METHOD FOR ADDING A COMMUNICATING OBJECT TO A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

Description

technical field

[0001] The invention lies in the field of the Internet of Things. More specifically, the invention relates to techniques for adding a communicating object to an existing wireless local area network, for example a WiFi network. Previous art

[0002] The market for connected objects – that is, objects capable of connecting to a communication network, such as a local network and / or the Internet – is booming. This market is driven in particular by the home automation sector, as users now have a wide variety of connected objects (smart plugs, smart bulbs, smart roller shutters, smart cameras, smart speakers, smart radiators, smart smoke detectors, etc.) that they can add to their home's local network in order to control these devices remotely (via a smartphone or tablet, for example), make them communicate with each other, integrate them into automated scenarios, receive alert notifications, and so on.This increasing integration of communicating objects within the home, most often connected to the Internet network, is part of the concept of "smart home" (or "connected home"), and makes it possible to meet many user aspirations in terms of comfort, security, energy saving, etc.

[0003] Among the connected devices available on the market, a large number rely on wireless communication protocols, particularly those based on the IEEE 802.11 standard (i.e., Wi-Fi technology), to enable their connection to the network. This is because wireless networks, such as Wi-Fi, are widely deployed in a large number of local and home networks, due to their ease of use (connecting devices without cables) combined with the widespread availability of gateways (for example, in the form of set-top boxes) that integrate these technologies by default.

[0004] However, while using a connected device on a wireless network is generally simple and intuitive on a daily basis, it still depends on first adding the device to the existing network. This process—sometimes also called pairing—consists of providing the device, before its first use, with the information needed to connect to the user's network, usually provided by a home gateway. This connection information typically includes the name of the network the device needs to connect to and, in most cases, an associated password, which the gateway requires to authorize the connection. However, many current connected devices lack a keyboard or screen and therefore have no way to enter this connection information.Therefore, the user usually has to use a dedicated application installed on a more sophisticated communication terminal, for example a smartphone, in order to enter this information and transmit it to the communicating object.

[0005] As explained below, such operations can sometimes prove complex and unintuitive to implement for an inexperienced user, especially for the general public who are nevertheless the core target of these products.

[0006] Firstly, manually entering connection information on the user's communication terminal is often tedious and error-prone, which can lead to frustration for the user.

[0007] Secondly, even when this information has been correctly entered by the user in the dedicated application, its transmission from the communication terminal to the connected device can prove more complex than expected, requiring the user to perform certain configuration operations on their communication terminal and / or the gateway providing the Wi-Fi network. In such a situation, the user generally has no other option than to exit the application for adding a connected device to the network and navigate to the administration screens of the gateway and / or the system configuration screens of their communication terminal in order to modify, at least temporarily, the configuration of these devices while the pairing process is underway.

[0008] It goes without saying that such manipulations represent a complex and unintuitive process for most users. Not only is the user experience degraded, but there is also an increased risk that the user will make incorrect configuration choices for their communication terminal or gateway, potentially compromising its proper functioning.

[0009] Solutions have been developed to facilitate the pairing process of a Wi-Fi connected device to a Wi-Fi network (e.g., WPS for "Wi-Fi Protected Setup," "Easy Connect™," transmission of connection information via Bluetooth). However, all these existing solutions require a specific design for the Wi-Fi connected device (for example, the presence of additional communication interfaces besides the Wi-Fi interface, and / or support for communication protocols other than Wi-Fi) to ensure compatibility with the proposed pairing techniques. These solutions are therefore not universal and, moreover, increase the production costs of the connected devices that incorporate them.

[0010] Therefore, there is a need for a universal solution to simplify the user journey when adding a new WiFi communicating object to an existing WiFi network.

[0011] US patent 2021 / 329715 A1 relates to techniques for facilitating the connection of a smart household appliance (e.g., a washing machine) to a home wireless network, typically a Wi-Fi network, provided by an access point; a terminal runs a dedicated application to perform a Wi-Fi setup of the appliance. EP patent 3,468,244 A1 is situated in a context where multiple access points to wireless networks are available for a communication terminal to connect, and relates more specifically to a technique enabling the communication terminal to adapt its transmission power level depending on which access point it wishes to connect to from among the plurality of available access points. Summary of the invention

[0012] The present technique offers a solution to overcome certain drawbacks of the prior art. In one aspect, the present technique relates to a method for adding a communicating object to a wireless local area network provided by a gateway. This method is implemented within a dedicated application running on a communication terminal connected to the network via the gateway. This method comprises: the sending, to said gateway, of a request to obtain at least one connection information to said network; the receiving, from said gateway, of said at least one connection information to said network; the transmission, to said communicating object, of said at least one connection information to said network.

[0013] In this way, obtaining the connection information needed to connect the communicating device to the local wireless network is done automatically. This information is retrieved directly from the gateway upon request from the communication terminal. The user no longer needs to manually enter this information on their communication terminal, a tedious and error-prone process. Adding the communicating device to the wireless network is thus simplified, and the user experience is improved.

[0014] In a particular embodiment, the method includes, prior to said transmission, a step of sending, to said gateway, at least one request for implementation by said gateway of at least one operation among a frequency deactivation operation and a frequency scanning operation, said request including at least one frequency band information concerned by said operation.

[0015] In this way, the proposed technique allows, without leaving the application dedicated to adding a communicating object to the wireless communication network, the gateway to be requested to perform an operation designed to facilitate the transmission of connection information obtained by the communication terminal to the communicating object. Thus, the gateway is requested to implement a frequency deactivation and / or frequency scanning operation to promote the selection of a suitable frequency band for this transmission, either by deactivating frequency bands unsuitable for such transmission, or by transmitting information to the communication terminal enabling it to more easily detect the communicating object in a suitable frequency band.

[0016] According to a particular feature, said request to obtain at least one network connection information, said request to implement a frequency deactivation operation, and said request to implement a frequency scanning operation are respectively formatted in accordance with a first, a second, and a third application programming interface exposed by said gateway for the provision of corresponding services to said communication terminal.

[0017] In this way, the gateway's interaction with the communication terminal is controlled and secure. Only certain clearly defined services are offered and made available to third-party devices by the gateway, through corresponding application programming interfaces. Therefore, access to these services requires that these third-party devices be connected to the communication network provided by the gateway and that they understand the access procedures for these services, that is, the format or method for querying the gateway using appropriate requests to gain access.

[0018] In a particular embodiment, said transmission is implemented by broadcasting said connection information, and said method includes, prior to said transmission, the sending, to said gateway, of a request to deactivate at least a first frequency band at the level of said gateway, said deactivation causing an automatic switchover of said communication terminal to a communication mode using a second frequency band other than said at least a first frequency band deactivated at the level of said gateway, for said transmission by broadcast.

[0019] In this way, without leaving the application for adding a connected device, it is possible to automatically force the communication terminal to communicate in a frequency band supported by the connected device for transmitting connection information. This saves the user from having to make manual and risky modifications to the gateway configuration via often highly technical and obscure administration interfaces before such transmission. Adding the connected device to the wireless network is thus further simplified, and the user experience is further improved.

[0020] According to a particular feature of this embodiment, said request to disable at least one first frequency band is a request to disable at least one of the 5 GHz and 6 GHz frequency bands.

[0021] In this way, the frequency bands on which a communicating object is least likely to be able to communicate are deactivated, resulting in de facto a switch of the communication terminal into the 2.4 GHz frequency band, which is predominantly used by most of the communicating objects available on the market.

[0022] According to a particular feature of this embodiment, the method includes, after said transmission, the sending, to said gateway, of a request to reactivate, at the level of said gateway, said at least one first frequency band previously deactivated.

[0023] In this way, the initial configuration of the gateway is restored once the addition of the communicating object to the wireless communication network is finalized.

[0024] In another particular embodiment, said transmission of said connection information is implemented by means of a direct communication channel established between said communication terminal and said communicating object previously configured as an access point, and said method comprises, prior to said transmission: the sending, to said gateway, of a network scan request; the receiving, from said gateway, of a list of networks detected by said gateway during said network scan; the selection, within said list, of a network corresponding to the network associated with said communicating object configured as an access point; the establishment of said direct communication channel between said communication terminal and said communicating object, by connecting the communication terminal to said selected network.

[0025] This approach simplifies the identification of the wireless communication network provided by the connected device configured as an access point, and the connection of the communication terminal to this network is implemented directly from the dedicated application for adding a connected device to a wireless communication network, without the user needing to navigate through the native screens and system settings of the communication terminal. Adding the connected device to the wireless communication network is thus further simplified, and the user experience is further improved.

[0026] According to a particular feature of this embodiment, said network scan request includes frequency band information to be used for said network scan.

[0027] In this way, it is possible to limit the list of detected networks to those with a higher probability of corresponding to a network generated by a communicating device. This further facilitates the identification of the wireless communication network provided by the communicating device configured as an access point.

[0028] According to a particular feature of this embodiment, the method includes identifying, within said list of detected networks, at least one network whose name satisfies the criteria of a predetermined name mask stored in said dedicated application; and, when said identification delivers a unique result, automatically selecting said uniquely identified network.

[0029] In this way, the identification of the wireless communication network provided by the communicating device configured as an access point, and then the connection of the communication terminal to this network, can be carried out completely automatically and transparently for the user. Adding the communicating device to the wireless communication network is thus further simplified, and the user experience further improved.

[0030] According to a particular feature of this embodiment, the said list includes an indicative value of the power level in reception associated with each detected network.

[0031] In this way, the distance from a communicating object to the gateway can be estimated and used to further facilitate the identification of the wireless communication network provided by the communicating object configured as an access point.

[0032] According to a particular feature of this embodiment, the steps of sending a network scan request and receiving a list of networks in response to said scan request are implemented at least twice, and the method comprises: the display, between two iterations of said steps of sending a network scan request and receiving a list of networks in response to said scan request, of an invitation to move said communicating object away from or towards said gateway; the comparison, for each detected network, of the indicative values ​​of received power level obtained during each of said iterations; the automatic selection or highlighting within a graphical interface associated with said application, from among the list of detected networks, according to the result of said comparison, of a network having the highest probability of corresponding to the network provided by said communicating object configured as an access point.

[0033] In this way the indicative value of the power level in reception can be used as a doubt-removal mechanism, to facilitate the identification of the wireless communication network provided by the communicating object configured as an access point, simply by moving the communicating object closer to or further from the gateway.

[0034] According to another particular feature of this embodiment, the issuance of a network scan request and the reception of a list of networks in response to said scan request are implemented at least twice, and the method comprises: the display, between two iterations of said steps of sending a network scan request and receiving a list of networks in response to said scan request, of an invitation to switch said communicating object into access point configuration; the comparison of the lists of networks detected during each of said iterations; automatic selection or highlighting within a graphical interface associated with said application, from the list of detected networks, according to the result of said comparison, of a network having the highest probability of corresponding to the network provided by said communicating object configured as an access point.

[0035] In this way the configuration mode of the communicating object can also be used as a doubt-removal mechanism, to facilitate the identification of the wireless communication network provided by the communicating object configured as an access point, simply by switching the communicating object from a configuration mode in which it is not yet configured as an access point to a configuration mode in which it is configured as an access point.

[0036] In another respect, this technique also relates to a communication terminal for adding a communicating object to a wireless local area network provided by a gateway. Such a communication terminal includes: means of sending, to said gateway, a request to obtain at least one connection information to said network; means of receiving, from said gateway, said at least one connection information to said network; means of transmitting, to said communicating object, said at least one connection information to said network.

[0037] The means of said terminal can be adapted to the implementation of any of the embodiments of the process of this application.

[0038] According to yet another aspect, the present technique also relates to a gateway for providing a wireless local area network, said gateway comprising a set of application programming interfaces for providing at least one service to a communication terminal connected to said network via said gateway, upon request from said communication terminal, said requesting terminal, said set of application programming interfaces comprising: a first application programming interface for obtaining at least one connection information for said network, and for providing said connection information to said requesting terminal; a second application programming interface for disabling / reactivating at least one frequency band at said gateway; a third application programming interface for implementing a network scan and providing said requesting terminal with a list of networks detected during said network scan.

[0039] Thus, the gateway for the provision of a wireless communication network includes means that can be used by a communication terminal to simplify the addition of a communicating object to said network, without requiring specific design of the communicating object for the implementation of such a simplified addition.

[0040] According to another aspect, the proposed technique also relates to a computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or stored on a computer-readable medium and / or executable by a microprocessor, comprising program code instructions for executing a method of adding a communicating object to a wireless communication network as described above, when executed on a computer.

[0041] The proposed technique also aims at a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of the process as described above, in any of its embodiments.

[0042] Such a recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording means, for example a USB flash drive or a hard drive.

[0043] On the other hand, such a recording medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by radio, or by other means, so that the computer program it contains can be executed remotely. The program according to the invention can, in particular, be uploaded to a network, for example, the Internet.

[0044] The different embodiments mentioned above can be combined with each other for the implementation of the invention. Figures

[0045] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following description of a preferred embodiment, given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting example, and the accompanying drawings, among which: [ Fig 1 ] illustrates the general principle of a method for adding a communicating object to a wireless communication network, in a particular embodiment of the proposed technique; [ Fig 2 ] presents a sequence diagram of a particular embodiment of the process of adding a communicating object to a wireless communication network according to the proposed technique; [ Fig 3 ] presents a sequence diagram of another particular embodiment of the method for adding a communicating object to a wireless communication network according to the proposed technique; [ Fig 4] describes a simplified architecture of a communication terminal for implementing the proposed technique, in a particular embodiment; [ Fig 5 ] presents a simplified diagram of a gateway for providing a wireless communication network, in a particular embodiment of the proposed technique. Detailed description of the invention

[0046] This application addresses some of the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0047] The proposed technique aims in particular to simplify and make more robust the process of adding a communicating object to an existing wireless local area network provided by an electronic gateway device. Such an addition, which generally corresponds to the process enabling the very first connection of a communicating object to an existing wireless network, is sometimes also referred to as "pairing" between the communicating object and the gateway acting as an access point to the wireless network.

[0048] In this document, the proposed technique is primarily presented in the context of adding a Wi-Fi communicating device to an existing Wi-Fi network, i.e., using communication protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. It is understood that this example is purely illustrative and not limiting, and represents a particular embodiment of the proposed technique. In other words, this technique can also be implemented for adding a communicating device to a wireless network based on wireless communication protocols other than those conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0049] As detailed below, the present technique is particularly advantageous compared to prior art solutions in several respects. Firstly, it limits the number of entries the user must make to add a new communicating object to an existing wireless network (e.g., a Wi-Fi network), thus reducing de factoThe risk of error during such data entry is reduced. Secondly, it offers the possibility of completing the entire process of adding a communicating device to an existing wireless network (for example, a Wi-Fi network) within a single dedicated application running on a communication terminal. More specifically, this technique significantly simplifies the user experience, eliminating the need for users to leave the dedicated application and navigate through complex administration or system screens to modify the configuration of their communication terminal and / or gateway, with all the associated risks.Thirdly, the proposed technique does not require any modification or specific design of the communicating objects: it is compatible with any type of communicating objects conforming to the wireless communication protocol on which the wireless network concerned is based (and in particular, for example, with WiFi communicating objects conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard, within the framework of the implementation of the method for adding a WiFi communicating object to a WiFi network), including those already on the market.

[0050] For the purposes of this document, a "communicating object" is defined as an electronic device comprising at least one communication interface that enables it to connect to a communication network, such as a local area network or the Internet, via a predetermined set of wireless communication protocols. For example, a "WiFi communicating object" is defined as an electronic device comprising at least one WiFi interface that enables it to connect to a communication network via a set of wireless communication protocols according to the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0051] In all figures in this document, identical elements and steps are designated by the same numerical reference.

[0052] From one perspective, the present technique relates to a method of adding a communicating object to a wireless local area network. The general principle of such a method is illustrated in relation to the figure 1 , This illustrates the process of adding a Wi-Fi connected device to a Wi-Fi network. The Wi-Fi network (RES) to which a user wishes to add a connected device (OC) is provided by a gateway (GW), which acts as an access point to this RES. The method, according to the proposed technique, is implemented by a communication terminal (TC) comprising a Wi-Fi interface and connected to the RES. This communication terminal (TC) also includes a screen and input capabilities, and can take the form of, for example, a smartphone, tablet, computer, etc. More specifically, the method is implemented via an application application (APP) running on the communication terminal (TC). This APP includes at least one module dedicated to adding a new Wi-Fi connected device to a wireless local area network.The dedicated application (APP) is, for example, an application pre-installed on the communication terminal (TC), or available for download or on a storage medium to allow its installation on the TC. It is made available to users, for example, by a manufacturer of communicating devices or by a service provider. As described below, all the steps of the process of adding a communicating device to a wireless communication network according to this technique are implemented by this dedicated application (in other words, with the proposed technique, the entire process of adding a communicating device to a wireless network is carried out within this application, without the user needing to perform any actions on the TC outside of this application).

[0053] In step 101, the communication terminal TC sends a request to the gateway GW to obtain at least one connection information to the WiFi network RES provided by the gateway GW.

[0054] In step 102, in response to the request issued in step 101, the communication terminal TC receives from the gateway GW sufficient connection information to allow a device with a WiFi interface and this connection information to connect to the RES network provided by the gateway GW. Such connection information includes at least one identifier of the RES network, typically in the form of an SSID (from the English " Service Set Identifier » , which corresponds to the name of the wireless network), and usually an associated password.

[0055] In step 103, the communication terminal TC transmits this connection information to the communicating object OC, thus enabling the communicating object OC to establish a CNX connection to the RES Wi-Fi network via the GW gateway. Optionally, once this connection is established, the communicating object OC can send an ACK message confirming the success of this connection to the TC's APP application.

[0056] Thus, the proposed technique saves the user the tedious manual entry of connection information to the WiFi RES network on the TC communication terminal, this information being retrieved directly from the GW gateway by the TC communication terminal already connected to the WiFi RES network, for example by means of a first application programming interface (or API, for " Application Programming Interface(in Anglo-Saxon terminology) provided for this purpose at the GW gateway level. There is therefore no longer any risk of user error in entering this information, and adding the OC communicating object to the WiFi RES network is simplified.

[0057] Step 103, transmitting the connection information obtained in step 102 to the communicating object (OC), can be implemented using various techniques commonly employed for this purpose, for example: by general broadcast (i.e., in "broadcast" mode) or grouped broadcast (i.e., in "multicast" mode) implemented via the WiFi interface of the communication terminal (WiFi pairing in a mode commonly referred to as "EZ mode", abbreviation of the English word " easymeaning "easy", and describing a mode in which it is not necessary to establish a point-to-point communication channel between the communication terminal and the communicating object, the communicating object within broadcast range itself intercepting the data broadcast by the communication terminal); via a WiFi communication channel established directly with the WiFi communicating object previously configured as a WiFi access point (WiFi pairing in a mode commonly referred to as "AP mode", from the English " Access Point » ,and describing a mode in which the communicating object broadcasts its own wireless network for which it acts as an access point and to which the communication terminal connects directly to allow subsequent data transmission between these two devices); possibly by other means, via other communication protocols than WiFi, for example via a Bluetooth or NFC link, when both the communicating object and the communication terminal allow it.

[0058] On these aspects, and as described below in relation to the figures 2 And 3, the present technique also offers, in addition to the automated and facilitated retrieval of connection information described above, complementary mechanisms aimed at simplifying and making more robust the transmission of this information from the communication terminal TC to the communicating object OC, in particular when this transmission is implemented by means of the WiFi interfaces of these equipment (i.e. in EZ and AP mode).

[0059] As detailed below, these mechanisms share a common feature: a request from the communication terminal (TC), for example via dedicated application programming interfaces exposed (i.e., made available) by the gateway (GW), to implement at least one operation at the gateway level to optimize the transmission of connection information from the TC to the communicating object (OC) (for example, by favoring the selection of a suitable frequency band for this transmission). Depending on the implementation, such an operation may take the form of disabling certain frequencies at the gateway level, or performing a network scan on certain frequencies by the gateway. First embodiment - EZ mode transmission

[0060] We first describe, in relation to the figure 2 , A particular embodiment of the method according to this technique, in which step 103 of transmitting the connection information to the WiFi network RES from the communication terminal TC to the communicating object OC is implemented by general (i.e., in "broadcast" mode) or grouped (i.e., in "multicast" mode) broadcasting of said connection information, via the WiFi interface of the communication terminal TC (in the case of EZ mode transmission). Steps 101 and 102 of obtaining the connection information remain identical to those already described in relation to the figure 1 .

[0061] In this particular embodiment, before broadcasting the connection information, the communication terminal sends, in a step 201, a request to deactivate at least one first WiFi frequency band at the GW gateway (thus using, for example, a second application programming interface provided for this purpose at the GW gateway).

[0062] As described in more detail later, issuing such a request is particularly ingenious because it allows, without user intervention and without leaving the application running on the communication terminal (TC), the TC (most often multi-band) to automatically switch to a communication mode based on the use of a second WiFi frequency band different from the at least one first WiFi frequency band disabled at the gateway (GW). In this way, it is possible, without leaving the application, to force the communication terminal to transmit in a given WiFi frequency band (i.e., the second frequency band) for the general or group broadcast transmission of the connection information performed in step 103, and more specifically in the WiFi frequency band used by the communicating object (OC).This spares the user the laborious and unintuitive manipulations, generally required by prior art solutions, of manually modifying the gateway configuration via administration interfaces that are often very technical and abstruse for the general public. These manipulations consist, for example, of having to manually modify certain parameters of the gateway in order to cut off the frequency bands not supported by the communicating object, or in order to dissociate the frequency bands in which the gateway operates so that the latter broadcasts a different network name (SSID) for each of the supported frequency bands and so that the user can subsequently connect his communication terminal to the appropriate network (i.e. the one operating on a frequency band supported by the communicating object).

[0063] As an illustrative and non-limiting example, it can be noted that most current gateways support both the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi frequency band and at least one of the 5 GHz and 6 GHz Wi-Fi frequency bands. Therefore, according to a specific feature of this technique, a request to disable at least one frequency band is a request to disable the 5 GHz and / or 6 GHz frequency bands at the gateway level. Once this request is processed, the gateway transmits only in the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi frequency band.This automatically switches the communication terminal (TC) to a communication mode using the 2.4 GHz WiFi second frequency band, without requiring any user intervention or leaving the dedicated app for adding a WiFi device. This switchover utilizes standard mechanisms for maintaining the WiFi connection between the communication terminal and the gateway. In other words, the TC, detecting that its connection to the WiFi network (RES) is no longer possible on the primary 5 GHz and / or 6 GHz WiFi frequency bands, is forced to communicate on the 2.4 GHz WiFi second frequency band, which is precisely the frequency band most commonly used by the majority of connected devices on the market. Furthermore, this switchover is completely transparent to the user, according to the proposed technique.

[0064] Thus, without user intervention and without leaving the dedicated app, the communication terminal automatically switches to a Wi-Fi transmission mode that is highly likely to be compatible with the Wi-Fi listening mode used by the communicating device to receive connection information. Adding a communicating device to a Wi-Fi network in EZ mode is therefore made even simpler and more robust.

[0065] According to a particular characteristic, once the connection information has been transmitted to the communicating object OC, the communication terminal TC sends to the gateway GW, in a step 203, a request to reactivate, at the level of said gateway, the first frequency bands previously deactivated.

[0066] Alternatively, the deactivation of the first frequency bands at the GW gateway, upon receipt by the GW gateway of the deactivation request issued in step 201, is associated with a time delay. In this case, the reactivation, by the GW gateway, of the first previously deactivated frequency bands is then automatic after a predetermined time corresponding to said time delay (for example, on the order of a few tens of seconds, e.g., thirty seconds), without the need for step 203 of issuing a reactivation request.

[0067] According to a particular feature, the transmission by the communication terminal TC of a request to deactivate at least one first frequency band at step 201 (respectively of reactivation of at least one first frequency band at step 203) is optionally followed by the reception from the gateway GW of a confirmation message of said deactivation, in a step 202 (respectively of confirmation of said reactivation, in a step 204). Second embodiment – ​​AP mode transmission

[0068] We now describe, in relation to the figure 3 , Another particular embodiment of the method according to this technique, in which step 103 of transmitting the connection information to the WiFi network RES from the communication terminal TC to the communicating object OC is implemented by means of a direct WiFi communication channel established between the communication terminal TC and the WiFi communicating object previously configured as a WiFi access point (in the case of AP mode transmission). Steps 101 and 102 of obtaining the connection information remain identical to those already described in relation to the figure 1 .

[0069] In this particular embodiment, before transmitting the connection information, the communication terminal sends, in a step 301, a network scan request to the GW gateway (thus using, for example, a third application programming interface provided for this purpose at the GW gateway).

[0070] In response to this request, the communication terminal (TC) receives, from the gateway (GW), in step 302, a list of Wi-Fi networks detected by the gateway (GW) during the network scan. Since the communicating object (OC) has been previously configured as a Wi-Fi access point, the received list normally includes at least one entry corresponding to the Wi-Fi network associated with said communicating object (OC), including at least the name (i.e., the SSID) of said network (provided that the communicating object (OC) is not too far from the gateway (GW).

[0071] Within the framework of this technique, such a list can be exploited in different ways.

[0072] In one particular embodiment, the list received by the communication terminal (TC) is displayed in its entirety within a graphical interface generated by the application (APP), in a format that allows the user of the communication terminal to navigate through the displayed list and select an item. In this way, the user has access, without leaving the application (APP), to the list of Wi-Fi networks detected near the gateway (GW) (and therefore near the communication terminal (TC), including the Wi-Fi network created by the communicating object (OC) as an access point. The displayed list includes, for example, the name (SSID) of the various wireless networks detected by the gateway (GW) during the network scan.

[0073] In other embodiments, mechanisms are provided to allow filtering of the list received in step 302, in order either to limit the number of networks offered to the user as likely to correspond to the WiFi network generated by the communicating object OC and displayed as such within a graphical interface generated by the application APP, or to operate an automatic selection by the application APP (i.e. without user intervention) of the network considered to have the greatest probability of corresponding to the WiFi network generated by the communicating object OC.

[0074] According to a particular feature, to limit the list of detected networks to WiFi networks with a higher probability of corresponding to a WiFi network generated by a communicating object, the request issued at step 301 may include a parameter specifying a WiFi frequency band to be used for said scan, typically the 2.4 GHz frequency band predominantly used by communicating objects currently available on the market.

[0075] Alternatively, it is also possible to filter the list of detected networks based on their names (SSIDs). Indeed, it is common for the name of a network associated with a connected device to follow a specific, known format, which can be pre-recorded in the application, for example, as a name mask. For instance, a portion of the name of a network associated with a connected device (often the first part of the name) typically includes the name of the device's manufacturer and / or the device's model name. According to a specific feature of the proposed technique, the application then implements a step to identify, within the list of detected Wi-Fi networks, at least one Wi-Fi network whose name meets the criteria of a predetermined name mask stored in the application, thus performing an initial filtering.If the filtered list contains multiple elements, it is displayed, for example, in a graphical interface generated by the application (APP), allowing the user of the communication terminal to navigate the list and select an element. However, if the filtered list contains only one element—in other words, when the identification step yields a single result—it is not necessary to display this element in the application's graphical interface. Indeed, the uniquely identified network most likely corresponds to the network associated with the communicating object (OC), and it can be automatically selected by the application without user intervention. Although not required, the single result can still be displayed in the application's graphical interface.

[0076] In any case, whether automatically or following a user selection via a dedicated graphical interface of the APP application, the communication terminal, in step 303, selects, from the list received in step 302, a network corresponding to the network associated with the communicating object OC configured as a WiFi access point.

[0077] Once the Wi-Fi network of the communicating object (OC) is identified and selected using the application, a step 304 connects the communication terminal (TC) to this network, thus establishing a direct Wi-Fi communication channel between the TC and the OC (i.e., via the connection of the TC to the Wi-Fi network created by the OC). It is worth noting that step 304 is performed without the user needing to exit the application. Specifically, it is proposed to leverage the capability offered by current mobile device operating systems to allow an application to initiate a connection of the communication terminal to a Wi-Fi network, provided that the application has access to the Wi-Fi network name (i.e., the TC's name).its SSID) in question (which is the case here for the APP application, thanks to the prior implementation of steps 301 and 302). By requiring the GW gateway to handle the network scan itself, this technique cleverly circumvents the restriction, also imposed by current mobile communication terminal operating systems, that an application is not allowed to perform a network scan on its own to detect the various WiFi networks available nearby.In other words, this approach advantageously utilizes the results of a network scan performed at the gateway (GW) and "pushed" to the communication terminal's (TC) application (APP), rather than the results of a network scan performed by the TC itself. The latter would have required the user to leave the APP (or at least run it in the background) to navigate the terminal's native screens and system settings, making the user experience particularly complex and far less intuitive. With this technique, the user is only prompted to confirm a very limited number of messages (and possibly enter a password associated with the Wi-Fi network generated by the OC, if such a password is required) that are automatically displayed by the system directly within the APP.The user journey is thus perfectly framed, and the user does not have to navigate freely on their own through native system screens to try to discover for themselves the configuration parameters to modify (thus avoiding the risks of getting lost while navigating these screens and / or modifying the wrong configuration parameters).

[0078] According to a particular feature, the list of WiFi networks received by the TC communication terminal at step 302 includes, for each detected network present in said list, in addition to the SSID, an indicative value of a receive power level (RSSI, or " Received Signal Strength Indicator »(in English) associated with the network, at the gateway level. This value is useful because it allows the user to estimate, to some extent, the distance from the gateway to the device emitting the received Wi-Fi signal (at least relatively, by comparing the RSSI values ​​associated with each detected Wi-Fi network). This data can be used, in particular, to facilitate the identification of the Wi-Fi network associated with the communicating device that the user wishes to add to their local network. For example, this data can be used to sort the list of detected networks when displaying this list within a graphical interface of the application (e.g., by ascending or descending RSSI).

[0079] According to a particular feature, the sequence of sending a network scan request 301 and receiving a response 302 including a list of Wifi networks with associated RSSI is implemented multiple times (i.e. at least twice), and a message prompting the user to move the WiFi OC communicating object they wish to add to their network away from or towards the GW gateway is displayed in the APP application between each sequence.In this way, by comparing, for each detected Wifi network, the indicative values ​​of reception power level obtained during several successive iterations of the aforementioned sequences, it is possible for the APP application to identify the WiFi networks associated with equipment whose position seems to have varied between two sequences, and thus automatically select, or at least highlight, from the list of detected networks, according to the result of said comparison, the WiFi network with the highest probability of corresponding to the WiFi network provided by the communicating object OC (doubt relief mechanism).

[0080] In a complementary or alternative manner, according to a relatively similar principle, the sequence of sending a network scan request 301 and receiving a response 302 including a list of Wifi networks is implemented at least twice, and a message prompting the user to switch the WiFi communicating object they wish to add to their network from a state where it is not configured as a WiFi access point to a state where it is configured as a WiFi access point is displayed in the APP application between two sequences.In this way, by comparing, for each detected Wifi network, the lists of networks detected during several successive iterations of the aforementioned sequences, it is possible for the APP application to identify the WiFi networks not detected during a first sequence but detected during a subsequent sequence, and thus automatically select, or at least highlight, from the list of detected networks, according to the result of said comparison, the WiFi network with the highest probability of corresponding to the WiFi network provided by the communicating object OC (another mechanism for removing doubt). Devices

[0081] In another aspect, the proposed technique also relates to a communication terminal capable of performing the method described above in any of its embodiments, for the simplified addition of a WiFi communicating object to a wireless local area network (WLAN) provided by a gateway. More specifically, the communication terminal according to this technique comprises: means of sending, to said gateway, a request to obtain at least one connection information to said network; means of receiving, from said gateway, said at least one connection information to said network; means of transmitting, to said WiFi communicating object, said at least one connection information to said network.

[0082] There figure 4This schematically and simply represents the structure of such a communication terminal in a particular embodiment. The communication terminal according to the proposed technique comprises, for example, a memory 41 consisting of a buffer memory M, a processing unit 42, equipped, for example, with a microprocessor µP, and controlled by the computer program Pg 43, implementing steps of the method for adding a communicating object to a wireless local area network according to at least one embodiment of the invention. To this end, the communication terminal also comprises at least one communication interface (for example, a Wi-Fi communication interface), enabling it to connect to a wireless local area network (for example, a Wi-Fi network) provided by a gateway-type device or by a communicating object.

[0083] At initialization, the code instructions of the computer program 43 are loaded into the buffer memory before being executed by the processor of the processing unit 42. The processing unit 42 receives as input E, for example, signals delivered in response to actions of a user on an application dedicated to adding communicating objects to a WiFi network, executed by the communication terminal.

[0084] The microprocessor of the processing unit 42 then performs the steps of the addition process, according to the instructions of the computer program 43. More specifically, based on the signals received at input E, the processing unit 42 sends one or more requests to a gateway providing a wireless local area network to which the communication terminal is connected, according to a predefined format consistent with the application programming interfaces exposed by said gateway. The responses to these requests are then processed by the processing unit 42, resulting in the transmission of connection information at output S to a communicating object, allowing the latter to subsequently establish a wireless connection to said network.

[0085] From another perspective, the proposed technique also relates to a GW gateway as schematically illustrated in relation to the figure 5 , In a particular embodiment, such a gateway (GW) includes at least one communication interface enabling it to generate a wireless local area network (for example, a Wi-Fi communication interface enabling it to generate a Wi-Fi network), and a set of application programming interfaces enabling the provision of services to communication terminals upon request. More specifically, the gateway according to this technique includes at least one first application programming interface (API1) which obtains, upon request from a communication terminal (called the requesting terminal) connected to the wireless network (for example, the Wi-Fi network) created by said gateway, at least one connection information enabling it to establish a connection to said network, and which returns to the requesting terminal a response including said at least one connection information.

[0086] In a particular embodiment of this technique, the GW gateway may also optionally include, in a complementary manner: a second application programming interface API2 which implements, upon request from a communication terminal connected to said gateway, the deactivation or reactivation at the level of said gateway of at least one frequency band (the frequency band to be deactivated or reactivated being, for example, identified in the request); and / or a third application programming interface API3 which implements, upon request from a communication terminal (called requesting terminal) connected to said gateway, at the level of said gateway, a network scan to detect wireless networks (for example, WiFi networks), and which returns to said requesting terminal a response including the list of networks detected in the vicinity of said gateway (for example, in the form of a list of SSIDs) and possibly, optionally, for each detected WiFi network, an indicative value of a receive power level (RSSI) associated with said network.

[0087] As detailed in relation to the various specific embodiments presented, the implementation within a gateway of application programming interfaces such as those described above enables, at the level of a communication terminal connected to said gateway, the implementation of a method for adding a communicating object to a wireless local area network (for example, a Wi-Fi network), which offers numerous advantages over existing solutions. The features presented in the different embodiments described can be combined without departing from the scope of this technique; the embodiment relating to AP mode transmission can, for example, be implemented after the one relating to EZ mode transaction, as a fallback solution if the communicating object fails, for any reason, to connect to the wireless communication network provided by the gateway after implementation of the first embodiment.

Claims

1. Method for adding a communicating object (OC) to a wireless local communication network (RES) provided by a gateway (GW), said method being implemented within a dedicated application (APP) executed on a communication terminal (TC) connected to said network via said gateway, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - sending (101), to said gateway, a request to obtain at least one piece of connection information regarding connection to said network; - receiving (102), from said gateway, said at least one piece of connection information regarding connection to said network; - transmitting (103), to said communicating object, said at least one piece of connection information regarding connection to said network.

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, prior to said transmission (103), a step of sending, to said gateway, at least one request for implementation by said gateway of at least one among a frequency-deactivating operation and a frequency-scanning operation, said request comprising at least one piece of frequency-band information regarding frequency band.

3. Method according to Claim 2, characterized in that said request to obtain at least one piece of information regarding connection to the network, said request for implementation of a frequency-deactivating operation, and said request for implementation of a frequency-scanning operation are formatted in accordance with a first, a second and a third application programming interface advertised by said gateway as providing corresponding services to said communication terminal, respectively.

4. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that said transmission (103) is implemented by broadcasting said pieces of connection information, and in that said method comprises, prior to said transmission, a step of sending (201), to said gateway, a request to deactivate at least one first frequency band in said gateway, said deactivation resulting in said communication terminal automatically switching to a communication mode using a second frequency band other than said at least one first frequency band deactivated in said gateway, with a view to said broadcast transmission.

5. Method according to Claim 4, characterized in that said request to deactivate at least one first frequency band is a request to deactivate at least one among the 5 GHz and 6 GHz frequency bands.

6. Method according to Claim 4, characterized in that it comprises, after said transmission, a step of sending (203), to said gateway, a request to reactivate, in said gateway, said at least one first frequency band deactivated previously.

7. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that said transmission (103) of said pieces of connection information is implemented by means of a direct communication channel set up between said communication terminal and said communicating object configured beforehand as an access point, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps, implemented prior to said transmission (103): - sending (301), to said gateway, a request for a network scan; - receiving (302), from said gateway, a list of networks detected by said gateway during said network scan; - selecting (303), from said list, a network corresponding to the network associated with said communicating object configured as an access point; - setting up (304) said direct communication channel between said communication terminal and said communicating object, by connecting the communication terminal to said selected network.

8. Method according to Claim 7, characterized in that said request for a network scan contains frequency-band information on the frequency band to be used for said network scan.

9. Method according to Claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a step of identifying, within said list of detected networks, at least one network the name of which meets the criteria of a predetermined name mask stored in said dedicated application; and, when said identifying step delivers a single result, said selecting step comprises automatically selecting said singly identified network.

10. Method according to Claim 7, characterized in that said list contains a value indicative of reception power level associated with each detected network.

11. Method according to Claim 10, characterized in that said steps of sending (301) a request for a network scan and receiving (302) a list of networks in response to said scan request are implemented at least twice, and in that the method comprises the following steps: - displaying, between two iterations of said steps of sending a request for a network scan and of receiving a list of networks in response to said scan request, an invitation to move said communicating object further away from or nearer to said gateway; - comparing, for each detected network, the values indicative of reception power level obtained in each of said iterations; - automatically selecting or highlighting within a graphical interface associated with said application, in the list of detected networks, depending on the result of said comparison, a network having the highest probability of corresponding to the network provided by said communicating object configured as an access point.

12. Method according to Claim 7, characterized in that said steps of sending (301) a request for a network scan and receiving (302) a list of networks in response to said scan request are implemented at least twice, and in that the method comprises the following steps: - displaying, between two iterations of said steps of sending a request for a network scan and of receiving a list of networks in response to said scan request, an invitation to switch said communicating object to an access-point configuration; - comparing the lists of networks detected in each of said iterations; - automatically selecting or highlighting within a graphical interface associated with said application, in the list of detected networks, depending on the result of said comparison, a network having the highest probability of corresponding to the network provided by said communicating object configured as an access point.

13. Communication terminal for implementing an addition of a communicating object to a wireless local network provided by a gateway, said communication terminal being characterized in that it comprises: - means for sending, to said gateway, a request to obtain at least one piece of connection information regarding connection to said network; - means for receiving, from said gateway, said at least one piece of connection information regarding connection to said network; - means for transmitting, to said communicating object, said at least one piece of connection information regarding connection to said network.

14. Gateway (GW) for providing a wireless local network (RES), said gateway being characterized in that it comprises a set of application programming interfaces for providing at least one service to a communication terminal connected to said network via said gateway, on request by said communication terminal, then called the requesting terminal, said set of application programming interfaces comprising: - a first application programming interface (API1) for obtaining at least one piece of connection information regarding connection to said network (RES), and for providing said pieces of connection information to said requesting terminal; - a second application programming interface (API2) for deactivating / reactivating at least one frequency band in said gateway; - a third application programming interface (API3) for implementing a network scan and for providing to said requesting terminal a list of networks detected during said network scan.

15. Computer program downloadable from a communication network and / or stored on a medium that is readable by computer and / or executable by a microprocessor, characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for executing a method according to any of Claims 1 to 12, when it is executed by a processor of a communication terminal.