PRIVACY CONTROL FOR WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20130094489A1
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benjamin Getz, David S. Gordon, Nimrod Diamant
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Getz, David S. Gordon, Nimrod Diamant
• Inventors: DIAMANT, Nimrod, GETZ, Benjamin, GORDON, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

According to various embodiments, a computer-implemented method is disclosed that includes receiving, at a wireless adaptor of a device, a wireless data packet from an access point (AP), wherein the wireless data packet includes a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) of the AP; changing the BSSID of the received data packet by a processor or hardware to produce a modified wireless data packet; and transmitting the modified wireless data packet to an application on the device.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A device comprising:

a processor in communication with a memory having instructions stored therein which, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive a wireless data packet from an access point (AP), wherein the wireless data packet includes a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) of the AP;

change the BSSID of the received data packet to produce a modified wireless data packet; and

provide the modified wireless data packet to an application on the device.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein, to change the BSSID, the processor is configured to encrypt the BSSID, scramble the BSSID, or both.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed, further cause the processor to receive a seed value or an encryption key from a controller to change the BSSID.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the encryption key includes a public encryption key or a private encryption key.

25. The device of claim 23, further comprising the controller, wherein the controller includes a manageability engine.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the change of the BS SID hides an actual BS SID from a software program, an operating system, or both of the device.

27. The device of claim 21, wherein the change of the BSSID allows a location derived from an actual BSSID to be hidden from a software program, an operating system, or both of the device.

28. The device of claim 21, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed, further cause the processor to transfer the received BSSID to an authenticated entity in a secured manner, wherein the received BSSID is used to determine a location of the AP and provide a service related to location but prevent the application or an operating system of the device from assessing the received BSSID data and location data.

29. A device comprising:

a processor in communication with a memory having instructions stored therein which, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive, from an application on the device, a wireless data packet including a modified a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) of an access point (AP);

change the modified BSSID of the received wireless data packet to an original BSSID of the AP to produce a unmodified wireless data packet; and

transmit the unmodified wireless data packet to the AP.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein, to change the BSSID, the processor is configured to decrypt the BSSID, descramble the BSSID, or both.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed, further cause the processor to receive a decryption key from a controller to change the BSSID.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the decryption key includes a public decryption key or a private decryption key.

33. The device of claim 31, further comprising the controller, wherein the controller includes a manageability engine.

34. The device of claim 30, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed, further cause the processor to receive a seed value or a decryption key from a controller to initiate the unscrambling of the BSSID.

35. The device of claim 34, further comprising the controller, wherein the controller includes a manageability engine.

36. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a processor of a device, a wireless data packet from an access point (AP), wherein the wireless data packet includes a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) of the AP;

changing, at the processor, the BSSID of the received data packet to produce a modified wireless data packet; and

providing the modified wireless data packet to an application on the device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said changing includes encrypting the BSSID, scrambling the BSSID, or both.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising providing an encryption key from a controller of the device to the processor to encrypt the BSSID.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein said changing the BSSID separates information derived from an actual BSSID from a software program, an operating system, or both of the device.

40. A computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions thereon, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless data packet from an access point (AP), wherein the wireless data packet includes a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) of the AP;

changing the BSSID of the received data packet to produce a modified wireless data packet; and

providing the modified wireless data packet to an application on the device.

41. The medium of claim 40, wherein, said changing the BSSID includes encrypting the BSSID, scrambling the BSSID, or both.

42. The medium of claim 41, wherein the method further comprises receiving a seed value or an encryption key from a controller to change the BSSID.

43. The medium of claim 42, wherein the encryption key includes a public encryption key or a private encryption key.

44. The medium of claim 40, wherein said changing the BSSID results in hiding an actual BSSID from a software program, an operating system, or both of the device.

45. The medium of claim 40, wherein the method further comprises transferring the received BSSID to an authenticated entity in a secured manner, wherein the received BSSID is used to determine a location of the AP and provide a service related to location but prevent the application or an operating system of the device from assessing the received BSSID data and location data.

46. A computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions thereon, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, from an application on the device, a wireless data packet including a modified a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) of an access point (AP);

changing the modified BSSID of the received wireless data packet to an original BSSID of the AP to produce a unmodified wireless data packet; and

transmitting the unmodified wireless data packet to the AP.

47. The medium of claim 46, wherein said changing the BSSID includes decrypting the BSSID, descrambling the BSSID, or both.

48. The medium of claim 46, wherein the method further comprises receiving a decryption key from a controller to change the BSSID.

49. The medium of claim 48, wherein the decryption key includes a public decryption key or a private decryption key.

50. The medium of claim 46, wherein the method further comprises receiving a seed value or a decryption key from a controller to initiate the unscrambling of the BSSID.