Wireless Device Pairing via Machine-Readable Feature Acquisition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless device pairing methods, such as Bluetooth, require manual user intervention and can be cumbersome due to the need to select devices from lists of available connections, often unclear to users due to unfamiliarity with device addresses like BD_ADDR or BSSID.
Innovation Solution
The use of machine-readable features like barcodes, QR codes, RFID tags, and audio signals to facilitate automatic device pairing by acquiring and decoding these features to access connection parameters, allowing for seamless and intuitive connections with minimal user input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual device selection from lists is used for pairing, then connection security can be controlled, but user operation complexity increases and pairing time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces machine-readable features (barcodes, QR codes, RFID tags, audio signals) as intermediary elements that carry connection parameters. Instead of directly selecting devices from lists, users scan or detect these features which automatically provide the necessary pairing information, thus simplifying operation while maintaining security through parameter verification
Solution Approach 2:
Connection parameters are pre-encoded into machine-readable features before the pairing process. This preliminary encoding of device addresses, security credentials, and connection information eliminates the need for real-time manual selection and parameter entry, reducing pairing time while ensuring security through pre-validated parameters
2Reliability
If device addresses like BD_ADDR or BSSID are used for identification, then device uniqueness is ensured, but user understanding becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy or representation of device identification information in machine-readable format (barcodes, QR codes, RFID tags, audio signals) that encodes the unique device addresses. These visual or audio copies are easier for users to capture and process than raw address strings, while the underlying unique identification remains intact for accurate device matching
3Productivity
If automatic connection is enabled, then pairing speed increases, but user control over connection security decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback to users during the automatic pairing process by displaying information about the device being connected to and the connection parameters being exchanged. This allows users to verify that automatic connections are proceeding as expected and maintain awareness of security implications, balancing speed with user control
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for wireless device connection and pairing are provided. Embodiments relate to automatic device connection or pairing by accessing or acquiring a machine-readable feature. Machine-readable features may include printed or displayed machine-readable indicia, such as linear (e.g., one-dimensional) barcodes, matrix (e.g., two-dimensional) barcodes, quick response (QR) codes, characters, symbols, labels, pictorial icons, graphics, images, watermarks, holograms, or any other printed or displayed indicia that may be used to encode, represent, or lookup information. Machine-readable features may also include non-printed features, such as magnetic strips, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, various other types of sensors and tags embedded or attached to electronic devices, and audio and visual signals.