Preconfiguration of wireless network access for portable devices

• US 8,346,924 B1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bucher, Timothy, Ross, Mark Andrew, van Hoff, Arthur Anthonie
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, BRYAN F
• Application Number:
  US12/326,549
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems and methods for pre-configuring a media device or other information handling system so as to be authorized to gain access to one or more destination networks. Pre-configuring the device includes determining what admission requirements the destination network providers require for access and then generating and providing to the media device a network admission coupon that includes the required information. In some embodiments this may be accomplished by a service center, which removes the need for additional authentication steps to be performed by the media device or the destination network providers.

Claims

1. In a system including a media device that receives content or services via a network connection and a center for managing access to a plurality of destination networks, a method performed by the service center for pre-configuring the media device so that the media device may access one or more of the plurality of destination networks without requiring a user to input information to a user interface provided on the media device, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a media device for authorization from a selected destination network provider to access a predetermined destination network, the request being received over an internet connection established by a computer system to which the media device is connected, the request including registration information for registering the media device to access the predetermined destination network, the registration information having been input to the computer system by a user;

determining the destination network admission requirements that are required by the selected destination network provider in order for the media device to be authorized to access the predetermined destination network directly without using the internet connection of the computer system;

sending a request to the computer system to be displayed on the computer system, the request requesting information from the user to comply with the destination network admission requirements;

receiving the requested information from the computer system;

providing the requested information to the selected destination network provider;

receiving a network admission coupon from the selected destination network provider; and

providing the network admission coupon to the media device via the computer system, wherein the network admission coupon is configured to authorize the media device to access the predetermined destination network directly without using the internet connection of the computer system and without the need for additional authentication from the selected destination network provider such that the media device is configured to access the predetermined destination network by the user inputting the registration information and the requested information to the computer system rather than to a user interface provided on the media device.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the registration information comprises one or more of:

a username and password, or an identifier of the media device.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the requested information comprises one or more of:

the acceptance of terms and conditions of use of the destination network, device configuration settings, user identification information, or payment information.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the selected destination network provider is a first destination network provider, the predetermined destination network is a first predetermined destination network, and the request for authorization is a first request, the method further comprising:

receiving a second request from the media device for authorization from a second selected destination network provider to access a second predetermined destination network, the second request being received directly from the media device via the first predetermined destination network;

determining the destination network admission requirements that are required by the second selected destination network provider in order for the media device to be authorized to access the second predetermined destination network;

processing a second network admission coupon based on the destination network admission requirements required by the second selected destination network provider; and

providing the second network admission coupon to the media device via the first destination network, wherein the second network admission coupon is configured to authorize the media device to directly access the second predetermined destination network without the need for additional authentication from the second selected destination network provider.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the destination network admission requirements required by the selected destination network provider have been changed; and

generating an alert which notifies the user of the media device that the destination network admission requirements required by the selected destination network provider have been changed.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the alert which notifies the user of the media device that the destination network admission requirements required by the selected destination network provider have been changed is in the form of a media device alert sent directly to the media device, a computer alert sent to the computer system, an email notification, or any combination thereof.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the destination network admission requirements required by the selected destination network provider have been changed;

generating a second network admission coupon based on the changes to the destination network admission requirements; and

providing the second network admission coupon to the media device, wherein the second network admission coupon is configured to allow the media device to continue to access the predetermined destination network without the need for additional authentication from the selected destination network provider.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the second network admission coupon is provided directly to the media device upon receipt of a request from the media device.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the second network admission coupon is provided directly to the media device automatically upon the processing of the second network admission coupon.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the media device is a first media device, the method further comprising:

receiving a request from a second media device for authorization from the selected destination network provider to access the predetermined destination network; and

providing the network admission coupon to the second media device, wherein the network admission coupon is further configured to authorize the second media device to access the predetermined destination network without the need for additional authentication from the selected destination network provider.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein processing a network admission coupon further comprises:

receiving additional information necessary to process the network admission coupon from the media device.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the network admission coupon includes at least one of user information, device configuration information, payment information, or address information.

13. The method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

prior to providing the network admission coupon to the second media device, receiving authorization from the first media device to provide the network admission coupon to the second media device.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the authorization received from the first media device comprises an identifier of the second media device.

15. In a system including a media device that receives content or services via a network connection and a service center for managing access to a plurality of destination networks, a method, performed by the media device, to receive authentication to access one or more of the plurality of destination networks without requiring a user to input information to a user interface provided on the media device, the method comprising:

sending a request, via an internet connection of a computer system to which the media device is connected, to an external service center to obtain authorization from a particular destination network provider to access a predetermined destination network, the request including registration information for registering the media device to access the predetermined destination network, the registration information having been input to the computer system by a user such that the user need not input the registration information to a user interface on the media device;

receiving, from the service center via the internet connection of the computer system, a network admission coupon provided by the particular destination network provider;

accessing the predetermined destination network directly, without using the internet connection of the computer system, using the network admission coupon to authenticate with the predetermined destination network;

receiving an updated network admission coupon from the service center via the predetermined destination network; and

accessing the predetermined destination network directly using the updated network admission coupon to authenticate with the predetermined destination network such that the media device retains access to the predetermined destination network without requiring the user to input information to a user interface on the media device to generate the updated network admission coupon.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

prior to receiving the network admission coupon, receiving a request from the service center that requires the user to one or more of;

accept terms and/or conditions of use;

provide device identification information;

provide user identification information;

or provide payment; and

displaying a user interface in a browser on the computer system, the user interface prompting the user to fulfill the request by interacting with the user interface displayed in the browser.

17. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the network admission coupon includes at least one of user information, device configuration information, payment information, or address information.

18. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the particular destination network provider is a first destination network provider, the predetermined destination network is a first predetermined destination network, and the network admission coupon is a first network admission coupon, the method further comprising:

requesting, via the first predetermined destination network, the external service center to obtain authorization from a second particular destination network provider to access a second predetermined destination network;

receiving, via the first predetermined destination network, a second network admission coupon from the second particular destination network provider, the second network admission coupon authenticating access to the second predetermined destination network by the second particular destination network provider without the need for additional authentication from the second particular destination network provider.

19. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the updated network admission coupon is received from the external service center whenever changes to the network admission requirements of the particular destination network provider occurs.

20. The method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, via the predetermined destination network, a notification from the external service center that the network admission requirements of the particular destination network provider have been modified.

21. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the media device, the external service center, and the particular destination network provider are connected via a wired or wireless network, wherein the wireless network is one or more of an 802.11 network, a terrestrial network, a cellular network, and a satellite network.

22. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the media device is one of is one of a satellite radio device, a portable audio player, a portable DVD or CD player, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or any combination thereof.