System and method for automatic setup of a network device with secure network transmission of setup parameters

• US 7,609,837 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Richard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Korzuch; William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughan; Michael R
• Application Number:
  US11/217,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 380/262
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying

Abstract

A system and method for use with local area networks (LANs) automatically configures a new device on a LAN by secure encrypted transmission of setup parameters. A remote control (RC) with an infrared (IR) transmitter contains a stored setup command and a security number that is used only once (a “nonce”). Setup of a new device is initiated by pressing a “setup” button on the RC which generates the security number and transmits it and the setup command to the new device via IR. The new device receives the setup command and security number and queries the network for the setup parameters. The RC also transmits the security number via IR to a network member device that contains the setup parameters. The network member uses the security number as an encryption key to encrypt the setup parameters and transmit them over the network. The new device uses the security number as the decryption key to decrypt the transmitted setup parameters.

Claims

1. A system for configuring a consumer electronic device on a local area network (LAN) comprising:

a remote control comprising a processor, a first computer program of instructions executable by the processor for generating a security number, memory coupled to the processor for storing said first computer program and said security number, a setup button for initiating generation of said security number by said first computer program of instructions, and an infrared (IR) transmitter for transmitting said security number;

a network member device comprising a processor, memory coupled to the processor, and an encryption computer program responsive to said security number transmitted by the remote control for encrypting a network configuration message transmitted on the local area network; and

a consumer electronic device for connection to the network comprising a processor, memory coupled to the processor, and a decryption computer program responsive to said security number transmitted by the remote control for decrypting the encrypted network configuration message transmitted by the network member device.

2. The LAN of claim 1 wherein said security number is stored in the memory of the remote control only for a time-out period.

3. The LAN of claim 1 wherein said first computer program is a random number generation program and wherein said security number is a random number.

4. The LAN of claim 3 further comprising a table of random numbers stored in the memory of the remote control and wherein said random number generation program generates said security number from said table.

5. The LAN of claim 1 wherein said encryption computer program includes instructions for deleting said security number from memory of the network member device after the network configuration message has been encrypted.

6. The LAN of claim 1 wherein said decryption computer program includes instructions for deleting said security number from memory of the consumer electronic device after the network configuration message has been decrypted.

7. The LAN of claim 1 wherein said setup button also causes a start-setup code to be transmitted to the consumer electronic device to ready the consumer electronic device for receipt of the network configuration message transmitted by the network member device.

8. The LAN of claim 1 wherein said encryption computer program and said decryption computer program include instructions for performing the advanced encryption standard (AES) algorithm and said security number comprises the AES algorithm key.

9. The LAN of claim 1 wherein the LAN is a powerline communications (PLC) network.

10. The LAN of claim 1 wherein the LAN is a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein said network member device and said consumer electronic device each includes a wireless transceiver, and wherein the network configuration message is broadcast on the WLAN by the member device.

11. The WLAN of claim 10 wherein the WLAN is a IEEE 802.11 type WLAN, and wherein the network configuration message includes a security key.

12. A method for setting up a consumer electronic device on a local area network (LAN) having a network member device containing network setup parameters, the method comprising:

in an infrared (IR) remote control having a processor and a stored computer program of instructions executable by the processor for generating a security number, initiating the operation of said computer program to thereby generate the security number within the remote control;

storing said security number in the remote control for a time-out period;

before expiration of the time-out period, transmitting said security number from the remote control to the consumer electronic device and the network member device via IR transmission;

storing said security number in the consumer electronic device;

storing said security number in the network member device;

readying the consumer electronic device for receipt of encrypted network setup parameters transmitted on the network;

encrypting the network setup parameters in the network member device using said security number as the encryption key;

transmitting on the local area network the encrypted network setup parameters;

decrypting the encrypted network setup parameters in the consumer electronic device using said security number as the decryption key; and

storing the decrypted network setup parameters in the consumer electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said security number is a random number.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said security number in the remote control for a time-out period comprises storing said security number for a time-out period corresponding substantially to the time between a first transmission of said security number and a second transmission of said security number.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the LAN is an IEEE 802.11 type wireless local area network (WLAN), and wherein the encrypted network setup parameters include a security key.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein transmitting said security number to the network member device comprises transmitting the security number to the network member device and the consumer electronic device simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising, if the time-out period has expired:

generating a new security number in the remote control;

storing the new security number in the remote control for said time-out period;

transmitting from the remote control to the network member device and the consumer electronic device via infrared (IR) transmission said new security number;

storing said new security number in the network member device;

storing said new security number in the consumer electronic device;

encrypting the network setup parameters in the network member device using said new security number as the encryption key; and

transmitting on the local area network the encrypted network setup parameters.