# US 12,224,898 B2 · Wireless device connection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,898 B2 - Document ID: US12224898B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/444,313 - Filed: 2024-02-16 - Published: 2024-09-19 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2004-06-05 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Nicholas A. J. Millington; Paul V. Hainsworth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224898B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - H04L 12/28: characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] (wireless communication networks H04W {; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00}) - H04L 12/2803: {Home automation networks} - H04L 12/2807: {Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50)} - H04L 12/2809: {indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network (monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51)} - H04L 41/0809: {Plug-and-play configuration} - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources} - H04L 63/20: {for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227)} - H04L 65/60: Network streaming of media packets - H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04L 67/141: Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) - H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] - H04W 12/50: Secure pairing of devices - H04L 41/28: Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration - H04L 63/065: {for group communications (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833)} - H04L 63/0823: {using certificates (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263)} - H04L 63/205: {involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved (negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24)} - H04L 2012/2841: {Wireless} - H04L 2012/2849: {Audio/video appliances} - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A first computing device is configured to (i) detect a triggering event that causes the first computing device to transmit a first set of messages collectively indicating that the first computing device is available for setup, (ii) establish an initial wireless communication path with a second computing device, (iii) receive, from the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path, a second set of messages including security information for a secure wireless network that is defined by one or more network devices, where the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device does not traverse any of the one or more network devices, (iv) use the security information to connect to the secure wireless network, and (v) transition from communicating with the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path to communicating with the second computing device via the secure wireless network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A first computing device comprising: a user interface; a network interface; at least one processor; a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first computing device is configured to: while connected to a secure wireless network configured to exchange digital data packets that is defined by one or more network devices: receive, via software installed on the first computing device having functionality for controlling one or more second computing devices, input indicating a user selection of a second computing device to be set up for operation on the secure wireless network; and receive a first set of one or more messages collectively indicating that the second computing device is available for setup; after receiving the input and receiving the first set of one or more messages, transmit a response to the first set of one or more messages that facilitates establishing an initial wireless communication path with the second computing device, wherein the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device does not traverse any of the one or more network devices; transmit, to the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path, a second set of one or more messages collectively comprising security information for the secure wireless network; after transmitting the second set of one or more messages collectively comprising the security information, detect an indication that the second computing device has connected to the secure wireless network; and after detecting the indication, transition from communicating with the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path to communicating with the second computing device via the secure wireless network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device comprises a direct communication path between the first computing device and the second computing device that does not traverse any of the one or more network devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The first computing device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first computing device is configured to: present a visualization, via the software installed on the first computing device, indicating that the second computing device has connected to the secure wireless network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the second computing device comprises at least one speaker; and wherein communicating with the second computing device via the secure wireless network comprises transmitting, to the second computing device, a command related to playback of audio content by the second computing device via the at least one speaker. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The first computing device of claim 4, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first computing device is configured to: transmit the audio content via a communication path that comprises the secure wireless network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The first computing device of claim 1, wherein after detecting the indication that the second computing device has connected to the secure wireless network, the second computing device is included in the one or more network devices that define the secure wireless network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the security information for the secure wireless network comprises a security key. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more messages further collectively comprises an identifier for the secure wireless network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the secure wireless network comprises a local area network (LAN). ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a first computing device to: while connected to a secure wireless network configured to exchange digital data packets that is defined by one or more network devices: receive, via software installed on the first computing device having functionality for controlling one or more second computing devices, input indicating a user selection of a second computing device to be set up for operation on the secure wireless network; and receive a first set of one or more messages collectively indicating that the second computing device is available for setup; after receiving the input and receiving the first set of one or more messages, transmit a response to the first set of one or more messages that facilitates establishing an initial wireless communication path with the second computing device, wherein the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device does not traverse any of the one or more network devices; transmit, to the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path, a second set of one or more messages collectively comprising security information for the secure wireless network; after transmitting the second set of one or more messages collectively comprising the security information, detect an indication that the second computing device has connected to the secure wireless network; and after detecting the indication, transition from communicating with the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path to communicating with the second computing device via the secure wireless network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device comprises a direct communication path between the first computing device and the second computing device that does not traverse any of the one or more network devices. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first computing device to: present a visualization, via the software installed on the first computing device, indicating that the second computing device has connected to the secure wireless network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second computing device comprises at least one speaker; and wherein communicating with the second computing device via the secure wireless network comprises transmitting, to the second computing device, a command related to playback of audio content by the second computing device via the at least one speaker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first computing device to: transmit the audio content via a communication path that comprises the secure wireless network. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein after detecting the indication that the second computing device has connected to the secure wireless network, the second computing device is included in the one or more network devices that define the secure wireless network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the security information for the secure wireless network comprises a security key. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second set of one or more messages further collectively comprises an identifier for the secure wireless network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the secure wireless network comprises a local area network (LAN). ### Claim 19 A method carried out by a first computing device, the method comprising: while connected to a secure wireless network configured to exchange digital data packets that is defined by one or more network devices: receiving, via software installed on the first computing device having functionality for controlling one or more second computing devices, input indicating a user selection of a second computing device to be set up for operation on the secure wireless network; and receiving a first set of one or more messages collectively indicating that the second computing device is available for setup; after receiving the input and receiving the first set of one or more messages, transmitting a response to the first set of one or more messages that facilitates establishing an initial wireless communication path with the second computing device, wherein the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device does not traverse any of the one or more network devices; transmitting, to the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path, a second set of one or more messages collectively comprising security information for the secure wireless network; after transmitting the second set of one or more messages collectively comprising the security information, detecting an indication that the second computing device has connected to the secure wireless network; and after detecting the indication, transitioning from communicating with the second computing device via the initial wireless communication path to communicating with the second computing device via the secure wireless network. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the initial wireless communication path with the second computing device comprises a direct communication path between the first computing device and the second computing device that does not traverse any of the one or more network devices.