Wireless device discovery and configuration

• US 20060239208A1
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Huitema, Christian, Hassan, Amer A., Abhishek, Abhishek, Roberts, David A., Anderson, Noel W., Manchester, Scott A., Ward, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• 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 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A wireless device that desires to be connected to a wireless network broadcasts itself and its capabilities to a network using an information element. The information element is provided with frames, such as management frames, in a channel that is not protected or encrypted. The information element is forwarded to one or more potential registrar devices. One of the registrar devices then provides configuration information to the enrollee, for example as a registrar information element. The configuration information may be passed out of band or in band, and may be passed using cryptography, which may involve public key cryptography, encryption with a PIN, or some other type of secure exchange.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

on a wireless device, broadcasting over a wireless network information about the device and information about one or more methods for receiving configuration information;

receiving configuration information via one of said one or more methods; and

utilizing the configuration information, attempting to connect to the wireless network.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting occurs via a channel that is not encrypted and not protected.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi wireless network, and wherein the broadcasting occurs via management frames of the Wi-Fi wireless network.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the receiving occurs via at least one of management frames and temporarily established data connection frames of the Wi-Fi wireless network.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the receiving occurs via an out of band exchange.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi wireless network, and wherein the receiving occurs via at least one of management frames and temporarily established data connection frames of the Wi-Fi wireless network.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the receiving occurs via an out of band exchange.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method comprises use of a PIN, and wherein the wireless device provides the PIN via a user interface.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method comprises use of a PIN, and wherein PIN is provided on the wireless device.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions comprising reporting failure conditions or successful results after attempting to connect to the wireless network.

11. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

on a device connected to a wireless network, receiving over the wireless network information about an enrollee wireless device attempting to connect to the wireless network and information about a method for providing configuration information to the enrollee wireless device; and

providing configuration information via the method.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the receiving occurs via a channel that is not encrypted and not protected.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi wireless network, and wherein the receiving occurs via management frames or a temporarily established data connection frames of the Wi-Fi wireless network.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the providing occurs via management frames or a temporarily established data connection frames of the Wi-Fi wireless network.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the providing occurs via an out of band exchange.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi wireless network, and wherein the providing occurs via at least one of management frames or temporarily established data connection frames of the Wi-Fi wireless network.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the providing occurs via an out of band exchange.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising, comparing the information about the enrollee device against a list of approved devices, and if the information matches is consistent with an item on the list, automatically providing configuration information via the method.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising, providing an alert in response to receiving the information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising requesting entry a PIN by the user, the PIN being supplied by the enrollee wireless device.

21. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

on a wireless device, broadcasting over a wireless network information about an ad hoc conference, the information including a PIN number for the conference, the broadcasting occurring via at least one of management frames and temporarily established data connection frames, and the information being included in the management frames;

receiving configuration information for connecting to the ad hoc conference; and

utilizing the configuration information, attempting to connect to the conference.

22. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

on a device connected to a wireless network, receiving over the wireless network information about an enrollee wireless device attempting to connect to the wireless network and information about a method for receiving configuration information;

evaluating the device against a list of enrollees; and

if the device is on the list of enrollees, providing configuration information to the device via the method.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein each of the enrollees on the list of enrollees have a unique identification.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the unique identification of each enrollee consists of a MAC address or static IP address or a name.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the enrollee and the registrar can communicated directly with an in band connection