Method and apparatus for authenticating service to a wireless communications device

• US 20040152447A1
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: McDonnell, James Thomas Edward, Richardson, Amanda, Johnson, Ian Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• 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 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A cellular communications service provider authenticates a provider of a location-dependent service, such as a wireless hotspot. Once the cellular communications service provider is aware of potential use of the service by the user, it authenticates the service provider and provides an authentication to the user. Users can thus avoid untrustworthy providers of local services.

Claims

1. A method wherein a cellular communications service provider authenticates a provider of a service running at a wireless hotspot, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of potential use of a specified wireless hotspot from a user;

verifying the trustworthiness of the provider of the service with a party independent from said provider; and

on successful verification of the provider of the service, providing the user with a confirmation that the provider of the service is authenticated by the cellular communications service provider.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service is use of the hotspot and the provider of the service is a wireless hotspot provider.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service is a service running over infrastructure of the wireless hotspot and the provider of the service is not the provider of the wireless hotspot.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the confirmation provided comprises a key enabling the user to use the service provided by the provider.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including tracking the location of a user via a user'"'"'s wireless communications device;

and

predicting, from the location of the user, a service at a wireless hotspot within current or future range of the user.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, further including supplying the user with information concerning the location of one or more hotspots close to the user or closest to the user.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the indication of potential use is determination that the hotspot is within present or future range of the user.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, further including receiving a positive request to use the service, and commencing authentication of the provider of the service before the positive request is received.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indication of potential use is a positive request from the user.

10. A computer system for a cellular telecommunications provider, comprising a processor arranged for:

receiving an indication of potential use of a specified wireless hotspot from a user;

identifying services available at the specified wireless hotspot;

authenticating providers of the services available at the specified wireless hotspot; and

preparing authentication information for use by the user.

11. A computer system as claimed in claim 10, wherein in preparing the authentication information the processor is arranged for generating a cryptographic key.

12. A computer system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor is further arranged for receiving location information representing the location of the user, and for determining from the location information one or more wireless hotspots that are or will be within the range of the user.

13. A computer system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processor is further arranged for (a) receiving a positive request for use of a service at the hotspot from the user, (b) commencing authenticating a provider of the service before the positive request is received and (c) preparing authentication information for use by the user after the positive request is received.

14. A storage medium storing a computer-readable program code thereon, the computer-readable program code being arranged to cause a computer system of a cellular communications provider to:

receive an indication of potential use of a specified wireless hotspot from a user;

identify services available at the specified wireless hotspot;

authenticate providers of the services available at the specified wireless hotspot; and

prepare authentication information for provision to the user.

15. A method wherein a cellular telecommunications provider authorises a user to use a location-dependent service, the method comprising:

tracking the location of the user via a wireless communications device of the user;

determining that the user is or will be within an operating range of the location-dependent service;

authenticating a provider of the service; and

authenticating the provider of the service to the user.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising receiving a request to use the location-dependent service by the user.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein authenticating the provider of the service commences prior to receiving the request authenticating the provider of the service subsequent to receiving the request.