System and method for authenticating local CPE

• US 10,080,137 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rolls, IV, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gergiso, Techane
• Application Number:
  US15/488,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20170230827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and other mechanisms for authenticating wireless customer premises equipment (CPE) at a service location by transmitting an authentication trigger signal via a first communication mechanism associated with the service location toward CPE associated with the service location; monitoring a second communication mechanism associated with the service location to detect therefrom any received authentication trigger response signals; and authenticating only CPE associated with a received authentication trigger response signal, wherein at least one of the first and second communication mechanisms comprises a local infrastructure element.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), the system including a network element comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for configuring a processor for authenticating wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), the processor configured for:

causing transmission, by a confirmed wireless network element at a service location, an authentication trigger signal via a first communication mechanism at the service location toward wireless CPE proximate the service location;

detecting an authentication trigger response signal, by a confirmed network element at the service location monitoring a second communication mechanism at the service location; and

authenticating only wireless CPE associated with a detected authentication trigger response signal;

wherein at least one of said first and second communication mechanisms comprises a local infrastructure supported non-wireless communications mechanism.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element comprises a network interface device (NID) configured to support communications between service provider equipment and the confirmed wireless network element at the service location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the confirmed wireless network element comprises a wireless router at the service location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the confirmed network element at the service location monitoring a second communication mechanism at the service location comprises one of the confirmed wireless network element and a confirmed non-wireless network element.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to perform the causing transmission, detecting and authenticating according to at least one of an authentication schedule and a command received from an authentication manager.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element comprises an authentication manager associated with a service provider head end and configured to communicate with wireless CPE at the service location.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the authentication manager is configured to communicate with a plurality of service locations associated with the head end.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the causing transmission, detecting and authenticating are performed for each of said plurality of service locations in response to a respective authentication profile.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each authentication profile provides one or more parameters adapted to modify authentication protocol operation or frequency of execution.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said parameters comprise one or more of temporal parameters, session parameters, CPE activity parameters and subscriber parameters.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said local infrastructure comprises customer premises electrical wiring.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said local infrastructure comprises customer premises cable-television wiring.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said local infrastructure comprises one of customer premises telephone wiring and customer premises computer network cabling.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said local infrastructure comprises a sound transmissive infrastructure element.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said local infrastructure comprises an optical transmissive infrastructure element.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said authentication trigger signal is transmitted to each CPE associated with the service location.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for adapting a service provided to CPE in response to a failure to detect an authentication trigger response signal from the CPE, said adapting comprising one or more of reducing access to a service provider network, reducing access to a specific service provided via said service provider network, reducing access to a group of services provided via said service provider network, terminating access to a service provider network, terminating access to a specific service provided via said service provider network, terminating access to a group of services provided via said service provider network, degrading access to a service provider network, degrading access to a specific service provided via said service provider network and degrading access to a group of services provided via said service provider network.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for invoking a responsible party action in response to a failure to detect an authentication trigger response signal from the CPE, said responsible party action comprising one or more of a warning, a penalty and a service upgrade opportunity.

19. A method for authenticating wireless customer premises equipment (CPE) at a service location, the method comprising:

causing transmission, by a confirmed wireless network element at the service location, an authentication trigger signal via a first communication mechanism at the service location toward wireless CPE proximate the service location;

detecting an authentication trigger response signal, by a confirmed network element at the service location monitoring a second communication mechanism at the service location; and

authenticating only wireless CPE associated with a detected authentication trigger response signal;

wherein at least one of said first and second communication mechanisms comprises a local infrastructure supported non-wireless communications mechanism.

20. A tangible and non-transient computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, adapt the operation of the computer to provide a method of authenticating wireless customer premises equipment (CPE) at a service location, the method comprising:

causing transmission, by a confirmed wireless network element at the service location, an authentication trigger signal via a first communication mechanism at the service location toward wireless CPE proximate the service location;

detecting an authentication trigger response signal, by a confirmed network element at the service location monitoring a second communication mechanism at the service location; and

authenticating only wireless CPE associated with a detected authentication trigger response signal;

wherein at least one of said first and second communication mechanisms comprises a local infrastructure supported non-wireless communications mechanism.