Extensible architecture for untrusted medium device configuration via trusted medium

• US 20060153384A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bhesania, Firdosh K., Aull, Randall E., Nick, Benjamin E., Manchester, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US11/026,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20060153384A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An extensible architecture for untrusted medium (e.g., wireless) device configuration via trusted medium. The architecture can be employed to associate a device that utilizes an untrusted medium (e.g., wireless connection). Association is effected using a trusted medium, for example, a wired connection. The architecture can facilitate configuration of the device to communicate (e.g., securely) via an untrusted medium (e.g., wireless connection). Configuration of the device can be based, at least in part, upon information exchanged via a trusted medium (e.g., wired connection). The device can send an association request to a driver and receives an association response from the driver. If the association is successful, the association response can include, for example, configuration information (e.g., encryption key) to enable the device to communicate (e.g., securely) via the untrusted medium. If the association is unsuccessful, the association response can include, for example, error information.

Claims

1. An association management system comprising:

a handler registry that stores identification information associated with one or more handlers;

an association manager that provides an association request to a particular handler based, at least in part, upon routing information in the association request and the identification information stored in the handle registry.

2. The system of claim 1, the identification information associated with a handler comprising a globally unique identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an initialization component that identifies at least one driver and at least one handler to be instantiated during system initialization, the initialization component further initiating instantiation of the at least one driver and at least one handler.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a driver registry that stores information associated with the at least one driver to be instantiated.

5. The system of claim 1, the association request comprising at least one association request attribute.

6. The system of claim 5, the association request attribute comprising an attribute type, an attribute data length and data.

7. The system of claim 1, the association manger generates an association response based, at least in part, upon information provided by the handler.

8. The system of claim 7, the association response comprising an association response attribute.

9. The system of claim 8, the association response attribute comprising an attribute type, an attribute length, and data.

10. The system of system of claim 7, the association response comprising information for a device to communicate with a computer system via an untrusted medium.

11. The system of claim 10, the untrusted medium comprising a wireless communication connection.

12. The system of claim 10, the association request generated by a driver, the driver further receives the association response.

13. An association management method comprising:

identifying a handler based, at least in part, upon an association request;

sending information associated with the association request to the identified handler.

receiving a response from the handler;

generating an association response based, at least in part, upon the response; and

,

providing the association response to a requesting driver.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of:

validating the association request;

determining whether the association request is well-formed; and

,

generating an association response indicating a malformed association request, if the association request is not well-formed.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of:

determining whether a handler was located;

generating an association response indicating an association type not supported, if the handler was not located; and

,

parsing the association request to build a list of attributes.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of:

validating the response format;

determining whether an association was successful,

generating an association response indicating an error status, if the association was not successful;

determining whether the response is well-formed; and

,

generating an association response indicating an error status, if the response is not well-formed.

17. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 13.

18. A data packet transmitted between two or more computer components that facilitates device association, the data packet comprising:

an association response comprising an association response header and an association response attribute, the association response provides information for a device to communicate with a computer system via an untrusted medium.

19. The data packet of claim 18, the association response attribute comprising an attribute type, an attribute length, and data.

20. The system of claim 18, the untrusted medium comprising a wireless communication connection.