Abstract: A platform, apparatus and method are described for pairing devices. For example, one embodiment of a system for pairing devices comprises: a first data processing device having a machine-readable optical label associated therewith and including a first wireless communication interface; a second data processing device having a second wireless communication interface and an optical reader for reading identification data from the optical label associated with the first data processing device, the second wireless communication interface including pairing logic to use the identification data to pair with the first data processing device by establishing a secure communication channel between the first and second wireless communication interfaces.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 29, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 13, 2018
Assignee:
AFERO, INC.
Inventors:
Joe Britt, Shin Matsumura, Houman Forood, Scott Zimmerman, Phillip Myles, Sean Zawicki, Daisuke Kutami, Shannon Holland, Justin Lee
Abstract: A platform, apparatus and method for Internet of Things Implementations for selecting a cellular carrier. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service through a cellular (cell) carrier, the IoT hub further comprising a local communication interface to communicatively couple the IoT hub to a plurality of IoT devices over local communication channels; cell carrier selection logic on the IoT hub to implement a set of rules to select between two or more cell carriers through which to connect the IoT hub to the IoT service, the rules being based, at least in part, on a cost associated with connecting to each of the two or more cell carriers and connectivity data associated with cell connections between the IoT hub and each of the two or more cell carriers.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 6, 2015
Date of Patent:
January 2, 2018
Assignee:
Afero, Inc.
Inventors:
Joe Britt, Shin Matsumura, Houman Forood
Abstract: An modular antenna for integration with an Internet of Things (IoT) hub and associated systems and methods. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: a modular antenna to be used with an embedded Internet of Things (IoT) hub having a plurality of wireless communication interfaces, the modular antenna comprising an interface component and an antenna component; the interface component comprising a first plurality of pins or pads to electrically couple the module antenna to the embedded IoT hub; and the antenna component comprising a plurality of antennas to be electrically coupled to the first plurality of pins or pads, thereby electrically coupling each of the plurality of antennas to one of the plurality of wireless communication interfaces of the embedded IoT hub.
Abstract: A system and method are described for generating an interactive preview for an IoT device. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: in response to initiating a preview of a new IoT device, determining whether a corresponding IoT device exists and, if not, then generating a virtual IoT device; associating the virtual or real IoT device with a set of device attributes and presentation definitions; establishing a communication channel with a mobile app; in response to detecting changes to the attributes and/or presentation definitions, transmitting updates to the mobile app, the mobile app dynamically updating the attributes and presentation definitions in real time.
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:
August 21, 2015
Date of Patent:
December 12, 2017
Assignee:
Afero, Inc.
Inventors:
Scott Zimmerman, Evan Jeng, Shannon Holland, Clif Liu, Chris Aiuto
Abstract: A system and method are described for generating an interactive preview for an IoT device. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) development application comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) through which a user is to specify a configuration for a new IoT device, the development application including a preview GUI component to allow a user to render a mobile UI preview on a mobile client; an IoT service including virtual device generation logic to generate a virtual device responsive to the configuration specified for the new IoT device, the virtual device comprising a virtualized representation of the new IoT device; and the virtual device to establish a communication channel with a mobile app executed on a client, the virtual device to dynamically communicate updates to the mobile app as the user makes changes to IoT device attributes and/or presentation definitions from the preview GUI.
Abstract: A platform, apparatus and method for Internet of Things Implementations. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN), and programming logic to program an identification device with one or more encryption keys usable to establish encrypted communication with an IoT device; and at least one IoT device interfacing with the identification device following programming of the identification device by the IoT hub; wherein once the identification device is programmed and interfaced with the IoT device, the IoT device uses the one or more keys to establish a secure communication channel with the IoT hub and/or the IoT service.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 18, 2014
Date of Patent:
November 28, 2017
Assignee:
AFERO, INC.
Inventors:
Joe Britt, Shin Matsumura, Houman Forood, Scott Zimmerman, Phillip Myles, Sean Zawicki, Daisuke Kutami, Shannon Holland
Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for filtering wireless signals. For example, one embodiment of the invention comprises: one or more radios to receive a plurality of wireless signals within a defined spectrum; an energy detection and filtering module to filter received wireless signals based on a detected energy level of the received wireless signals and in accordance with a set of energy-based filtering parameters, the energy detection and filtering module to output energy-filtered wireless signals; and a signal characteristic analysis and filtering module to analyze and filter the energy-filtered wireless signals based on characteristics of the received wireless signals in accordance with a set of signal analysis filtering parameters to output energy-and-characteristic filtered wireless signals.
Abstract: An apparatus and method for secure communication. An IoT service establishes communication with an IoT device through an IoT hub or a mobile user device. The IoT service and IoT device each generate public/private keys and exchange the public keys. The IoT service and device use their own private key and the public key received from the IoT device and service, respectively to independently generate a secret. The secret or a data structure derived from the secret is then used to encrypt and decrypt data packets transmitted between the IoT service and the IoT device.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 3, 2015
Date of Patent:
August 8, 2017
Assignee:
AFERO, INC.
Inventors:
Omar Zakaria, Joe Britt, Scott Zimmerman
Abstract: A platform, apparatus and method for detecting that an IoT hub communication channel has become inoperative. For example, one embodiment of an IoT system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a first communication channel; at least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub over a second communication channel; connection monitoring logic to detect when the first communication channel between the IoT service and the IoT hub has become inoperative; notification logic to transmit a notification to a data processing device of a user of the IoT system responsive to the connection monitoring logic detecting that the first communication channel has become inoperative.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 6, 2015
Date of Patent:
August 8, 2017
Assignee:
Afero, Inc.
Inventors:
Joe Britt, Shin Matsumura, Houman Forood, Scott Zimmerman, Phillip Myles, Sean Zawicki, Daisuke Kutami, Justin Lee
Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for an automotive internet of things (IoT) system, apparatus, and method. For example, one embodiment of an automotive Internet of Things (IoT) device configured within a car comprises: a wireless communication interface to take signal strength measurements to a mobile device, the signal strength measurements comprising signal strength values; and a signal strength analysis and notification module to analyze the signal strength values from the mobile device to determine when the user has left his or her mobile device at home or at another location and to responsively generate a notification to the user.
Abstract: An apparatus and method for establishing socket-based communication between wireless communication circuits without formally pairing the wireless communication circuits. For example, if a Bluetooth® (e.g., BTLE) wireless channel is used, a BTLE data structure comprising a set of characteristics may be used to manage bi-directional communication. Each characteristic, identified with an characteristic ID, has a value buffer associated therewith. A first characteristic/value buffer is defined for incoming data traffic and a second characteristic/value buffer is defined for outgoing data traffic. A layer of encryption and other security techniques may also be applied to protect the data transmitted between the wireless communication circuits.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 3, 2015
Date of Patent:
July 4, 2017
Assignee:
AFERO, INC.
Inventors:
Omar Zakaria, Joe Britt, Scott Zimmerman
Abstract: A platform, apparatus and method for Internet of Things Implementations. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: a memory for storing program code and a microcontroller for executing the program code; a communication interface for coupling the microcontroller to a network; a plurality of input elements communicatively coupled to the microcontroller to detect user input; a slot for receiving a selection card, the selection card comprising a plurality of user-selectable items displayed thereon, wherein each of the input elements are associated with at least one of the user-selectable items displayed on the card when the selection card is inserted in the slot; and wherein upon selection of a particular input element corresponding to a particular item, the microcontroller transmits an identification code for the item to a service over the network, the service identifying the item using the identification code and performing one or more operations responsive to selection of the item by the user.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 21, 2014
Date of Patent:
May 2, 2017
Assignee:
AFERO, INC.
Inventors:
Joe Britt, Shin Matsumura, Houman Forood, Scott Zimmerman, Philip Myles, Sean Zawicki, Daisuke Kutami, Joel Black
Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for accurately reading barcodes. One embodiment of an apparatus includes: a sensor to detect transitions between bars on a barcode having bars with N different widths; a timer to associate a time value with each of the transitions; a delta calculation module to determine a current delta value for a current bar; a bar identification module to apply a first window value to each of N delta values stored in a memory, each of the N delta values associated with a different one of N different bar widths, the bar identification nodule to compare the current delta value with each of the N delta values having the first window value applied thereto, and identify the current bar as having one of the N widths if the current delta value falls within the first window value applied to one of the N widths.