Blockchain based wireless access point password management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11082850-B2
Application number	US-201816019376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed herein for managing and sharing credentials, such as passwords for wireless access points using blockchain technology. In certain embodiments, a transaction may be generated using information and a set of conditions. A requester user device seeking access to a wireless access point may request the password from the blockchain fabric using a unique identifier for the wireless access point and may satisfy other conditions from the set of conditions which determines access to the password by the requester.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
storing a first transaction that comprises information associated with a unique identifier for an access point to network services, a password to access the access point, and a condition to be satisfied to access the password for the access point, wherein the first transaction is stored as part of at least a first portion of a blockchain for management of passwords for access points, and wherein the blockchain comprises blocks, each block of the blocks comprises respective transactions;
receiving a request for the password for the access point, the request comprising the unique identifier for the access point and a cellular telephone network number associated with a device from which the request was received;
determining whether the request satisfies the condition to access the password for the access point from the first transaction, wherein determining whether the request satisfies the condition comprises analyzing the cellular telephone network number associated with the device;
in response to determining that the request satisfies the condition to access the password for the access point, encrypting the password to generate an encrypted password;
sending a response to the request comprising the encrypted password to the device from which the request was received; and
storing the request and the response to the request in a second transaction in at least a second portion of the blockchain.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier for the access point and the password for the wireless access point are received from a user equipment authorized to access the access point, and wherein a access point management entity encrypts the password resulting in the encrypted password, deletes the password, and stores the encrypted password in the first transaction along with the unique identifier.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the password expires after a defined period of time.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the request satisfies the condition comprises determining whether the an identity associated with the device from which the request was received belongs to a group based on a digital certificate received from the device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the request satisfies the condition comprises analyzing a smart contract implemented in Ethereum.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the request satisfies the condition comprises requiring a payment for accessing the access point, and wherein the password for the access to the access point expires after a defined period of time that is defined based on a time of the payment.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the condition is based on whether the cellular telephone network number of one or more allowed user of allowed users that are allowed to access the wireless access point.

8. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a request for a password for an access point, wherein the request comprises a unique identifier for the access point and a cellular telephone network number associated with a device associated with a sender identity corresponding to a sender of the request;
determining, by the system, whether the request satisfies a condition to access the password for the access point from a first transaction, wherein:
the condition being satisfied comprises validating the cellular telephone network number associated with the device,
the first transaction comprises information associated with a unique identifier for the access point, the password to access the access point and the condition to access the password for the access point, and
the first transaction is stored as part of at least a portion of a blockchain for managing passwords for access points, wherein the blockchain comprises a group of blocks, each block of the group of blocks comprises a plurality of transactions;

in response to determining that the request satisfies the condition to access the password for the access point, encrypting, by the system, the password to generate an encrypted password;
sending, by the system, a response to the request comprising the encrypted password to the device associated with the sender identity; and
storing, by the system, the request and the response to the request in a second transaction in the blockchain.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the unique identifier for the access point and the password for the access point are received from a user equipment associated with an authorized user identity authorized to access the access point, and wherein an access point management entity of the access point performs the encrypting, then deletes the password, and stores the encrypted password in the first transaction along with the unique identifier.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the password expires after a pre-determined period of time.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condition being satisfied comprises information for determining whether the sender of the request belongs to a particular group based on a digital certificate provided by the sender of the request.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condition being satisfied comprises validation of a smart contract formed using Ethereum.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condition being satisfied comprises receiving a payment for accessing the access point, and wherein the password for the access to the access point expires after a pre-determined period of time from the payment.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
storing a first transaction that comprises information associated with a unique identifier for a wireless access point, a password to access the wireless access point, and a group of conditions to access the password for the wireless access point, wherein the first transaction is stored as part of at least a portion of a blockchain for management of passwords for wireless access points, wherein the blockchain comprises a group of blocks, each block of the group of blocks comprises a respective group of transactions;
receiving a request for the password for the wireless access point, the request comprising the unique identifier for the wireless access point and a cellular telephone network number associated with a device from which the request was received;
determining whether the request satisfies the group of conditions to access the password for the wireless access point from the first transaction, wherein the group of conditions comprises a condition that checks the cellular telephone network number associated with the device;
in response to determining that the request satisfies the group of conditions to access the password for the wireless access point, encrypting the password to generate an encrypted password;
sending the encrypted password to the device; and
storing the request and a response to the request in a second transaction in the blockchain.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the unique identifier for the wireless access point and the password for the wireless access point are received from equipment of an authorized user of the wireless access point and relayed to a wireless access point management entity that encrypts, then deletes the password, and stores the encrypted password in th

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Tipton Rick
• Austin Mark D
• Dugan Matt

Classifications

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title

• H04W12/61

  Time-dependent · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• H04W12/73

  Access point logical identity · CPC title

• H04W12/50 Primary

  Secure pairing of devices · CPC title