Method And Systems For Pairing A Mobile Device With A Wireless Network

• US 20140235205A1
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mathur, Arpit, Paluch, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 11,206,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for associating a device with a network, such as a wireless network. One method comprises storing network identifying information for a network in a database, receiving contact information from a computing device, determining whether the contact information is associated with the network identifying information in the database, and coupling the computing device with the network in response to determining that the contact information is associated with the network identifying information.

Claims

1. A method for associating a device with a network, comprising:

storing network identifying information for a network in a database;

receiving contact information from a computing device;

determining whether the contact information is associated with the network identifying information in the database; and

coupling the computing device with the network in response to determining that the contact information is associated with the network identifying information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identifying information comprises a persistent network identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the persistent network identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises a name. a telephone number, an email address an internet address, or a physical address, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the computing device with the network further comprises transmitting network access credentials to the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

associating user idetnifying information with the network identifying information;

transmitting a request for permission to couple the device with the network using the user identifying information; and

determining whether permission to couple the device with the network has been received prior to coupling the device with the network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying information comprises a name, a telephone number, an email address, an interact address, or a physical address, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining whether the contact information is associated with the network identifying information in the database comprises determining whether the contact information matches the user identifying information associated with the network identifying information.

11. A system for associating a device with a network, comprising:

a network having access to network identifying information; and

a first computing device in communication with the network and a second computing device, the first computing device having comprising user identifying information associated with the network identifying information,

wherein the first computing device is configured to receive contact information from the second computing device, and wherein the first computing device is configured to transmit credentials for accessing the network to the second computing device in response to determining that the user identifying information associated with the network identifying information matches the contact information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the network identifying information comprises a persistent address.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network identifying information comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the user identifying information comprises a name, a telephone number, an email address, an Internet address, or a physical address, or a combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the contact information comprises a name, a telephone number, an email address, an internet address, or a physical address, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the network comprises a wireless network.

17. A method for pairing a mobile device with a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a media access control (MAC) address of a first network at a first computing device;

transmitting the MAC address and contact information to a second computing device using a second network;

determining whether the contact information matches user identifying information associated with the MAC address; and

pairing the first computing device with the first network in response to determining that the contact information matches the user identifying information associated with the MAC address.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second network comprises a cellular network.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the user identifying information comprises a name, a telephone number, an email address, an internet address, or a physical address, or a combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the contact information comprises a name, a telephone number, an email address, an internet address, or a physical address, or a combination thereof.