parameters determined based on data communication requirements of each of the IoT devices and indicating one or more data communication thresholds for each of the IoT devices; the IoT hub to monitor data communication with each of the IoT devices to determine whether one of the IoT devices has reached a data communication threshold specified by the flow control parameters, wherein in response to a first IoT device reaching its data communication threshold, the IoT hub temporarily preventing communication between the first IoT device and the IoT service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Scott Zimmerman