Bar code symbol ticketing for authorizing access in a wireless local area communications network

• US 7,305,478 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Katz, Joseph, Vollkommer, Richard M., Willins, Bruce A., Fuccello, James, Wang, Huayan
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US09/909,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,329 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/5, 709/220, 709/217, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• 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 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• 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 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Authorized access by a user to an application server in a wireless local area network is obtained by printing machine-readable indicia on a portable, physical ticket, and by presenting the ticket to an electro-optical reader for reading the indicia.

Claims

1. A method of enabling authorized access to an application server to conduct a communications session on a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

requesting authentication over the wireless network, and requesting access to the application server to conduct the communications session for a predetermined time period by supplying a password;

printing a two-dimensional symbol encoded with the password and the predetermined time period to conduct the communications session on a portable, physical ticket in response to the requesting step;

manually presenting the physical ticket at a terminal for prompting the user to supply the password; and

electro-optically reading the two-dimensional symbol to gain access to the application server on the wireless network to conduct the communications session only for said predetermined time period after the password supplied to the terminal matches the password encoded on the ticket.

2. An arrangement for enabling authorized access to a wireless network, comprising:

an authentication center for authorizing access to an application server to conduct a communications session by receiving an authorization request for a predetermined time period from a user, and by receiving a password selected by the user, and by responding with an electronic ticket signal;

a printer responsive to the electronic ticket signal for printing a two-dimensional symbol encoded with the password, an application server to be accessed to conduct the communications session, and the predetermined time period for accessing the application server on a portable, physical ticket; and

a reader for electro-optically reading the symbol on the ticket presented to the reader, and a terminal for prompting the user to supply the password to authorize the identified user to access the identified application server to conduct the communications session only for said predetermined time period after the password supplied to the terminal matches the password encoded on the ticket.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein the network is located in a public venue.