Afero, Inc.

Aferno, Inc.

Steve Hales

Phillip Myles

Martin Arnberg

A system and method are described for anonymous IoT device accounts. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises an IoT app to be executed on a mobile device of a user, the IoT app comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) to allow the user to capture one or more identification (ID) codes from one or more IoT devices, the mobile device to transmit the ID codes to an IoT service; a device management module on the IoT service to provision the IoT devices with the IoT service; an account management module on the IoT service to establish an anonymous user account and to associate the anonymous user account with the one or more IoT devices provisioned by the device management module; wherein upon the provisioned IoT devices being associated with the anonymous user account, the GUI of the IoT app is to provide the user with controllable access to the IoT devices prior to the user entering user identification information to the IoT service.

Apparatus and method for registering and associating internet of things (IoT) devices with anonymous IoT device accounts

A system and method are described for loaning IoT devices. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises receiving a command submitted by a first user to loan a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) devices associated with a first user account to a second user, establishing a secure communication channel between an IoT service and an IoT app on an IoT device used by the second user, and receiving an identification code from the IoT app to provide the IoT app access to the plurality of IoT devices over the secure communication channel, wherein the IoT app is to capture the identification code from an optical code, the IoT service to use the identification code to identify the plurality of IoT devices, wherein the IoT service prevents access to the plurality of IoT devices by the first user while the second user has access to the IoT devices.

Apparatus and method for temporarily loaning internet of things (IOT) devices

A system and method are described for loaning IoT devices. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) service on which a plurality of IoT devices are to be provisioned, wherein upon being provisioned, the IoT service securely communicates with each of the IoT devices; an account management module to associate the plurality of IoT devices with a first user account of a first user, the first user accessing the IoT devices through the IoT service from a first IoT app on a first mobile device; the IoT service receiving a command submitted by the first user to loan the plurality of IoT devices to a second user; the account management module to associate the plurality of IoT devices with an anonymous user account on the IoT service accessible by the second IoT app; the IoT service to establish a secure communication channel with a second IoT app on a second IoT device used by the second user; and the second IoT app to transmit an identification code to the IoT service to provide the second IoT app access to the IoT devices over the secure communication channel, the IoT service to use the identification code to identify the plurality of IoT devices, wherein the IoT service prevents access to the IoT devices by the first user while the second user has access to the IoT devices.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Steve Hales