Controlled connection of a wireless device to a network

• US 10,356,651 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cirrent, Inc.
• Inventors: Conant, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Xavier Szewai
• Application Number:
  US14/800,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0231 based on communication conditions dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus for connecting a wireless device to a network are disclosed. One method includes preconfiguring the wireless device with credentials, and automatically requesting association, by the wireless device, to a router. Further, the method includes receiving, by a cloud system, an authentication request from the router, wherein the router received the authentication request from the wireless device, and returning, by the cloud system, a response to the authentication request to the router, wherein the response includes internet domains and connection bandwidths the wireless device is allowed to use. Further, the method includes preconfiguring the cloud system with the credentials that are also preconfigured in the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a wireless device to a network, comprising:

preconfiguring the wireless device with credentials that have been preconfigured in a cloud system;

automatically requesting association, by the wireless device, to a router;

receiving, by the cloud system, an authentication request from the router after the router receives the authentication request from the wireless device; and

returning, by the cloud system, a response to the authentication request to the router after the cloud system receives the authentication request from the router, wherein the response includes internet domains;

retrieving, by the wireless device, a list of approved networks from a cloud service of the cloud system, wherein the list of approved networks includes a prioritization of the approved networks;

comparing, by the wireless device, a list of available networks advertised from nearby routers from a scan of a local wireless environment with the list of approved networks when the wireless device is looking for networks to join; and

choosing, by the wireless device, the highest priority network that is available to be joined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the router is one of a plurality of routers that the wireless device is operable to attempt to associate with, and wherein the plurality of routers that wireless device is operable to associate with is adaptively updated at the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the router is one of a plurality of routers that the wireless device is allowed to authenticate against, and wherein the plurality of routers that the wireless device is allowed to authenticate against is adaptively updated in the cloud system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising preconfiguring the internet domains and connection bandwidths into the cloud system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the response further includes connection bandwidths the wireless device is allowed to use, wherein the connection bandwidths includes at least one of upstream bandwidth, downstream bandwidth, total time on network or aggregate bandwidth over a period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the response further includes connection bandwidths the wireless device is allowed to use, wherein the connection bandwidths are adaptively adjusted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the connection bandwidths are adaptively adjusted based on one or more of business agreements, available bandwidth, a service level agreed with a device manufacturer, a service level agreed with a router operator, a service level agreed with an internet service subscriber, a time of day, an amount of data the wireless device has already used, historical data usage of the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud system is preconfigured to accept authentication requests from the router.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the router is configured to send the authentication request to the cloud system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prioritizing, by the wireless device, a secure personal network, but opting to use the network which is authorized by the cloud service of the cloud system if network performance of the secure personal network falls below a threshold level.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the wireless device, to send at least some data on a secure personal network, and send at least some other data on the network which is authorized by the cloud service of the cloud system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

dynamically partitioning between the sending of the at least some data on the secure personal network, and the sending the at least some other data on the network authorized by the cloud service of the cloud system, wherein the dynamic partitioning is performed by either the wireless device or by the cloud system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adaptively updating, by the cloud service of the cloud system, the list of approved networks, wherein the updating is based on at least one of cost, network performance, device connectivity success rate, bandwidth, limitations on the connection parameters, limitations on the domains, signal strength, or other network parameters.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adaptively updating, by the cloud service of the cloud system, the list of approved networks, wherein adaptive updating includes lowering a priority of an approved network if the wireless device repeatedly has problems communicating with the approved network.

15. A cloud system, comprising a plurality of servers, wherein at least one of the servers is operative to:

receive an authentication request from a router, wherein the router receives the authentication request from the wireless device after the authentication request was automatically requested by the wireless device, wherein the wireless device has been preconfigured with credentials that have been preconfigured in the cloud system; and

return a response to the authentication request to the router after the cloud system receives the authentication request from the router, wherein the response includes internet domains;

provide to the wireless device a list of approved networks from a cloud service of the cloud system, wherein the list of approved networks includes a prioritization of the approved networks;

wherein the wireless device compares the list of available networks advertised from nearby routers from a scan of a local wireless environment with the list of approved networks when the wireless device is looking for networks to join; and

wherein the wireless device chooses the highest priority network that is available to be joined.

16. The cloud system of claim 15, wherein the router is one of a plurality of routers that the wireless device is operable to attempt to associate with, and wherein the plurality of routers that wireless device is operable to associate with is adaptively updated at the wireless device.

17. The cloud system of claim 15, wherein the router is one of a plurality of routers that the wireless device is allowed to authenticate against, and wherein the plurality of routers that the wireless device is allowed to authenticate against is adaptively updated in the cloud system.

18. The cloud system of claim 15, further comprising preconfiguring the internet domains and connection bandwidths into the cloud system.

19. The cloud system of claim 15, wherein the credentials comprise a pre-shared key or a digital certificate.

20. The cloud system of claim 15, wherein the response further includes connection bandwidths the wireless device is allowed to use, wherein the connection bandwidths includes at least one of upstream bandwidth, downstream bandwidth, total time on network or aggregate bandwidth over a period of time.

21. The cloud system of claim 15, wherein the cloud system has been preconfigured to accept authentication requests from the router.

22. A method for connecting a wireless device to a network, comprising:

receiving, by a cloud system, an authentication request from a router, wherein the router receives the authentication request from the wireless device after the authentication request was automatically requested by the wireless device, wherein the wireless device has been preconfigured with credentials that have been preconfigured in the cloud system; and

returning, by the cloud system, a response to the authentication request to the router after the cloud system receives the authentication request from the router, wherein the response includes internet domains;

providing, by a cloud service of the cloud system, to the wireless device, a list of approved networks, wherein the list of approved networks includes a prioritization of the approved networks;

wherein the wireless device compares the list of available networks advertised from nearby routers from a scan of a local wireless environment with the list of approved networks when the wireless device is looking for networks to join; and

wherein the wireless device chooses the highest priority network that is available to be joined.