AUTOMATIC RECONFIGURATION OF NETWORK DEVICES

• US 20160191315A1
• Filed: 12/02/2013
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: VAN OOST, Koen, VERWAEST, Frederik
• Granted Patent: US 10,122,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A solution for automatic reconfiguration of network devices adapted to switch from the role of access point to the role of station and vice versa. In order to prepare a first network device for automatic configuration in the network, a profile of a second network device connected to said first network device via a network is received. The profile comprises access point credentials of the second network device. The received profile is compared with existing profiles stored in a memory of said first network device and is stored in said memory, if necessary. In case at a later time a role change of the first network device is determined, the stored profile is retrieved from the memory and used for connecting the first network device to the second network device.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method for preparing a first network device for automatic configuration in a network, wherein the first network device is adapted to switch from the role of access point to the role of station and vice versa, the method comprising:

receiving a profile of a second network device connected to said first network device via a network, wherein the profile of the second network device comprises access point credentials of the second network device;

comparing the received profile with existing profiles stored in a memory of said first network device; and

storing the profile of the second network device in the memory in case the profile is not yet stored in the memory.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising requesting the second network device to send its profile.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising broadcasting profiles stored in the memory into the network.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the profiles stored in the memory are broadcast into the network with a predetermined delay between subsequent profiles.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein broadcasting the profiles stored in the memory into the network is repeated after a predetermined time.

16. A method for automatically configuring a first network device in a network, wherein the first network device is adapted to switch from the role of access point to the role of station and vice versa, the method comprising:

determining a role change of the first network device;

retrieving a profile of a second network device from a memory; and

connecting the first network device to the second network device using the retrieved profile.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the profile of the second network device comprises access point credentials of the second network device.

19. A network device adapted to switch from the role of access point to the role of station and vice versa, wherein the network device comprises:

an input configured to receive a profile of a second network device connected to said network device via a network, wherein the profile of the second network device comprises access point credentials of the second network device;

a memory configured to store the profile of the second network device in case the profile is not yet stored in the memory; and

a comparator configured to compare the received profile with existing profiles stored in the memory of said network device.

21. The network device according to claim 19, wherein the network device is further configured to request the second network device to send its profile.

22. The network device according to claim 19, wherein the network device is further configured to broadcast profiles stored in the memory into the network.

23. The network device according to claim 22, wherein the network device is further configured to broadcast the profiles stored in the memory into the network with a predetermined delay between subsequent profiles.

24. The network device according to claim 22, wherein the network device is further configured to repeat broadcasting the profiles stored in the memory into the network after a predetermined time.

20. A network device adapted to switch from the role of access point to the role of station and vice versa, wherein the network device comprises:

a role detector configured to determine a role change of the network device;

a memory access unit configured to retrieve a profile of a second network device from a memory; and

a network connector configured to connect the network device to the second network device using the retrieved profile.

25. The network device according to claim 20, wherein the profile of the second network device comprises access point credentials of the second network device.