Device Pairing via Synchronized Cue Signal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing device pairing methods are cumbersome and time-consuming, often requiring users to navigate through long lists of results or complicated interfaces to connect multiple devices for tasks like screen sharing, file sharing, and remote control, especially when multiple devices are available for communication.
Innovation Solution
A device pairing service that uses a cue signal, such as a digital voice input, to match with a pre-determined signal, enabling devices to broadcast identifiers and initiate pairing with a listening window, allowing for automatic or user-assisted disambiguation to connect devices quickly and efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional device pairing methods are used (broadcasting requests and receiving acknowledgments), then devices can be connected, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming when multiple devices are available
Solution Approach 1:
Devices pre-generate and store unique challenge responses before pairing is needed. When pairing is initiated, these pre-computed values are immediately exchanged and verified, eliminating the need for time-consuming real-time computation or manual navigation through device lists during the pairing process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual pairing operations (users navigating through lists and interfaces) with automated cryptographic verification. The mechanical interaction of users selecting devices from lists is substituted by automatic challenge-response verification using pre-generated cryptographic values, significantly reducing both time and operational complexity
2Speed
If devices broadcast identifiers continuously to enable quick pairing, then pairing speed improves, but energy consumption and network traffic increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous broadcasting, the system uses periodic, event-triggered communication. Devices only transmit their challenge responses when a pairing request is received, and only exchange cryptographic values during the brief pairing window. This transforms continuous energy-consuming broadcasts into sporadic, on-demand transmissions
Solution Approach 2:
Each device independently generates and stores its own challenge responses, eliminating the need for centralized coordination or continuous announcement broadcasts. Devices serve themselves by having ready-to-use pairing credentials, reducing both energy consumption and network traffic while maintaining fast pairing capability
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method for pairing devices in a communication network using a cue signal may include receiving by a first computing device in a communication network, a cue signal. The cue signal is matched with a pre-determined cue signal. A listening window can be opened upon successful matching of the received cue signal with a pre-determined signal. A device identifier broadcast associated with a second computing device within the communication network may be detected during the listening window. The device identifier may be broadcast in response to the cue signal. Pairing may be initiated with the second computing device. The listening window may be of a fixed duration, and the device identifier may be detected prior to expiration of the fixed duration.