Wireless guest access

• US 9,021,569 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Atreya, Vivek L, Kashyap, Tejas V, Ankaiah, Shashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US14/160,527
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7, 709/201, 709/203, 709/206, 705/7.1
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer readable media for providing and managing wireless guest access are described. In some implementations, the method can include a method comprising mining event details including a list of one or more guest attendees for which wireless guest access is selected and a corresponding email address for each of the one or more guest attendees from an event request. The method can also include generating wireless guest access credentials for each of the one or more guest attendees that accept the request, and transmitting corresponding wireless guest access credentials to each guest attendee via email using the corresponding email address. The method can further include receiving an indication that one or more of the guest attendees has connected to a wireless network, and causing a guest access page to be displayed for each guest attendee connecting to the network. The method can also include providing an interface for entering the wireless guest access credentials via the guest access page, and validating the guest access credentials. The method can also include, when the guest access credentials are valid, permitting the guest attendee associated with those credentials to access the wireless network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

mining event request details including a list of one or more guest attendees for which wireless guest access is selected and a corresponding email address for each of the one or more guest attendees from an event request;

generating wireless guest access credentials for each of the one or more guest attendees that accepts the event request;

transmitting corresponding wireless guest access credentials to each guest attendee via email using the corresponding email address;

receiving an indication that one or more of the guest attendees has connected to a wireless network;

causing a guest access page to be displayed for each guest attendee connecting to the network;

providing a user interface for guest access credentials to be supplied via the guest access page;

validating the guest access credentials; and

when the guest access credentials are valid, permitting the guest attendee associated with those credentials to access the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event request interface includes an element for receiving an indication of which guest attendees are to be granted guest access to the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying or cancelling wireless guest access credentials based on changes to an event or cancellation of an event, respectively.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising granting the wireless guest access only for a duration of the event determined from the event request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising granting the wireless guest access only for a location of the event determined from the event request.

6. A system comprising one or more processors configured to perform operations including:

mining event request details including a list of one or more guest attendees for which wireless guest access is selected and a corresponding email address for each of the one or more guest attendees from an event request;

generating wireless guest access credentials for each of the one or more guest attendees that accepts the event request;

transmitting corresponding wireless guest access credentials to each guest attendee via email using the corresponding email address;

receiving an indication that one or more of the guest attendees has connected to a wireless network;

causing a guest access page to be displayed for each guest attendee connecting to the network;

providing a user interface for guest access credentials to be supplied via the guest access page;

validating the guest access credentials; and

when the guest access credentials are valid, permitting the guest attendee associated with those credentials to access the wireless network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the event request interface includes an element for receiving an indication of which guest attendees are to be granted guest access to the wireless network.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise modifying or cancelling wireless guest access credentials based on changes to an event or cancellation of an event, respectively.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise granting the wireless guest access only for a duration of the event determined from the event request.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising granting the wireless guest access only for a location of the event determined from the event request.

11. A nontransitory computer readable medium having stored thereon software instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

mining event request details including a list of one or more guest attendees for which wireless guest access is selected and a corresponding email address for each of the one or more guest attendees from an event request;

generating wireless guest access credentials for each of the one or more guest attendees that accepts the event request;

transmitting corresponding wireless guest access credentials to each guest attendee via email using the corresponding email address;

receiving an indication that one or more of the guest attendees has connected to a wireless network;

causing a guest access page to be displayed for each guest attendee connecting to the network;

providing a user interface for guest access credentials to be supplied via the guest access page;

validating the guest access credentials; and

when the guest access credentials are valid, permitting the guest attendee associated with those credentials to access the wireless network.

12. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the event request interface includes an element for receiving an indication of which guest attendees are to be granted guest access to the wireless network.

13. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise modifying or cancelling wireless guest access credentials based on changes to an event or cancellation of an event, respectively.

14. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise granting the wireless guest access only for a duration of the event determined from the event request.

15. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising granting the wireless guest access only for a location of the event determined from the event request.