ESTABLISHING ACCESS TO A SECURE NETWORK BASED ON USER-CREATED CREDENTIAL INDICIA

• US 20130305329A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Ye
• Granted Patent: US 9,280,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

In various aspects, code-based indicia contain secured network access credentials. In some aspects, a computer processor receives user input that specifies secured network access credentials, and the computer processor creates or modifies credentials for establishing a secured network connection. In these aspects, the computer processor generates code-based indicia that contain at least part of the secured network access credentials. In other aspects, a computer processor scans the code-based indicia and extracts the network access credentials. In these aspects, the computer processor employs the network access credentials to establish the secured network connection. In additional aspects, a network router apparatus renders the code-based indicia to an active display. In further aspects, a network router apparatus conditions grant of network access to a device on receipt from the device of an answer to a security question included in the secured network access credentials.

Claims

1. A system for generating code-based indicia comprising secured network access credentials, the system comprising:

a user interface whereby a computer processor receives user input specifying secured network access credentials;

a network connection application whereby the computer processor at least one of creates or modifies the secured network access credentials according to the user input; and

an indicia generation application whereby the computer processor generates the code-based indicia comprising at least part of the secured network access credentials.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an indicia printing application whereby the computer processor prints the code-based indicia.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer processor enables a user interface input component, in response to generation of the code-based indicia, whereby the user can make a selection for the computer processor to print the code-based indicia.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer processor enables a user interface input component, in response to the computer processor at least one of creating or modifying the network access credentials according to the user input, whereby the user can make a selection for the computer processor to generate the code-based indicia, wherein the computer processor prints the code-based indicia in response to the selection by the user to generate the code-based indicia.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer processor generates the code-based indicia and prints the code-based indicia in response to the computer processor at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor causes the code-based indicia to be displayed.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer processor causes the code-based indicia to be displayed by transmitting the code-based indicia to a router implementing the secured network connection, wherein the router has an active display whereby the code-based indicia is displayed.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer processor causes one or more router computer memory locations to be overwritten with data corresponding to the code-based indicia, wherein the memory locations are designated for containing data for display by the router on the active display.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer processor generates the code-based indicia in response to the computer processor at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input, and the computer processor transmits the code-based indicia in response to the computer processor generating the code-based indicia.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor employs the user interface to receive user input specifying a destination corresponding to at least one of an email address or a telephone number, and transmitting the code-based indicia to the destination.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the code-based indicia is a two-dimensional matrix code.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the code-based indicia is a QR CODE™

.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface causes the computer processor to receive user input providing an answer to a security question.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the indicia generation application further causes the computer processor to generate the code based indicia to include the security question.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an encryption application whereby the computer processor employs the answer to the security question as an encryption key to encrypt the at least part of the secured network access credentials.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer processor stores the security question and the answer to the security question in computer memory of a router responsive to the secured network access credentials.

17. An apparatus for establishing a secured network connection, the apparatus comprising:

an indicia scanning application whereby a computer processor performs a scan of code-based indicia containing network access credentials for establishing the secured network connection;

a network access credential extraction application whereby the computer processor extracts the network access credentials from results of the scan; and

a network connection application whereby the computer processor employs the network access credentials to establish the secured network connection.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer processor launches the indicia scanning application in response to a user selection to scan code-based indicia containing the network access credentials for establishing the secured network connection.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a user interface whereby the computer processor prompts a user to make the user selection to scan.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer processor employs the user interface to receive a user selection to establish the secured network connection, and the prompting occurs in response to receiving the user selection to establish the connection.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer processor employs the network access credentials to establish the connection for a mobile device, and the computer processor employs the indicia scanning application to interface with a camera of the mobile device in performing the scan of the code-based indicia.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the network access credential extraction application causes the computer processor to locate a password in the results of the scan and place the password into a network password field of a user interface of the network connection application.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the code-based indicia correspond to a two-dimensional matrix code.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the code-based indicia correspond to a QR CODE™

.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a user interface whereby the computer processor prompts a user to provide an answer to a security question.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the security question is extracted from the results of the scan.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a decryption application whereby the computer processor employs the answer to the security question as a decryption key to decrypt at least part of the network access credentials.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the security question is received from a router whereby the secured network connection is established, and the network connection application further employs the answer to the security question to establish the secured network connection.

29. A network router apparatus, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a network interface connected to a communications network;

one or more computer processors connected to the network interface and the at least one antenna;

a computer memory connected to the one or computer processors and having stored therein secured network access credentials and one or more applications whereby the one or more computer processors is rendered responsive to receipt from a device, over the antenna, of the network access credentials to perform a grant of network access to the device and carry out network routing operations with respect thereto; and

an active display connected to the one or more computer processors, wherein the computer memory has stored therein code based indicia containing the secured network access credentials, and the one or more computer processors are operably connected to render the code based indicia to the active display.

30. A network router apparatus, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a network interface connected to a communications network;

one or more computer processors connected to the network interface and the at least one antenna; and

a computer memory connected to the one or computer processors and having stored therein secured network access credentials and one or more applications whereby the one or more computer processors is rendered responsive to receipt from a device, over the antenna, of at least part of the network access credentials to perform a grant of network access to the device and carry out network routing operations with respect thereto,

wherein the network access credentials include an answer to a security question, and the one or more applications render the one or more processors responsive to;

(a) receive another answer to the security question from the device over the antenna;

(b) perform a determination whether the answer to the security question received from the device matches the answer to the security question included in the secured network access credentials stored in the computer memory; and

(c) condition the grant of network access on results of the determination.

31. The network router apparatus of claim 30, wherein the network access credentials stored in the computer memory further include the security question, and the one or more applications render the one or more processors responsive to communicate the security question over the antenna to the device.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein the code based indicia correspond to a two-dimensional matrix code.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the code-based indicia correspond to a QR CODE™

.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising receiving user input providing an answer to a security question.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising generating the code based indicia to include the security question.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising employing the answer to the security question as an encryption key to encrypt the at least part of the secured network access credentials.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising storing the security question and the answer to the security question in computer memory of a router responsive to the secured network access credentials.

32. A method of generating code-based indicia containing secured network access credentials, the method comprising:

receiving user input specifying secured network access credentials;

at least one of creating or modifying secured network access credentials according to the user input; and

generating code-based indicia containing at least part of the secured network access credentials.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

printing the code-based indicia.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

enabling a user interface input component, in response to the generating the code-based indicia, whereby the user can make a selection to print the code-based indicia,

wherein the printing the code-based indicia occurs in response to the selection by the user to print the code-based indicia.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

enabling a user interface input component, in response to the at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input, whereby the user can make a selection to generate the code-based indicia,

wherein the printing the code-based indicia occurs in response to the selection by the user to generate the code-based indicia.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the generating the code-based indicia and the printing the code-based indicia occur in response to the at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

displaying the code-based indicia.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the displaying the code-based indicia includes transmitting the code-based indicia to a router implementing the secured network connection,

wherein the router has an active display whereby the code-based indicia is displayed.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

overwriting one or more router computer memory locations with data corresponding to the code-based indicia,

wherein the memory locations are designated for containing data for display by the router on the active display.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the generating the code-based indicia occurs in response to the at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input, and the transmitting the code-based indicia occurs in response to the generating the code-based indicia.

41. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying a destination corresponding to at least one of an email address or a telephone number; and

transmitting the code-based indicia to the destination.

48. A method of establishing a secured network connection, the method comprising:

performing a scan, by a computer processor, of code-based indicia containing network access credentials for establishing the secured network connection;

extracting the network access credentials, by the computer processor, from results of the scan; and

employing the network access credentials, by the computer processor, to establish the secured network connection.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein performing the scan includes launching an indicia scanning application.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

prompting the user to make a selection to scan code-based indicia containing the network access credentials for establishing the secured network connection.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the launching the indicia scanning application occurs in response to the selection by the user to scan the code-based indicia.

52. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

receiving a user selection to establish the secured network connection,

wherein the prompting occurs in response to the receiving the user selection to establish the connection.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein the extracting includes the launching the indicia scanning application, and receiving the network access credentials from the indicia scanning application.

54. The method of claim 48, wherein employing the network access credentials to establish the connection includes establishing the connection for a mobile device, and wherein performing the scan includes interfacing with a camera of the mobile device to scan the code-based indicia.

55. The method of claim 48, wherein extracting the network access credentials includes locating a password in the results of the scan and placing the password into a network password field of a user interface of a network connection application.

56. The method of claim 48, wherein the code-based indicia correspond to a two-dimensional matrix code.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the code-based indicia correspond to a QR CODE™

.

58. A method of operation for a network router apparatus, the method comprising:

responding to receipt from a device, over an antenna, of network access credentials by performing a grant of network access to the device and carrying out network routing operations with respect thereto;

accessing code based indicia stored in a computer memory of the network router apparatus, wherein the code based indicia contain secured network access credentials; and

rendering the code based indicia to an active display of the network router apparatus.

59. A method of operation for a network router apparatus, the method comprising:

responding to receipt from a device, over an antenna, of network access credentials by performing a grant of network access to the device and carrying out network routing operations with respect thereto;

accessing secured network access credentials stored in a computer memory of the network router apparatus, wherein the network access credentials contain include an answer to a security question;

receiving another answer to the security question from the device over the antenna;

performing a determination whether the answer to the security question received from the device matches the answer to the security question included in the secured network access credentials stored in the computer memory; and

conditioning the grant of network access on results of the determination.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the secured network access credentials stored in the computer memory of the network router apparatus include the security question, the method further comprising:

communicating the security question over the antenna to the device.

61. An apparatus for establishing a secured network connection, the apparatus comprising:

an active display;

a non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded therein code-based indicia containing secured network access credentials;

a computer processor connected to said non-transitory computer readable medium;

a network connection application recorded in said computer readable medium, wherein said network connection application configures said computer processor to respond to user selection to establish a secured network connection provided by a network router by transmitting a notification to the router and rendering the code-based indicia to said active display.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein said network connection application further configures said computer processor to make a first determination whether the network router is capable of performing the scan, make a second determination whether the code-based indicia are stored in said non-transitory computer readable medium, and conditionally render, to said active display, a user selectable option to establish the secured network connection in response to results of the first determination and the second determination.

63. A network router apparatus, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a network interface connected to a communications network;

an imaging device;

one or more computer processors connected to the network interface and the at least one antenna;

a non-transitory computer readable medium connected to the one or computer processors and having stored therein secured network access credentials and one or more applications whereby the one or more computer processors is rendered responsive to receipt from a device, over the antenna, of a notification that it would like to connect to the communications network, by employing said imaging device to perform a scan of code-based indicia, extract network access credentials from results of the scan, perform an authentication process including verification that the extracted credentials match the secured network access credentials stored in said computer-readable medium, and condition grant of network access to the device on results of the authentication process.

64. The network router apparatus of claim 63, wherein the secured network access credentials include an answer to a security question, and the one or more applications render the one or more processors responsive to:

receive another answer to the security question at least one of;

(a) from the device over the antenna;

or

(b) by a microphone of the network router apparatus; and

perform, as part of the authentication process, a determination whether the other answer to the security question matches the answer to the security question included in the secured network access credentials stored in said non-transitory computer readable medium.

65. The network router apparatus of claim 64, wherein the network access credentials stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium further include the security question, and the one or more applications render the one or more processors responsive to communicate the security question at least one of:

over the antenna to the device;

or

by at least one of an active display or a speaker of the network router apparatus.

66. A method for establishing a secured network connection, the method comprising:

receiving a user selection, by a computer processor, to establish a secured network connection provided by a network router;

responding, by the computer processor, to the user selection by;

(a) transmitting a notification to the network router;

(b) accessing a non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded therein code-based indicia containing secured network access credentials; and

(c) rendering the code-based indicia to an active display.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

making a first determination whether the network router is capable of performing a scan of the code-based indicia;

making a second determination whether the code-based indicia are stored in said non-transitory computer readable medium; and

conditionally rendering, to the active display, a user selectable option to establish the secured network connection in response to results of the first determination and the second determination.

68. A method of operation for a network router apparatus, the method comprising:

accessing a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein secured network access credentials;

receiving from a device, over an antenna, a notification that the device would like to connect to the communications network;

responding to receipt of the notification by;

(a) employing an imaging device of the network router apparatus to perform a scan of code-based indicia; and

(b) extracting network access credentials from results of the scan;

performing an authentication process including verification that the extracted credentials match the secured network access credentials stored in the computer-readable medium; and

conditioning grant of network access to the device on results of the authentication process.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the secured network access credentials include an answer to a security question, the method further comprising:

receiving another answer to the security question at least one of;

(a) from the device over the antenna;

or

(b) from a microphone of the network router apparatus; and

performing, as part of the authentication process, a determination whether the other answer to the security question matches the answer to the security question included in the secured network access credentials stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein the secured network access credentials stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium further include the security question, the method further comprising at least one of:

communicating the security question over the antenna to the device;

or

communicating the security question by at least one of an active display or a speaker of the network router apparatus.