Method and device for connecting single AP device among multiple AP devices on same network to terminal

• US 10,321,393 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ko, Hyeon-mok, Kwon, Dae-hyung, Sung, Duk-gu, Kim, Chang-Hyun, Yoon, Kang-jin, Lee, Chang-Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Agureyev, Vladislav Y
• Application Number:
  US14/909,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Provided is a method of connecting an access point (AP) device from among a plurality of AP devices on a same network to a terminal. The method includes registering, by the AP device, media access control (MAC) address information regarding at least one or more terminals; receiving a connection request to the AP device from the terminal; and comparing the MAC address information regarding the terminal extracted from the connection request to the registered MAC address information and determining whether to connect the terminal to the AP device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an access point (AP) device, the method comprising:

receiving media access control (MAC) address information regarding one or more terminals from the one or more terminals through an external device;

registering, by the AP device, the received MAC address information;

comparing the registered MAC address information to MAC address information registered to an other AP device;

in response to the received MAC address information corresponding to the MAC address information registered to the other AP device, requesting to delete the MAC address information registered to the other AP device;

receiving a first connection request from a terminal;

extracting MAC address information from the first connection request;

comparing the extracted MAC address information to the registered MAC address information; and

based on the comparing, determining whether to connect the terminal to the AP device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the determining, if the registered MAC address information is corresponding to the extracted MAC address information, the terminal is connected to the AP device, and,

if the registered MAC address information is not corresponding to the extracted MAC address information, the terminal is not connected to the AP device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the same network refers to networks using a same service set identifier (SSID).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering, by the AP device, of the received MAC address information comprises:

receiving, by the AP device from a server, registration-schedule information comprising information about pre-set time points at which the one or more terminals are to be registered with the AP device;

determining whether the received MAC address information is within a time from among the pre-set time points, respectively corresponding to a respective terminal from among the one or more terminals, based on the registration-schedule information; and

in response to the determining that the received MAC address information is within the pre-set time points, storing the MAC address information as registered respective terminal, by the AP; and

in response to the determining that the received MAC address information is outside of the pre-set time points, denying registration and discarding the MAC address information, by the AP device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering, by the AP device, of the received MAC address information comprises:

in response to the receiving of the MAC address information from the external device, storing, by the AP device, the received MAC address information and wherein the terminal is not connected to a network provided by the AP device prior to the first connection request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the external device receives the MAC address information regarding the one or more terminals by using at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) and an near field communication (NFC) with the one or more terminals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the MAC address information regarding the one or more terminals is received in the external device by using a quick response (QR) code.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the registered MAC address information at a pre-set time interval.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

if MAC address information identical corresponding to the registered MAC address information is received once again in a second connection request while the terminal is connected to the AP device, deleting the registered MAC address information regarding the terminal.

10. A method for controlling a terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting a connection request to an access point (AP) device; and

determining whether to transmit a connection request to an other AP device based on a decision of the AP device regarding the connection request,

wherein the MAC address information extracted from the connection request is compared to MAC address information registered in advance in the AP device,

wherein whether to connect the terminal to the AP device is determined based on a result of the comparison,

wherein the MAC address information registered in advance is provided from one or more terminals through an external device to the AP device prior to the connection request, and

wherein, in response to the registered MAC address information corresponding to MAC address information registered to the other AP device, the MAC address information registered to the other AP device is deleted.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, in the determining, if the terminal is connected to the AP device, the connection request is not transmitted to the other AP device, and,

if the terminal is not connected to the AP device, the connection request is transmitted to the other AP device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the MAC address information regarding the one or more terminals is received in the external device by using a quick response (QR) code.

12. An AP device that establishes a connection to a terminal, the AP device comprising:

a communicator, configured to receive media access control (MAC) address information regarding one or more terminals from the one or more terminals through an external device and receive a first connection request from the terminal; and

a processor, configured to register the received MAC address information, compare the registered MAC address information to MAC address information registered to an other AP device, in response to the received MAC address information corresponding to the MAC address information registered to the other AP device, request to delete the MAC address information registered to the other AP device, extract MAC address information from the first connection request, compare the extracted MAC address information to the registered MAC address information and based on the comparing, determine whether to connect the terminal to the AP device.

13. The AP device of claim 12, wherein, if the registered MAC address information is corresponding to the extracted MAC address information, the processor connects the terminal to the AP device, and,

if the registered MAC address information is not corresponding to the extracted MAC address information, the processor does not connect the terminal to the AP device.

17. The AP device of claim 12, wherein the MAC address information regarding the one or more terminals is received in the external device by using a quick response (QR) code.

14. A terminal that establishes a connection to an AP device, the terminal comprising:

a communicator configured to transmit a connection request to the AP device; and

a processor configured to determine whether to transmit the connection request to an other AP device based on a decision of the AP device regarding the connection request,

wherein the MAC address information extracted from the connection request is compared to MAC address information registered in advance in the AP device,

wherein whether to connect the terminal to the AP device is determined based on a result of the comparison,

wherein the MAC address information registered in advance is obtained from one or more terminals through an external device to the AP device prior to the connection request, and

wherein, in response to the registered MAC address information corresponding to MAC address information registered to the other AP device, the MAC address information registered to the other AP device is deleted.

15. The terminal of claim 14, wherein, if the terminal is connected to the AP device, the processor does not transmit the connection request to the other AP device, and,

if the terminal is not connected to the AP device, the processor transmits the connection request to the other AP device.

18. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the MAC address information regarding the one or more terminals is received in the external device by using a quick response (QR) code.