Smart Home Cellular Access via Terminal-Assisted Base Station Login

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Solution Overview

Problem

Smart home devices struggle with unstable Wi-Fi connections, which fail to meet high time delay and reliability requirements for communication, necessitating a more reliable network access method.

Innovation Solution

A method where a smart home device establishes a short-distance wireless connection with a terminal, sends access requirement information, and initiates a random access to a cellular mobile network based on information provided by the terminal, enabling communication via cellular mobile communication mode.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If smart home devices use WLAN to access the Internet, then the device can perform information interaction with other devices or servers, but the connection is unstable and fails to meet high time delay and reliability requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection stabilityVSAvoidnetwork access complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a terminal as an intermediary between the smart home device and the cellular network. The terminal obtains cellular network access information and shares it with the smart home device, enabling the device to access the cellular network without requiring the device itself to have complex cellular communication capabilities. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing reliable cellular connectivity through the terminal's existing network access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If smart home devices establish connection with cellular base station directly, then communication reliability improves, but the device complexity and access difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork access ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs self-service by automatically obtaining cellular network access information through its own cellular communication capabilities and then sharing this information with the smart home device. This eliminates the need for manual configuration or complex access procedures, making the process easy to operate while maintaining high communication reliability through cellular network connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If smart home devices use WLAN for network access, then the implementation is simple, but the time delay requirement and reliability requirement cannot be met

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplementation simplicityVSAvoidcommunication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal serves multiple functions: it acts as both a WLAN device that can communicate with smart home devices and as a cellular communication device that can access the cellular network. By leveraging the terminal's existing multi-functionality, the system achieves reliable cellular-based communication without requiring separate dedicated hardware or complex implementation, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while improving reliability.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3860224B1Network access method and apparatus, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP3860224B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3860224B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3860224B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a network access method, which belongs to the technical field of smart homes. The method includes: after short-distance wireless communication is established between a smart home device and a terminal, the terminal receiving access requirement information transmitted by the smart home device; the terminal determining a target base station according to the access requirement information; the terminal transmitting access information for accessing the target base station to the smart home device; and the smart home device initiating a random access to the target base station according to the access information, such that the smart home device accesses a cellular mobile network. According to the present disclosure, a terminal provides access information required for accessing a base station to a smart home device, such that the smart home device initiates random access to the base station in order that the smart home device performs information interaction with the base station by means of cellular mobile communication, thereby meeting the communication requirements of the smart home device.