Dynamic PSK for hotspots

• US 8,756,668 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ruckus IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ranade, Prashant, Sheu, Ming-Jye
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US13/370,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20130212656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726/5, 726/6
• US Class Current: 726/6
• 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 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing secured network access are provided. A user device located within range of a hotspot initiates a request sent via an open communication network associated with the hotspot. The request concerns secured network access at the hotspot by the user device. A unique pre-shared key is generated for the user device based on information in the received request and transmitted over the open communication network for display on a webpage accessible to the user device. The unique pre-shared key is stored in association with information regarding the user device. The user device may then use the unique pre-shared key in subsequent requests for secured network access.

Claims

1. A method for providing secured network access, the method comprising:

receiving a request initiated by a user device located within a range of a hotspot, the request sent via an open communication network associated with the hotspot and concerning access to a secured communication network at the hotspot by the user device, and wherein the request initiated by the user device was redirected to an intermediary web portal server;

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

generates a new pre-shared key for the user device based on information in the request, wherein the new pre-shared key is unique to the user device, and

registers the new and unique pre-shared key to a user of the user device, the registration based on user information provided in the request;

transmitting the unique pre-shared key over the open communication network for display on a webpage accessible to the user device, wherein the user device uses the unique pre-shared key in a subsequent request for access to the secured communication network; and

storing in memory the unique pre-shared key in association with information regarding the user device, wherein the memory further includes information regarding different user devices, each associated with a different pre-shared key unique to the respective different user device, and wherein access to the secured communication network is granted at the hotspot in response to the subsequent request by the user device, the subsequent request including the pre-shared key unique to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated unique pre-shared key is displayed on a web page generated by the intermediary web portal server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the user device includes at least one parameter, and wherein access to the secured communication network granted to the user device is governed at least in part by the at least one parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one parameter includes one or more of the following:

expiration date, session duration, bandwidth, user identity, user rewards, or access policies.

5. An apparatus for providing secured network access, the apparatus comprising:

an interface for receiving an incoming request initiated by a user device located within a range of a hotspot, the request sent via an open communication network associated with the hotspot and concerning access to a secured communication network at the hotspot by the user device, and wherein the request initiated by the user device was redirected to an intermediary web portal server;

a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor;

generates a new pre-shared key for the user device based on information in the request, wherein the new pre-shared key is unique to the user device,

registers the new and unique pre-shared key to a user of the user device, the registration based on user information provided in the request, and

wherein the unique pre-shared key is transmitted over the open communication network for display on a webpage accessible to the user device; and

a database in memory for storing the unique pre-shared key in association with information regarding the user device, wherein the memory further includes information regarding different user devices, each associated with a different pre-shared key unique to the respective different user device, and wherein access to the secured communication network at the hotspot is subsequently granted in response to a subsequent request for secured network access by the user device, the subsequent request including the pre-shared key unique to the user device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the interface further sends the generated unique pre-shared key to the intermediary web portal server to allow for generation of a web page display of the unique pre-shared key.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the user device stored in the database includes at least one parameter and wherein further execution of instructions by the processor grants the secured network access to the user device in response to the subsequent request, the secured network access governed by the at least one parameter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one parameter stored in the database comprises expiration date, session duration, bandwidth, user identity, user rewards, or access policies.

9. A system for providing secured network access, the system comprising:

an access point associated with a hotspot, the access point providing both;

open access over an open communication network, and

secured network access over a secured communication network based on a pre-shared key;

an intermediary web portal service, wherein a request initiated by a user device located within a range of the hotspot is redirected to the intermediary web portal server, the request sent via the open communication network and concerning access to the secured communication network at the hotspot by the user device; and

a hotspot controller comprising;

an interface for receiving the incoming request initiated by the user device, wherein the intermediary web portal server submits the request to the hotspot controller for generation of the unique pre-shared key;

a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor;

generates a new pre-shared key for the user device based on information in the request, wherein the new pre-shared key is unique to the user device, and

registers the new and unique pre-shared key to a user of the user device, the registration based on user information provided in the request,

wherein the interface transmits the unique pre-shared key over the open communication network for display on a webpage accessible to the user device, wherein the user device uses the unique pre-shared key in a subsequent request for access to the secured communication network, and

memory for storing the unique pre-shared key in association with information regarding the user device, wherein the memory further includes information regarding different user devices, each associated with a different pre-shared key unique to the respective different user device, and wherein access to the secured communication network at the hotspot is granted in response to the subsequent request by the user device, the subsequent request including the pre-shared key unique to the user device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the generated unique pre-shared key is sent from the hotspot controller to the intermediary web portal server and wherein a web page display of the unique pre-shared key is generated by the intermediary web portal server.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the information regarding the user device include at least one parameter and wherein the secured network access granted to the user device is governed by the at least one parameter.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one parameter comprises expiration date, session duration, bandwidth, user identity, user rewards, or access policies.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for providing secured network access, the method comprising:

receiving a request initiated by a user device located within a range of a hotspot, the request sent via an open communication network associated with the hotspot and concerning access to a secured communication network at the hotspot by the user device, and wherein the request initiated by the user device was redirected to an intermediary web portal server;

generating a new pre-shared key for the user device based on information in the request, wherein the new pre-shared key is unique to the user device;

registering the new and unique pre-shared key to a user of the user device, the registration based on user information provided in the request;

transmitting the unique pre-shared key over the open communication network for display on a webpage accessible to the user device, wherein the user device uses the unique pre-shared key in a subsequent request for access to the secured communication network; and

storing the unique pre-shared key in association with information regarding the user device in memory, wherein the memory further includes information regarding different user devices, each associated with a different pre-shared key unique to the respective different user device, and wherein access to the secured communication network is granted at the hotspot in response to the subsequent request by the user device, the subsequent request including the pre-shared key unique to the user device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the generated unique pre-shared key is displayed on a web page generated by the intermediary web portal server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the information regarding the user device includes at least one parameter, and wherein access to the secured communication network granted to the user device is governed at least in part by the at least one parameter.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one parameter includes one or more of the following:

expiration date, session duration, bandwidth, user identity, user rewards, or access policies.