WIRELESS SESSION CONFIGURATION PERSISTENCE

• US 20130333016A1
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Coughlin, Brian, Chen, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• 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 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless access point employs a wireless configuration database for retrieving a stored wireless profile corresponding to a subscriber device from a remote location that enables the user to establish an Internet connection using their subscriber device with the same network identifiers and settings employed from the home wireless profile. The network identifier is typically an SSID (Service Set Identification), and labels the wireless configuration using a mnemonic name familiar to the user. The wireless configuration also denotes authentication and security (pas sphrase) tokens required for access, and would therefore enable the user to sign on at the remote wireless access point using the passphrase already known from their home WiFi arrangement. Subsequent attempts automatically establishing a connection to the subscriber device upon detection and authentication using the retrieved wireless profile without broadcasting an open SSID receivable by other wireless devices within range.

Claims

1. A method of providing services to a wireless device comprising:

receiving an identity of a subscriber device by a public access point;

retrieving, based on the received identity, a wireless profile corresponding to a personal access point, the wireless profile stored in a remote database common to the public access point and the personal access point; and

establishing a wireless connection via the public access point to a service network based on authentication of the subscriber device using the retrieved wireless profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the personal access point is a home access point previously employed by the subscriber device for establishing a wireless connection to the service network.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising establishing the remote database by aggregating the wireless profile, the device identifier, and the identity of a plurality of public access points through which the user may connect using the user wireless profile.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the remote database is an aggregation of residential subscribers and commercial public access points supported by a common Internet service provider for mapping the residential subscribers from the public access points via a MAC ID of the device of the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless profile includes an SSID, a security specifier, and a security token.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the security specifier indicates an encryption type to be employed and the security token is a password, the SSID matching an SSID employed by the personal access point and obtained via the remote database.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

broadcasting a MAC ID of the subscriber device to the public access point;

receiving an SSID from the public access point, the SSID obtained via an exchange with the remote database for storing credentials for remote access; and

inserting the received SSID in a rendered list of SSIDs available for connection.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the identity further comprises:

scanning for wireless devices within range of the public access point;

receiving a probe from the subscriber device, the probe including a MAC ID designating the subscriber device; and

indexing a corresponding entry in the remote database using the MAC ID.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving the SSID of the user from the remote database, and broadcasting the SSID from the public access point upon detection of the device identifier from a device of the user.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising automatically establishing a connection to the subscriber device upon detection and authentication using the retrieved wireless profile without broadcasting an open SSID receivable by other wireless devices within range.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing, using the retrieved wireless profile, a wireless connection from the public access point to the subscriber device;

authenticating an identity of the subscriber device using the wireless profile; and

providing, based on the authentication, the established wireless connection with a full access connection via the public access point, the full access connection providing wireless services from the service network via the public access point.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising superceding, based on the authentication, the established wireless connection with a full access connection via the public access point.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating the subscriber device using the retrieved wireless profile;

upon authentication, pivoting the connection to a public wireless profile corresponding to the public access point; and

servicing the subscriber device for remote network access using the public wireless profile.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising

transmitting the public wireless profile to the subscriber device following successful authentication of the personal wireless profile, the personal wireless profile providing only limited access to the public access point;

and

Superceding the connection based on the personal wireless profile with a full service connection based on the public wireless profile

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising

identifying the MAC ID of the subscriber device from a successive public access point;

transmitting the wireless profile of the successive public access point based on the recognition of the device identifier in the database; and

seamlessly providing a full service connection to the subscriber device using the transmitted device identifier /MAC ID without requiring an exchange using the personal wireless profile

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising transmitting the public wireless profile automatically upon detection of the subscriber device within range of a successive public wireless access point, the detection being a first detection by the successive wireless access point.

13. A public wireless access device for establishing wireless communication with a user device comprising:

an antenna responsive to a probe for identifying, at a public access point, a device corresponding to a subscriber;

a credential database interface configured to retrieve, via a device identifier of the subscriber device, a wireless profile corresponding to the subscriber from a remote database;

the wireless access point responsive to a wireless profile server for;

establishing, using the retrieved wireless profile, a wireless connection from the public access point to the device,

authenticating an identity of the device using the wireless profile; and

providing, based on the authentication, the established wireless connection with a full access connection via the public access point.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the retrieved wireless profile is based on a home access point previously employed by the subscriber device for establishing a wireless connection to the service network.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the remote database includes an aggregation of the user wireless profile, at least one device identifier, and the identity of a plurality of public access points through which the user may connect using the user wireless profile.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein the public access point is operable to identify the subscriber device by:

scanning for wireless devices within range of the public access point;

receiving a probe from the subscriber device, the probe including a MAC ID designating the subscriber device; and

indexing a corresponding entry in the remote database using the MAC ID.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the is the public access point is further configured to receive the Wireless Profile and SSID of the user from the remote database, and broadcast the SSID from the public access point upon detection of the device identifier associated with this Profile from a device of the user.

18. A computer program product on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions for performing a method for establishing wireless communication with a wireless user device comprising:

identifying, at a public access point, a device corresponding to a subscriber of a predetermined service provider;

retrieving, via a device identifier of the device, a wireless profile corresponding to the subscriber from a remote database, the remote database having subscriber information of the predetermined service provider;

establishing, using the retrieved wireless profile, a wireless connection from the public access point to the device;

authenticating an identity of the device using the wireless profile; and

superceding, based on the authentication, the established wireless connection with a full access connection via the public access point.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising establishing the remote database by aggregating the user wireless profile, the device identifier, and the identity of a plurality of public access points through which the user may connect using the user wireless profile.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the remote database is an aggregation of residential subscribers and commercial public access points supported by a common Internet service provider for mapping the residential subscribers from the public access points via a MAC ID of the device of the user.