Network configuration and authorization

• US 8,381,270 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hsieh, Andrew, Chen, Chinyue, Lo, Yung-chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar, Kaveh
• Application Number:
  US13/250,695
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

Various aspects of this disclosure are directed to receiving, by a first computing device, one or more communications from a second device. The one or more communications may be transmitted using a short range wireless communication protocol. The one or more communications may include network configuration information usable to connect the first computing device to a first network and network authentication information. The first computing device may configure the first computing device to connect to the first network using the network configuration information. The first computing device may automatically connect to the first network by at least submitting, using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) authentication mechanism, the authentication information to a third computing device that manages access to a second network accessible using the first network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device, one or more communications from a second device, wherein the one or more communications are transmitted using a short range wireless communication protocol, and wherein the one or more communications include network configuration information usable to connect the first computing device to a first network and network authentication information;

configuring the first computing device to connect to the first network using the network configuration information; and

automatically connecting the first computing device to the first network by at least submitting, by the first computing device using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) authentication mechanism, the authentication information to a third computing device that manages access to a second network accessible by the first network, wherein automatically connecting the first computing device to the first network by at least submitting the authentication information to the third computing device comprises;

responsive to configuring the first computing device to connect to the first network, automatically launching a web browser of the first computing device to connect to the first network, wherein the web browser provides an HTTP authentication form; and

automatically populating, with the first computing device, the HTTP authentication form using the authentication information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing, with the first computing device, the second network through the first network upon successfully authenticating the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting, by the first computing device, a confirmation request that requests permission from a user to permit the configuration of the first computing device to connect to the first network and submit the authentication information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the first computing device, an authorization command; and

responsive to receiving the authorization command, submitting, by the first computing device, the authentication information to the third computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication protocol comprises near field communication (NFC).

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein receiving the one or more communications comprises receiving the one or more communications with an active near field communication (NFC) hardware of the first computing device from an active NFC hardware of the second device configured to emulate passive NFC hardware, and

wherein the method further comprises initiating, with the first computing device, the receiving of the one or more communications using the active NFC hardware of the first computing device.

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein receiving the one or more communications comprises receiving the one or more communications with an active near field communication (NFC) hardware of the first computing device from an active NFC hardware of the second device, and

wherein the method further comprises initiating, with the first computing device using the active NFC hardware of the first computing device, the receiving of the one or more communications using peer-to-peer communication.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein receiving the one or more communications comprises receiving the one or more communications with an active near field communication (NFC) hardware of the first computing device from a passive NFC hardware of the second device, and

wherein the method further comprises initiating, with the first computing device, the receiving of the one or more communications using the active NFC hardware of the first computing device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the passive NFC hardware of the second device comprises a passive NFC tag.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network configuration information includes a service set identifier (SSID) and a password.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network configuration information includes a password.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network authentication information includes a username and a password.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically connecting the first computing device to the first network by at least submitting the authentication information to the third computing device comprises submitting, by the first computing device to the third computing device, the username and the password to cause the third computing device to permit the first computing device to access the second network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network comprises a wireless local area network, and wherein the second network comprises a wide area network.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises single-use authentication information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the single-use authentication information corresponds to an amount of time the first computing device is permitted to access the second network.

17. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, if executed, cause one or more processors of a first computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more communications from a second device, wherein the one or more communications are transmitted using a short range wireless communication protocol, and wherein the one or more communications include network configuration information usable to connect the first computing device to a first network and network authentication information;

configuring the first computing device to connect to the first network using the network configuration information; and

automatically connecting the first computing device to the first network by at least submitting, using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) authentication mechanism, the authentication information to a third computing device that manages access to a second network accessible by the first network, wherein automatically connecting the first computing device to the first network by at least submitting the authentication information to the third computing device comprises;

responsive to configuring the first computing device to connect to the first network, automatically launching a web browser of the first computing device to connect to the first network, wherein the web browser provides an HTTP authentication form; and

automatically populating, with the first computing device, the HTTP authentication form using the authentication information.

18. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor;

an interface configured to receive one or more communications from a second device, wherein the one or more communications are transmitted using a short range wireless communication protocol, and wherein the one or more communications include network configuration information usable to connect the computing device to a first network and network authentication information; and

a network configuration module operable by the at least one processor to configure the computing device to automatically connect to the first network using the network configuration information by at least submitting, using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) authentication mechanism, the authentication information to a third computing device that manages access to a second network accessible by the first network, wherein configuring the computing device to automatically connect the computing device to the first network by at least submitting the authentication information to the third computing device comprises;

configuring the computing device to automatically launch a web browser to connect to the first network, wherein the web browser provides an HTTP authentication form; and

configuring the computing device to automatically populate the HTTP authentication form using the authentication information.