Subscriber management and service profiles

• US 7,477,632 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kubhani, Haresh M., Lambert, Paul, Radhakrishnan, Ramesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/036,184
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/338, 370342-345, 455/410, 455/411, 709/225, 713/182, 726/1, 726/2, 726 16- 21
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The subject invention relates to methods and systems for determining wireless network service characteristics involving receiving at an access point (AP) a request from a station (STA) for wireless network access, obtaining a first identifier specifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) to which the STA is to be connected, obtaining a second identifier from an authentication process relating to the STA, determining a service profile for the STA based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the service profile specifies a value for each of a plurality of service attributes, and establishing a connection for wireless communications between the STA and the AP based on the service profile, wherein the connection is characterized by the value specified for each of the plurality of service attributes.

Claims

1. A method for determining wireless network service characteristics comprising:

storing an array of service profiles, each profile uniquely identified by a combination of a wireless local area network (WLAN) identifier and a group identifier;

receiving at an access point (AP) a request from a station (STA) for wireless network access;

obtaining a first identifier specifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) to which the STA is to be connected;

obtaining a second identifier from an authentication process relating to the STA upon successful authentication of the STA;

selecting a service profile from the array for the STA based on the first identifier and the second identifier when the STA is successfully authenticated, wherein the service profile specifies a value for each of a plurality of service attributes;

selecting a first default service profile for the STA when the STA fails to successfully authenticate;

selecting a second default service profile for the STA when the STA is successfully authenticated but the second identifier is not successfully obtained, the second default service profile is non-identical to the first default service profile; and

establishing a connection for wireless communications between the STA and the AP based on the selected service profile, wherein the connection is characterized by the value specified for each of the plurality of service attributes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first identifier specifying a WLAN comprises a service set identifier (SSID).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the SSID is associated with a wireless network connection service provider.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second identifier comprises a group identifier associated with the STA, wherein the group identifier indicates membership of the STA in a group.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentication process involves authenticating a user of the STA by using a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) process.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of service attributes identifies a virtual local area network (VLAN).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of service attributes identifies a quality of service (QoS).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of service attributes identifies an encryption technique.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of service attributes identifies a guest portal state.

10. A method for determining wireless network service characteristics comprising:

receiving at an access point (AP) a request from a station (STA) for wireless network access;

attempting to perform an authentication process relating to the STA;

when the authentication fails, determining a first default service profile for the STA, wherein the first default service profile specifies a value for each of a plurality of service attributes;

when the authentication succeeds, attempting to obtain a group identifier associated with the STA indicating a group to which the STA belongs;

when the group identifier is not returned, determining a second default service profile for the STA, the second default service profile is non-identical to the first default service profile; and

establishing a connection for wireless communications between the STA and the AP based on which of the first and second default service profiles is determined for the STA, wherein the connection is characterized by the value specified for each of the plurality of service attributes by the determined default service profile.

11. A system for determining wireless network service characteristics comprising:

an array of service profiles, each profile uniquely identified by a combination of a wireless local area network (WLAN) identifier and a group identifier;

an access point (AP) that receives a request from a station (STA) for wireless network access;

wherein the AP obtains a first identifier specifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) to which the STA is to be connected and obtains a second identifier from an authentication process relating to the STA;

wherein the AP selects a service profile for the STA from the array based on the first identifier and the second identifier, the service profile specifying a value for each of a plurality of service attributes;

wherein the AP selects a first default service profile when the STA fails to successfully authenticate;

wherein the AP selects a second default service profile when the STA is successfully authenticated but the second identifier is not successfully obtained, the second default profile is non-identical to the first default service profile; and

wherein the AP establishes a connection for wireless communications between the STA and the AP based on the selected service profile, the connection characterized by the value specified for each of the plurality of service attributes.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first identifier specifying a WLAN comprises a service set identifier (SSID).

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the SSID is associated with a wireless network connection service provider.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the second identifier comprises a group identifier associated with the STA, wherein the group identifier indicates membership of the STA in a group.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the authentication process involves authenticating a user of the STA by using a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) process.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein one of the plurality of service attributes identifies a virtual local area network (VLAN).

17. The system of claim 11 wherein one of the plurality of service attributes identifies a quality of service (QoS).

18. The system of claim 11 wherein one of the plurality of service attributes identifies an encryption technique.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein one of the plurality of service attributes identifies a guest portal state.

20. A system for determining wireless network service characteristics comprising:

an access point (AP) capable of receiving a request from a station (STA) for wireless network access;

wherein the AP is further capable of attempting to perform an authentication process relating to the STA;

wherein, when the authentication fails, the AP is further capable of determining a first default service profile for the STA, the service profile specifying a value for each of a plurality of service attributes;

wherein, when the authentication succeeds, the AP is further capable of attempting to obtain a group identifier associated with the STA indicating a group to which the STA belongs;

wherein, when the group identifier is not returned, the AP is further capable of determining a second default service profile for the STA, the second default service profile is non-identical to the first default service profile; and

wherein the AP is further capable of establishing a connection for wireless communications between the STA and the AP based on which of the default service profiles is determined for the STA, the connection being characterized by the value specified for each of the plurality of service attributes by the determined default service profile.

21. A system for determining wireless network service characteristics comprising:

means for storing an array of service profiles, each profile uniquely identified by a combination of a wireless local area network (WLAN) identifier and a group identifier;

means for receiving at an access point (AP) a request from a station (STA) for wireless network access;

means for obtaining a first identifier specifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) to which the STA is to be connected;

means for obtaining a second identifier from an authentication process relating to the STA;

means for selecting a service profile from the array for the STA based on the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the service profile specifies a value for each of a plurality of service attributes;

means for selecting a first default service profile for the STA when the STA fails to successfully authenticate;

means for selecting a second default service profile for the STA when the STA is successfully authenticated but the second identifier is not successfully obtained, the second default service profile is non-identical to the first default service profile; and

means for establishing a connection for wireless communications between the STA and the AP based on the selected service profile, wherein the connection is characterized by the value specified for each of the plurality of service attributes.

22. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform the following steps:

receiving a request from a station (STA) for wireless network access;

obtaining a first identifier specifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) to which the STA is to be connected;

obtaining a second identifier from an authentication process relating to the STA upon successful authentication of the STA;

selecting a service profile for the STA from an array of service profiles based on the first identifier and the second identifier when the STA is successfully authenticated, wherein the service profile specifies a value for each of a plurality of service attributes, and wherein each of the array of service profiles is uniquely identified by a combination of a wireless local area network identifier and a group identifier;

selecting a first default service profile for the STA when the STA fails to successfully authenticate;

selecting a second default service profile for the STA when the STA is successfully authenticated but the second identifier is not successfully obtained, the second default service profile is non-identical to the first default service profile; and

establishing a connection for wireless communications between the STA and an access point (AP) based on the selected service profile, wherein the connection is characterized by the value specified for each of the plurality of service attributes.

23. An apparatus for use in a wireless network, comprising:

an authentication component that receives a request from a station (STA) for wireless network access;

wherein the authentication component obtains a first identifier specifying a wireless local area network (WLAN) to which the STA is to be connected and obtains a second identifier from an authentication process relating to the STA;

wherein the authentication component selects a service profile for the STA from an array of service profiles based on the first identifier and the second identifier, each service profile uniquely identified by a combination of a wireless local area network identifier and a group identifier, and each service profile specifying a value for each of a plurality of service attributes;

wherein the authentication component selects a first default service profile when the STA fails to successfully authenticate;

wherein the authentication component selects a second default service profile when the STA is successfully authenticated but the second identifier is not successfully obtained, the second default profile is non-identical to the first default service profile; and

wherein the authentication component establishes a connection for wireless communications between the STA and an access point (AP) based on the selected service profile, the connection characterized by the value specified for each of the plurality of service attributes.