PROVISIONING METHODS AND APPARATUS WITH USE OF A PROVISIONING ESSID DERIVED FROM BOTH PREDETERMINED CRITERIA AND NETWORK-SPECIFIC CRITERIA

• US 20080148359A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kezys, Vytautas Robertas, Nagy, Thomas Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,023,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• 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 provisioning network identifier (“provisioning ESSID”) is derived based on both predetermined provisioning criteria (e.g. a fixed alphanumeric string) and network-specific criteria associated with a WLAN (eg a network domain name). The mobile device associates with a wireless access point of a provisioning virtual local area network (VLAN) of the network with use of the provisioning network identifier. After associating with the wireless access point with the provisioning network identifier, 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. The technique of deriving an ESSID may alternatively be utilized in producing a primary ESSID of the WLAN.

Claims

10. The method of claim L wherein the network criteria comprise user input information received at a user interface of the mobile communication device.

13. 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;

derive a provisioning network identifier based on predetermined,

provisioning criteria and network criteria associated with a wireless network;

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

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

storing the primary network identifier in the memory; and

for subsequent communications with the wireless network;

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

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

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

if the authentication procedure with the wireless network is successful;

cause the receiving and storing the primary network identifier to be performed.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the predetermined provisioning criteria and the network criteria comprise part of the provisioning network identifier.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the predetermined provisioning criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of an alphanumeric string and the alphanumeric string comprises part of the primary network identifier.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the network criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of a domain name associated with the wireless network and at least part of the domain name comprises part of the primary network, identifier.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to associate with a wireless access point of the wireless network with use of the provisioning network identifier by associating with a wireless access point of a provisioning virtual local area network (VLAN) of the network, and wherein the one or more processors are further operative to associate with a wireless access point of the wireless network with use of the primary network identifier by associating with a wireless access point of a primary VLAN of the wireless network.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the network criteria comprise user input information received at a user interface of the mobile communication device.

20. 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 a wireless access point of the wireless network with use of a provisioning network identifier which is based on both predetermined provisioning criteria and network criteria associated with a wireless network;

after associating with the wireless access point of the wireless network, causing a primary network identifier to be sent from the wireless network to the mobile communication device; and

for subsequent communications with the wireless network;

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

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

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

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

causing the primary network identifier to be transmitted form the wireless network.

22. The method of claim 20, 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.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the predetermined provisioning criteria and the network criteria comprise part, of the provisioning network identifier.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined provisioning criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of an alphanumeric string.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the network;

criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of a domain name associated with the wireless network.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the network criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of a company name associated with the wireless network.

27. The method of claim 20, which is embodied as computer instructions stored in a computer readable medium which are executable by one or more processors for performing the method.

28. A wireless local area network (WLAN) for a computer network, comprising:

a primary virtual local area network (VLAN) of the WLAN which is associated with a primary network identifier;

a provisioning VLAN of the WLAN which is associated with a provisioning network identifier, the provisioning network identifier being derived based on both predetermined provisioning criteria and network criteria associated with the computer network;

a provisioning server of the provisioning VLAN;

at least one wireless access point of the WLAN;

the at least one wireless access point being operative to;

allow a mobile communication device to associate with the at least one wireless access point with use of the provisioning network identifier;

after associating with the mobile communication device, cause the primary network identifier to be transmitted from the at least one wireless access point to the mobile communication device; and

for subsequent communications with the mobile communication device;

allow the mobile communication device to associate with the at least one wireless access point with use of the primary network identifier.

29. The WLAN of claim 28, wherein the provisioning server is operative to:

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

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

cause the primary network identifier to be transmitted from the WLAN to the mobile communication device.

30. The WLAN of claim 28, wherein at least one of the predetermined provisioning criteria, and the network criteria comprise part of the provisioning network identifier.

31. The WLAN of claim 28, wherein the predetermined provisioning criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of an alphanumeric string and the alphanumeric string comprises part of the primary network identifier.

32. The WLAN of claim 28, wherein the network criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of a domain name associated with the wireless network and at least part of the domain name comprises part of the primary network identifier.

33. A method for use in producing an extended service set identifier (ESSID) for use in communications with a wireless local area network (WLAN) of a computer network, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving network criteria associated with the computer network;

deriving the ESSID based on both predetermined criteria and the network criteria associated with the WLAN;

storing the ESSID in memory; and

associating with a wireless access point of the WLAN with use of the ESSID.

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

deriving, at the mobile communication device, a provisioning network identifier based on both predetermined provisioning criteria and network criteria associated with a wireless network;

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

after associating with the wireless access point of the wireless network, 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, further comprising:

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;

causing the acts of receiving and storing the primary network identifier to be performed.

3. 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 extended service set identifier (ESSID),

4. 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.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the predetermined provisioning criteria and the network criteria comprise part of the provisioning network identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined provisioning criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of an alphanumeric string.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined provisioning criteria comprise a predetermined algorithm for deriving the provisioning ESSID from the network criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of a domain name.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating with a wireless access point of the wireless network with use of the provisioning network identifier comprises the further act of associating with a wireless access point of a provisioning virtual local area network (VLAN) of the network, and wherein the act of associating with a wireless access point of the wireless network with use of the primary network identifier comprises the further act of associating with a wireless access point of a primary VLAN of the wireless network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of a domain name associated with the wireless network received as user input information at a user interface of the mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, which is embodied as computer instructions stored in a computer readable medium which are executable by one or more processors for performing the method.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the ESSID comprises a provisioning ESSID for a provisioning procedure of the WLAN.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the ESSID comprises a primary ESSID of the WLAN.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein at least one of the predetermined provisioning criteria and the network criteria comprise part of the ESSID.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the predetermined criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of an alphanumeric string.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the predetermined criteria comprise a predetermined algorithm for deriving the ESSID from the network criteria.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the network criteria comprise alphanumeric characters of a domain name.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the network criteria comprise user input information received at a user interface.

41. The method of claim 33, which is embodied as computer instructions stored in a computer readable medium which are executable by one or more processors for performing the method.

40-1. The method of claim 33, wherein the network criteria comprise a company name associated with the WLAN.