Obtaining information regarding services available from a wireless local area network

• US 8,169,958 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Torres, Esteban Raul, Burns, James Edward, Stephenson, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUSA, ABDELNABI O
• Application Number:
  US12/057,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20090245184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/341, 370/431, 370/437, 455/434, 455/450, 455/464, 455/509, 455/515, 455/466
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment, there is disclosed herein an application launcher, referred to herein as a “Concierge Launcher,” that enables a mobile device to access a wireless local area network (WLAN) and launch an application with one click. In an example embodiment, the WLAN advertises one or more services, for example a Concierge Service, along with the identity of the provider of the service and optionally a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI) for the application to use the service. The mobile device is configured to detect the advertisement and notify an end user of the availability of the service. If the end user selects the service, the provider of the service is validated, and an application, such as a web browser, on the mobile device configured to use the service is started.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

an input device;

an output device; and

control logic operatively coupled to the wireless transceiver, the input device, and the output device;

wherein the control logic receives a signal received from a wireless network via the wireless transceiver, the signal comprising data indicating a service is available for an application via the wireless network;

wherein, the control logic is selectively operable in a first mode to output data on the output device indicating that the service is available for the application on the network;

wherein the control logic is selectively operable in a second mode to determine from the signal a service provider for providing the service and to determine whether the service provider is on a pre-approved list of approved service providers, the control logic selectively outputting data on the output device indicating that the service is available for the application on the network responsive to determining the service provider is on the pre-approved list of service providers;

wherein the control logic is selectively operable in a third mode to discard the data indicating the service is available from the application and without outputting the data indicating the service is available on the output device; and

,

wherein the control logic is responsive to receiving input from the input device indicating the service is requested to validate the wireless network and to initiate the application to receive the service responsive to successfully validating the wireless network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to determine a domain name for the wireless network from the signal;

wherein the control logic is further configured to validate the wireless network by requesting a certificate for the wireless network via the wireless transceiver; and

wherein the control logic validates the wireless network by matching a Uniform Resource Identifier extracted from the certificate with the domain name determined from the signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the certificate further comprises a common name field;

and

wherein the control logic is further configured to extract the domain name from the common name field of the certificate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application is a web browsing application.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data output on the output device is an icon displayed on a display device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to add data representative of the associated wireless network to the pre-approved list responsive to an input received via the input device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further configured to automatically add data representative of the associated wireless network to the pre-approved list responsive to the control logic being in a predefined operating mode that automatically adds data from detected associated wireless networks to the pre-approved list.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the associated wireless transceiver receives a second signal from a second associated wireless network with data representative of a second service available for the application on the second associated wireless network;

and

wherein control logic is responsive to the wireless transceiver receiving the second signal to output second data on the output device indicating that the second service is available for the application on the second associated wireless network.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a first signal from an associated wireless network, the first signal comprising data indicating a service is available for an application;

determining a mode of operation responsive to receiving the first signal;

selectively outputting data from the first signal indicating the service is available for the application from the associated wireless network responsive to determining the mode of operation is a first mode, wherein while in the first mode, all service advertisements are output;

selectively determining whether a source of the service is on a pre-approved list responsive to determining the mode of operation is a second mode of operation, wherein only service advertisements from sources in the pre-approved list are output;

selectively outputting the data from the first signal indicating the service is available responsive to determining the mode of operation is the second mode and the source of the first signal is on the pre-approved list;

selectively discarding the data from the first signal responsive to determining the mode of operation is a third mode, wherein while in the third mode no advertisements are output;

receiving an input requesting the service;

validating the associated wireless local area network advertising the service; and

launching the application to receive the service responsive to successfully validating with the associated wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein validating the associated wireless network further comprises:

determining a domain name for the service provider from the first signal;

receiving a certificate from the associated wireless network;

validating that the certificate was signed by a trusted certificate authority;

extracting a domain name from the certificate; and

verifying that the domain name extracted from the certificate matches the domain name determined from the first signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the domain name extracted from the certificate is extracted from a common name field.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the application is a web browsing application.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the outputting data further comprises displaying a flashing icon on a display device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second signal from an associated second wireless network advertising a second service for the application;

determining whether the application is receiving service from another associated wireless network; and

outputting data indicating the second service is available concurrently with data indicating the first service is available responsive to determining the application is not receiving the second service from another associated wireless network.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a signal from an associated wireless network comprising data indicating a service is available for an application;

means for operating in a first mode, wherein while operating in the first mode, data indicating the service is available for the application from the associated wireless network is output to a user interface means;

means for operating in a second mode, comprising means for determining whether a service provider associated with the service belongs to a predefined list of service providers, wherein the means for operating in the second mode comprises means for outputting to the user interface data indicating the service is available from the associated wireless network responsive to determining the service provider associated with the service belongs to the predefined list of service providers;

means for operating in a third mode, comprising means for discarding the data indicating the service is available while operating in the third mode and not outputting the data indicating the service is available on the user interface;

means for receiving an input requesting the service output on the user interface;

means for validating the associated wireless local area network advertising the service; and

means for launching the application to receive the service responsive to successfully validating with the associated wireless network.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for validating the associated wireless network further comprises:

means for determining a domain name for the service provider from the signal;

means for receiving a certificate from the associated wireless network;

means for validating that the certificate was signed by a trusted certificate authority;

means for extracting a domain name from the certificate; and

means for verifying that the domain name extracted from the certificate matches the domain name determined from the signal.