Configuring wireless devices

• US 7,313,384 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• 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): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US10/284,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/410, 455/411, 455/406, 370/338, 725/25, 725/89, 709/228
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

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 connectivity settings of a wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with a home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway, the method comprising:

establishing, over a wired connection, a communications session between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway;

receiving, over the wired connection, a security code from the wireless communications device;

accessing a trusted security code;

determining whether the received security code is authentic based on the accessed trusted security code;

based on a determination that the received security code is authentic, using the home-networking gateway to access wireless connectivity configuration information;

sending the accessed wireless connectivity configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless communications device over the wired connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the establishing of a communications session and the sending of the accessed wireless connectivity configuration information with more than one wireless communications device.

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

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing wireless connectivity configuration information on the home-networking gateway.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the trusted security code comprises accessing a trusted security code that is physically associated with the home-networking gateway.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the trusted security code is preprogrammed into the home-networking gateway.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the trusted security code is stored in firmware of the home-networking gateway.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the trusted security code comprises accessing a trusted security code stored on a removable storage device accessible to the home-networking gateway.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the trusted security code comprises accessing a trusted security code stored on a hardware key accessible to the home-networking gateway.

37. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the wireless connectivity configuration information sent from the home-networking gateway to the wireless communications device over the wired connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway to configure the connectivity settings of the wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with the home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the received security code is authentic based on the accessed trusted security code comprises comparing the received security code with the trusted security code.

10. A method for configuring connectivity settings of a wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with a home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway, the method comprising:

accessing wireless connectivity configuration information using the home-networking gateway;

storing the accessed wireless connectivity configuration information on a removable storage device at the home-networking gateway;

allowing for the removable storage device to be removed from the home-networking gateway;

after removal of the removable storage device from the home-networking gateway, receiving the removable storage device at the wireless communications device;

accessing the wireless connectivity configuration information stored on the removable storage device using the wireless communications device; and

using the wireless connectivity configuration information accessed from the removable storage device to configure the connectivity settings of the wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with the home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the removable storage device is associated with a wireless communications card; and

receiving the removable storage device at the wireless communications device comprises enabling the wireless communications card to be inserted into the wireless communications device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the removable storage device comprises one of removable magnetic media, removable optical media, or removable solid state storage media.

13. A system for configuring connectivity settings of a wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with a home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway, the system comprising:

means for establishing, over a wired connection, a communications session between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway;

means for receiving, over the wired connection, a security code from the wireless communications device;

means for accessing a trusted security code;

means for determining whether the received security code is authentic based on the accessed trusted security code;

means for using the home-networking gateway to access wireless connectivity configuration information and based on a determination that the received security code is authentic; and

means for sending the accessed wireless connectivity configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless communications device over the wired connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a means for repeating the establishing of a communications session and the sending of the accessed wireless connectivity configuration information with more than one wireless communications device.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the wireless connectivity configuration information includes a security key and a network name.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for storing wireless connectivity configuration information on the home-networking gateway.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for accessing the trusted security code comprises means for accessing a trusted security code that is physically associated with the home-networking gateway.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the trusted security code is preprogrammed into the home-networking gateway.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the trusted security code is stored in firmware of the home-networking gateway.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for accessing the trusted security code comprises means for accessing a trusted security code stored on a removable storage device accessible to the home-networking gateway.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for accessing the trusted security code comprises means for accessing a trusted security code stored on a hardware key accessible to the home-networking gateway.

22. A system for configuring connectivity settings of a wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with a home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway, the system comprising:

means for accessing wireless connectivity configuration information using the home-networking gateway;

means for storing the accessed wireless connectivity configuration information on a removable storage device at the home-networking gateway;

means for allowing the removable storage device to be removed from the home-networking gateway;

means for receiving the removable storage device at the wireless communications device after removal of the removable storage device from the home-networking gateway;

means for accessing the wireless connectivity configuration information stored on the removable storage device using the wireless communications device; and

means for using the wireless connectivity configuration information accessed from the removable storage device to configure the connectivity settings of the wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with the home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein:

the removable storage device is associated with a wireless communications card; and

the means for receiving the removable storage device at the wireless communications device comprises a means for enabling the wireless communications card to be inserted into the wireless communications device.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the removable storage device comprises one of removable magnetic media, removable optical media, or removable solid state storage media.

25. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to configure connectivity settings of a wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with a home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to:

establish, over a wired connection, a communications session between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway;

receive, over the wired connection, a security code, from the wireless communications device;

access a trusted security code;

determine whether the received security code is authentic based on the accessed trusted security code;

use the home-networking gateway to access wireless configuration information based on a determination that the received security code is authentic;

send the accessed wireless connectivity configuration information from the home-networking gateway to the wireless communications device over the wired connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway.

26. The medium or signal of claim 25 further comprising one or more code segments configured to repeat the establishing of a communications session and the sending of the accessed wireless configuration information with more than one wireless communications device.

27. The medium of claim 25 wherein the wireless connectivity configuration information includes a security key and a network name.

28. The medium of claim 25 further comprising one or more code segments configured to store wireless connectivity configuration information on the home-networking gateway.

29. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments configured to access the trusted security code comprise one or more code segments configured to access a trusted security code that is physically associated with the home-networking gateway.

30. The medium of claim 29 wherein the trusted security code is preprogrammed into the home-networking gateway.

31. The medium of claim 30 wherein the trusted security code is stored in firmware of the home-networking gateway.

32. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments configured to access the trusted security code comprise one or more code segments configured to access a trusted security code stored on a removable storage device accessible to the home-networking gateway.

33. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments configured to access the trusted security code comprise one or more code segments configured to access a trusted security code stored on a hardware key accessible to the home-networking gateway.

34. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to configure connectivity settings of a wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with a home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to:

access wireless connectivity configuration information using the home-networking gateway;

store the accessed wireless connectivity configuration information on a removable storage device at the home-networking gateway;

allow for removal of the removable storage device from the home-networking gateway;

receive the removable storage device at the wireless communications device after removal of the removable storage device from the home-networking gateway;

access the wireless connectivity configuration information stored on the removable storage device using the wireless communications device; and

use the wireless connectivity configuration information accessed from the removable storage device to configure the connectivity settings of the wireless communications device to enable communications by the wireless communications device with the home-networking gateway over a wireless connection between the wireless communications device and the home-networking gateway.

35. The medium of claim 34 wherein:

the removable storage device is associated with a wireless communications card; and

the one or more code segments configured to receive the removable storage device at the wireless communications device comprise one or more code segments configured to enable the wireless communications card to be inserted into the wireless communications device.

36. The medium of claim 34 wherein the removable storage device comprises one of removable magnetic media, removable optical media, or removable solid state storage media.