# US 11,122,635 B2 · Grouping of network devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,635 B2 - Document ID: US11122635B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/881,306 - Filed: 2018-01-26 - Published: 2018-08-30 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-01 - Assignees: Belkin International, Inc. - Applicants: Belkin International, Inc. - Inventors: Ryan Yong Kim; Jon Plummer; Matt Glidden; Douglas Edward McLaughlin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122635B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04L 41/0893: Assignment of logical groups to network elements - H04L 63/0876: {based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint} - H04L 63/102: {Entity profiles} - H04L 67/141: Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) - H04L 67/303: Terminal profiles - H04W 4/08: User group management - H04W 4/60: Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits - H04W 4/70: Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04W 12/50: Secure pairing of devices - H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service - H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point - H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections - H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] - H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers - H04W 88/16: Gateway arrangements - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to setup of IoT network devices, and specifically to setup of multiple similar IoT devices at substantially the same time using joint authentication. Embodiments include, for example, receiving, at an existing network device on a network, one or more communications, wherein the one or more communications include an indication that multiple new network devices are associated with the network; receiving an indication that the multiple new network devices have generated a setup access point; establishing a connection with the access point of each of the multiple new network devices; receiving identification information, wherein the identification information includes information identifying each of the multiple new network devices; and transmitting the identification information identifying each of the multiple new network devices, wherein when the identification information is received, the identification information facilitates generating an authentication query to authenticate one or more of the multiple new network devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, at a network device on a network, capability information associated with one or more capabilities of network devices on a network; automatically generating, by the network device, a grouping of network devices, wherein the grouping includes network devices on the network that share one or more common capabilities, wherein devices in a grouping are treated within the network as a single virtual device that perform functions together, and wherein the grouping includes the network device; transmitting, by the network device, grouping data to the other network devices in the grouping, wherein the grouping data includes data associated with the grouping of network devices and the network devices included in the grouping of network devices; receiving, by the network device, new information associated with capabilities of a new network device that was added to the grouping of network devices; determining, by the network device using the new information associated with the capabilities of the new network device, that the new network device includes a capability not shared by the grouping of network devices; deactivating, by the network device, the capability of the new network device not shared by the grouping of network devices; and transmitting, by the network device, updated grouping data to the new network device and other remaining network devices in the grouping, wherein the updated grouping data includes data generated at least in part from the new information and reflects the deactivated capability of the new network device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting grouping data and updated grouping data includes transmitting a list of the network devices within the grouping. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the network device, additional updated information associated with one or more of the other network devices in the grouping of network devices; and adding, by the network device, a new network device to the grouping of network devices based on the received additional updated information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: generating a setup access point; establishing a communication connection between the setup access point and the new network device; and receiving a communication from the setup access point that the network device is associated with the network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting updated grouping data to the other network devices in the grouping includes data generated at least in part from the additional updated information and reflects the added network device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: transmitting, by the network device, additional updated grouping data to the other network devices in the grouping, wherein the additional updated grouping data includes data generated at least in part from the additional updated information and reflects the added network device, and wherein the network device transmits the additional updated grouping data after the updated grouping data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating, by the network device, a second grouping of network devices, wherein the second grouping includes network devices from the grouping of network devices that share one or more common capabilities, wherein the common capability shared by the network devices in the second grouping of network devices is different than the common capability shared by the network devices in the grouping of network devices. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the network devices in the grouping of network devices are the same type of device and perform the same functions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the network devices in the grouping of network devices include at least two different types of devices that perform one or more different functions. ### Claim 10 A network device, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the network device to perform operations including: receiving, at a network device on a network, capability information associated with one or more capabilities of network devices on a network; automatically generating, by the network device, a grouping of network devices, wherein the grouping includes network devices on the network that share one or more common capabilities, wherein devices in a grouping are treated within the network as a single virtual device that perform functions together, and wherein the grouping includes the network device; transmitting, by the network device, grouping data to the other network devices in the grouping, wherein the grouping data includes data associated with the grouping of network devices and the network devices included in the grouping of network devices; receiving, by the network device, new information associated with capabilities of a new network device that was added to the grouping of network devices; determining, by the network device using the new information associated with the capabilities of the new network device, that the new network device includes a capability not shared by the grouping of network devices; deactivating, by the network device, the capability of the new network device not shared by the grouping of network devices; and transmitting, by the network device, updated grouping data to the new network device and other remaining network devices in the grouping, wherein the updated grouping data includes data generated at least in part from the new information and reflects the deactivated capability of the new network device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The network device of claim 10, wherein transmitting grouping data and updated grouping data includes transmitting a list of the network devices within the grouping. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The network device of claim 10, wherein the operations further include: receiving, by the network device, additional updated information associated with one or more of the other network devices in the grouping of network devices; and adding, by the network device, a new network device to the grouping of network devices based on the received additional updated information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The network device of claim 12, wherein the operations further include: generating a setup access point; establishing a communication connection between the setup access point and the new network device; and receiving a communication from the setup access point that the network device is associated with the network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The network device of claim 13, wherein transmitting updated grouping data to the other network devices in the grouping includes data generated at least in part from the additional updated information and reflects the added network device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The network device of claim 13, wherein the operations further include: transmitting, by the network device, additional updated grouping data to the other network devices in the grouping, wherein the additional updated grouping data includes data generated at least in part from the additional updated information and reflects the added network device, and wherein the network device transmits the additional updated grouping data after the updated grouping data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The network device of claim 10, wherein the operations further include: generating, by the network device, a second grouping of network devices, wherein the second grouping includes network devices from the grouping of network devices that share one or more common capabilities, wherein the common capability shared by the network devices in the second grouping of network devices is different than the common capability shared by the network devices in the grouping of network devices. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The network device of claim 10, wherein the network devices in the grouping of network devices are the same type of device and perform the same functions. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The network device of claim 10, wherein the network devices in the grouping of network devices include at least two different types of devices that perform one or more different functions. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations including: automatically generating, by a network device, a grouping of network devices, wherein the grouping includes network devices on the network that share one or more common capabilities, wherein devices in a grouping are treated within the network as a single virtual device that perform functions together, and wherein the grouping includes the network device; transmitting, by the network device, grouping data to the other network devices in the grouping, wherein the grouping data includes data associated with the grouping of network devices and the network devices included in the grouping of network devices; receiving, by the network device, new information associated with capabilities of a new network device that was added to the grouping of network devices; determining, by the network device using the new information associated with the capabilities of the new network device, that the new network device includes a capability not shared by the grouping of network devices; deactivating, by the network device, the capability of the new network device not shared by the grouping of network devices; and transmitting, by the network device, updated grouping data to the new network device and other remaining network devices in the grouping, wherein the updated grouping data includes data generated at least in part from the new information and reflects the deactivated capability of the new network device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further include: receiving, by the network device, additional updated information associated with one or more of the other network devices in the grouping of network devices; and adding, by the network device, a new network device to the grouping of network devices based on the received additional updated information.