APPARATUS AND METHOD TO REGISTER WI-FI CLIENTS ON A WI-FI NETWORK

• US 20140226817A1
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: VON HUBEN, Nicholas Oliver, CRAWFORD, Jason Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques are provided to enable the registration of an embedded device with a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network. An established client of the wireless network formulates one or more data packets having an unencrypted multicast address, where at least a portion of the multicast address is unnecessary for transmission of the data packets over the wireless network. The established client inserts network configuration information in the unused portion of the multicast address and transmits the data packets over wireless network. The network configuration information can include a network identification (SSID) and network password. Any access point that receives the multicast packets will retransmit multiple times per standard protocol, allowing the embedded device to receive the original transmission from the client device or the retransmissions. Since the address portion of data packets are not encrypted, the embedded device can determine the SSID and any password from the multicast packets, and thereafter register with the wireless network.

Claims

1. A. method to distribute network configuration information over a wireless network to a non-client device, comprising:

determining, by a network client device, the network configuration information; and

generating, by the network client device, a data packet having the network configuration information;

transmitting the data packet having the network configuration information over the wireless network in a multicast manner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network configuration information is loaded in an unencrypted portion of the data packet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network configuration information includes at least a portion of an identification of the wireless network and a password for accessing the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet further includes at least a portion of an internet protocol address of the network client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the network configuration information using an advanced encryption standard based on a pre-shared key (PSK) that is shared with the non-client device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the network client device, a universally unique identification (UUID) of the non-client device;

querying, by the network client device, a server based on the UUID;

receiving, by the network client device in response to the query, a token associated with the non-client device; and

encrypting the network configuration information using an advanced encryption standard based on the token.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network;

the network configuration information comprises at least a portion of a service set identification (SSID) and a password of the Wi-Fi network; and

the data packet has a multicast address.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the data packet at an access point of the Wi-Fi network;

identifying the multicast address; and

rebroadcasting the data packet from the access point over the Wi-Fi network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the network configuration information is loaded into a portion of the multicast address that is not needed for communication over the wireless network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating comprises:

forming the data jacket to have a multicast address and a payload, and loading the network configuration information in an unused portion of the multicast address of the data packet.

11. A communication device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with a wireless network; and

a processor configured to;

establish communication with the wireless network using network configuration information;

generate a data packet having the network configuration information in a portion of the data packet that is accessible by a non-client device, and

cause the data packet to be transmitted by the communication interface in a multicast manner.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to include the network configuration information in an unencrypted portion of the data packet.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the network configuration information includes at least a portion of an identification of the wireless network and a password for accessing the wireless network.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to insert at least a portion of an Internet Protocol address associated with the communication device in the data packet.

15. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to encrypt an identification of the wireless network, a password for accessing the wireless network, and an Internet Protocol address of the communication device, at least portions of which are included in the data packet.

16. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

encrypt the network configuration information for accessing the wireless network based on the established communication using an advanced encryption standard based on a pre-shared key (PSK) that is shared with a device that is not a current client of the wireless network.

17. The communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a universally unique identification (UUID) of a device that is not a current client of the network,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

query a server based on the UUID;

receive, in response to the query, a token associated with the device that is not a current client of the network; and

encrypt the network configuration information using an advanced encryption standard based on the token.

18. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network, and

the processor is further configured to:

form the data packet to have a multicast address recognized by the Wi-Fi network and include at least a portion of an SSID and a password needed to access the Wi-Fi network in an unused portion of the multicast address.

19. A method to receive network configuration information for a wireless network, comprising:

receiving, by a device that is not a current client of the network, data packets that are multicast by the wireless network;

decoding, from unencrypted portions of the data packets, the network configuration information; and

registering with the wireless network using the network configuration information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

decrypting the network configuration information based on a pre-stored decryption key.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the data packets further comprise an IP address of a network client device that originated the data packets, the method further comprising:

transmitting a message to the network client device using the IP address to confirm registration with the wireless network.