Remote recognition of an association between remote devices

• US 9,756,133 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Uniloc Luxembourg S.à r.l. (f/k/a Uniloc Luxembourg S.A.) (Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited)
• Inventors: Harjanto, Dono, Etchegoyen, Craig S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US14/176,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370254, 370329, 370389, 370401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A device identification server identifies a “household” to which a particular device belongs by associating the device with a LAN MAC address of the router through which the device connects to a wide area network such as the Internet because the LAN MAC address (i) is unique to the router and (ii) is not readily discoverable by interaction with the router through the wide area network, impeding spoofing by malicious entities. The device queries and receives the LAN MAC address of the router through the local area network. The device passes the LAN MAC address of the router along with its digital fingerprint to the device identification server. Devices that report the same LAN MAC address of the router through which they connect to the wide area network are determined to be from the same “household”, i.e., to be managed by one and the same entity.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium useful in association with a computer which includes one or more processors and a memory, the computer readable medium including computer instructions which are configured to cause the computer, by execution of the computer instructions in the one or more processors from the memory, to identify a local area network though which a device connects to a wide area network by at least:

receiving, from the device and from one or more other devices, router-specific data that is specific to a router through which the local area network is connected to the wide area network and that is not accessible from the router through a connection between the router and the wide area network; and

determining that the device and at least one of the other devices connect to the wide area network through the same local area network upon a determination that the router-specific data received from the device and the at least one of the other devices is specific to one and the same router;

wherein the router-specific data includes a local area network media access control address of the router.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the router-specific data also includes a wide area network internet protocol address.

3. A computer readable medium useful in association with a computer which includes one or more processors and a memory, the computer readable medium including computer instructions which are configured to cause the computer, by execution of the computer instructions in the one or more processors from the memory, to bind a device to a local area network through which the device connects to a wide area network by at least:

receiving, from the devices, router-specific data that is specific to a router through which the local area network is connected to the wide area network and that is not accessible from the router through a connection between the router and the wide area network; and

combining the router-specific data with a digital fingerprint of the device such that the device has the digital fingerprint only when connected to the wide area network through the local area network.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 3 wherein the router-specific data includes a local area network media access control address of the router.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 4 wherein the router-specific data also includes a wide area network internet protocol address.

6. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

a computer readable medium that is operatively coupled to the processor;

network access circuitry that is operatively coupled to the processor; and

device identification logic (i) that executes in the processor from the computer readable medium and (ii) that, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to identify a local area network though which a device connects to a wide area network by at least;

receiving, from the device and from one or more other devices, router-specific data that is specific to a router through which the local area network is connected to the wide area network and that is not accessible from the router through a connection between the router and the wide area network; and

determining that the device and at least one of the other devices connect to the wide area network through the same local area network upon a determination that the router-specific data received from the device and the at least one of the other devices is specific to one and the same router.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the router-specific data includes a local area network media access control address of the router.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the router-specific data also includes a wide area network internet protocol address.

9. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

a computer readable medium that is operatively coupled to the processor;

network access circuitry that is operatively coupled to the processor; and

device identification logic (i) that executes in the processor from the computer readable medium and (ii) that, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to bind a device to a local area network though which the device connects to a wide area network by at least;

receiving, from the devices, router-specific data that is specific to a router through which the local area network is connected to the wide area network and that is not accessible from the router through a connection between the router and the wide area network; and

combining the router-specific data with a digital fingerprint of the device such that the device has the digital fingerprint only when connected to the wide area network through the local area network.

10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein the router-specific data also includes a wide area network internet protocol address.

11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the router-specific data includes a local area network media access control address of the router.