PROVISIONING METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANS) WITH USE OF A PROVISIONING ESSID

• US 20080040486A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Nagy, Thomas Charles, Kezys, Vytautas Robertas
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for use in provisioning mobile communication devices in wireless local area networks (WLANs) are described. In one illustrative example, a mobile communication device associates with a wireless access point of a provisioning virtual local area network (VLAN) of the network with use of a provisioning network identifier (“provisioning ESSID”). After associating with the wireless access point of the provisioning VLAN, a primary network identifier (“primary ESSID”) associated with a primary VLAN of the network is received from the WLAN in a provisioning procedure and stored in memory of the mobile device after authentication. For subsequent communications with the WLAN, the mobile device associates with a wireless access point of the primary VLAN of the network with use of the primary network identifier.

Claims

1. A method for use in provisioning a mobile communication device, the method comprising the acts of:

associating with a wireless access point of a wireless network with use of a provisioning network identifier;

after associating with the wireless access point, receiving a primary network identifier from the wireless network;

storing the primary network identifier in memory of the mobile communication device; and

for subsequent communications with the wireless network;

associating with a wireless access point of the wireless network with use of the primary network identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning, network identifier comprises a provisioning extended service set identifier (ESSID) and the primary network identifier comprises a primary ESSID associated with the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the wireless network and the mobile communication device are operative in accordance with 802.11 communications.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving and storing the primary network identifier;

causing authentication information of an authentication procedure to be transmitted to the wireless network; and

if the authentication procedure with the wireless network is successful;

performing the acts of receiving and storing the primary network identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving and storing the primary network identifier;

causing authentication information of an authentication procedure to be transmitted to the wireless network;

if the authentication procedure with the wireless network is successful;

performing the acts of receiving and storing the primary network identifier; and

if the authentication procedure with the wireless network fails;

repeating the act of associating with use of the provisioning network identifier for one or more additional wireless access points.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating with the wireless network comprises the further acts of:

causing a probe request with the provisioning network identifier to be sent to the wireless access point of the wireless network; and

monitoring to receive a probe response from the wireless access point in response to the probe request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication procedure comprises a login procedure with the wireless network and the authentication information comprises a password.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning network identifier is programmed in memory of the mobile communication device prior to the attempt to associate with the wireless access point of the wireless network.

9. A mobile communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

the one or more processors being operative to;

associate with a wireless access point of a wireless network, with use of the wireless transceiver, using a provisioning network identifier associated with the wireless network;

after associating with the wireless access point, receive a primary network identifier from the wireless network with use of the wireless transceiver;

store the primary network identifier in the memory; and

for subsequent communications with the wireless network;

associate with a wireless access point of the wireless networks with use of the wireless transceiver, using the primary network identifier associated with the wireless network.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

prior to receiving and storing the primary, network identifier;

cause authentication information of an authentication procedure to be transmitted to the wireless network through the wireless transceiver; and

if the authentication procedure with the wireless network is successful;

perform the acts of receiving and storing the primary network identifier.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

prior to receiving and storing the primary network identifier;

cause authentication information of an authentication procedure to be transmitted to the wireless network;

if the authentication procedure with the wireless network is successful;

perform the acts of receiving and storing the primary network identifier; and

if the authentication procedure with the wireless network fails;

repeat the act of attempting to associate for one or more additional wireless access points.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the authentication procedure comprises a login procedure with the wireless network and the authentication information comprises a password.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the provisioning network identifier is programmed in memory of the mobile communication device prior to the attempt to associate with the wireless access point of the wireless network.

14. A method for use in provisioning a mobile communication device in a wireless network, the method comprising the acts of:

allowing a mobile communication device to associate with the wireless access point of the wireless network with use of a provisioning network identifier;

after the mobile communication device associates with the wireless access point using the provisioning network identifier, cause a primary network identifier to be sent from the wireless access point to the mobile communication device; and

for subsequent communications with the mobile communication device;

allowing the mobile communication device to associate with a wireless access point of the wireless network with use of the primary network identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the provisioning network identifier comprises a provisioning extended service set identifier (provisioning ESSID) and the primary network identifier comprises a primary extended service set identifier (primary ESSID) associated with the wireless network.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

prior to causing the primary network identifier to be sent to the mobile communication device;

receiving, from the mobile communication device, authentication information of an authentication procedure of the wireless network; and

if the authentication procedure with the mobile communication device is successful;

perform the act of causing the primary network identifier to be transmitted to the mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the wireless network and the mobile communication device are operative in accordance with 802.11 communications.

18. A wireless communication network comprising:

at least one wireless access point being operative to allow at mobile communication device to associate with it using a provisioning network identifier;

the server being operative to, after the mobile communication device associates with the wireless access point using the provisioning network identifier, cause a primary network identifier to be sent from the wireless access point to the mobile communication device; and

the at least one wireless access point being operative to, for subsequent communications with the mobile communication device allow the mobile communication device to associate with it using the primary network identifier.

19. The wireless communication network of claim 18, wherein the provisioning network identifier comprises a provisioning extended service set identifier (provisioning ESSID) and the primary network identifier comprises a primary extended service set identifier (primary ESSID) associated with the wireless network.

20. The wireless communication network of claim 18, wherein the wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) and the wireless network and the mobile communication device are operative in accordance with 802.11 communications.

21. The wireless communication network of claim 18 wherein the server is further operative to:

prior to causing the primary network identifier to be transmitted to the mobile communication device;

receive from the mobile communication device, authentication information of an authentication procedure of the wireless network; and

if the authentication procedure with the mobile communication device is successful;

perform the act of causing the primary network identifier to be transmitted to the mobile communication device.