Network access server (NAS) discovery and associated automated authentication in heterogenous public hotspot networks

• US 20060174127A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Annaluru, Sashidhar, Kalavade, Asawaree
• Application Number:
  US11/266,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174127A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Automated HTTP-based user authentication in a public WLAN environment is facilitated across heterogeneous network access servers (NASs). Each of a set of network access servers has a given authentication protocol, and these protocols typically differ from one another. According to the invention, each authentication protocol has a unique “signature.” According to the invention, a “smart” client that is executable on a given wireless device seeking access to the public WLAN environment is provided with a set of signatures. These signatures are used by the client to determine the appropriate access protocol to use with respect to a given NAS that is controlling access to the WLAN. The client may also have the capability of discovering an unknown authentication protocol “on-the-fly” as it attempts to obtain wireless access. The set of signatures is updated in the client from time-to-time without requiring the client software to be recompiled. The present invention thus provides a generic mechanism by which a client can work with any NAS.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate automated user authentication in a wireless local area network (WLAN) environment, comprising:

for each of a set of network access servers, generating a signature uniquely associated with an authentication protocol used by the network access server;

at a wireless device, storing, as a signature file, a set of one or more signatures;

in response to an attempt by the wireless device to authenticate to a given network server using a given authentication protocol, determining whether a signature associated with the given authentication protocol matches a signature in the signature file;

if the signature associated with the given authentication protocol matches a signature in the signature file, having the wireless device authenticate to the given network server; and

if the signature associated with the given authentication protocol does not match a signature in the signature file, taking a given action.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further including the step of updating the signature file with a new signature.

3. The method as described in claim 2 wherein the new signature is associated with an authentication protocol for a network access server that has been added to the set of network access servers.

4. The method as described in claim 2 wherein the signature file is updated without requiring re-compilation of client code on the wireless device.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the given action includes the steps of:

having the wireless device authenticate to the network access server using an unknown authentication protocol;

generating a signature associated with the unknown authentication protocol; and

updating the signature file to include the signature associated with the unknown authentication protocol.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the step of generating the signature is performed in an off-line data gathering process.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the signature includes a character string that uniquely identifies a given entity.

8. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the signature includes a character string associated with an authentication procedure.

9. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the signature includes a character string associated with an authentication result.

10. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the signature includes a character string associated with a logoff procedure.

11. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the signature includes a character string associated with a logoff result.

12. In a wireless device having a client component that performs automated user authentication in a wireless local area network (WLAN) environment, the improvement comprising:

a signature file having a set of signatures, wherein each signature is uniquely associated with an authentication protocol used by a network access server in the WLAN environment; and

code, responsive to an attempt by the wireless device to authenticate to a given network server using a given authentication protocol, to determine whether a signature associated with the given authentication protocol matches a signature in the signature file.

13. In the wireless device as described in claim 12, further including:

code, responsive to a match between the signature associated with the given authentication protocol and a signature in the signature file, for enabling the wireless device to authenticate to the given network server; and

code, responsive to a failure to match the signature associated with the given authentication protocol and a signature in the signature file, for updating the signature file with a new signature that is generated as the wireless device authenticates to the given network server.

14. In the wireless device as described in claim 12, further including:

code for updating the signature file with a new signature.

15. In the wireless device as described in claim 14 wherein the signature file is updated without requiring re-compilation of the client component on the wireless device.