System and method for providing wireless network configuration information

• US 8,953,491 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: Clegg, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US13/593,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20140056171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A portable computing device for configuring wireless network settings based on received network configuration information includes an input device configured to receive wireless network information from a network device independent of whether the portable computing device is connected to a wireless network that is implemented by the network device and a network configuration application for configuring one or more wireless network settings to initiate wireless network communication through the network device based on the received network information. The network configuration application is configured to facilitate communication of the received wireless network information to a client device. The network information may include a security key and may be entered into a client device either manually after being displayed on the portable computing device or by being transmitted to client device.

Claims

1. A portable computing device for configuring wireless network settings based on received wireless network-information, comprising:

an input device configured to receive wireless network information directly from a network device generating a wireless network to facilitate communication with a plurality of peripheral devices that are client devices to the network device, the wireless network information including information to facilitate configuration of a client device to communicate on the wireless network through the network device,

wherein the input device can receive the wireless network information without communicating on the wireless network that is generated by the network device;

a network configuration application for configuring one or more wireless network settings to initiate wireless network communication through the network device based on the received wireless network information; and

an output device configured to communicate the one or more wireless network setting to at least one of the client devices,

wherein the network configuration application is configured to facilitate communication of the received wireless network information to the client device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the input device is a camera used in combination with barcode interpretation software.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the input device is a near field communication transceiver.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the network configuration application is configured to facilitate communication of the received wireless network information to the client device using the near field communication transceiver.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the network configuration application is configured to receive a network configuration confirmation from at least one of the network device and the client device based on the transmittal of the wireless network information to the client computing device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the network configuration application is configured to facilitate communication of the received wireless network information to the client device by displaying a wireless security key on a display of the portable computing device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the network configuration application is configured to delete the wireless security key from the display and from a memory of the portable computing device based on expiration of a timer.

8. A computer-implemented method, implemented by an application stored in non-transitory memory of a portable computing device, for configuring wireless network settings based on received wireless network information, comprising:

receiving wireless network information from a network device generating a wireless network to facilitate communication with a plurality of peripheral devices that are client devices to the network device, the wireless network information including information to facilitate configuration of a client device to communicate on the wireless network through the network device,

wherein the wireless network information is received without communicating on the wireless network implemented by the network device;

configuring one or more wireless network settings to initiate wireless network communication through the network device based on the received wireless network information; and

transmitting the received wireless network information to at least one of the client devices using the near field communication transceiver.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving wireless network information from a network device includes activating a camera of the portable computing device to receive a bar code.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving wireless network information from a network device includes receiving a signal on a near field communication transceiver of the portable computing device.

11. The method of claim 8, further including receiving a network configuration confirmation from at least one of the network device and the client computing device based on the transmittal of the wireless network information to the client device.

12. The method of claim 8, further including displaying a wireless security key on a display of the portable computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, further including deleting the wireless security key from the display and from a memory of the portable computing device based on expiration of a timer.

14. A portable computing device for configuring wireless network settings based on received network configuration information, comprising:

a bar code reader configured to read a bar code displayed on a network device generating a wireless network to facilitate communication with a plurality of peripheral devices that are client devices to the network device using a camera of the portable computing device, the bar code including an encrypted wireless security key; and

a network configuration application for configuring one or more wireless network settings, including setting the received wireless security key,

wherein the network configuration application is configured to facilitate communication of the received wireless security key to at least one of the client devices.

15. The device of claim 14, further including a near field communication transceiver, wherein the network configuration application is configured to facilitate communication of the received wireless security key to a client device by transmitting the wireless security key using the near field communication transceiver.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the network configuration application is configured to receive a network configuration confirmation from at least one of the network device and the client device based on the transmittal of the wireless security key to the client computing device.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the network configuration application is configured to facilitate communication of the received wireless security key by displaying the wireless security key on a display of the portable computing device.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the network configuration application is configured to delete the wireless security key from the display and from a memory of the portable computing device based on expiration of a timer.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the network configuration application is configured to display a user interface for configuring one or more wireless network settings of the network device based on the received bar code.