Configuring wireless access points

• US 7,283,505 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meenan, Patrick, Chiles, David Clyde
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, MARCUS
• Application Number:
  US10/284,467
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/255, 370/338, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Techniques are provided for the configuration of a home-networking system. Home-networking configuration information may be stored on a host system in a manner accessible to the home-networking system and migrated to a home-networking gateway or router that has not yet been configured. Wireless configuration information may be stored on a home-networking gateway or router and used to configure one or more wireless access points through the use of a physical connection, such as a wired communications pathway. One or more wireless home-networking devices may be configured based on wireless configuration information stored in a central repository on a host system or a home-networking system. The wireless configuration information may be accessible only through the use of a security code.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a wireless access point in a home network, the method comprising:

detecting that a wired connection has been established between a wireless access point and a home-networking gateway associated with a home network;

in response to detecting that the wired connection has been established between the wireless access point and the home-networking gateway, automatically establishing a communications session over the wired connection between the wireless access point and the home-networking gateway;

accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway, the wireless configuration information being useful to configure wireless access points to enable wireless communications between the home-networking gateway and one or more wireless devices on the home network through the wireless access points;

using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point; and

establishing wireless communications between the home-networking gateway and a wireless device on the home network through the wireless access point based, at least in part, on the wireless configuration information communicated to the wireless access point from the home-networking gateway.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the wireless access point based on the communicated wireless configuration information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the establishing of a communications session and the using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information to more than one wireless access point.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless configuration information includes a security key and a network name.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless configuration information includes a list of one or more devices that are permitted to access the home network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway further comprises sending a request from the wireless access point to the home-networking gateway for wireless configuration information; and

using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point further comprises receiving the accessed wireless configuration information at the wireless access point.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway comprises locating wireless configuration information stored at the home-networking gateway; and

using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point comprises sending the accessed wireless configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless access point.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway comprises retrieving the wireless configuration information from a trusted system through a communications session established between the home-networking gateway and the trusted system; and

using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point comprises sending the accessed wireless configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless access point.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the wireless access point is configured to communicate with the home-networking gateway using a wireless pathway, wherein using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point comprises using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point when the wireless access point is not configured to communicate with the home-networking gateway using a wireless pathway.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprises using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point in response to a request by a user associated with the home-networking gateway.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing wireless configuration information comprises accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway automatically in response to confirmation from a user that confirms wireless configuration information should be communicated between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing wireless configuration information comprises accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway transparently to a user associated with the home-networking gateway.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprises using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point automatically in response to confirmation from a user that confirms wireless configuration information should be communicated between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprises using the communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point transparently to a user associated with the home-networking gateway.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein:

detecting that a wired connection has been established between a wireless access point and a home-networking gateway associated with the home network comprises detecting that a wired connection has been established between a newly added wireless access point and the home-networking gateway; and

the wireless configuration information comprises previously established wireless configuration information that is useful to configure newly added wireless access points to enable wireless communications between the home-networking gateway and one or more wireless devices already on the home network through the newly added wireless access points such that using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point comprises using the automatically established communications session to communicate previously established wireless configuration information that is useful to configure the newly added wireless access point to enable wireless communications between the home-networking gateway and one or more wireless devices already on the home network through the newly added wireless access point over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the newly added wireless access point.

15. A system for configuring a wireless access point in a home network, the system comprising:

a means for detecting that a wired connection has been established between a wireless access point and a home-networking gateway;

a means for automatically establishing a communications session over the wired connection between the wireless access point and the home-networking gateway in response to detecting that the wired connection has been established between the wireless access point and the home-networking gateway;

a means for accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway, the wireless configuration information being useful to configure wireless access points to enable wireless communications between the home-networking gateway and one or more wireless devices on the home network through the wireless access points;

a means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point; and

a means for establishing wireless communications between the home-networking gateway and a wireless device on the home network through the wireless access point based, at least in part, on the wireless configuration information communicated to the wireless access point from the home-networking gateway.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a means for configuring the wireless access point based on the communicated wireless configuration information.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising a means for repeating the establishing of a communications session and the using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information to more than one wireless access point.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the wireless configuration information includes a security key and a network name.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the wireless configuration information includes a list of one or more devices that are permitted to access the home network.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the means for accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway further comprises a means for sending a request from the wireless access point to the home-networking gateway for wireless configuration information; and

the means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point further comprises a means for receiving the accessed wireless configuration information at the wireless access point.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the means for accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway comprises a means for locating wireless configuration information stored at the home-networking gateway; and

the means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point comprises a means for sending the accessed wireless configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless access point.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the means for accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway comprises a means for retrieving the wireless configuration information from a trusted system through a communications session established between the home-networking gateway and the trusted system; and

the means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point comprises a means for sending the accessed wireless configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless access point.

23. The system of claim 15 further comprising a means for determining whether the wireless access point is configured to communicate with the home-networking gateway using a wireless pathway, wherein the means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprises a means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point when the wireless access point is not configured to communicate with the home-networking gateway using a wireless pathway.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprises a means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point in response to a request by a user associated with the home-networking gateway.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for accessing wireless configuration information comprises a means for accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway automatically in response to confirmation from a user that confirms wireless configuration information should be communicated between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for accessing wireless configuration information comprises a means for accessing wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway transparently to a user associated with the home-networking gateway.

27. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprises a means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point automatically in response to confirmation from a user that confirms wireless configuration information should be communicated between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point.

28. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprises a means for using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point transparently to a user associated with the home-networking gateway.

29. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program to configure a wireless access point in a home network, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to:

detect that a wired connection has been established between a wireless access point and a home-networking gateway;

automatically establish a communications session over the wired connection between the wireless access point and the home-networking gateway;

gateway in response to detecting that the wired connection has been established between the wireless access point and the home-networking gateway;

access wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway, the wireless configuration information being useful to configure wireless access points to enable wireless communications between the home-networking gateway and one or more wireless devices on the home network through the wireless access points;

use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point; and

establish wireless communications between the home-networking gateway and a wireless device on the home network through the wireless access point based, at least in part, on the wireless configuration information communicated to the wireless access point from the home-networking gateway.

30. The medium of claim 29 further comprising one or more code segments configured to configure the wireless access point based on the communicated wireless configuration information.

31. The medium of claim 29 further comprising one or more code segments configured to repeat the establishing of a communications session and the using the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information to more than one wireless access point.

32. The medium of claim 29 wherein the wireless configuration information includes a security key and a network name.

33. The medium of claim 29 wherein the wireless configuration information includes a list of one or more devices that are permitted to access the home network.

34. The medium of claim 29 wherein:

the one or more code segments configured to access wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway comprise one or more code segments configured to send a request from the access point to the home-networking gateway for wireless configuration information; and

the one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point further comprises one or more code segments configured to receive the accessed wireless configuration information at the wireless access point.

35. The medium of claim 29 wherein:

the one or more code segments configured to access wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway comprise one or more code segments configured to locate wireless configuration information stored at the home-networking gateway; and

the one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point comprise one or more code segments configured to send the accessed wireless configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless access point.

36. The medium of claim 29 wherein:

the one or more code segments configured to access wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway comprise one or more code segments configured to retrieve the wireless configuration information from a trusted system through a communications session established between the home-networking gateway and the trusted system; and

the one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point comprise one or more code segments configured to send the accessed wireless configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless access point.

37. The medium of claim 29 further comprising one or more code segments configured to determine whether the wireless access point is configured to communicate with the home-networking gateway using a wireless pathway, wherein

the one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprise one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point when the wireless access point is not configured to communicate with the home-networking gateway using a wireless pathway.

38. The medium of claim 29 wherein the one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprise one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point in response to a request by a user associated with the home-networking gateway.

39. The medium of claim 29 wherein the one or more code segments configured to access wireless configuration information comprise one or more code segments configured to access wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway automatically in response to confirmation from a user that confirms wireless configuration information should be communicated between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point.

40. The medium of claim 29 wherein the one or more code segments configured to access wireless configuration information comprise one or more code segments configured to access wireless configuration information at the home-networking gateway transparently to a user associated with the home-networking gateway.

41. The medium of claim 29 wherein the one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprise one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point automatically in response to confirmation from a user that confirms wireless configuration information should be communicated between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point.

42. The medium of claim 29 wherein the one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information comprise one or more code segments configured to use the automatically established communications session to communicate the accessed wireless configuration information over the wired connection between the home-networking gateway and the wireless access point transparently to a user identity.