CONFIGURING A NETWORK CONNECTION

• US 20100296654A1
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'CONNOR, Michael Denis, WILSON, Terence
• Application Number:
  US12/576,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20100296654A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A communication system for accessing media items via a display device. A receiver is coupled to the display device and a transmitter is coupled to a computer system. Media items stored locally on the computer system and/or remotely on a remote server may be wirelessly transferred from the transmitter to the receiver for display on the display device. In addition, the transmitter and the receiver may be pre-paired prior to delivery to the user, allowing for the network to be configured without any user input. Advantageously, embodiments provide a user with the ability to conveniently view content stored on a computer or a web server without the user having to perform any wireless network setup procedures.

Claims

1. A method for generating network parameters for a communications system, the method comprising:

calculating a hash value based on a unique identifier associated with a receiver device and a first encryption value, wherein the communications system includes a transmitter device configured to perform two-way wireless communications with the receiver device;

generating one or more network parameters for use in establishing a network connection between the transmitter device and the receiver device within the communications system based on the hash value; and

storing the one or more network parameters in a non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network parameters include at least one of an SSID (Service Set Identifier) and a network password.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of generating the SSID by performing an encoding operation that includes at least the hash value as an input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the encoding operation comprises calculating a base-N logarithm of the hash value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein N equals 62.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a second hash value based on the unique identifier and a second encryption value;

generating the SSID associated with the network connection based at least in part on the hash value; and

generating the network password associated with the network connection based at least in part on the second hash value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of encrypting the network password prior to the step of storing the one or more network parameters in the non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first encryption value comprises a 128-bit value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the hash value comprises performing a Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) hashing operation that includes the sum of the unique identifier and the first encryption value as an input to the SHA hashing operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier comprises a serial number of the receiver device.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to generate network parameters for a communications system, by performing the steps of:

calculating a hash value based on a unique identifier associated with a receiver device and a first encryption value, wherein within the communications system includes a transmitter device configured to perform two-way wireless communications with the receiver device;

generating one or more network parameters for use in establishing a network connection between the transmitter device and the receiver device within the communications system based on the hash value; and

storing the one or more network parameters in a non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more network parameters include at least one of an SSID (Service Set Identifier) and a network password.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising the step of generating the SSID by performing an encoding operation that includes at least the hash value as an input.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the encoding operation comprises calculating a base-N logarithm of the hash value.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein N equals 62.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a second hash value based on the unique identifier and a second encryption value;

generating the SSID associated with the network connection based at least in part on the hash value; and

generating the network password associated with the network connection based at least in part on the second hash value.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising the step of encrypting the network password prior to the step of storing the one or more network parameters in the non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first encryption value comprises a 128-bit value.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the step of calculating the hash value comprises performing a Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) hashing operation that includes the sum of the unique identifier and the first encryption value as an input to the SHA hashing operation.

20. A computer system for generating network parameters for a communications system, the computer system comprising:

a processor configured to;

calculate a hash value based on a unique identifier associated with a receiver device and a first encryption value, wherein the communications system that includes a transmitter device configured to perform two-way wireless communications with the receiver device,

generate one or more network parameters for use in establishing a network connection between the transmitter device and the receiver device within the communications system based on the hash value, and

store the one or more network parameters in a non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.

21. The computer system of claim 20, further comprising a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

calculate the hash value;

generate the one or more network parameters; and

store the one or more network parameters in the non-volatile memory.