Selective pre-authentication to anticipated primary wireless access points

• US 7,460,855 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, Timothy M., Ayyagari, Arun, Barkley, Warren V., Baron, Andrew Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches; Randy
• Application Number:
  US10/453,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20040248553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455435-444, 455/500, 455/501, 455/502, 455/524, 455/525, 370331-333
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point

Abstract

A wireless device that adaptively makes the determination of whether or not to pre-authenticate. If the wireless device is running an application that is sensitive to latency (also referred to herein as a low latency application), then pre-authentication is performed and latency is reduced during the switch between wireless access points. Such low latency applications may include voice over IP, video, interactive whiteboard, or video teleconferencing. On the other hand, if the wireless device is not running a low latency application, the wireless device is less susceptible to latency when making the wireless access point switch. In that case, pre-authentication is not performed and processing and battery resources are preserved.

Claims

1. At a wireless device connected to a wireless network, the wireless network having a plurality of wireless access points that can be used to access the wireless network, the wireless device configured to associate with wireless access points to access resources of the wireless network, a method for the wireless device to prepare a wireless access point to associate with the wireless device prior to but in anticipation of the wireless device subsequently associating with the wireless access point, the method comprising:

an act of the wireless device associating with a first wireless access point to access the wireless network, including configuring applications at the wireless device to communicate over the first wireless access point;

an act of an application at the wireless device communicating over the first wireless access point;

an act of the wireless device detecting that the wireless device is within range of a plurality of other wireless access points providing access to the wireless network;

act of anticipating that the wireless device is to subsequently transition to a next wireless access point from among the plurality of the other wireless access points based on the wireless device being within range of each of the plurality of other second wireless access points;

an act of identifying latency requirements for the application in response to the anticipated transition to one of the other wireless access points;

an act of determining that the latency requirements of the application are likely to be violated if authentication with the next wireless access points is performed at the time the wireless device transitions to the next wireless access points; and

in response to the determination, and prior to the wireless device disassociating with the first wireless access point;

an act of the wireless device pre-authenticating the wireless device directly with the next wireless access point to obtain an authenticated state with the next wireless access point in preparation for the anticipated transition by the wireless device to the next wireless access point so as to decrease the likelihood of violating the identified latency requirements of the application upon transitioning the application to the next access point; and

an act of the wireless device concurrently communicating with the first wireless access device concurrent to the wireless device pre-authenticating with the next wireless access point.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of identifying the latency requirements of the application comprises the following:

an act of receiving a request from the application to authenticate with anticipated primary wireless access points prior to making the anticipated primary wireless access point a primary wireless access point.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the application is voice over IP.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the application is a video application.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the application is an interactive whiteboard.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the application is a video teleconferencing application.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the application is a streaming application.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of wireless access points are within a common sphere of trust.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless device maintains a list of application identifiers distinguishing between applications that are low latency applications and applications that are high latency applications.

10. A computer program product for implementing a method for a wireless device to prepare wireless access point to associate with the wireless device prior to but in anticipation of the wireless device subsequently associating with the wireless access point, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the wireless device to perform the method recited in claim 1.

11. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions for identifying the latency requirements of the application comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to perform the following:

an act of detecting receipt of a request from the application to authenticate with anticipated primary wireless access points prior to associating with the anticipated primary wireless access point.

12. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of wireless access points are within a common sphere of trust.

13. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing the act of the wireless device communicating over the first wireless access point comprise the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the wireless device to perform the following:

an act of communicating with the first wireless access point using Personal Area Networks.

14. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are persistence memory media.

15. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are volatile memory media.