Network access via telephony services

• US 9,967,748 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2017
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tofighbakhsh, Mostafa
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US15/648,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20170311163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

A method includes receiving a token at a first device via a second device. The token is received by the second device from a computing system responsive to a request for access to a first wireless network secured with a network encryption key. The request is sent from the second device via a second wireless network. The computing system generates and sends the token to the second device and to a registration device in response to a determination that a user account associated with the second device permits access to the first wireless network. The method includes sending, from the first device to the registration device via the first wireless network, a hash value based on the token. Responsive to the hash value matching a second hash value generated by the registration device, the method includes receiving configuration data to enable the first device to access the first wireless network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a token at a first device via a second device, the token received by the second device from a computing system responsive to a request for access to a first wireless network secured with a network encryption key, the request sent from the second device to the computing system via a second wireless network, the second wireless network different than the first wireless network, and wherein the computing system generates and sends the token to the second device and to a registration device in response to a determination by the computing system that a user account associated with the second device permits access to the first wireless network;

sending, from the first device to the registration device via the first wireless network, a hash value based on the token; and

responsive to the hash value matching a second hash value generated by the registration device from the token received by the registration device from the computing system, receiving, at the first device, configuration data to enable the first device to access the first wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing, with the first device, the first wireless network using the network encryption key, the network encryption key determined from the configuration data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device displays the token to a display device, and wherein receiving the token at the first device comprises receiving user input corresponding to the token displayed by the display device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the token at the first device comprises receiving a transmission of the token from the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless network comprises a wireless wide area network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network comprises a local area network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the registration device provides the first device access to a wide area network via the first wireless network based on network settings provided by the registration device to an access point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the network settings include an expiration time for access to the wide area network.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending a user name and password associated with the user account from the first device to the registration device prior to accessing the wide area network via the first wireless network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the hash value comprises sending the registration device a first hash value based on a first portion of the token and a second hash value based on a second portion of the token.

11. A computer-readable memory device storing instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

causing a first transmitter to send a request to access a first wireless network secured with a network encryption key to a computing system, the request sent via a second wireless network different than the first wireless network;

in response to a determination by the computing system that a user account associated with the processor permits access to the first wireless network, receiving a token from the computing system via the second wireless network, wherein the computing system sends the token to a registration device; and

causing a second transmitter to send the token to a device, wherein possession of the token by the device enables the device to send a hash value based on the token to the registration device via the first wireless network, and wherein, based on the hash value matching a second hash value generated by the registration device from the token received from the computing system, the registration device enables the device to determine the network encryption key for access to the first wireless network.

12. The computer-readable memory device of claim 11, wherein the processor is a component of a mobile communication device.

13. The computer-readable memory device of claim 11, wherein the second wireless network comprises a wireless wide area network.

14. The computer-readable memory device of claim 11, wherein the first wireless network comprises a local area network.

15. The computer-readable memory device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving location data associated with an access point for the first wireless network; and

sending, to a display device, a map including an identifier associated with the access point.

16. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device accessible to the processor, the memory device storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

causing a transmitter to send a request to access a first wireless network secured with a network encryption key to a computing system, the request sent via a second wireless network different than the first wireless network;

in response to a determination by the computing system that a user account associated with the processor permits access to the first wireless network, receiving a token from the computing system via the second wireless network, wherein the computing system sends the token to a registration device; and

displaying the token to a display device, wherein display of the token enables a user to provide the token to a device via user input, wherein possession of the token by the device enables the device to send a hash value based on the token to the registration device via the first wireless network, and wherein, based on the hash value matching a second hash value generated by the registration device from the token received from the computing system, the registration device enables the device to determine the network encryption key for access to the first wireless network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is a component of a mobile communication device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the second wireless network comprises a wireless wide area network.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first wireless network comprises a local area network.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving location data associated with an access point for the first wireless network; and

sending, to the display device, a map including an identifier associated with the access point.