Key management and control of wireless network access points at a central server

• US 20040078598A1
• Filed: 05/05/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Devicescape Software, Inc. (Pareteum Corp.)
• Inventors: Barber, Simon, Petruschka, Roy, de Castro, Edward Rodriguez
• Application Number:
  US10/430,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078598A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A system and method for managing control functions associated with access points of a wireless network. In general, one or more access points are associated with the wireless network (e.g., IEEE 802.11 wireless network). A control module is generally associated with the wireless network, wherein the control module manages and controls the access points associated with the wireless network, such that one or more control frames received by the access point are automatically transferred to the control module, which thereafter transfers a response back to the access point, thereby granting or denying access to the wireless network to users thereof based on the response transferred from the control module.

Claims

1. A system for managing control functions associated with access points of a wireless network, said system comprising:

at least one access point associated with said wireless network; and

a control module for managing and controlling said at least one access point associated with a wireless network, wherein at least one control frame received by said at least one access point is automatically transferred to said control module which thereafter transfers a response back to said at least one access point thereby permitting access to said wireless network to a user thereof based on said response transferred from said control module.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said control module comprises a Command and Control Center (CCC) associated with said wireless network.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a secure connection for securing communications between said control module and said at least one access point.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said secure connection comprises an s-tunnel connection.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said wireless network comprises an IEEE 802.11 wireless network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said control module is stored within a memory of a server associated with said wireless network.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one control frame received by said at least one access point comprises a request to access said wireless network.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said control module transfers said response back to said at least one access point thereby granting access to said wireless network to said user thereof based on said response transferred from said control module to said at least one access point.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said control module transfers said response back to said at least one access point thereby denying access to said wireless network to said user thereof based on said response transferred from said control module to said at least one access point.

10. A system for managing control functions associated with access points of a wireless network, said system comprising:

at least one access point associated with said wireless network, wherein said wireless network comprises an 802.11 wireless network;

a Control and Command Center (CCC) for managing and controlling said at least one access point associated with a wireless network, wherein at least one control frame received by said at least one access point is automatically transferred to said Control and Command Center (CCC), which thereafter transfers a response to said at least one access point thereby permitting access to said wireless network to a user thereof based on said response transferred from said Control and Command Center (CCC); and

a secure connection for securing communications between said Control and Command Center (CCC) and said at least one access point associated with said wireless network.

11. A method for managing control functions associated with access points of a wireless network, said method comprising the steps of:

associating at least one access point with said wireless network; and

establishing a control module for managing and controlling said at least one access point associated with a wireless network, wherein said control module communicates with said at least one access point associated with said wireless network;

automatically transferring at least one control frame received by said at least one access point to said control model; and

thereafter transferring a response to said at least one access point from said at least one control frame, in response to receiving said at least one control frame from said at least one access point, thereby permitting access to said wireless network to a user thereof based on said response transferred from said control module.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

configuring said control module to comprise a Command and Control Center (CCC) associated with said wireless network.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

establishing a secure connection for securing communications between said control module and said at least one access point; and

associating said secure connection with said wireless network.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

configuring said secure connection as an s-tunnel connection.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

configuring said wireless network to comprise an IEEE 802.11 wireless network.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

storing said control module within a memory of at least one server associated with said wireless network.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said at least one control frame received by said at least one access point comprises a request by said user to access said wireless network.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

transferring said response to said at least one access point from said at least one access point to thereby grant access to said wireless network to said user thereof based on said response transferred from said control module to said at least one access point.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

transferring said response to said at least one access point from said at least one access point to thereby deny access to said wireless network to said user thereof based on said response transferred from said control module to said at least one access point.

20. A method for managing control functions associated with access points of a wireless network, said method comprising the steps of:

associating at least one access point associated with said wireless network, wherein said wireless network comprises an 802.11 wireless network;

establishing a Control and Command Center (CCC) for managing and controlling said at least one access point associated with a wireless network, automatically transferring at least one control frame received by said at least one access point to said Control and Command Center (CCC);

thereafter transferring a response to said at least one access point to said Control and Command Center (CCC) based on said at least one control frame transferred from said at least one access point, thereby permitting access to said wireless network to a user thereof based on said response transferred from said Control and Command Center (CCC); and

establishing a secure connection for securing communications between said Control and Command Center (CCC) and said at least one access point associated with said wireless network.