Establishing secure connection between mobile computing device and wireless hub using security credentials obtained from remote security credential server

• US 9,264,905 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Ferguson-Jarnes, Bradley S., Herman, Nathaniel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asefa, Debebe
• Application Number:
  US13/772,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 370254-350, 709201-213
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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

Abstract

A mobile computing device includes a first wireless local area network adapter; a wireless wide area network adapter configured to connect to a remote security credential server across a wireless wide area network; an optical scanner or a near field radio communication adapter. The mobile computing device is configured to obtain information regarding security credentials from at least one of an optical scan of an optical tag and a near field radio communication exchange with a near field radio communication tag; obtain the security credentials from the remote security credential server across the wireless wide area network by providing the information regarding the security credentials to the remote security credential server which responds with the security credentials; and use the security credentials to establish a secure wireless network connection between the first wireless local area network adapter and a second wireless local area network adapter of a wireless hub.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device comprising:

a first wireless local area network adapter configured to connect with a second wireless local area network adapter of a wireless hub across a wireless local area network using security credentials;

a wireless wide area network adapter configured to connect to a remote security credential server across a wireless wide area network;

at least one of an optical scanner and a near field radio communication adapter;

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to obtain information regarding the security credentials from at least one of an optical scan of an optical tag and a near field radio communication exchange with a near field radio communication tag;

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to provide the information regarding the security credentials to the remote security credential server across the wireless wide area network;

wherein the remote security credential server is configured to provide the security credentials to the mobile computing device across the wide area network only when the information regarding the security credentials is validated by the remote security credential server; and

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to use the security credentials to establish a secure wireless network connection between the first wireless local area network adapter of the mobile computing device and the second wireless local area network adapter of the wireless hub.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless local area network adapter is configured to initiate the secure wireless network connection between the first wireless local area network adapter and the second wireless local area network adapter using the security credentials.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 2, wherein the security credentials include at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), a basic service set identifier (BSSID), a user name, a password, a media access control address (MAC address), a Pre-Shared Key (PSK), a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption key, a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) password, a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) passphrase, a wireless security policy token, an Internet Protocol (IP) number, a security key, and a digital security certificate.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless local area network adapter is configured to use the security credentials to enable the second wireless local area network adapter to initiate the secure wireless network connection between the first wireless local area network adapter and the second wireless local area network adapter using the security credentials.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 4, wherein the security credentials include at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), a basic service set identifier (BSSID), a user name, a password, a media access control address (MAC address), a Pre-Shared Key (PSK), a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption key, a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) password, a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) passphrase, a wireless security policy token, an Internet Protocol (IP) number, a security key, and a digital security certificate.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further configured as a gateway between the second wireless local area network adapter of the wireless hub and the wireless wide area network.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 6, wherein the wireless hub is configured as a second gateway between the mobile computing device and additional devices communicatively coupled to the wireless hub.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the additional devices communicatively coupled to the wireless hub is communicatively coupled to the wireless hub through at least one of a wireless network and a wired network.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further configured to obtain the information regarding the security credentials from an optical scan of an optical tag external to the mobile computing device, wherein the optical tag includes at least one of a barcode, a QR Code, a Data Matrix, a Microsoft Tag, a High Capacity Color Barcode, a Cool-Data-Matrix, an Aztec tag, a UPCODE, a Trillcode, a Quickmark, a Shotcode, a mCode, and a Beetagg.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further configured to obtain the information regarding the security credentials from a near field radio communication exchange with a near field radio communication tag external to the mobile computing device, wherein the near field radio communication tag external to the mobile computing device includes at least one of a passive near field communication (NFC) tag, an active near field communication (NFC) tag, a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and a proximity card.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the wireless hub is onboard a vehicle.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one of a ground vehicle, a water vehicle, an air-vehicle, and a space vehicle.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the wireless hub is further configured to provide at least one of diagnostic information, maintenance information, usage information, and logistics information regarding the vehicle to at least one of the mobile computing device via the secure wireless network connection and another computing device through the secure wireless network connection and the wireless wide area network.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the wireless hub is integrated into at least one of a structure, a container, a pallet, a box, a pipe, a trailer, a vehicle attachment, and a shipping conveyance.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the wireless hub is further configured to provide information regarding the environmental characteristics or contents of the structure, the container, the pallet, the box, the pipe, the trailer, the vehicle attachment, or the other shipping conveyance to at least one of the mobile computing device via the secure wireless network connection and another computing device through the secure wireless network connection and the wireless wide area network.

16. A method comprising:

obtaining information regarding security credentials at a remote device from at least one of an optical scan of an optical tag using an optical scanner of the remote device and a near field radio communication exchange with a near field radio communication tag using a near field radio communication adapter of the remote device;

providing the information regarding the security credentials from the remote device to a remote security credential server across the wireless wide area networks;

providing the security credentials from the remote security credential server to the remote device across the wireless wide area network only when the information regarding the security credentials is validated by the remote security credential server; and

establishing a secure wireless network connection between a first wireless local area network adapter of the mobile computing device and a second wireless local area network adapter of a wireless hub across a wireless local area network using the security credentials.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising initiating the secure wireless network connection between the second wireless local area network adapter and the first wireless local area network adapter using the security credentials at the first wireless local area network adapter of the mobile computing device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the security credentials include at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), a basic service set identifier (BSSID), a user name, a password, a media access control address (MAC address), a Pre-Shared Key (PSK), a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption key, a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) password, a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) passphrase, a wireless security policy token, an Internet Protocol (IP) number, a security key, and a digital security certificate.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising configuring the first local area network adapter using the security credentials to enable the second wireless local area network adapter to initiate the secure wireless network connection between the second wireless local area network adapter and the first wireless local area network adapter using the security credentials.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the security credentials include at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), a basic service set identifier (BSSID), a user name, a password, a media access control address (MAC address), a Pre-Shared Key (PSK), a Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption key, a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) password, a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) passphrase, a wireless security policy token, an Internet Protocol (IP) number, a security key, and a digital security certificate.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicating data between the wireless hub and the wireless wide area network via the mobile computing device and the secure wireless network connection between the second wireless local area network adapter of a wireless hub and the first wireless local area network adapter of the mobile computing device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising communicating data between additional devices communicatively coupled to the wireless hub and the mobile computing device via the wireless hub.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein obtaining information regarding security credentials at a remote device from at least one of an optical scan of an optical tag using an optical scanner of the remote device and a near field radio communication exchange with a near field radio communication tag using a near field radio communication adapter of the remote device includes obtaining the information regarding the security credentials from an optical scan of an optical tag external to the mobile computing device, wherein the optical tag includes at least one of a barcode, a QR Code, a Data Matrix, a Microsoft Tag, a High Capacity Color Barcode, a Cool-Data-Matrix, an Aztec tag, a UPCODE, a Trillcode, a Quickmark, a Shotcode, a mCode, and a Beetagg.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein obtaining information regarding security credentials at a remote device from at least one of an optical scan of an optical tag using an optical scanner of the remote device and a near field radio communication exchange with a near field radio communication tag using a near field radio communication adapter of the remote device includes obtaining information regarding the security credentials from a near field radio communication exchange with a near field radio communication tag external to the mobile computing device, wherein the near field radio communication tag external to the mobile computing device includes at least one of a passive near field communication (NFC) tag, an active near field communication (NFC) tag, a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and a proximity card.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless hub is onboard a vehicle.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one of a ground vehicle, a water vehicle, an air-vehicle, and a space vehicle.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing at least one of diagnostic information, maintenance information, usage information, and logistics information regarding the vehicle to at least one of the mobile computing device via the secure wireless network connection and another computing device through the secure wireless network connection and the wireless wide area network.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless hub is integrated into at least one of a structure, a container, a pallet, a box, a pipe, a trailer, a vehicle attachment, and a shipping conveyance.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing information regarding the environmental characteristics or contents of the structure, the container, the pallet, the box, the pipe, the trailer, the vehicle attachment, or the other shipping conveyance to at least one of the mobile computing device via the secure wireless network connection and another computing device through the secure wireless network connection and the wireless wide area network.

30. A system comprising:

a mobile computing device having a first wireless local area network adapter, a wireless wide area network adapter configured to connect to a remote security credential server across a wireless wide area network, and at least one of an optical scanner and a near field radio communication adapter;

a wireless vehicle hub onboard a vehicle, the wireless vehicle hub having a second wireless local area network adapter, wherein the first wireless local area network adapter of the mobile computing device is configured to connect with the second wireless local area network adapter of the wireless vehicle hub across a wireless local area network using security credentials;

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to obtain information regarding security credentials from at least one of an optical scan of an optical tag and a near field radio communication exchange with a near field radio communication tag;

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to provide the information regarding the security credentials to the remote security credential server across the wireless wide area network;

wherein the remote security credential server is configured to provide the security credentials to the mobile computing device only when the information regarding the security credentials is validated by the remote security credential server;

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to use the security credentials to establish a secure wireless network connection between the first wireless local area network adapter of the mobile computing device and the second wireless local area network adapter of the wireless vehicle hub across a wireless local area network;

wherein the mobile computing device is further configured as a gateway between the second wireless local area network adapter of the wireless vehicle hub and the wireless wide area network; and

wherein the wireless hub is configured to provide at least one of diagnostic information, maintenance information, usage information, and logistics information regarding the vehicle to at least one of the mobile computing device via the secure wireless network connection and another computing device through the secure wireless network connection and the wireless wide area network.