Systems and techniques for wireless device configuration

• US 9,578,511 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Libre Wireless Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Libre Wireless Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kashef, Hooman, Bojan, Hariharan, Watters, Jordan
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, ANGELA R
• Application Number:
  US14/788,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20150382198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• 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 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Systems and techniques for configuring wireless devices are described. To configure a wireless target device to access a network and/or network-based services, a wireless connection may be formed between the wireless target device and a wireless source device storing configuration data for accessing one or more networks and/or network-based services. The source device may determine whether it is authorized to send at least a portion of the configuration data to the target device. The target device may determine whether it is authorized to accept at least a portion of the configuration data provided by the source device. The target device may accept at least a portion of the configuration data by storing the accepted configuration data in a memory (e.g., a non-volatile memory) and/or by using the configuration data to access a wireless network and/or a network-based service.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more wireless transceivers; and

a processor configured to perform operations comprising;

using at least one of the one or more wireless transceivers to receive, from a headless device via a point-to-point Wi-Fi network, data including one or more attributes of the device,

based, at least in part, on the data indicating the one or more attributes of the headless device, identifying one or more network-based services compatible with the headless device, and

using at least one of the one or more wireless transceivers to transmit, to the headless device via the point-to-point Wi-Fi network, (1) network access credentials for accessing a Local Area Network (LAN) via Wi-Fi communication with a wireless network access point, and (2) service access credentials for accessing the one or more network-based services compatible with the headless device via the LAN,

wherein the headless device is configured to perform operations including;

obtaining permission to access the LAN by wirelessly transmitting, directly to the wireless network access point of the LAN, the network access credentials obtained via the point-to-point Wi-Fi network,

connecting to the LAN via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point without connecting through the apparatus,

wirelessly transmitting at least a portion of the service access credentials to at least one of the network-based services via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point and via the LAN, the portion of the service access credentials corresponding to the at least one network-based service, and

accessing the at least one network-based service via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point and via the LAN.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes of the device include a type of the device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein identifying one or more network-based services compatible with the device based, at least in part, on the data indicating the one or more attributes of the device comprises identifying one or more network-based services compatible with the device based, at least in part, on data indicating the device type.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network access credentials for accessing the LAN via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point comprise a Service Set Identifier (SSID) and a password.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the service access credentials for a particular network-based service comprise a uniform resource locator (URL) of the network-based service, a username for an account associated with the network-based service, a password for the network-based service account, a personal identification number (PIN) for the network-based account, a public encryption key for encrypting communications sent to the network-based service, a private encryption key for decrypting communications received from the network-based service, and/or an authentication certificate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting, from a plurality of networks, the LAN for which the network access credentials are to be transmitted to the device,

wherein the LAN is selected based, at least in part, on a determination that the apparatus is authorized to transmit the network access credentials of the LAN to the device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining network access credentials for the plurality of networks; and

receiving, for the LAN, data indicating that the apparatus is authorized to transmit the network access credentials of the LAN to any device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining network access credentials for the plurality of networks; and

receiving, for the LAN, data indicating that the apparatus is authorized to transmit the network access credentials of the LAN to a device having a specified device identifier and/or to devices of a specified type.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a physical access sensor configured to detect a physical access of the apparatus by a user, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a signal from the physical access sensor indicating that a physical access of the apparatus has been detected, and wherein the processor is configured to transmit the network access credentials and the service access credentials based, at least in part, on receiving the signal indicating detection of the physical access to the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the physical access sensor comprises an electromechanical button, an electromechanical switch, a touchscreen, a touch pad, a light sensor, and/or a camera.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor configured to determine a proximity of the device to the apparatus, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the proximity of the device to the apparatus satisfies one or more criteria, and wherein the processor is configured to transmit the network access credentials and the service access credentials based, at least in part, on a determination that the proximity of the device to the apparatus satisfies the one or more criteria.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the proximity sensor comprises a wireless signal sensor configured to determine a power level of a wireless signal received from the device, and wherein determining whether the proximity of the device to the apparatus satisfies the one or more criteria comprises determining whether the power level of the wireless signal received from the device exceeds a threshold power level.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the proximity sensor comprises an acoustic sensor configured to sense an acoustic carrier signal received from the device, and wherein determining whether the proximity of the device to the apparatus satisfies the one or more criteria comprises determining whether a power level of an analog or digital coded signal modulated on the acoustic carrier signal exceeds a threshold power level.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the proximity sensor comprises an infrared sensor, and wherein determining whether the proximity of the device to the apparatus satisfies the one or more criteria comprises determining whether the infrared sensor has received an infrared signal from the device.

15. A system comprising:

a first headless endpoint device configured to perform operations including wirelessly transmitting data including one or more attributes of the first endpoint device via a point-to-point Wi-Fi network; and

a second headless endpoint device configured to perform operations including;

wirelessly receiving, from the first endpoint device via the point-to-point Wi-Fi network, the data including the one or more attributes of the first endpoint device,

based, at least in part, on the data indicating the one or more attributes of the first endpoint device, identifying one or more network-based services compatible with the first endpoint device, and

wirelessly transmitting, to the first endpoint device via the point-to-point Wi-Fi network, (1) network access credentials for accessing a Local Area Network (LAN) via Wi-Fi communication with a wireless network access point, and (2) service access credentials for accessing the one or more network-based services compatible with the device via the LAN,

wherein the first endpoint device is further configured to perform operations including;

obtaining permission to access the LAN by wirelessly transmitting, directly to the wireless network access point of the LAN, the network access credentials obtained via the point-to-point Wi-Fi network,

connecting to the LAN via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point without connecting through the second endpoint device,

wirelessly transmitting at least a portion of the service access credentials to at least one of the network-based services via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point and via the LAN, the portion of the service access credentials corresponding to the at least one network-based service, and

accessing the first at least one network-based service via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point and via the LAN.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more attributes of the first endpoint device include a type of the first endpoint device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein identifying one or more network-based services compatible with the first endpoint device based, at least in part, on the data indicating the one or more attributes of the first endpoint device comprises identifying one or more network-based services compatible with the first endpoint device based, at least in part, on data indicating the first endpoint device type.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the second endpoint device is further configured to perform operations including:

selecting, from a plurality of networks, the LAN for which the network access credentials are to be transmitted to the first endpoint device,

wherein the LAN is selected based, at least in part, on a determination that the second endpoint device is authorized to transmit the network access credentials of the LAN to the first endpoint device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second endpoint device is further configured to perform operations including:

obtaining network access credentials for the plurality of networks; and

receiving, for the LAN, data indicating that the second endpoint device is authorized to transmit the network access credentials of the LAN to other devices.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the second endpoint device is further configured to perform operations including:

obtaining network access credentials for the plurality of networks; and

receiving, for the LAN, data indicating that the second endpoint device is authorized to transmit the network access credentials of the LAN to a device having a specified device identifier and/or to devices of a specified type.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the first endpoint device comprises a physical access sensor configured to detect a physical access of the first endpoint device by a user, and wherein the first endpoint device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving a signal from the physical access sensor indicating that a physical access of the first endpoint device has been detected,

entering a discovery mode, and

in the discovery mode, accepting the network access credentials and the service access credentials transmitted by the second endpoint device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the first endpoint device comprises a proximity sensor configured to determine a proximity of the second endpoint device to the first endpoint device, and wherein the first endpoint device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the proximity of the second endpoint device to the first endpoint device satisfies one or more criteria,

entering a discovery mode based on determining that the proximity of the second endpoint device to the first endpoint device satisfies the one or more criteria, and

in the discovery mode, accepting the network access credentials and the service access credentials transmitted by the second endpoint device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the proximity sensor comprises a wireless signal sensor configured to determine a power level of a wireless signal received from the second endpoint device, and wherein determining whether the proximity of the second endpoint device to the first endpoint device satisfies the one or more criteria comprises determining whether the power level of the wireless signal received from the second endpoint device exceeds a threshold power level.

24. A system comprising:

one or more wireless transceivers; and

a processor configured to perform operations comprising;

using at least one of the one or more wireless transceivers to receive, from a headless device via a point-to-point Wi-Fi network, (1) network access credentials for accessing a Local Area Network (LAN) via Wi-Fi communication with a wireless network access point, and (2) service access credentials for accessing one or more network-based services via the LAN,

based, at least in part, on one or more attributes of an apparatus comprising the wireless transceivers and the processor, identifying, from among the one or more network-based services, at least one network-based service compatible with the apparatus,

obtaining permission to access the LAN by using at least one of the one or more wireless transceivers to wirelessly transmit, directly to the wireless network access point of the LAN, at least a portion of the network access credentials received via the point-to-point Wi-Fi network,

connecting to the LAN via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point without connecting through the headless device,

using at least one of the one or more wireless transceivers to wirelessly transmit, to the at least one network-based service via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point and via the LAN, a portion of the service access credentials corresponding to the at least one network-based service, and

accessing the network-based service via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point and via the LAN.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a proximity sensor, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, using the proximity sensor, a proximity of the apparatus to the device; and

determining whether the proximity of the apparatus to the device satisfies one or more criteria,

wherein transmitting the network access credentials to the network access point is performed in response to determining that the proximity of the apparatus to the device satisfies the one or more criteria.

26. A method comprising:

transmitting, using one or more wireless transceivers, data including one or more attributes of an apparatus,

using at least one of the one or more wireless transceivers to receive, from a headless device via a point-to-point Wi-Fi network, (1) network access credentials for accessing a Local Area Network (LAN) via Wi-Fi communication with a wireless network access point, and (2) service access credentials for accessing one or more network-based services compatible with the apparatus via the LAN,

determining, using a proximity sensor, a proximity of the device to the apparatus,

determining whether the proximity of the device to the apparatus satisfies one or more criteria,

in response to determining that the proximity of the device to the apparatus satisfies the one or more criteria, accepting the network access credentials and the service access credentials received from the device,

obtaining permission to access the LAN by using at least one of the wireless transceivers to transmit the accepted network access credentials directly to the wireless network access point of the LAN,

connecting to the LAN via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point without connecting through the headless device,

using at least one of the wireless transceivers to wirelessly transmit at least a portion of the service access credentials to a particular network-based service via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point and via the LAN, and

accessing the particular network-based service via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless network access point and via the LAN.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein accepting the network access credentials comprises storing the network access credentials in non-volatile memory and/or using the network access credentials to access the LAN.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein accepting the service access credentials comprises storing the service access credentials in non-volatile memory and/or using at least a portion of the service access credentials to access at least one of the one or more network-based services.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising using a physical access sensor to detect a physical access of the apparatus by a user, wherein the data including the one or more attributes of the apparatus are transmitted based on the physical access sensor detecting the physical access of the apparatus by the user.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more network-based services are identified by the device based, at least in part, on the data indicating the one or more attributes of the apparatus.