Location based sharing of a network access credential

• US 9,232,399 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tipton, Rick, Austin, Mark, Kosseifi, Mario, Tofighbakhsh, Mostafa
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US14/530,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 455410-411, 455418-420, 4554561-4566, 455/517
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A network access credential can be shared among devices based on location information for a device. Location information can include timed fingerprint location information. In an aspect, location information can be associated with a location of user equipment. This location information can be correlated with network access credentials. Location information can be used to access a relevant network access credential. The relevant network access credential can be shared with other devices. In an embodiment, sharing a network access credential can be between mobile devices. In another embodiment, sharing a network access credential can be between a remote computing device and a mobile device. Sharing a credential can allow for access to a network without having to generate or input new credentials.

Claims

1. A user equipment, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving location information associated with another user equipment, wherein the location information comprises timed fingerprint location information based on a first differential timing measurement related to a first pair of NodeB devices comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential timing measurement related to a second pair of NodeB devices comprising a third NodeB device, wherein the first and second differential timing measurements are correlated to geographic location information determined before the timed fingerprint location information is received by the other user equipment, and wherein the first and second differential timing measurements are stored as part of the timed fingerprint location information to facilitate determining a location of the other user equipment; and

receiving a network access credential of the other user equipment based on the location information.

2. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the receiving the network access credential is determined to satisfy a rule related to acquiring a new network access credential.

3. The user equipment of claim 2, wherein satisfying the rule reduces a likelihood that the user equipment will acquire the new network access credential.

4. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the receiving the network access credential is further based on an aspect of a request to access the network access credential.

5. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the aspect of the request comprises identity information related to a user profile associated with the user equipment.

6. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the aspect of the request comprises identity information related to a user profile associated with the other user equipment.

7. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the aspect of the request comprises a device identifier of the user equipment.

8. The user equipment of claim 7, wherein the device identifier comprises a phone number.

9. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the aspect of the request comprises a device identifier of the other user equipment.

10. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the device identifier comprises a phone number.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment comprising a processor, location information associated with another user equipment, wherein the location information comprises timed fingerprint location information based on a first differential timing measurement related to a first pair of NodeB devices comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential timing measurement related to a second pair of NodeB devices comprising a third NodeB device, wherein the first and second differential timing measurements are correlated to geographic location information determined before the timed fingerprint location information is received by the other user equipment, and wherein the first and second differential timing measurements are stored as part of the timed fingerprint location information to facilitate determining a location of the other user equipment; and

receiving, by the user equipment, a network access credential of the other user equipment based on the location information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the network access credential is determined to satisfy a rule related to acquiring a new network access credential.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein satisfaction of the rule reduces a likelihood that the user equipment will acquire the new network access credential.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the network access credential is further based on identity information related to a user profile associated with the user equipment.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the network access credential is further based on is identity information related to a user profile associated with the other user equipment.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the network access credential is further based on a device identifier of the user equipment.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the network access credential is further based on a device identifier of the other user equipment.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising executable instructions, that in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving location information associated with another user equipment, wherein the location information comprises timed fingerprint location information based on a first differential timing measurement related to a first pair of NodeB devices comprising a first NodeB device and a second NodeB device and a second differential timing measurement related to a second pair of NodeB devices comprising a third NodeB device, wherein the first and second differential timing measurements are correlated to geographic location information determined before the timed fingerprint location information is received by the other user equipment, and wherein the first and second differential timing measurements are stored as part of the timed fingerprint location information to facilitate determining a location of the other user equipment; and

receiving a network access credential of the other user equipment based on the location information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein a likelihood of the user equipment acquiring a new network access credential is reduced in response to the receiving the network access credential being determined to satisfy a rule related to acquiring a new network access credential.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the receiving the network access credential is further based on an identity characteristic of a request to access the network access credential.