Network access based on social-networking information

• US 9,479,488 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick, Talwar, Mohit, Potra, Adrian, Toksvig, Michael John McKenzie, Garcia, David Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US13/659,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request at a wireless access point from a client system to access a network through the wireless access point. The wireless access point sends an identifier associated with the client system to a social-networking system, the social-networking system including user profiles arranged in one or more social graphs. The social graphs store relationships between the user profiles. The method further includes receiving at the wireless access point from the social-networking system an authorization determination. The authorization determination is based upon a first user profile of the plurality of user profiles. The first user profile includes the identifier associated with the client system. The method further includes providing the client system with access to the network through the wireless access point in accordance with the authorization determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless access point, from a client system of a first user, a request to access a network through the wireless access point, the wireless access point being operated by an entity;

sending, by the wireless access point, an identifier comprising a unique code that uniquely identifies the client system to a social-networking system, the social-networking system comprising at least one social graph, the social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a relationship between the nodes, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes corresponds to the first user;

receiving, at the wireless access point, from the social-networking system, a positive authorization determination based on the identifier, wherein the positive authorization is determined because a timeline associated with the first user indicates that the first user has previously checked in with the entity; and

providing the client system with access to the network through the wireless access point in accordance with the positive authorization determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier associated with the client system is a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the client system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier associated with the client system is a user name of the first user profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a first request and the client system is a first client system, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the wireless access point, from a second client system, a second request to access the network through the wireless access point, the second request including an identifier associated with the second client system; and

providing the second client system with access to the network through the wireless access point in response to a determination that the first user profile includes the identifier associated with the second client system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the positive authorization determination is further based upon a relationship between the first user profile and a second user profile of the plurality of user profiles of the social-networking system, the second user profile associated with an operator of the wireless access point.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising redirecting, by the wireless access point, the client system to a webpage of the entity, wherein the entity operates the wireless access point, the webpage hosted by the social-networking system.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending to the client system an indication of one or more other user profiles of that have checked in with the entity, wherein the entity operates the wireless access point, and wherein each user profile is associated with a node in an online social graph.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the wireless access point has provided access to the network to one or more users with user profiles that have a relationship to the first user profile; and

providing an indication of the one or more users to the client system.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

receive a request from a client system of a first user to access a network through a wireless access point, the wireless access point being operated by an entity;

send an identifier comprising a unique code that uniquely identifies the client system to a social-networking system, the social-networking system comprising at least one social graph, the social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a relationship between the nodes, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes corresponds to the first user;

receive, from the social-networking system, a positive authorization determination based on the identifier, wherein the positive authorization is determined because a timeline associated with the first user indicates that the first user has previously checked in with the entity; and

provide the client system with access to the network through the wireless access point in accordance with the positive authorization determination.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the identifier associated with the client system is a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the client system.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the identifier associated with the client system is a user name of a first user profile.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the request is a first request and the client system is a first client system and wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive, from a second client system, a second request to access the network through the wireless access point, the second request including an identifier associated with the second client system; and

provide the second client system with access to the network through the wireless access point in response to a determination that a first user profile associated with the first user includes the identifier associated with the second client system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to redirect the client system to a webpage of the entity, wherein the entity operates the wireless access point, the webpage hosted by the social-networking system.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to send to the client system an indication of one or more other user profiles that have checked into the entity, wherein the entity operates the wireless access point, and wherein each user profile is associated with a node in an online social graph.

15. One or more non-transitory computer readable media comprising logic operable to:

receive a request from a client system of a first user to access a network through a wireless access point, the wireless access point being operated by an entity;

send an identifier comprising a unique code that uniquely identifies the client system to a social-networking system, the social-networking system comprising at least one social graph, the social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a relationship between the nodes, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes corresponds to the first user;

receive, from the social-networking system, a positive authorization determination based on the identifier, wherein the positive authorization is determined because a timeline associated with the first user indicates that the first user has previously checked in with the entity; and

provide the client system with access to the network through the wireless access point in accordance with the positive authorization determination.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the identifier associated with the client system is a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the client system.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the identifier associated with the client system is a user name of the first user profile.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the request is a first request and the client system is a first client system and the logic is further operable to:

receive, from a second client system, a second request to access the network through the wireless access point, the second request including an identifier associated with the second client system; and

provide the second client system with access to the network through the wireless access point in response to a determination that a first user profile includes the identifier associated with the second client system, the first user profile being associated with the first user.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein the logic is further operable to redirect the client system to a webpage of the entity, wherein the entity operates the wireless access point, the webpage hosted by the social-networking system.