SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC WIRELESS NETWORK AUTHENTICATION

• US 20160294828A1
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kiban Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: ZAKARIA, Omar
• Granted Patent: US 9,838,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method are described for connecting an IoT device to a wireless router and/or access point. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of things (IoT) hub to collect network credentials required to connect with a wireless access point or router; the IoT hub to securely store the network credentials in a local or remote credentials database along with identification data identifying a user account and/or the wireless access point or router; a new IoT device to establish a connection with the IoT hub, another IoT device, and/or a user data processing device; the new IoT device to transmit a request for network credentials to establish a connection with the wireless access point or router; the IoT hub, IoT device and/or user data processing device to provide connectivity to the credentials database on behalf of the new IoT device, to receive the network credentials from the credentials database and to provide the network credentials to the new IoT device; and the new IoT device to automatically use the network credentials to establish a connection with the wireless access point or router.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an Internet of things (IoT) hub to collect network credentials required to connect with a wireless access point or router;

the IoT hub to securely store the network credentials in a local or remote credentials database along with identification data identifying a user account and/or the wireless access point or router;

a new IoT device to establish a connection with the IoT hub, another IoT device, and/or a user data processing device;

the new IoT device to transmit a request for network credentials to establish a connection with the wireless access point or router;

the IoT hub, IoT device and/or user data processing device to provide connectivity to the credentials database on behalf of the new IoT device, to receive the network credentials from the credentials database and to provide the network credentials to the new IoT device; and

the new IoT device to automatically use the network credentials to establish a connection with the wireless access point or router.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the credentials database comprises a remote credentials database, the system further comprising:

a cloud service to receive the network credentials from the IoT hub and to securely store the network credentials in the remote credentials database.

3. The system as in claim 2 wherein the cloud service is configured to receive the request for network credentials from the IoT hub, the IoT device, and/or the user device and to responsively perform a lookup in the credentials database using the identity of the user, the identity of the new IoT device, and/or the identity of the access point or router, the cloud service to provide the network credentials to the IoT hub, the IoT device, and/or the user data processing device and the IoT hub, the IoT device, and/or the user data processing device to provide the network credentials to the new IoT device.

4. The system as in claim 2 further comprising:

a credentials management module on the IoT hub to establish a secure connection to a credentials management module on the cloud service to provide the network credentials to the cloud service.

5. The system as in claim 4 further comprising:

a network registration module on the new IoT device to connect with the credentials management module on the IoT hub to send the request for network credentials and to receive the network credentials from the IoT hub.

6. The system as in claim 1 wherein the request for network credentials comprises identification data uniquely identifying the wireless access point or router.

7. The system as in claim 6 wherein the identification data comprises a MAC address and/or SSID of the wireless access point or router.

8. The system as in claim 4 further comprising:

a network registration module on the new IoT device to attempt to connect with the IoT hub, IoT device, and the user'"'"'s data processing device in a prioritized order.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein the prioritized order comprises first attempting to connect with the IoT hub and, if a reliable connection is unavailable, then attempting to connect with the IoT device and/or the user'"'"'s mobile data processing device.

10. The system as in claim 1 further comprising:

an app or browser on the user'"'"'s data processing device to connect with the new IoT device, to responsively retrieve the network credentials from the credentials database and to provide the network credentials to the new IoT device.

11. The system as in claim 1 wherein securely storing comprises establishing an encrypted communication channel with the network credentials database using a symmetric or asymmetric key.

12. A method comprising:

collecting network credentials required to connect with a wireless access point or router;

securely storing the network credentials in a local or remote credentials database along with identification data identifying a user account and/or the wireless access point or router;

a new IoT device establishing a connection with an IoT hub, another IoT device, and/or a user data processing device and transmitting a request for network credentials needed to establish a connection with the wireless access point or router;

the IoT hub, IoT device and/or user data processing device providing connectivity to the credentials database on behalf of the new IoT device, receiving the network credentials from the credentials database and providing the network credentials to the new IoT device; and

automatically using the network credentials to establish a connection between the new IoT device and the wireless access point or router.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the credentials database comprises a remote credentials database, the method further comprising:

a cloud service receiving the network credentials from the IoT hub and securely storing the network credentials in the remote credentials database.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the cloud service receiving the request for network credentials from the IoT hub, the IoT device, and/or the user device and responsively performing a lookup in the credentials database using the identity of the user, the identity of the new IoT device, and/or the identity of the access point or router, the cloud service providing the network credentials to the IoT hub, the IoT device, and/or the user data processing device and the IoT hub, the IoT device, and/or the user data processing device providing the network credentials to the new IoT device.

15. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

a credentials management module on the IoT hub establishing a secure connection to a credentials management module on the cloud service to provide the network credentials to the cloud service.

16. The method as in claim 15 further comprising:

a network registration module on the new IoT device to connect with the credentials management module on the IoT hub to send the request for network credentials and to receive the network credentials from the IoT hub.

17. The method as in claim 12 wherein the request for network credentials comprises identification data uniquely identifying the wireless access point or router.

18. The method as in claim 17 wherein the identification data comprises a MAC address and/or SSID of the wireless access point or router.

19. The method as in claim 15 further comprising:

attempting to connect with the IoT hub, IoT device, and the user'"'"'s data processing device in a prioritized order.

20. The method as in claim 19 wherein the prioritized order comprises first attempting to connect with the IoT hub and, if a reliable connection is unavailable, then attempting to connect with the IoT device and/or the user'"'"'s mobile data processing device.

21. The method as in claim 12 further comprising:

an app or browser on the user'"'"'s data processing device connecting with the new IoT device, to responsively retrieve the network credentials from the credentials database and to provide the network credentials to the new IoT device.