A METHOD AND DEVICE TO CONNECT TO A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20160044720A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: BOUCHER, Timothee
• Application Number:
  US14/654,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044720A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• 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 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

A method for connecting an electronic device to a wireless network provided by an access point is provided. In one embodiment, the electronic device and access point are associated respectively to a first and second identifier in a server hosting a social network. The social network may be defined by a graph structure defining relationships between a plurality of nodes, each node corresponding to an identifier in the social network. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a connection request for connecting to the wireless network, the connection request including the first identifier, determining using the server hosting the social network if a portion of the graph structure defines a relationship between the nodes corresponding respectively to the first and second identifiers, and granting access to the wireless network based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method for connecting an electronic device to a communication network provided by an access point, both the electronic device and access point being associated respectively to a first and second identifier in a server hosting a social network, the social network being defined by a graph structure defining relationships between a plurality of nodes, each node corresponding to an identifier in the social network, the method comprising:

receiving a connection request for connecting to the network, the connection request comprising the first identifier,

determining, using the server hosting the social network, if a portion of the graph structure defines a relationship between the nodes corresponding respectively to the first and second identifiers, and

granting access to the network based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a degree of separation between any two nodes of the graph structure is a minimum number of hops required to transverse the graph structure from one node to the other, and wherein the portion of the graph structure corresponds to the degree of separations between the nodes corresponding to the first and second identifiers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the granting further comprises:

granting access if the degree of separation is lower than a preset number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection request comprises the social network authentication data for the first identifier, and wherein the determining further comprises:

accessing the server hosting the social network using the authentication data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the connection request comprises the second identifier, wherein the network is a wireless network, and wherein the method further comprises following a positive access grant:

retrieving wireless network connection data associated to the second identifier, and

connecting to the wireless network using the wireless network connection data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the network is a wireless network, wherein the connection request further comprises a wireless network identifier, and wherein the determining further comprises:

retrieving the second identifier using the wireless network identifier.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the access point is associated to a plurality of second identifiers, wherein each second identifier is associated at a respective server to a different social network, wherein the connection request further comprises the social network the first identifier is associated to, and wherein the determining further comprises:

selecting the second identifier corresponding to the social network comprised in connection request.

8. An electronic device to connect to a communication network provided by an access point, wherein both the electronic device and access point are associated respectively to a first and second identifier in a server hosting a social network, wherein the social network is defined by a graph structure defining relationships between a plurality of nodes, wherein each node corresponds to an identifier in the social network, and wherein the electronic device comprises:

a connection manager configured to detect a network and connect to a detected network, and

a control circuit configured to;

receive a connection request for connecting to the detected network using the connection manager, the connection request comprising the first identifier,

determine, using the server hosting the social network, if a portion of the graph structure defines a relationship between the nodes corresponding respectively to the first and second identifiers, and

grant access to the network using the connection manager based on the determination.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the connection request comprises the social network authentication data for the first identifier, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

access the server hosting the social network using the authentication data.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the connection request comprises the second identifier, wherein the detected network is a wireless network, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to, after positive access grant:

retrieve wireless network connection data associated to the second identifier, and

connect to the wireless network using the wireless network connection data.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the network is a wireless network, wherein the connection request further comprises a wireless network identifier, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

retrieve the second identifier using the wireless network identifier.

12. An access point for connecting an electronic device to a network provided by said access point, wherein both the electronic device and access point are associated respectively to a first and second identifier in a server hosting a social network, wherein the social network is defined by a graph structure defining relationships between a plurality of nodes, wherein each node corresponds to an identifier in the social network, and wherein the access point comprises a control circuit configured to:

receive a connection request for connecting to the network, the connection request comprising the first identifier,

determine using the server hosting the social network if a portion of the graph structure defines a relationship between the nodes corresponding respectively to the first and second identifiers, and

grant access to the network based on the determination.

13. A telecommunication system comprising:

an access point enabling a communication network, and

an electronic device to connect to the network, wherein the both electronic device and the access point are associated respectively to a first and second identifier in a server hosting a social network, wherein the social network is defined by a graph structure defining relationships between a plurality of nodes, wherein each node corresponds to an identifier in the social network, wherein the electronic device comprises a connection manager to detect networks, and connect to a detected network, and a control circuit, and

wherein either the access point or the control circuit is configured to;

receive a connection request for connecting to the network, the connection request comprising the first identifier,

determine using the server hosting the social network if a portion of the graph structure defines a relationship between the nodes corresponding respectively to the first and second identifiers, and

grant access to the network based on the determination.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instruction stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement a method for connecting an electronic device to a communication network provided by an access point, wherein both the electronic device and the access point are associated respectively to a first and second identifier in a server hosting a social network, wherein the social network is defined by a graph structure defining relationships between a plurality of nodes, wherein each node corresponds to an identifier in the social network, and wherein the instructions comprise:

instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a connection request for connecting to the network, wherein the connection request comprises the first identifier,

instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine, using the server hosting the social network, if a portion of the graph structure defines a relationship between the nodes corresponding respectively to the first and second identifiers, and

instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to grant access to the network based on the determination.