Location based sharing of a network access credential

• US 10,594,739 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2019
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tipton, Rick, Austin, Mark, Kosseifi, Mario, Tofighbakhsh, Mostafa
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US16/434,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20190289037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A network access credential can be shared among devices based on location information for a device. Location information can include timed fingerprint location information. In an aspect, location information can be associated with a location of user equipment. This location information can be correlated with network access credentials. Location information can be used to access a relevant network access credential. The relevant network access credential can be shared with other devices. In an embodiment, sharing a network access credential can be between mobile devices. In another embodiment, sharing a network access credential can be between a remote computing device and a mobile device. Sharing a credential can allow for access to a network without having to generate or input new credentials.

Claims

1. A first user equipment, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

communicating timed fingerprint location information to a credential selection device, wherein the timed fingerprint location information is based on a differential time measurement for a first NodeB site pair of devices, wherein the timed fingerprint location information enables determining a historical geographic location value corresponding to a historical differential timing measurement of the first NodeB site pair of devices, and wherein the first NodeB site pair of devices comprises a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device;

receiving, from the credential selection device, a network access credential selected according to the historical geographic location value; and

enabling access, based on the network access credential, to a network by the first user equipment.

2. The first user equipment of claim 1, wherein the credential selection device is located remotely from the first user equipment.

3. The first user equipment of claim 1, wherein the credential selection device is comprised in a second user equipment.

4. The first user equipment of claim 1, wherein the first user equipment employs the differential time measurement for the first NodeB site pair of devices to determine the historical geographic location value, and wherein the timed fingerprint location information comprises the historical geographic location value.

5. The first user equipment of claim 1, wherein the timed fingerprint location information comprises the differential time measurement for the first NodeB site pair of devices to enable the credential selection device to determine the historical geographic location value.

6. The first user equipment of claim 1, wherein the first user equipment comprises a radio corresponding to the network, and wherein the network is a non-cellular wireless network.

7. The first user equipment of claim 6, wherein the radio corresponding to the network is in a low-power state prior to the enabling access.

8. The first user equipment of claim 7, wherein the low-power state is an off state.

9. The first user equipment of claim 7, wherein the receiving the network access credential while the radio corresponding to the network is in the low-power state results in the first user equipment consuming less energy than where the radio corresponding to the network is in a higher-power state during the receiving the network access credential.

10. The first user equipment of claim 1, wherein the differential time measurement for the first NodeB site pair of devices is determined while the first user equipment is in an active cellular communication state.

11. The first user equipment of claim 1, wherein the differential time measurement for the first NodeB site pair of devices is determined while the first user equipment is in an idle cellular communication state that consumes less power than an active cellular communication state.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, timed fingerprint location information corresponding to a first user equipment, wherein the timed fingerprint location information is based on a differential time measurement of the first user equipment and a first NodeB site pair of devices, wherein the timed fingerprint location information enables determining a historical geographic location value corresponding to a historical differential timing measurement of the first NodeB site pair of devices, and wherein the first NodeB site pair of devices comprises a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device;

selecting, by the system, a network access credential based on the historical geographic location value; and

communicating, by the system, the network access credential to the first user equipment, wherein the network access credential enables the first user equipment to access a network by employing the network access credential.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the system is comprised in a second user equipment.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the timed fingerprint location information comprises receiving the historical geographic location value.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the timed fingerprint location information comprises receiving the differential time measurement to enable the system to determine the historical geographic location value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving the timed fingerprint location information, the selecting the network access credential, and the communicating the network access credential to the first user equipment are performed by the system while a radio of the first user equipment for accessing the network is in an off state, enabling the first user equipment to consume less energy than where the radio is in a higher-power state during the system receiving the timed fingerprint location information, selecting the network access credential, and communicating the network access credential to the first user equipment.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first user equipment, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

communicating, via a cellular network radio while a non-cellular network radio corresponding to a network is in a low-power state, timed fingerprint location information to a device located remotely from the first user equipment, wherein the timed fingerprint location information is based on a differential time measurement for a first NodeB site pair of devices, wherein the timed fingerprint location information enables determining a historical geographic location value corresponding to a historical differential timing measurement of the first NodeB site pair of devices, and wherein the first NodeB site pair of devices comprises a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device; and

receiving, from the device via the cellular network radio while the non-cellular network radio remains in the low-power state, a network access credential selected according to the historical geographic location value, wherein the network access credential enables access to the network by the first user equipment when the non-cellular network radio transitions to a higher-power state.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the communicating the timed fingerprint location information and the receiving the network access credential while the non-cellular network radio is in the low-power state results in the first user equipment consuming less energy than where the non-cellular network radio is in the higher-power state during the communicating the timed fingerprint location information and the receiving the network access credential.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the differential time measurement for the first NodeB site pair of devices is determined while the first user equipment is in an active cellular communication state.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the differential time measurement for the first NodeB site pair of devices is determined while the first user equipment is in an idle cellular communication state that consumes less power than an active cellular communication state.