Wireless network system

• US 20030196115A1
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Karp, Alan H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,362,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A wireless network system provides for a wireless access point. The wireless access point is configured to receive data, from a wireless computing device, that is encrypted using encryption key data and to determine if the encryption key data corresponds to a home computing device or a visitor computing device. An IP address is assigned to the wireless computing device to identify it on the network system. The IP address is assigned based upon the encryption key data.

Claims

1. A method of granting network access to a wireless computing device, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving data encrypted using predetermined encryption key data from a wireless computing device via a wireless connection;

said encryption key data corresponds to a predetermined user class; and

assigning an Internet protocol (IP) address to said wireless computing device that is indicative of said predetermined user class, based upon said encryption key data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of granting said wireless computing device access to visitor resources where said IP address corresponds to a visitor computing device, said visitor resource comprises a network resource that is accessible to a visitor computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of granting said wireless computing device access to home resources where said IP address corresponds to a home computing device, said home resource comprises a network resource that is accessible by all home computing devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said visitor resource comprises the Internet.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said home resource comprises an Intranet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said home resource comprises the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said user class corresponds to a visitor computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said IP address determines the extent to which said wireless computing device is allowed access to resources on said network.

9. A wireless access point configured to receive data, encrypted using predetermined encryption key data, from a wireless device and to assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to said wireless device to identify it on a network.

10. A wireless access point according to claim 9, further comprising:

a controller configured to receive data, encrypted using predetermined encryption key data, from a wireless computing device and to assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to said wireless device to identify it on said network.

11. The wireless access point of claim 10, further comprising memory for storing software instructions for controlling the operation of said controller.

12. The wireless access point of claim 10, further comprising a wireless transceiver for exchanging data with a wireless computing device.

13. The wireless access point of claim 10, wherein said controller is further configured to assign a visitor IP address to said wireless computing device for identifying it on a network, where said encryption key data comprises a visitor encryption key.

14. A wireless access point comprising:

controller

memory;

wireless transceiver for exchanging data with a wireless computing device;

connector for connecting to a network; and

said controller is configured to receive data, encrypted using predetermined encryption key data, from a wireless device and to assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to said wireless device to identify said wireless device on said network.

15. The wireless access point of claim 14, wherein said wireless computing device comprises a visitor computing device.

16. The wireless access point of claim 15, wherein said controller is further configured to assign a visitor IP address to said visitor computing device where said encryption key data comprises a visitor encryption key.

17. The wireless access point of claim 14, wherein said wireless computing device comprises a home computing device.

18. The wireless access point of claim 17, wherein said controller is further configured to assign a home IP address to said home computing device where said encryption key data comprises a home encryption key.

19. The wireless access point of claim 14, wherein said controller is further configured to provide a firewall to said network.