Apparatus and method to register Wi-Fi clients on a Wi-Fi network

• US 9,338,130 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crawford, Jason Robert, Von Huben, Nicholas Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mahfuzur
• Application Number:
  US14/039,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques are provided to enable the registration of an embedded device with a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network. An established client of the wireless network formulates one or more data packets having an unencrypted multicast address, where at least a portion of the multicast address is unnecessary for transmission of the data packets over the wireless network. The established client inserts network configuration information in the unused portion of the multicast address and transmits the data packets over wireless network. The network configuration information can include a network identification (SSID) and network password. Any access point that receives the multicast packets will retransmit multiple times per standard protocol, allowing the embedded device to receive the original transmission from the client device or the retransmissions. Since the address portion of data packets are not encrypted, the embedded device can determine the SSID and any password from the multicast packets, and thereafter register with the wireless network.

Claims

1. A method to distribute network configuration information over a wireless network to a non-client device, comprising;

determining, by a network client device, the network configuration information;

receiving, by the network client device, a universally unique identification (UUID) of the non-client device;

querying, by the network client device, a server based on the UUID;

receiving, by the network client device in response to the query, a token associated with the non-client device;

generating, by the network client device, a data packet having the network configuration information, wherein the generating includes,

forming the data packet to have a multicast address and a payload,

encrypting the network configuration information using an advanced encryption standard based on the token, and

loading the encrypted network configuration information in an unused portion of the multicast address of the data packet that is not needed for communication of the data packet over the wireless network; and

transmitting the data packet having the encrypted network configuration information over the wireless network in a multicast manner using the multicast address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network configuration information includes at least a portion of an identification of the wireless network and a password for accessing the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet further includes at least a portion of an Internet Protocol address of the network client device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network;

the network configuration information comprises at least a portion of a service set identification (SSID) and a password of the Wi-Fi network.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising;

receiving the data packet at an access point of the Wi-Fi network;

identifying the multicast address; and

rebroadcasting the data packet from the access point over the Wi-Fi network.

6. A communication device, comprising:

a communication interface, including circuitry, configured to communicate over a wireless network; and

a processor coupled to a memory, the memory storing instructions that cause the processor to;

establish communication with the wireless network using network configuration information;

generate a data packet having a multicast address and a payload, wherein the network configuration information is loaded in an unused portion of the multicast address of the data packet that is not needed for communication of the data packet over the wireless network, and

cause the data packet to be transmitted by the communication interface over the wireless network in a multicast manner using the multicast address,

wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network, and wherein the instructions cause the processor to form the multicast address to be recognized by the Wi-Fi network and include at least a portion of a service set identification (SSID) and a password needed to access the Wi-Fi network as the network conformation in the unused portion of the multicast address.

7. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the processor, based on the instructions, is configured to insert at least a portion of an Internet Protocol address associated with the communication device in the data packet.

8. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the processor, based on the instructions, is configured to:

encrypt the network configuration information for accessing the wireless network based on the established communication using an advanced encryption standard based on a pre-shared key (PSK) that is shared with a device that is not a current client of the wireless network.

9. The communication device of claim 6, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a universally unique identification (UUID) of a device that is not a current client of the wireless network,

wherein the processor, based on the instructions, is configured to;

query a server based on the UUID,

receive, in response to the query, a token associated with the device that is not a current client of the network; and

encrypt the network configuration information using an advanced encryption standard based on the token.

10. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the data packet is one of a plurality of data packets having at least a portion of the SSID or password needed to access the Wi-Fi network, and wherein the data packet includes an indication of the number of the plurality of data packets that collectively transport the SSID or password needed to access the Wi-Fi network.

11. A communication device, comprising:

a communication interface, including circuitry, configured to communicate over a wireless network; and

a processor coupled to a memory, the memo storing instructions that cause the processor to;

establish communication with the wireless network using network configuration information;

generate a data packet having a multicast address and a payload, wherein the network configuration information is loaded in an unused portion of the multicast address of the data packet that is not needed for communication of the data packet over the wireless network, and

cause the data packet to be transmitted by the communication interface over the wireless network in a multicast manner using the multicast address,

wherein the processor, based on the instructions, is configured to encrypt an identification of the wireless network, a password for accessing the wireless network, and an Internet Protocol address of the communication device, at least portions of which are included in the unused portion of the multicast address of the data packet.

12. The communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a universally unique identification (UUID) of a device that is not a current client of the network,

wherein the processor, based on the instructions, is configured to

query a server based on the UUID; and

receive, in response to the query, a token associated with device that is not a current client of the network.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the processor, based on the instructions, is further configured to:

encrypt the network identification using an advanced encryption standard based on the token.

14. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the processor, based on the instructions, is further configured to:

encrypt the password using an advanced encryption standard based on the token.

15. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the processor, based on the instructions, is further configured to:

encrypt the Internet Protocol address using an advanced encryption standard based on the token.

16. A method to receive network configuration information for a wireless network, comprising:

receiving, by a device that is not a current client of the network, data packets having a multicast address that are multicast by the wireless network and an Internet Protocol address of a network client device that originated the data packets;

decoding the network configuration information from unused portions of the multicast address of the data packets that are not needed for communication of the data packets over the wireless network;

registering with the wireless network using the network configuration information; and

transmitting a message to the network client device using the Internet Protocol address to confirm the registration with wireless network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

decrypting the network configuration information based on a pre-stored decryption key.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a first data packet of the data packets includes an indication of the number of data packets that transport the network configuration information.