Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating access to a home, or other public network

• US 8,412,251 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Buckley, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/517,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20120257611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 455/515, 455/426.1, 455/436, 455/552.1, 455/525, 455/443, 370/338, 370/329, 370/341, 709/250, 709/228
• US Class Current: 455/515
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

An apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating home, or other public network access by a wireless device. The access is made in order to access public-network services by the wireless device when connecting to the public network by way of another network. Access availability by way of 802.1x-capable wireless local area networks, if any, is determined A listing is made of networks through which connections are able to be made. And, if operator policy permits, a public-network access attempter attempts to make communication connections by way of non-802.1x-capable wireless local area networks, if any. Identification is made of network access availability, and such identified network access is displayed to provide a user of the wireless device with an opportunity to select in what manner to connect to the public network.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

obtain information indicating whether 802.1x authentication is supported, the information being contained within a broadcast message;

determine whether to use a non-802.1x authentication mechanism based on an indicator stored at a wireless device, the non-802.1x authentication mechanism comprising a tunnel procedure;

based on the information and the indicator stored at the wireless device, identify, via at least one wireless local area network (WLAN), any available network using the non-802.1x authentication mechanism; and

indicate at least one network identified using the non-802.1x authentication mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to use the non-802.1x authentication mechanism when the at least one WLAN does not support 802.1x authentication.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indicator comprises OMA DM formatted information.

4. A method comprising:

obtaining information indicating whether 802.1x authentication is supported, the information being contained within a broadcast message;

determining whether to use a non-802.1x authentication mechanism based on an indicator stored at a wireless device, the non-802.1x authentication mechanism comprising a tunnel procedure;

based on the information and the indicator stored at the wireless device, identifying, via at least one wireless local area network (WLAN), any available network using the non-802.1x authentication mechanism; and

indicating at least one network identified using the non-802.1x authentication mechanism.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the non-802.1x authentication mechanism is used when the at least one WLAN does not support 802.1x authentication.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the indicator comprises OMA DM formatted information.

7. A method for a wireless device, the method comprising:

obtaining information indicating whether at least one wireless local area network (WLAN) supports 802.1x authentication, the information being contained within a broadcast message;

determining whether to use a non-802.1x authentication mechanism based on an indicator stored at the wireless device, the non-802.1x authentication mechanism comprising a tunnel procedure;

based on the information and the indicator stored at the wireless device, identifying, via the at least one WLAN, any available network using the non-802.1x authentication mechanism; and

indicating at least one network identified using the non-802.1x authentication mechanism.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the non-802.1x authentication mechanism is used when the at least one WLAN does not support 802.1x authentication.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the indicator comprises OMA DM formatted information.

10. An apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

obtain information indicating whether at least one wireless local area network (WLAN) supports 802.1x authentication, the information being contained within a broadcast message;

determine whether to use a non-802.1x authentication mechanism based on an indicator stored at a wireless device, the non-802.1x authentication mechanism comprising a tunnel procedure;

based on the information and the indicator stored at the wireless device, identify, via the at least one WLAN, any available network using the non-802.1x authentication mechanism; and

indicate at least one network identified using the non-802.1x authentication mechanism.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to use the non-802.1x authentication mechanism when the at least one WLAN does not support 802.1x authentication.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the indicator comprises OMA DM formatted information.