Minimum intervention authentication of heterogeneous network technologies (MIAHNT)

• US 20060173978A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Palm, Stephen R., Ptasinski, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,468,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Methods and systems for enabling communication of information within a network are disclosed herein and comprise receiving at a first communication device located within a network, configuration information from a network service provider for configuring a plurality of communication devices located within said network. The first communication device located within the network can be configured based on at least a portion of the received configuration information. In response to a user input at a second communication device located within the network, at least a portion of the received configuration information can be communicated from the first communication device to the second communication device located within the network. The network service provider can be coupled to the first communication device via a wired connection. The network can comprise a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for enabling communication of information within a network, the method comprising:

receiving at a first communication device located within a network, configuration information from a remote source for configuring a plurality of communication devices located within said network;

configuring said first communication device located within said network based on at least a portion of said received configuration information; and

in response to a user input at a second communication device located within said network, communicating at least a portion of said received configuration information from said first communication device to said second communication device located within said network.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating said at least a portion of said received configuration information from said first communication device to said second communication device in said network via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating said at least a portion of said received configuration information to a third communication device within said network.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said first communication device and said third communication device are coupled via at least one of the following:

a wireless connection and a wired connection.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising communicating said at least a portion of said received configuration information from said third communication device to said second communication device within said network.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said communication from said third communication device to said second communication device is in response to said input to said second communication device in said network.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said third communication device is coupled to said second communication device within said network via at least one of the following:

a wireless connection and a wired connection.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said input to said second communication device in said network comprises at least one of:

a hardware button input and a software button input.

9. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for enabling communication of information within a network, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

receiving at a first communication device located within a network, configuration information from a remote source for configuring a plurality of communication devices located within said network;

configuring said first communication device located within said network based on at least a portion of said received configuration information; and

in response to a user input at a second communication device located within said network, communicating at least a portion of said received configuration information from said first communication device to said second communication device located within said network.

10. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein said first communication device communicates said at least a portion of said received configuration information to said second communication device in said network via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

11. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, further comprising a third communication device within said network, wherein said first communication device communicates said at least a portion of said received configuration information to said third communication device within said network.

12. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said first communication device and said third communication device are coupled via at least one of the following:

a wireless connection and a wired connection.

13. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said third communication device communicates said at least a portion of said received configuration information to said second communication device within said network.

14. The machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said communication from said third communication device to said second communication device is in response to said input to said second communication device in said network.

15. The machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said third communication device is coupled to said second communication device within said network via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein said input to said second communication device in said network comprises at least one of the following:

a hardware button input and a software button input.

17. A system for enabling communication of information within a network, the system comprising:

a first communication device located within a network that receives configuration information from a remote source for configuring a plurality of communication devices located within said network;

wherein said first communication device located within said network is configured based on at least a portion of said received configuration information; and

wherein said first communication device communicates at least a portion of said received configuration information to a second communication device located within said network, in response to a user input at said second communication device located within said network.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first communication device communicates at least a portion of said received configuration information to said second communication device in said network via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first communication device communicates said at least a portion of said received configuration information to a third communication device within said network.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said first communication device and said third communication device are coupled via at least one of the following:

a wireless connection and a wired connection.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein said third communication device communicates said at least a portion of said received configuration information to said second communication device within said network.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said communication from said third communication device to said second communication device is in response to said input to said second communication device in said network.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said third communication device is coupled to said second communication device within said network via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

24. The system according to claim 17, wherein said input to said second communication device in said network comprises at least one of:

a hardware button input and a software button input.

25. A method for enabling communication of information within a network, the method comprising:

receiving at a first communication device located within a network, configuration information from a second communication device for configuring a plurality of communication devices;

configuring said first communication device located within said network based on at least a portion of said received configuration information; and

in response to a user input at a third communication device located within said network, communicating at least a portion of said received configuration information from said second communication device to said third communication device located within said network.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising converting data communicated between said second communication device and said third communication device through said first communication device from a first format to a second format.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said first format is OSI layer-2 (L2) and said second format is OSI layer-3 (L3).

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein said first format is OSI layer-3 (L3) and said second format is OSI layer-2 (L2).

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein said first communication device is coupled to said second communication device via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein said first communication device is coupled to said third communication device via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

31. The method according to claim 25, further comprising receiving at said second communication device said configuration information from a remote operator.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising configuring said first communication device located within said network based on at least a portion of said configuration information received from said remote operator.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising, in response to said user input at said third communication device located within said network, communicating at least a portion of said received configuration information from said remote operator to said third communication device located within said network.

34. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for enabling communication of information within a network, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

receiving at a first communication device located within a network, configuration information from a second communication device for configuring a plurality of communication devices;

configuring said first communication device located within said network based on at least a portion of said received configuration information; and

in response to a user input at a third communication device located within said network, communicating at least a portion of said received configuration information from said second communication device to said third communication device located within said network.

35. The machine-readable storage according to claim 34, further comprising code for converting data communicated between said second communication device and said third communication device through said first communication device from a first format to a second format.

36. The machine-readable storage according to claim 35, wherein said first format is OSI layer-2 (L2) and said second format is OSI layer-3 (L3).

37. The machine-readable storage according to claim 35, wherein said first format is OSI layer-3 (L3) and said second format is OSI layer-2 (L2).

38. The machine-readable storage according to claim 35, wherein said first communication device is coupled to said second communication device via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

39. The machine-readable storage according to claim 35, wherein said first communication device is coupled to said third communication device via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

40. The machine-readable storage according to claim 34, further comprising code for receiving at said second communication device said configuration information from a remote operator.

41. The machine-readable storage according to claim 40, further comprising code for configuring said first communication device located within said network based on at least a portion of said configuration information received from said remote operator.

42. The machine-readable storage according to claim 41, further comprising code for communicating at least a portion of said received configuration information from said remote operator to said third communication device located within said network, in response to said user input at said third communication device located within said network.

43. A system for enabling communication of information within a network, the system comprising:

a first communication device located within a network that receives configuration information from a second communication device for configuring a plurality of communication devices;

wherein said first communication device located within said network is configured based on at least a portion of said received configuration information; and

wherein said first communication device communicates at least a portion of said received configuration information from said second communication device to a third communication device located within said network, in response to a user input at said third communication device located within said network.

44. The system according to claim 43, wherein said first communication device converts data communicated between said second communication device and said third communication device through said first communication device from a first format to a second format.

45. The system according to claim 44, wherein said first format is OSI layer-2 (L2) and said second format is OSI layer-3 (L3).

46. The system according to claim 44, wherein said first format is OSI layer-3 (L3) and said second format is OSI layer-2 (L2).

47. The system according to claim 44, wherein said first communication device is coupled to said second communication device via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

48. The system according to claim 44, wherein said first communication device is coupled to said third communication device via at least one of the following:

a wired connection and a wireless connection.

49. The system according to claim 43, wherein said second communication device receives said configuration information from a remote operator.

50. The system according to claim 49, wherein said first communication device located within said network is configured based on at least a portion of said configuration information received from said remote operator.

51. The system according to claim 50, wherein said first communication device communicates at least a portion of said received configuration information from said remote operator to said third communication device located within said network, in response to said user input at said third communication device located within said network.