METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONFIGURING COMMUNICATION PARAMETERS ON A WIRELESS DEVICE

• US 20140282860A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Network LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Efrati, Tzahi
• Granted Patent: US 9,369,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A method and apparatus for configuring communication parameters of a first wireless device having an established communication connection includes communicating with a wireless access point using communication parameters based on a selected first security policy; receiving information from the wireless access point regarding one or more second wireless devices connected to the wireless access point; selecting a second security policy to apply to the first wireless device based on the information received from the wireless access point; adjusting the one or more communication parameters of the first wireless device based on the second security policy; and communicating with the wireless access point using the adjusted communication parameters.

Claims

1. A method for configuring communication parameters of a first wireless device having an established communication connection comprising:

communicating with a wireless access point using communication parameters based on a selected first security policy;

receiving information from the wireless access point regarding one or more second wireless devices connected to the wireless access point;

selecting a second security policy to apply to the first wireless device based on the information received from the wireless access point;

adjusting the one or more communication parameters of the first wireless device based on the second security policy; and

communicating with the wireless access point using the adjusted one or more communication parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first security policy and the second security policy includes a set of one or more communication parameters and associated values that define if and how data should be sent via the wireless access point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first security policy and the second security policy define which applications stored on the wireless device may be executed while connected to a wireless access point.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the one or more communication parameters to encrypt data communications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein information received from the wireless access point comprises at least one of bandwidth consumption, suspicious web service access, running distributed denial-of-service attacks, or proprietary information access by the one or more second wireless devices connected to the access point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein information received from the wireless device comprises a security policy.

7. A method for configuring communication parameters of a first wireless device having an established communication comprising:

communicating with a wireless access point;

determining one or more second wireless devices connected to the wireless access point;

selecting a security policy to apply to the first wireless device based on the security policy of the one or more second wireless devices connected to the wireless access point;

adjusting one or more communication parameters of the first wireless device based on the security policy; and

communicating with the wireless access point using the adjusted one or more communication parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the security policy comprises at least one of (i) selecting a most-used security policy across the one or more second wireless devices, (ii) selecting the security policy used by a most-trusted of the one or more second wireless devices, or (iii) selecting the security policy used by one of the one or more second wireless devices most similar to the first wireless device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a most-trusted of the one or more second wireless device is the wireless device of the one or more second wireless devices not engaging in suspicious activities.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a most similar of the one or more second wireless device is the wireless device of the one or more second wireless devices comprising a most similar data consumption history to the first wireless device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the security policy includes a set of one or more communication parameters and associated values that define if and how data should be sent via the wireless access point.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the security policy defines which applications stored on the wireless device may be executed while connected to a wireless access point.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting the one or more communication parameters to encrypt data communications.

14. An apparatus for configuring communication parameters of a first wireless device comprising:

a) at least one processor;

b) at least one input device; and

c) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method including

1) establishing a communication connection with a wireless access point using communication parameters based on a selected first security policy;

2) receiving information from the wireless access point regarding one or more second wireless devices connected to the wireless access point;

3) selecting a second security policy to apply to the first wireless device based on the information received from the wireless access point;

4) adjusting the one or more communication parameters of the first wireless device based on the second security policy; and

5) communicating with the wireless access point using the adjusted one or more communication parameters.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the first security policy and the second security policy includes a set of one or more communication parameters and associated values that define if and how data should be sent via the wireless access point.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein information received from the wireless access point comprises at least one of bandwidth consumption, suspicious web service access, running distributed denial-of-service attacks, or proprietary information access by the one or more second wireless devices connected to the access point.