US Patent 11038757 Soft configuration and data exchange for in-home devices

A method of configuring a client device at a customer premises is provided. An electronic message is received from a vendor of a client device with customer premise equipment (CPE) at the customer premises or a portable communication device. The electronic message provides configuration information for the client device. The configuration information includes a password and an access name of a service for use in configuring the client device via communications with a remote configuration server. The service is made available at the customer premises via the CPE or the communication device so that the client device automatically pairs to the service and is authenticated with the password to the configuration server via Internet connectivity capability of the CPE or portable communication device so that the client device may be configured. The client device has firmware preprogramed to automatically and securely access the service, when detected, at the customer premises.