Accountless Device Control via Shadow Accounts

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Solution Overview

Problem

The setup of smart-home devices often requires multiple points of user interaction, including account creation and registration, which can be cumbersome and frustrating, especially for hands-free control scenarios where minimal user input is desired.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of an accountless device control system that uses user consent to facilitate a frustration-free setup process, where a graphical user interface requests consent for a voice-enabled device to perform setup tasks, generating pre-registration data and utilizing network access credentials to enable smart devices to connect to the internet and associate with a skill-enabled system without the need for explicit user account creation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional account creation and registration process is used for smart-home device setup, then device security and user identification are ensured, but user interaction complexity and setup time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice securityVSAvoidsetup process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically creating user accounts and associating devices with accounts during the device acquisition process, before the user actually needs to use the device. This includes receiving account identifier data during acquisition, generating pre-registration data, and pre-associating the device with a user account, thereby eliminating the need for separate account creation and registration steps later.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by automatically performing account creation, device registration, and account association without requiring direct user intervention. The smart-device system autonomously receives requests, generates account data, creates user accounts, and completes the binding process between devices and accounts, allowing the device to service itself through automated workflows.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If multiple user interaction points are required for device setup, then proper account association and device registration are achieved, but hands-free control capability is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccount associationVSAvoidhands-free control

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs account association and device registration as preliminary actions during the automated acquisition process, so that by the time the user wants to use hands-free control, the device is already fully registered and associated with a user account. This preliminary setup enables subsequent hands-free operation without requiring additional user interactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary automated provisioning process that mediates between device acquisition and hands-free usage. This intermediary process automatically handles account creation, device registration, and association, serving as a bridge that enables hands-free control by preparing all necessary account and device linkages in advance without requiring user presence or interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If manual account creation is required during device setup, then user data security and proper authentication are maintained, but setup time and user frustration increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidsetup time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs account creation and authentication setup as preliminary automated actions during device acquisition. Account identifier data is received and processed automatically, user accounts are created in advance, and devices are pre-associated with these accounts, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual account creation and authentication setup when the user actually needs to use the device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service authentication by automatically generating secure credentials, creating authenticated user accounts, and binding devices to these accounts without requiring manual user input. The automated system handles authentication security protocols, credential generation, and account binding autonomously, maintaining security while eliminating time loss associated with manual setup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12166766B1Merging accounts associated with computing devices

Publication Date: 2024.12.10 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for accountless device control are disclosed. For example, a smart device may be acquired and plugged in for use. The smart device may gain network connectivity and a system associated with the smart device may request enablement of an application for use with the smart device from another system, such as a system associated with a voice-enabled device. The other system may generate and send user identifier data, and the system associated with the smart device may generate a shadow account in association with the user identifier data. The application may be enabled in association with the shadow account, and access credentials may be exchanged to securely send and receive information associated with operation of the access device.