Establishing access to a secure network based on user-created credential indicia

• US 9,280,643 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Ye
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LYNCH, SHARON S
• Application Number:
  US13/470,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20130305329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

In various aspects, code-based indicia contain secured network access credentials. In some aspects, a computer processor receives user input that specifies secured network access credentials, and the computer processor creates or modifies credentials for establishing a secured network connection. In these aspects, the computer processor generates code-based indicia that contain at least part of the secured network access credentials. In other aspects, a computer processor scans the code-based indicia and extracts the network access credentials. In these aspects, the computer processor employs the network access credentials to establish the secured network connection. In additional aspects, a network router apparatus renders the code-based indicia to an active display. In further aspects, a network router apparatus conditions grant of network access to a device on receipt from the device of an answer to a security question included in the secured network access credentials.

Claims

1. A system for generating code-based indicia comprising secured network access credentials, the system comprising:

a user interface, operating on a computer processor, whereby the computer processor receives, via the user interface, user input specifying secured network access credentials for establishing a secured network connection;

a network connection application, operating on the computer processor with memory, whereby the network connection indicia generation application causes the computer processor to at least one of create or modify the secured network access credentials according to the user input, wherein the user input provides an answer to a security question;

an encryption application whereby the computer processor employs the answer to the security question as an encryption key to encrypt at least part of the secured network access credentials;

an indicia generation application, operating on the computer processor, whereby the indicia generation application further causes the computer processor to generate the code-based indicia comprising the at least part of the secured network access credentials, wherein the code-based indicia is a two-dimensional matrix code; and

a router implementing the secured network connection,

wherein the computer processor causes the code-based indicia to be displayed by transmitting the code-based indicia to the router, wherein the router has an active display whereby the code-based indicia is displayed.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an indicia printing application whereby the computer processor prints the code-based indicia.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer processor enables, in response to generation of the code-based indicia, a user interface input component operable to allow a user to make a selection for the computer processor to print the code-based indicia.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer processor enables, in response to the computer processor at least one of creating or modifying the network access credentials according to the user input, a user interface input component operable to allow a user to make a selection for the computer processor to generate the code-based indicia, wherein the computer processor prints the code-based indicia in response to the selection by the user to generate the code-based indicia.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer processor generates the code-based indicia and prints the code-based indicia in response to the computer processor at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor causes one or more router computer memory locations to be overwritten with data corresponding to the code-based indicia, wherein the memory locations are designated for containing data for display by the router on the active display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor generates the code-based indicia in response to the computer processor at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input, and the computer processor transmits the code-based indicia in response to the computer processor generating the code-based indicia.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor employs the user interface to receive user input that specifies a destination corresponding to at least one of an email address or a telephone number, and that triggers transmission of the code-based indicia to the destination.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicia generation application further causes the computer processor to generate the code based indicia to include the security question.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor stores the security question and the answer to the security question in computer memory of the router in response to the creating or modifying the secured network access credentials.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the secured network access credentials include a name of a secured network over which the secured network connection is established.

12. A method of generating code-based indicia containing secured network access credentials, the method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface operating on a computer processor, user input specifying secured network access credentials for establishing a secured network connection;

at least one of creating or modifying secured network access credentials, by a network connection application operating on the computer processor, according to the user input, wherein the user input provides an answer to a security question;

employing the answer to the security question as an encryption key to encrypt at least part of the secured network access credentials;

generating, by an indicia generation application operating on the computer processor, code-based indicia containing the at least part of the secured network access credentials, wherein the code-based indicia is a two-dimensional matrix code; and

displaying the code-based indicia at least in part by transmitting the code-based indicia to a router implementing the secured network connection,

wherein the router has an active display whereby the code-based indicia is displayed.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

printing the code-based indicia.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

enabling, in response to the generating the code-based indicia, a user interface input component that allows a user to make a selection to print the code-based indicia, wherein the printing the code-based indicia occurs in response to the selection by the user to print the code-based indicia.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

enabling, in response to the at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input, a user interface input component that allows a user to make a selection to generate the code-based indicia, wherein the printing the code-based indicia occurs in response to the selection by the user to generate the code-based indicia.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating the code-based indicia and the printing the code-based indicia occur in response to the at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

overwriting one or more router computer memory locations with data corresponding to the code-based indicia,

wherein the memory locations are designated for containing data for display by the router on the active display.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the code-based indicia occurs in response to the at least one of creating or modifying network access credentials according to the user input, and the transmitting the code-based indicia occurs in response to the generating the code-based indicia.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying a destination corresponding to at least one of an email address or a telephone number; and

transmitting the code-based indicia to the destination.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating the code based indicia to include the security question.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the security question and the answer to the security question in computer memory of the router in response to the creating or modifying the secured network access credentials.