Handling Virtual Private Network Connections over a Wireless Local Area Network

• US 20110235624A1
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Reif, Alexander Jordan, Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Fedotenko, Denis, Somani, Zaheen
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• 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 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless local area network ‘WLAN’ client device has one or more virtual private network ‘VPN’ profiles defined therein. In response to the WLAN client device connecting to a WLAN, a user of the WLAN client device is able to indicate whether to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN.

Claims

1. A method for handling one or more virtual private network ‘

VPN’

profiles defined in a wireless local area network ‘

WLAN’

client device, the method comprising;

in response to connecting to a WLAN, enabling input, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, of an indication whether to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN using information stored in one of the one or more VPN profiles,

wherein enabling input of the indication involves a WLAN connection setup application installed on the WLAN client device and does not involve a VPN client application installed on the WLAN client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if more than one VPN profile has been defined in the WLAN client device, enabling selection, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection over the WLAN.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN;

receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection; and

associating the VPN profile for which the indication has been received with a connection profile of the WLAN that is saved or to be saved in the WLAN client device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN;

receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection; and

attempting, with involvement of the VPN client application, to establish the VPN connection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if a single VPN profile has been defined in the WLAN client device, displaying via a display of the WLAN client device an indication of the VPN profile.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN; and

associating the VPN profile with a connection profile of the WLAN that is saved or to be saved in the WLAN client device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, via a user input element of the WLAN client device, an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN; and

attempting, with involvement of the VPN client application, to establish the VPN connection.

8. A wireless local area network ‘

WLAN’

client device comprising;

a processor;

an antenna;

a WLAN communication interface coupled to the processor and to the antenna;

a display coupled to the processor;

one or more user input elements coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing one or more virtual private network ‘

VPN’

profiles and storing code which, when executed by the processor, in response to the WLAN client device connecting to a WLAN via the WLAN communication interface and the antenna, enables input via one of the user input elements of an indication whether to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN using information stored in one of the one or more VPN profiles,

wherein the code is adapted to enable input of the indication involving a WLAN connection setup application installed on the WLAN client device and not involving a VPN client application installed on the WLAN client device.

9. The WLAN client device of claim 8, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, if more than one VPN profile has been stored in the memory, enables selection via one of the user input elements of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection over the WLAN.

10. The WLAN client device of claim 9, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, receives via one of the user input elements an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN, receives via one of the user input elements an indication of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection, and associates the VPN profile for which the indication has been received with a connection profile of the WLAN that is saved or to be saved in the memory.

11. The WLAN client device of claim 9, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, receives via one of the user input elements an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN, receives via one of the user input elements an indication of which VPN profile to use in attempting to establish the VPN connection, and attempts, by involving the VPN client application, to establish the VPN connection via the WLAN communication interface and the antenna.

12. The WLAN client device of claim 8, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, if a single VPN profile has been stored in the memory, displays via the display an indication of the VPN profile.

13. The WLAN client device of claim 12, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, receives via one of the user input elements an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN, and associates the VPN profile with a connection profile of the WLAN that is saved or to be saved in the memory.

14. The WLAN client device of claim 12, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, receives via one of the user input elements an indication to attempt to establish a VPN connection over the WLAN, and attempts, by involving the VPN client application, to establish the VPN connection via the WLAN communication interface and the antenna.