Smart Device Wi-Fi Onboarding via Automatic App Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of smart devices from different manufacturers face the inconvenience of needing to download and install multiple device management applications to configure network connections, which is cumbersome and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A control terminal automatically determines the appropriate device management application for a smart device by interacting with the device and a cloud server, simplifying the network configuration process by guiding the user to download and install the necessary application without manual search.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users manually search for and download device management applications for each smart device, then the network configuration can be completed, but the operation process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork configuration operationVSAvoidtime for downloading and installing multiple applications
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control terminal automatically determines the device management application needed for network configuration based on device information, eliminating the need for users to manually search and download applications. The system serves itself by automatically identifying and launching the appropriate application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The control terminal pre-establishes a correspondence relationship between device types and their management applications. When a smart device needs network configuration, the terminal automatically queries this pre-established correspondence to determine the required application, avoiding the need for real-time manual search.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the control terminal automatically determines the device management application, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional interaction with cloud servers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic application determinationVSAvoidcontrol terminal complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A cloud server is introduced as an intermediary between the control terminal and the device management applications. The cloud server stores device information and manages the correspondence relationships, allowing the control terminal to automatically determine applications without containing complex determination logic locally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The control terminal is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple types of smart devices through a unified automatic determination mechanism. The terminal can serve different device types by querying the cloud server for appropriate applications, making the terminal itself more versatile without significantly increasing its inherent complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple device management applications from different manufacturers are installed, then network configuration for various devices is supported, but the quantity of applications to manage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport for multiple device manufacturersVSAvoidnumber of device management applications
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the network configuration task into two parts: the control terminal handles the automatic determination and launch of applications, while the actual device management is performed by the specialized manufacturer-specific applications. This segmentation allows versatility without requiring the terminal to manage multiple applications simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control terminal receives device information from the smart device and uses this feedback to automatically determine the appropriate management application. This feedback mechanism ensures that the correct application is selected based on the specific device type and manufacturer, maintaining versatility while reducing the number of applications the user needs to manually manage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4080941B1Method for guiding intelligent device to access network, and medium and control terminal
Publication Date: 2026.03.11 PETAL CLOUD TECH CO LTD
  • EP4080941B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4080941B1 patent drawingFigure 3A
  • EP4080941B1 patent drawingFigure 3B

AI summary

This application relates to a method for guiding a smart device to connect to a wireless network. In the method, a control terminal may communicate with a smart device through a Wi-Fi protocol. The method includes: The smart device sends a device ID and a cloud service address that are of the smart device to the control terminal. The control terminal obtains, from a corresponding cloud server based on the received device ID and the cloud service address, network configuration information required by the smart device to connect to a wireless network, determines, based on the network configuration information, a management application that is of the smart device of the smart device and that is provided by a manufacturer, and then downloads the management application. After the download is complete, the control terminal sends the obtained network configuration information to the management application. The management application can use the network configuration information to guide the smart device to connect to a wireless network. This application provides a general method for guiding network configuration of a device, so that a management application of a smart device is automatically obtained, and a network configuration operation of the smart device is simplified.