METHOD OF ADDING A CLIENT DEVICE OR SERVICE TO A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20110265151A1
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bainer, Chris, Kaplan, Jonathan, Furlan, John, Braunstein, Ariel, Dattagupta, Siddhartha, Kim, Insung
• Application Number:
  US13/092,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265151A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A smart network host device automatically registers a device or service with a wireless network using identification information and an authorization credential associated with the device or service. The smart network host device obtains the requisite identification information and authorization credential from a network association apparatus associated with the specific device or service to be registered with the wireless network. The smart network host device performs the registration automatically once the smart network host device confirms that the device or service has been associated with the wireless network and a secure password authentication protocol is successfully performed by the smart network host device and the device or service. The network association apparatus may comprise an RFID tag.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining identification information and an authorization credential associated with a client device or service;

receiving a registration request from the client device or service that includes the identification information, wherein the registration request is for registering the client device or service with a wireless home network;

in response, determining that the client device or service is currently associated with the wireless home network;

initiating a secure password authentication protocol with the client device or service; and

after completing the secure password authentication protocol, registering the client device or service with the wireless home network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the identification information and the authorization credential comprises:

detecting the presence of an apparatus associated with the client device or service; and

obtaining the identification information and the authorization credential from the apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting that the apparatus associated with the client device or service is no longer present; and

in response, terminating the registration of the client device or service with the wireless home network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the apparatus comprises a near field radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a universal serial bus (USB) drive manufactured with write-protected encrypted bits, an optical disk with manufactured keys, or a secure digital (SD) memory card with digital rights management (DRM) features.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises a media access control (MAC) address associated with the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the client device or service is currently associated with the wireless home network comprises confirming the identification information received in the registration request matches the obtained identification information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization credential acts as an encryption key when initiating the secure password authentication protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the client device or service with the wireless home network comprises creating a session key based on the authorization credential.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the registration request from the client device or service comprises receiving the registration request via a network extender device or a network connector device.

10. A computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform the steps of:

obtaining identification information and an authorization credential associated with a client device or service;

receiving a registration request from the client device or service that includes the identification information, wherein the registration request is for registering the client device or service with a wireless home network;

in response, determining that the client device or service is currently associated with the wireless home network;

initiating a secure password authentication protocol with the client device or service; and

after completing the secure password authentication protocol, registering the client device or service with the wireless home network.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein obtaining the identification information and the authorization credential comprises:

detecting the presence of an apparatus associated with the client device or service; and

obtaining the identification information and the authorization credential from the apparatus.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the steps further comprising:

detecting that the apparatus associated with the client device or service is no longer present; and

in response, terminating the registration of the client device or service with the wireless home network.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a near field radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a universal serial bus (USB) drive manufactured with write-protected encrypted bits, an optical disk with manufactured keys, or a secure digital (SD) memory card with digital rights management (DRM) features.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the identification information comprises a media access control (MAC) address associated with the client device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining that the client device or service is currently associated with the wireless home network comprises confirming the identification information received in the registration request matches the obtained identification information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the authorization credential acts as an encryption key when initiating the secure password authentication protocol.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein registering the client device or service with the wireless home network comprises creating a session key based on the authorization credential.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein receiving the registration request from the client device or service comprises receiving the registration request via a network extender device or a network connector device.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the smart network host device includes an RFID reader configured to read information from an apparatus associated with the client device or service.

19. A system, comprising a smart network host device located within a wireless home network that is configured to:

obtain identification information and an authorization credential associated with a client device or service;

receive a registration request from the client device or service that includes the identification information, wherein the registration request is for registering the client device or service with the wireless home network;

in response, determine that the client device or service is currently associated with the wireless home network;

initiate a secure password authentication protocol with the client device or service; and

after completing the secure password authentication protocol, register the client device or service with the wireless home network.