Acquiring Authority for Electricity-Consuming Devices

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Users face inconvenience when they forget passwords for household appliances controlled by terminal devices, as other devices cannot communicate with them without the password, leading to inaccessible control.

Innovation Solution

A method and device for acquiring using authority, where a first terminal device establishes communication with an electricity-consuming device using wireless technologies like Bluetooth, WIFI, or Zigbee, allowing the accessing message to be saved and shared with other terminal devices without manual input or password authentication, enabling flexible and convenient access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual password input is required for terminal device communication, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates when users forget passwords

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication securityVSAvoidaccess convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a first terminal device as an intermediary that stores the accessing message and automatically transmits it to a second terminal device. This mediator eliminates the need for manual password input while maintaining secure access, as the intermediary device handles the authentication credentials and facilitates communication between terminals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The accessing message is pre-configured and stored in the first terminal device before actual communication needs arise. This preliminary setup allows the second terminal device to automatically obtain the accessing message without requiring users to manually input or remember passwords at the moment of access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If password authentication is required for establishing communication, then security is improved, but device complexity increases due to authentication mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidcommunication setup complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the authentication mechanism from the communication establishment process. Instead of requiring password authentication during communication setup between the second terminal device and electricity-consuming device, the accessing message is obtained from the first terminal device, separating the authentication credential storage from the communication process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If accessing message is stored in first terminal device, then ease of operation is improved for other devices, but information security risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess message acquisitionVSAvoidinformation security risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The first terminal device acts as a controlled intermediary that selectively provides accessing messages to authorized second terminal devices. This intermediary approach enables easy access for legitimate users while maintaining security through controlled information distribution, as the intermediary can verify recipient authorization before transmitting sensitive credentials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3133851B1Method and device for acquiring using authority
Publication Date: 2021.09.01 XIAOMI INC
  • EP3133851B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3133851B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3133851B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a method and a device for acquiring a using authority. The method includes: acquiring an accessing message sending instruction including a service set identifier (SSID) and a password of an electricity-consuming device 3; and sending the accessing message of the electricity-consuming device to a second terminal device 2 in accordance with the accessing message sending instruction, in which the accessing message is used to establish a communication between the second terminal device and the electricity-consuming device.