Automated setup of a station on a wireless home network

• US 9,756,450 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quantenna Communications, Inc. (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Carrera, Marianna, Dash, Debashis, Amiri, Bahador
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/247,905
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0471 Key exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/55 involving three or more devices, e.g. group pairing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/00 Network data management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system for automating setup of a station on one among a plurality of wireless home networks each associated with a distinct subscriber and each including a wireless access point (WAP) node supporting wireless communications with an associated set of station nodes. A station provisioner circuit couples to the WAP nodes to acquire credentials for a new station prior to delivery to an identified one of the subscribers; and to inject the acquired credentials into a corresponding one of the WAP nodes which services the wireless network of the identified one of the subscribers. A secure link management circuit on the corresponding one of the WAP nodes utilizes the acquired credentials from the station provisioner circuit for identification of the new station shipped to the identified subscriber; and for setup of a secure wireless communication link between the new station and the corresponding WAP node which services the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network.

Claims

1. A system for automating setup of a station on one among a plurality of wireless home networks each associated with a distinct subscriber and each including a wireless access point (WAP) node supporting wireless communications with an associated set of station nodes on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels;

and the system comprising;

a station provisioner circuit coupled to each of the WAP nodes servicing the plurality of WLANs and configured to acquire credentials for a new station prior to delivery to an identified one of the subscribers; and

to inject the acquired credentials into a corresponding one of the WAP nodes which services the wireless home network of the identified one of the subscribers; and

the corresponding one of the WAP nodes including;

a secure link manager circuit configured to utilize the acquired credentials from the station provisioner circuit for identification of the new station shipped to the identified one of the subscribers; and

for setup of a secure wireless communication link between the new station and the corresponding one of the WAP nodes which services the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network, thereby avoiding subscriber involvement in setting up the new station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the station provisioner circuit further comprises:

an optical scanner configured to acquire credentials for the new station by scanning a label on the new station which includes said credentials.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the station provisioner circuit further comprises:

a credential generation circuit which generates credentials for each new station; and

a credential injection circuit injecting the new credentials generated by the credential generation circuit into the new station prior to shipment.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the station provisioner circuit further configured to inject a service set identifier (SSID) of the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network into the new station prior to shipment; and

the new station including a selective association circuit utilizing the SSID injected by the station provisioner circuit to limit the new station'"'"'s wireless local area network (WLAN) association exclusively to the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the station provisioner circuit further comprises:

a subscriber-asset correlator circuit configured to correlate an order for the new station from the subscriber, with the corresponding one of the WAP nodes which services the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure link manager circuit further comprises:

a packet disassembler sub-circuit to obtain station credentials in a probe request from a station seeking to associate with the identified one of the WAP nodes; and

a station identifier sub-circuit to identify whether or not to setup a secure link with the station based on the credentials obtained by the packet disassembler.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure link manager circuit further comprises:

a packet disassembler sub-circuit to obtain station credentials in a probe request from a station seeking to associate with the identified one of the WAP nodes; and

a station identifier sub-circuit responsive to the credentials obtained by the packet disassembler to request from the station provisioning circuit the injection of any relevant acquired credentials for the new station, and to identify whether to setup a secure link with the station based on whether the credentials obtained by the packet disassembler match the credentials provided by the station provisioning circuit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure link manager circuit further comprises:

a secure link setup circuit configured to utilize the acquired credentials from the station provisioner circuit to setup a secure communication link with the new station based on at least one of a;

WIFI protected setup (WPS) protocol, or a Wi-Fi protected access (WPA/WPA2) protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the acquired credentials for the new station acquired by the station provisioner circuit into the corresponding one of the WAP nodes, include at least one of:

a Personal Identification Number (PIN), a password, a username, a service set identifier (SSID) of the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network, a universally unique identifier (UUID), a medium access control (MAC) address of the station, or a MAC address of the subscriber'"'"'s WAP.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the new station comprises at least one of:

a set-top box, a repeater, a tablet, a gaming console, or a phone.

11. A method for automating setup of a station on one among a plurality of wireless home networks each associated with a distinct subscriber and each including a wireless access point (WAP) node supporting wireless communications with an associated set of station nodes on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels;

and the method comprising;

acquiring credentials for a new station prior to delivery to an identified one of the subscribers;

injecting the acquired credentials into a corresponding one of the WAP nodes which services the wireless home network of the identified one of the subscribers;

identifying on the corresponding one of the WAP nodes, the new station shipped to the identified one of the subscribers based on the injected acquired credentials; and

setting up a secure wireless communication link between the new station and the corresponding one of the WAP nodes which services the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network utilizing the injected acquired credentials, thereby avoiding subscriber involvement in setting up the new station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the acquiring act further comprises:

scanning a label on the new station which includes said credentials.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the acquiring act further comprises:

generating credentials for each new station; and

injecting the new credentials generated in the generating act into the new station prior to shipment.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

injecting the acquired credentials and further a service set identifier (SSID) of the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network into the new station prior to shipment; and

limiting the new station'"'"'s wireless local area network (WLAN) association requests exclusively to the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network, responsive to the SSID injected in the injecting act.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the injecting act further comprises:

correlating an order for the new station from the subscriber, with the corresponding one of the WAP nodes which services the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying act further comprises:

obtaining station credentials from a probe request from a station seeking to associate with the identified one of the WAP nodes; and

a station identifier sub-circuit to identify whether or not to setup a secure link with the station based on the credentials obtained in the obtaining act.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying act further comprises:

obtaining station credentials in a probe request from a station seeking to associate with the identified one of the WAP nodes;

requesting the injection of any relevant acquired credentials for the new station responsive to the credentials obtained in the obtaining act; and

identifying whether to setup a secure link with the station based on whether the credentials obtained in response to the request for injection match the credentials obtained from the probe request.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of setting up a secure wireless communication link further comprises one of the acts of:

setting up a secure link utilizing a WiFi protected setup (WPS) protocol, and

setting up a secure link with the new station utilizing a WiFi protected access (WPA/WPA2) protocol.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the credentials for the new station acquired in the acquiring act, include at least one of:

a Personal Identification Number (PIN), a password, a username, a service set identifier (SSID) of the subscriber'"'"'s wireless home network, a universally unique identifier (UUID), a medium access control (MAC) address of the station, or a MAC address of the subscriber'"'"'s WAP.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the new station comprises at least one of:

a set-top box, a repeater, a tablet, a gaming console, or a phone.