Apparatus and method for accessing wireless networks

• US 9,883,399 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Salkintzis, Apostolis K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Giddins, Nelson Scott
• Application Number:
  US14/866,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are for automatically accessing a social network account that provides member information about each of a plurality of social network members. The member information about at least one of the social network members, denoted as a particular member, includes a network detection portion and a security portion. The network detection portion is retrieved from the social network for at least the particular member. A detection is made that the wireless device is within range of a secure wireless network associated with the particular member. The detection uses the network detection portion of the particular member as an input. The security portion of the member information of the particular member is retrieved from the social network. The security portion is used to derive access credentials for the secure wireless network. The derived access credentials are used to securely access the secure wireless network.

Claims

1. A method utilized by a wireless device for accessing a secure wireless network, comprising, in a wireless device:

accessing, by the wireless device, a social network account that provides member information about a plurality of social network members, wherein the member information includes network detection data and security data to access a secure wireless network of a member of the social network;

retrieving, by the wireless device, the network detection data from the social network to generate a network identifier of the secure wireless network of the member;

retrieving, by the wireless device, the security data from the social network to generate a security key for the secure wireless network of the member; and

accessing, by the wireless device, the secure wireless network of the member using the network identifier and security key;

wherein the security key generated by retrieving the security data from the social network is a first security key, the method further comprising;

detecting, by the wireless device, a change to the security data from the social network;

retrieving, by the wireless device, the changed security data from the social network;

initiating, by the wireless device, a change to the first security key to generate a second security key by utilizing the changed security data to derive the second security key;

transmitting, by the wireless device, the second security key to a network node of the secure wireless network;

maintaining, by the wireless device, communication with the secure wireless network using the first security key for a transition time period to allow the network node of the secure wireless network to acquire the second security key, wherein the transition time period is based at least in part on latency characteristics of the secure wireless network; and

accessing, by the wireless device, the secure wireless network using the second security key after the transition time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device accessing the social network account has an approved relationship with the member of the social network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generated network identifier comprises a Service Set Identifier (SSID) of the secure wireless network of the member.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the SSID is not broadcast.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising hashing the security data of the member information to generate the security key for the secure wireless network of the member.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving the security data is performed in response to detecting the wireless device is within a range of the secure wireless network.

7. A wireless device, comprising:

a first network transceiver;

a second network transceiver; and

a processing system coupled to the wireless network transceiver and the wide-area network transceiver, that provides functions comprising;

receiving a request to access, by the wireless device, a social network account that provides member information about a plurality of social network members, wherein the member information includes network detection data and security data to access a secure wireless network of a member of the social network;

retrieving the network detection data from the social network for the wireless device to generate a network identifier of the secure wireless network of the member based thereon;

retrieving the security data from the social network for the wireless device to generate a security key for the secure wireless network of the member based thereon; and

providing access to the secure wireless network of the member, by the wireless device, in response to the generated network identifier and security key;

wherein the security key generated by retrieving the security data from the social network is a first security key, the functions further comprising;

detecting, by the wireless device, a change to the security data from the social network;

retrieving, by the wireless device, the changed security data from the social network;

initiating, by the wireless device, a change to the first security key to generate a second security key by utilizing the changed security data to derive the second security key;

transmitting, by the wireless device, the second security key to a network node of the secure wireless network;

maintaining, by the wireless device, communication with the secure wireless network using the first security key for a transition time period to allow the network node of the secure wireless network to acquire the second security key, wherein the transition time period is based at least in part on latency characteristics of the secure wireless network; and

accessing, by the wireless device, the secure wireless network using the second security key after the transition time period.

8. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein the wireless device accessing the social network account has an approved relationship with the member of the social network.

9. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein the generated network identifier comprises a Service Set Identifier (SSID) of the secure wireless network of the member.

10. The wireless device according to claim 9, wherein the security key for the secure wireless network of the member is generated by hashing the security data of the member information.

11. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein the security data is retrieved in response to detecting the wireless device is within a range of the secure wireless network.

12. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein the first network transceiver comprises at least one wireless network transceiver.

13. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein the second network transceiver comprises a wide-area network transceiver.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including contents that are configured to cause a computing system to perform a method comprising:

providing a social network account, wherein the social network account provides member information about a plurality of social network members;

providing access to the member information of the social network account by a device, wherein the member information includes network detection data and security data to access a secure wireless network of a member of the social network;

providing the network detection data from the social network to the device to generate a network identifier of the secure wireless network of the member; and

providing the security data from the social network to the device to generate a security key for the secure wireless network of the member,

wherein the device is configured to use the generated network identifier and security key to access the secure wireless network of the member;

the security key generated by providing the security data from the social network is a first security key;

the device is configured to detect a change to the security data from the social network;

the device is configured to retrieve the changed security data from the social network;

the device is configured to initiate a change to the first security key to generate a second security key by utilizing the changed security data to derive the second security key;

the device is configured to transmit the second security key to a network node of the secure wireless network;

the secure wireless network is configured to maintain communication with the device using the first security key for a transition time period to allow the network node of the secure wireless network to acquire the second security key, wherein the transition time period is based at least in part on latency characteristics of the secure wireless network, and

the secure wireless network is configured to allow access by the device using the second security key after the transition time period.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the device accessing the social network account has an approved relationship with the member of the social network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the generated network identifier comprises a Service Set Identifier (SSID) of the secure wireless network of the member.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the security key for the secure wireless network of the member is generated by performing a hash function on the security data of the member information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the security data is retrieved in response to detecting the device within a range of the secure wireless network.