Patents by Inventor Joe Britt

Joe Britt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11855839
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for automatically provisioning a new IoT device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Bartlett, Joe Britt, Stephen Sewerynek, Chris Aiuto
  • Patent number: 11848795
    Abstract: An IoT-based system and method are described having an IoT hub including an accelerometer. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) service, a plurality of IoT devices, each IoT device comprising a first secure communication module, and an IoT hub in communication with the plurality of IoT devices. The IoT hub comprising: a microcontroller unit to execute application-specific program code, a second secure communication module to establish a first secure communication channel with the IoT service and a plurality of second secure communication channels with the plurality of IoT devices, and a sensor to detect physical movements of the IoT hub and to change an operating mode of the IoT hub from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on the physical movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Shin Matsumura, Houman Forood
  • Publication number: 20230377186
    Abstract: A system and method are described for identifying an IoT device using object recognition techniques. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) service to provide back-end data processing for a plurality of IoT devices, the IoT service comprising: interface logic to couple the IoT service to an IoT app executed on a mobile device of a user, an IoT device recognition engine coupled to the interface logic, the IoT device recognition engine to identify a model of a new IoT device captured in an image by the IoT app, the IoT device recognition engine to transmit an indication of the IoT device model to the interface logic, wherein the IoT app is to use the indication of the IoT device model during setup of the new IoT device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventor: JOE BRITT
  • Publication number: 20230379169
    Abstract: A system and method for cryptographically securing a product. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: generating a first signature over a key to add an authenticator device to a chain of trust; generating a universal unique identifier (UUID) code; generating a second signature over the UUID code and metadata associated with the authenticator device using the key; and encoding the UUID code, metadata, and signature in an optical label of a product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: SCOTT BARTLETT, JOE BRITT, CORA MIDDLETON, NICKOLAS HECKMAN, BENJAMIN K. GIBBS, LUCAS FINKELSTEIN
  • Patent number: 11626974
    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: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Zimmerman, Joe Britt
  • Publication number: 20230013658
    Abstract: An IoT-based system and method are described having an IoT hub including an accelerometer. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) service, a plurality of IoT devices, each IoT device comprising a first secure communication module, and an IoT hub in communication with the plurality of IoT devices. The IoT hub comprising: a microcontroller unit to execute application-specific program code, a second secure communication module to establish a first secure communication channel with the IoT service and a plurality of second secure communication channels with the plurality of IoT devices, and a sensor to detect physical movements of the IoT hub and to change an operating mode of the IoT hub from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on the physical movements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Joe BRITT, Shin MATSUMURA, Houman FOROOD
  • Patent number: 11469957
    Abstract: A system and method are described for managing attributes in an IoT system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Erhard Riedl, Joe Britt
  • Patent number: 11405230
    Abstract: An IoT-based system and method are described having an IoT hub including an accelerometer. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) service, a plurality of IoT devices, each IoT device comprising a first secure communication module, and an IoT hub in communication with the plurality of IoT devices. The IoT hub comprising: a microcontroller unit to execute application-specific program code, a second secure communication module to establish a first secure communication channel with the IoT service and a plurality of second secure communication channels with the plurality of IoT devices, and a sensor to detect physical movements of the IoT hub and to change an operating mode of the IoT hub from a first operating mode to a second operating mode based on the physical movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Shin Matsumura, Houman Forood
  • Patent number: 11330473
    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: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Scott Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 11221731
    Abstract: A system and method are described for sharing IoT devices. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) service in communication with a plurality of IoT devices over a network; a device sharing module to receive an indication from a first user of one or more IoT devices associated with an account of the first user to be shared with a second user; the device sharing module to responsively associate the one or more IoT devices with an account of the second user and to subsequently allow the second user to access the one or more IoT devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Houman Forood, Justin Lee, Eduardo Del Rio, Kerry Quinn
  • Publication number: 20210377112
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for automatically provisioning a new IoT device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Scott Bartlett, Joe Britt, Stephen Sewerynek, Chris Aiuto
  • Patent number: 11095503
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for automatically provisioning a new IoT device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Bartlett, Joe Britt, Stephen Sewerynek, Chris Aiuto
  • Patent number: 10924461
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for implementing a 2-way beacon. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: a beacon to transmit a first advertisement packet associated with 1-way functions available from the beacon and to further transmit a second advertisement packet associated with 2-way functions available from the beacon; the first advertisement packet to cause an app and/or hub to be initialized on a mobile device; and the second advertisement packet to cause the beacon to establish a first secure communication channel to a cloud service through the app and/or hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Britt, Benjamin K. Gibbs, Dan Altin
  • Publication number: 20210028989
    Abstract: A system and method are described for managing attributes in an IoT system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: ERHARD RIEDL, JOE BRITT
  • Patent number: 10861002
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are described embedding an IoT device within a credit card of a user. For example, one embodiment of an Internet of Things (IoT) credit card system comprises: a plurality of IoT hubs located within stores; an IoT device embedded within a credit card, the IoT device comprising a battery and a secure communication module to communicate with the IoT hubs; an IoT service to receive location data related to the IoT hubs to which the IoT device has connected, the location data usable to determine the stores and/or locations within stores visited by the user; and a database within the IoT service to store an indication of the stores visited by the user and/or the locations within stores visited by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventor: Joe Britt
  • Patent number: 10841874
    Abstract: An embedded Internet of Things (IoT) hub for integration with an appliance and associated systems and methods. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: an embedded Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a wide area network (WAN) interface to couple the embedded IoT hub to an IoT service over a network, and a local wireless communication interface to communicatively couple the IoT hub to one or more IoT devices; an IoT hub slot interface coupled to the embedded IoT hub and comprising a first plurality of pins or pads to interface with corresponding pins or pads within an IoT hub slot of an appliance when the embedded IoT hub is inserted into the IoT hub slot; and a modular antenna interface coupled to the embedded IoT hub and comprising a second plurality of pins or pads to interface with corresponding pins or pads on a modular antenna to be coupled to the embedded IoT hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Afero, Inc.
    Inventors: Omar Zakaria, Joe Britt, Houman Forood
  • 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: 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