Efficient pairing of networked devices

Abstract

A wireless device may be enabled to pair (e.g., establish a wireless communication link) with multiple other wireless devices that are connected with a wireless network without the need to conduct a separate pairing operation between the wireless device and each of the other network-connected wireless devices. Data exchanged between the wireless device and a peer device (e.g., one of a group of network-connected wireless devices) and that may be used to authenticate communications between the wireless device and the peer device (e.g., a link key) may be stored in a network-accessible data storage and retrieval system. The link key may be used by the wireless device when attempting to establish communications with a different peer device (e.g., another one of the network-connected wireless devices) and may be retrieved by the other network-connected peer devices and may be used to enable authenticated communications between the other peer devices and the wireless device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 detecting a peer device advertising itself as belonging to a family of peer devices;   determining whether a pairing has previously been made with the peer device or any other peer device in the family of peer devices;   if a pairing has previously been made, establishing a connection with the peer device using a previously stored link key; and   
       if a pairing has not previously been made, performing a pairing operation with the peer device to create a link key and generating a record associating the link key with the family of peer devices.