CONCIERGE LAUNCHER

• US 20090245184A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stephenson, David S., Burns, James Edward, Torres, Esteban Raul
• Granted Patent: US 8,169,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment, there is disclosed herein an application launcher, referred to herein as a “Concierge Launcher,” that enables a mobile device to access a wireless local area network (WLAN) and launch an application with one click. In an example embodiment, the WLAN advertises one or more services, for example a Concierge Service, along with the identity of the provider of the service and optionally a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI) for the application to use the service. The mobile device is configured to detect the advertisement and notify an end user of the availability of the service. If the end user selects the service, the provider of the service is validated, and an application, such as a web browser, on the mobile device configured to use the service is started.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

an input device;

an output device; and

control logic operatively coupled to the wireless transceiver, the input device, and the output device;

wherein the control logic is responsive to a signal received from a wireless network by the wireless transceiver, the signal comprising data indicating a service is available for an application on the wireless network and to output data on the output device indicating that the service is available for the application on the network; and

wherein the control logic is responsive to receiving input from the input device indicating the service is requested to validate the wireless network and to initiate the application to receive the service responsive to successfully validating the wireless network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to determine a domain name for the wireless network from the signal;

wherein the control logic is further configured to validate the wireless network by requesting a certificate for the wireless network via the wireless transceiver; and

wherein the control logic validates the wireless network by matching a Uniform Resource Identifier extracted from the certificate with the domain name determined from the signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the certificate further comprises a common name field;

and

wherein the control logic is further configured to extract the domain name from the common name field of the certificate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application is a web browsing application.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data output on the output device is an icon displayed on a display device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to add data representative of the wireless network to a pre-approved list responsive to an input received via the input device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to automatically add data representative of the wireless network to a pre-approved list responsive to the control logic being in a predefined operating mode that automatically adds data from detected wireless networks to the pre-approved list.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver receives a second signal from a second wireless network with data representative of a second service available for the application on the second wireless network;

and

wherein control logic is responsive to the wireless transceiver receiving the second signal to output second data on the output device indicating that the second service is available for the application on the second network.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a signal from a wireless network comprising data indicating a service is available for an application;

outputting data indicating the service is available for the application from the wireless network;

receiving an input requesting the service;

validating the wireless local area network advertising the service; and

launching the application to receive the service responsive to successfully validating with the wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein validating the wireless local area network further comprises:

determining a domain name for the service provider from the signal;

receiving a certificate from the wireless network;

validating that the certificate was signed by a trusted certificate authority;

extracting a domain name from the certificate; and

verifying that the domain name extracted from the certificate matches the domain name determined from the signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the domain name extracted from the certificate is extracted from a common name field.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the application is a web browsing application.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the outputting data further comprises displaying a flashing icon on a display device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second signal;

determining a current operating mode responsive to the receiving the second signal; and

ignoring the second signal responsive to the current operating mode being a closed mode.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second signal advertising a second service is available for the application;

determining a current operating mode responsive to receiving the second signal;

determining the current operating mode is limiting connections to networks in a pre-approved list; and

determining whether the source of the second signal is on the pre-approved list responsive to determining that the current operating mode is limiting connections to networks in the pre-approved list; and

outputting data indicating the second service is available responsive to determining the source of the second signal is on the pre-approved list.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second signal advertising a second service is available for the application;

determining a current operating mode responsive to receiving the second signal;

determining the current operating mode is limiting connections to networks in a pre-approved list; and

determining whether the source of the second signal is on the pre-approved list responsive to determining that the current operating mode is limiting connections to networks in the pre-approved list; and

discarding the second signal responsive to determining the source of the second signal is not on the pre-approved list.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second signal from a second wireless network;

determining whether the application is receiving the service from the first wireless network; and

ignoring the second signal responsive to determining the application is receiving the service from the first wireless network.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second signal from a second wireless network advertising a second service for the application;

determining whether the application is receiving service from another wireless network; and

outputting data indicating the second service is available concurrently with data indicating the first service is available responsive to determining the application is not receiving service from another wireless network.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a signal from a wireless network comprising data indicating a service is available for an application;

means for outputting data indicating the service is available for the application from the wireless network;

means for receiving an input requesting the service;

means for validating the wireless local area network advertising the service; and

means for launching the application to receive the service responsive to successfully validating with the wireless network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for validating the wireless local area network further comprises:

means for determining a domain name for the service provider from the signal;

means for receiving a certificate from the wireless network;

means for validating that the certificate was signed by a trusted certificate authority;

means for extracting a domain name from the certificate; and

means for verifying that the domain name extracted from the certificate matches the domain name determined from the signal.