Network configuration for devices with constrained resources

• US 8,830,872 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Baum, Avraham, Zaks, Artur, Machness, Ram, Nitzani, Nir
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Otis L
• Application Number:
  US13/439,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20120257543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

A method includes receiving a wireless beacon from an ad hoc network at a wireless device, wherein the wireless beacon includes a data structure that encodes at least a portion of a wireless identifier of an access point. The method includes configuring the wireless device from the data structure received from the wireless beacon. The method also includes establishing a wireless network between the access point and the wireless device utilizing at least a portion of the wireless identifier encoded in the data structure.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a wireless beacon from an ad hoc network at a wireless device, wherein the wireless beacon includes a data structure that encodes at least a portion of a wireless local area network (“

WLAN”

) identifier of an access point;

wherein the access point is not utilized to establish connections and exchange information between any local configuration devices of the ad hoc network and the wireless device;

configuring the wireless device based on the data structure received from the wireless beacon; and

establishing a WLAN between the access point and the wireless device utilizing the at least a portion of the WLAN identifier encoded in the data structure, wherein the WLAN identifier included in the data structure includes a service set identifier (SSID).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure includes an SSID prefix, an SSID size field to indicate a length for the SSID prefix, and a vendor identifier to indicate which vendor manufactured the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises a security type field to indicate which type of security protocol to employ and a security key that is employed to establish secure connections between the wireless device and the access point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the security protocol comprises a wireless encryption protocol (WEP), a Wi-Fi protected access protocol (WPA), a pre-shared key protocol (PSK), or a Wi-Fi protected access 2 pre-shared key protocol (WPA2 PSK).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a profile in a connections manager of a configuration device to specify the wireless identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving another wireless beacon that encodes a second configuration data structure that specifies an updated security configuration for the wireless network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second configuration data structure specifies a security type, a security key size, and a security key.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second configuration data structure is received by the wireless device over a designated communications port.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the designated communications port is a user datagram protocol (UDP) port.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising limiting wireless device configurations to signals that are received below a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing multiple vendor prefixes when configuring the wireless device for network operations.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the multiple vendor prefixes include normal priority prefix and a high priority prefix.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the wireless device with a default shared secret code for network configurations.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing an input/output point on the wireless device to effectuate reset operations on the wireless device for network configurations.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising wherein the ad hoc connection is severed after establishing the WLAN between the access point and the wireless device, but before disestablishing the WLAN between the access point and the wireless device.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving a wireless beacon at a wireless device via an ad hoc network, the wireless beacon having a first configuration data structure to specify initial network settings for the wireless device;

configuring the wireless device according to the initial network settings specified in the first data structure;

establishing a connection with an access point utilizing the initial network settings specified in the first data structure, wherein the access point is not utilized to establish connections and exchange information between any local configuration devices of the ad hoc network and the wireless device,

wherein the first configuration data structure includes an SSID prefix, an SSID size field to indicate a length for the SSID prefix,

broadcasting a second data structure to the wireless device over a designated communications port, the second data structure specifying a an updated security protocol for the wireless device;

configuring the wireless device and the access point according to the updated security protocol specified in the second data structure; and

reestablishing the connection between the wireless device and the access point utilizing the updated security protocol over a wireless local area network (“

WLAN”

).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first configuration data structure includes a vendor identifier to indicate which vendor manufactured the wireless device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first configuration data structure includes a security type field to indicate which type of security protocol to employ and a security key that is employed to establish secure connections between the wireless device and the access point.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the designated communications port is a user datagram protocol (UDP) port.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising wherein the ad hoc connection is severed after establishing the WLAN between the access point and the wireless device, but before disestablishing the WLAN between the access point and the wireless device.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed cause a processor to:

process a wireless beacon received from an ad hoc network at a wireless device, wherein the wireless beacon includes a data structure that encodes at least a portion of a wireless identifier of an access point;

wherein the access point is not utilized to establish connections and exchange information between any local configuration devices of the ad hoc network and the wireless device;

configure the wireless device based on the data structure of the wireless beacon; and

establish a wireless local area network (WLAN) between the access point and the wireless device utilizing the at least a portion of the WLAN identifier encoded in the data structure,

wherein the WLAN identifier included in the data structure includes a service set identifier (SSID).

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising wherein the ad hoc connection is severed after establishing the WLAN between the access point and the wireless device, but before disestablishing the WLAN between the access point and the wireless device.