Method and apparatus for utilizing bluetooth for WLAN service authentication and discovery

• US 7,656,847 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HMD Global Oy
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Mela, Martti, Vehmanen, Kai, Jalava, Teemu
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANTIAGO CORDERO, MARIVELISSE
• Application Number:
  US10/880,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20050286478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 455/41.1, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A device having wireless connectivity may be coupled to Internet Protocol (IP) service available in a network, including a wireless local area network (WLAN), local area network (LAN), Ethernet or other suitable Internet access point, by broadcasting a wireless protocol service discovery query requesting information about the IP service available in the network and waiting for a reply from another device having wireless connectivity in the network. The device includes a wireless protocol service discovery query module that broadcasts the wireless protocol service discovery query and waits for the reply from the second device. The scope of the invention also includes a network having such devices with the features described above, as well as a computer program product with a program code that is stored on a machine readable carrier, for carrying out the steps according to the aforementioned method when the computer program is run in a processor module of the first device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting from a first device over a first short-range radio link using a first short-range communicating protocol a wireless protocol service discovery query requesting information about an Internet Protocol based service available within a wireless network;

receiving a reply to the wireless protocol service discovery query from a second device connected to the wireless network over the first short-range radio link using the first short-range communication protocol, the reply including at least an Internet Protocol address of a particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network;

negotiating parameters needed for establishing communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network over a second short-range radio link using a second short-range communication protocol with said second device over the first short-range radio link; and

transmitting a service query including at least the received Internet Protocol address for establishing communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network, wherein the service query is transmitted over the second short-range radio link using the second short-range communications protocol in accordance with the negotiated parameters, wherein the second short-range communication protocol is different than the first short-range communication protocol.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device exchange information needed for the Internet Protocol based service, including a Universal Resource Locator plus the name of a service or some other free format text field, so that the first device may connect to the Internet Protocol based service via the wireless network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes using the short-range communication protocol for providing wireless connectivity between a first enabled device and a second enabled device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes coupling the first device to the Internet Protocol based service based on the information received from the second device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second device provides a protocol identifier, Internet Protocol addresses, ports and service specific parameters of a proximity server to the device.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the first device starts a transfer of data between the proximity server via the wireless network.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein proximity services of the proximity server include a remote screen, a display, loud-speakers or other suitable device accessible as the Internet Protocol based service.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first short-range communication protocol is short range wireless connectivity protocol and a Generic Access Profile is used to authorize an enabled device to use the Internet Protocol based service.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first device is either a mobile terminal, a mobile phone, user equipment, a laptop, a notebook computer, a desktop computer or other suitable device.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes combining a service discovery application protocol of a short range wireless connectivity protocol to service usage of the wireless network.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein a wireless connectivity protocol is used to negotiate an authorization and authentication of the Internet Protocol based service, including Generic Access Profile functionality.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the first short-range communication protocol is a short range wireless connectivity protocol.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the particular node, point, terminal or device is an Internet Protocol service user connected via the wireless network to a host device that is not connected to the wireless network.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises implementing the method, including

determining in the first device having wireless connectivity the availability of Internet Protocol based service in the wireless network;

transmitting from the first device, using the first short-range communication protocol, the wireless protocol service discovery query requesting information about the Internet Protocol based service available within the network;

receiving with a first radio the reply from the second device having wireless connectivity in the wireless network; and

transmitting the service query including at least the received Internet Protocol address for initiating communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device proving the Internet Protocol based service using a second radio and the second short-range communication protocol, or some combination thereof, via a computer program running in a respective controller in each device.

15. A computer program product with a program code, which program code is stored on a machine readable medium encoded with a computer program, for carrying out the steps according to claim 1 when the computer program is run in a processor module of a first device.

16. A device comprising:

one or more modules configured to

transmit over a first short-range radio link using a first short-range communication protocol a wireless protocol service discovery query requesting information about an Internet Protocol based service available within a wireless network;

receive a reply to the wireless protocol service discovery query from a second device connected to the wireless network over the first short-range radio link using the first short-range communication protocol, the reply including at least an Internet Protocol address of a particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network;

negotiate parameters needed for establishing communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network over a second short-range radio link using a second short-range communication protocol with said second device over the first short-range radio link; and

transmit a service query including at least the received Internet Protocol address for establishing communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network, wherein the service query is transmitted over the second short-range radio link using the second short-range communication protocol on accordance with the negotiated parameters, wherein the second short-range communication protocol is different than the first short-range communication protocol.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein the device and the second device each include a respective wireless connectivity protocol module that is configured to exchange information needed for the Internet Protocol service, including a Universal Resource Locator plus the name of a service or some other free format text field, so that the device may connect to the Internet Protocol based service via the wireless network.

18. A device according to claim 16, wherein the device and the second device use the short range communication protocol for providing wireless connectivity.

19. A device according to claim 16, wherein the device includes an Internet Protocol service module configured for coupling to the Internet Protocol based service based on the information received from the second device.

20. A device according to claim 19, wherein the first short-range communication protocol is a short range wireless connectivity protocol and a Generic Access Profile is used to authorize an enabled device to use the Internet Protocol based service.

21. A device according to claim 16, wherein the second device includes a wireless Internet Protocol service discovery reply module configured for providing a protocol identifier, Internet Protocol addresses, ports and service specific parameters of a proximity server to the device.

22. A device according to claim 21, wherein the device includes an Internet Protocol service module configured to start a transfer of data between the proximity server via the wireless network.

23. A device according to claim 21, wherein proximity services of the proximity server include a remote screen, a display, loudspeakers or other suitable device accessible as the Internet Protocol based service.

24. A device according to claim 16, wherein the device is either a mobile terminal, a mobile phone, user equipment, a laptop, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, or other suitable device.

25. A device according to claim 16, wherein the device includes a module configured for combining a short range wireless connectivity protocol service discovery to service usage of the wireless network.

26. A device according to claim 16, wherein the device includes a wireless connectivity protocol module that is configured to negotiate an authorization and authentication of the Internet Protocol based service, including Generic Access Profile functionality.

27. A device according to claim 26, wherein the first short-range communication protocol is a short range wireless connectivity protocol.

28. A device according to claim 16, wherein the particular node, point, terminal or device is an Internet Protocol based service user connected via the wireless network to a host device that is not connected to the wireless network.

29. A device according to claim 16, wherein the device includes a wireless Internet Protocol service discovery reply module configured for responding to a corresponding wireless protocol service discovery query from the second device requesting information about the Internet Protocol based service available in the wireless and providing a corresponding reply having information about an Internet Protocol address of a serving device to be used via the wireless network.

30. A network comprising:

a device having one or more modules configured to;

transmit over a first short-range radio link using a first short-range communication protocol a wireless protocol service discovery query requesting information about an Internet Protocol based service available within a wireless network;

receive a reply to the wireless protocol service discovery query from a second device connected to the wireless network over the first short-range radio link using the first short-range communication protocol, the reply including at least an Internet Protocol address of a particular node, point, terminal or device proving the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network;

negotiate parameters needed for establishing communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device proving the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network over a second short-range radio link using a second short-range communication protocol with said second device over the first short-range radio link; and

transmit a service query including at least the received Internet Protocol address for establishing communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network, wherein the service query is transmitted over the second short-range radio link using the second short-range communication protocol in accordance with the negotiated parameters, wherein the second short-range communication protocol is different than the first short-range communication protocol.

31. A network according to claim 30, wherein the device and the second device exchange information needed for the Internet Protocol based service, including a Universal Resource Locator plus the name of a service or some other free format text field, so that the device may connect to the Internet Protocol based service via the wireless network.

32. A network according to claim 30, wherein the short-range communication protocol is used for providing wireless connectivity between the device and the second device.

33. A network according to claim 30, wherein the device is coupled to the Internet Protocol based service after receiving the information about the Internet Protocol based service available in the wireless network from the second device.

34. A network according to claim 30, wherein the second device provides the protocol identifier, Internet Protocol addresses, ports and service specific parameters of a proximity server to the device.

35. A network according to claim 34, wherein the device starts a transfer of data between the proximity server via the wireless network accessible as an Internet Protocol based service.

36. A network according to claim 35, wherein proximity services of the proximity server include a remote screen, a display, loudspeakers or other suitable device accessible as the Internet Protocol based service.

37. A network according to claim 30, wherein the first short-range communication protocol is a short range wireless connectivity protocol and a Generic Access Profile is used to authorize an enabled device to use the Internet Protocol based service.

38. A network according to claim 30, wherein the device is either a mobile terminal, a mobile phone, user equipment, a laptop, a notebook computer, a desktop computer or other suitable device.

39. A network according to claim 30, wherein a service discovery application protocol of a short range wireless connectivity protocol is combined with service usage of the wireless network.

40. A network according to claim 30, wherein a wireless connectivity protocol is used to negotiate an authorization and authentication of the Internet Protocol based service, including Generic Access Profile functionality.

41. A network according to claim 40, wherein the first short-range communication protocol is a short range wireless connectivity protocol.

42. A network according to claim 30, wherein the particular node, point, terminal or device is an Internet Protocol based service user connected via the wireless network to a host device that is not connected to the wireless network.

43. Apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting from a device over a first short-range radio link using a first short-range communication protocol a wireless protocol service discovery query requesting information about an Internet Protocol based service available within a wireless network;

means for receiving a reply to the wireless protocol service discovery query from a second device connected to the wireless network over the first short-range radio link using the first short-range communication protocol, the reply including at least an Internet Protocol address of a particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network;

means for negotiating parameters needed for establishing communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network over a second short-range radio link using a second short-range communication protocol with said second device over the first short-range radio link; and

means for transmitting a service query including at least the received Internet Protocol address for establishing communications with the particular node, point, terminal or device providing the Internet Protocol based service within the wireless network, wherein the service query is transmitted over the second short-range radio link using the second short-range communication protocol in accordance with the negotiated parameters, wherein the second short-range communication protocol is different than the first short-range communication protocol.