Cloud device identification and authentication

• US 9,172,605 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubiquiti Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (Ubiquiti Inc.)
• Inventors: Frei, Randall W., Bauer, Jonathan P., Hardy, Matthew A., Paolini-Subramanya, Mahesh
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US14/639,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for authentication and/or provisioning of wireless network devices, and in particular, methods and apparatuses for authentication and/or provisioning of wireless network devices that are communicating with and may be monitored and/or controlled by a remote (e.g., cloud) server.

Claims

1. A method of automatic and hands-free provisioning a network device to communicate with a network, the method comprising:

attaching a bridging device to the network device;

wirelessly transmitting information about the network device from the bridging device to the handheld computing device;

transmitting an identifier of a second network and the information about the network device from the handheld computing device to a cloud computing environment;

transmitting provisioning information from the handheld computing device to the network device;

provisioning the network device with the provisioning information; and

removing the bridging device from the network device, wherein the network device is configured to communicate with the cloud computing environment through the selected second network directly.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the identified second network from a list of networks on the handheld computing device before transmitting the identifier of the selected second network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating provisioning information specific to the network device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the bridging device wherein the bridging device and the network device are connected by an Ethernet connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating provisioning information specific to the network device comprises generating the provisioning information in the cloud computing environment and transferring it to the handheld computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld computing device is a smartphone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching the bridging device to the network device comprising forming an ad hoc network with the bridging device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly identifying and connecting to the bridging device with the handheld computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly transmitting information about the network device comprises transmitting one or more of:

a device model identifier, operational frequency, and operational bandwidth.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting geographic location information from the handheld computing device to the cloud computing environment, and associating the geographic location information with the network device in the cloud computing environment.

11. A method of automatic and hands-free provisioning a network device to communicate with a network, the method comprising:

attaching a bridging device to the network device, wherein the bridging device forms an ad hoc network wirelessly connecting the bridging device and a handheld computing device;

wirelessly transmitting information about the network device to the handheld computing device;

identifying a second network on the handheld computing device;

transmitting an identifier of the second network and the information about the network device from the handheld computing device to a cloud computing environment;

generating provisioning information for the network device;

transmitting the provisioning information from the handheld computing device to the network device;

provisioning the network device with the provisioning information;

connecting the network device to the second network; and

removing the bridging device from the network device, wherein the network device is configured to communicate with the cloud computing environment through the second network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the identified second network from a list of networks on the handheld computing device before transmitting the identifier of the selected second network.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating provisioning information specific to the network device.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising attaching the bridging device wherein the bridging device and the network device are connected by an Ethernet connection.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein generating provisioning information specific to the network device comprises generating the provisioning information in the cloud computing environment and transferring it to the handheld computing device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the handheld computing device is a smartphone.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising wirelessly identifying and connecting to the bridging device with the handheld computing device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein wirelessly transmitting information about the network device comprises transmitting one or more of:

a device model identifier, operational frequency, and operational bandwidth.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting geographic location information from the handheld computing device to the cloud computing environment, and associating the geographic location information with the network device in the cloud computing environment.