Authenticating a browser-less data streaming device to a network with an external browser

• US 9,473,940 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Inventors: Wong, Allen Tsz-Chiu, Bhoopalam, Bharath
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US14/668,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20160249213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 system, method and computer program product for authenticating a data streaming device to a network using a browser of another computing device, such that the data streaming device is able to retrieve and/or transmit streaming content over the Internet subsequent to the authentication.

Claims

1. A data streaming device, comprising:

one or more memories; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and configured to;

establish a connection with a computing device that includes a data input and transmission interface;

query, by the data streaming device, a default resource on a network prior to using a browser on the computing device for authentication;

receive a response from the default resource responsive to the query;

compare the received response to a previously stored response, wherein a match between the received response and the stored response indicates connectivity between the data streaming device and the network, and a mismatch indicates that authentication is required for connectivity between the data streaming device and the network;

provide, using the browser of the computing device, authentication information required to authenticate the data streaming device and enable the data streaming device to obtain access to the network responsive to determination of the mismatch, wherein successful authentication enables the data streaming device to stream content over the network.

2. The data streaming device of claim 1, wherein to establish the connection with the computing device the one or more processors are further configured to cause the data streaming device to dynamically become a WiFi access point during authentication of the data streaming device.

3. The data streaming device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive the authentication information from the computing device.

4. The data streaming device of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to query the default resource at preconfigured time intervals.

5. The data streaming device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to ensure that a server that grants access to the network authenticates the data streaming device using the MAC (media access control) address and IP (Internet protocol) address of the data streaming device.

6. The data streaming device of claim 5, herein the one or more processors are configured to:

receive a packet from the computing device;

replace a MAC address and IP address of the computing device from the packet with the MAC address and IP address of the data streaming device; and

transmit the packet with the replaced MAC address and IP address to the server.

7. The data streaming device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

store the authentication information entered using the data input and transmission interface in the one or more memories of the data streaming device; and

use the stored authentication information for subsequent network authentication.

8. The data streaming device of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

transmit the stored authentication information to a server;

determine when the data streaming device is granted access to the network using the stored authentication information;

based on the determination, establish a second connection with the computing device; and

receive an updated authentication information from the computing device, where the updated authentication information authenticates the data streaming device to the network.

9. The data streaming device of claim 1, wherein the network includes the Internet and a local WiFi network and wherein the data streaming device retrieves the streaming content over the Internet and the data streaming device authenticates with the local WiFi network to access the Internet.

10. A method, comprising:

establishing, by a data streaming device, a connection with a computing device that includes a data input and transmission interface;

querying by the data streaming device, a default resource on a network prior to using a browser on the computing device for authentication;

receiving a response from the default resource responsive to the query;

comparing the received response to a previously stored response, wherein a match between the received response and the stored response indicates connectivity between the data streaming device and the network, and a mismatch indicates that authentication is required for connectivity between the data streaming device and the network; and

providing, using the browser of the computing device, authentication information required to authenticate the data streaming device and enable the data streaming device to obtain access to the network responsive to determination of the mismatch, wherein successful authentication enables the data streaming device to stream content over the network.

11. The method of claim 10, where establishing the connection with the computing device further comprises causing the data streaming device to dynamically become a WiFi access point during authentication of the data streaming device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the authentication information from the computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

querying the default resource at preconfigured time intervals.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

ensuring that a server that grants access to the network authenticates the data streaming device using the MAC address and IP address of the data streaming device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing the authentication information entered using the data input and transmission interface in the one or more memories of the data streaming device; and

using the stored authentication information for subsequent network access.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting the stored authentication information to a server;

determining when the data streaming device is granted access to the network using the stored authentication information;

based on the determining, establishing a second connection with the computing device that includes a browser;

receiving an updated authentication information from the computing device; and

authenticating the data streaming device to the network using the updated authentication information.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the network includes the Internet and a local WiFi network and wherein the data streaming device retrieves the streaming content over the Internet, and the data streaming device authenticates with the local WiFi network to access the Internet.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

establishing, by a data streaming device, a connection with a computing device that includes a browser;

querying, by the data streaming device, a default resource on a network prior to using a browser on the computing device for authentication;

receiving a response from the default resource responsive to the query;

comparing the received response to a previously stored response, wherein a match between the received response and the stored response indicates connectivity between the data streaming device and the network, and a mismatch indicates that authentication is required for connectivity between the data streaming device and the network; and

receiving, from the browser of the computing device, authentication information required to authenticate the data streaming device and enable the data streaming device to obtain access to the network responsive to determination of the mismatch, wherein successful authentication enables the data streaming device to stream content over the network.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform the operations comprising:

connecting, using the WiFi access point, to the computing device, wherein the WiFi access point is active during authentication of the data streaming device; and

receiving the authentication information from the computing device.