Ecosystem-based wireless network setup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12495283-B2
Application number	US-202318496585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2023
Priority date	Sep 13, 2019
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

Various arrangements for configuring wireless network access for a first wireless device using a previously-configured second wireless device are presented. The first wireless device may output a temporary wireless network hotspot and advertise an identifier. A second wireless device may search for and identify the first wireless device based on the advertised identifier. The second wireless device may connect with the temporary wireless network hotspot and provide wireless network credentials for a wireless network for which the second wireless device has previously been granted access. The first wireless device may then establish a network connection with the wireless network based on the wireless network credentials transmitted by the second wireless device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for obtaining wireless network access, the method comprising:
searching, by a streaming media player, for a media streaming device that requires wireless network configuration, wherein:
the media streaming device is wirelessly advertising an identifier of a temporary wireless network hotspot based on the media streaming device not having any stored wireless credentials or stored wireless credentials not permitting the media streaming device to access a wireless network;
identifying, by the streaming media player, the temporary wireless network hotspot based on the wirelessly advertised identifier; establishing, by the streaming media player, a wireless connection with the temporary wireless network hotspot in response to identifying the advertised identifier; and transmitting, by the streaming media player, wireless network credentials for the wireless network for which the streaming media player has previously been granted access, wherein:
the transmitted wireless network credentials allow the media streaming device to establish a network connection with the wireless network; and
the media streaming device and the streaming media player are distinct from an access point that provides the wireless network.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the streaming media player is distinct from a television and the streaming media player outputs content to the television via a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving, by an application being executed by the streaming media player, the wireless network credentials for which the streaming media player has previously been granted access.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the media streaming device, that the media streaming device requires network credentials; in response to determining that the media streaming device requires wireless network credentials, creating, by the media streaming device, the temporary wireless network hotspot; and advertising, by the media streaming device, the identifier of the temporary wireless network hotspot.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the media streaming device does not include a user interface through which a user can directly enter wireless network credentials.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the streaming media player is a smartphone.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to establishing the wireless connection with the temporary wireless network hotspot, authenticating, by the streaming media player, the media streaming device.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein authenticating the media streaming device comprises:
encrypting, by the streaming media player, a challenge value; transmitting, by the streaming media player, the encrypted challenge value to the media streaming device via the temporary wireless network hotspot; decrypting, by the media streaming device, the encrypted challenge value using a stored private key; and transmitting, by the media streaming device, the decrypted challenge value to the streaming media player via the temporary wireless network hotspot.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein authenticating the media streaming device further comprises:
determining, by the streaming media player, that the media streaming device is authenticated based on the decrypted challenge value matching the challenge value.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deactivating, by the media streaming device, the temporary wireless network hotspot in response to receiving the wireless network credentials for the wireless network.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the advertised identifier of the temporary wireless network hotspot is a first service set identifier (SSID) and the wireless network credentials comprise: a second SSID; and a password.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the media streaming device is an over-the-air (OTA) television channel receiver that is electrically connected with an OTA antenna to receive broadcast television channels and transmit packetized broadcast television channels via the wireless network; and the streaming media player is configured to receive the broadcast television channels via the wireless network and output the broadcast television channels for presentation.

13 . A system, comprising:
a streaming media player, comprising:
a first wireless network interface; and
one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors of the streaming media player are configured to:
search, via the first wireless network interface, for a media streaming device that requires wireless network configuration, wherein:
the media streaming device is wirelessly advertising an identifier of a temporary wireless network hotspot based on the media streaming device not having any stored wireless credentials or stored wireless credentials not permitting the media streaming device to access a wireless network;

identify the temporary wireless network hotspot based on the wirelessly advertised identifier;
establish, via the first wireless network interface, a wireless connection with the temporary wireless network hotspot in response to identifying the advertised identifier; and
transmit, via the first wireless network interface, wireless network credentials for the wireless network for which the streaming media player has previously been granted access, wherein:
the transmitted wireless network credentials allow the media streaming device to establish a network connection with the wireless network; and
 the media streaming device and the streaming media player are distinct from an access point that provides the wireless network.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the streaming media player is distinct from a television and the streaming media player outputs content to the television via a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the streaming media player is a smartphone.

16 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
an application executed by the streaming media player, wherein the application retrieves the wireless network credentials for which the streaming media player has previously been granted access.

17 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
the media streaming device, comprising:
a second wireless network interface; and
one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors of the media streaming device are configured to:
determine that the media streaming device requires network credentials;
in response to determining that the media streaming device requires wireless network credentials, create the temporary wireless network hotspot; and
advertise the identifier of the temporary wireless network hotspot.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the media streaming device does not include a user interface through which a user can directly enter wireless network credentials.

19 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
in response to establishing the wireless connection with the temporary wireless network hotspot, authenticate the media streaming device.

20 . The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the media streaming device is an over-the-air (OTA) television channel receiver that is electrically connected with an OTA antenna to receive broadcast television channels and transmit packetized broadcast television channels via the wireless

Assignees

• Sling Media LLC

Inventors

• Jain Vikal Kumar

Classifications

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W8/245

  from a network towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04L2209/80

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04L9/3271

  using challenge-response · CPC title