Wireless Local Area Network Hotspot Registration Using Near Field Communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016128015-A1
Application number	US-201614992736-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2012
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A first device that includes a processor configured to transmit/receive a trigger message to/from a second device based on wireless short-range communication. The trigger message initiates a registration process within a wireless local area network (WLAN).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A first device, comprising:
a first processor configured to:
transmit a first message to a second wireless device with a second processor using wireless short-range communication when the first device is within communication range of the second wireless device, wherein the first message initiates a registration process with a wireless local area network (WLAN); and
receive a response message from the second wireless device in response to transmitting the first message, wherein the response message comprises a device identifier (ID) that identifies the first device and a service set ID (SSID) that identifies the WLAN.

2 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless short-range communication includes one of near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Zig bee, wireless universal serial bus, or an ultra-wideband technology.

3 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first processor is further configured to determine whether the second wireless device is within communication range of the first device.

4 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA) and wherein the wireless short-range communication comprises near field communication.

5 . The first device of claim 4 , wherein the first processor is further configured to include a mobile ID within the message, the mobile ID identifying the non-AP STA.

6 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to automatically transmit the first message to the second wireless device in response to determining that the second wireless device is within communication range of the first device.

7 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first processor is further configured to transmit a WLAN registration request in response to receiving the response message.

8 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless device comprises an NFC-enabled device.

9 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a near field communication (NFC)-enabled device and the second wireless device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA).

10 . The first device of claim 9 , wherein the first processor is further configured to include at least one of a second device ID or the SSID within the first message, the second device ID identifying the NFC-enabled device and the SSID identifying the WLAN.

11 . The first device of claim 9 , wherein the non-AP STA transmits a WLAN registration request message in response to the first message.

12 . A first wireless device, comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a first message transmitted from a second device using wireless short-range communication when the first wireless device is within communication range of the second device, wherein the first message initiates a registration process with a wireless local area network (WLAN), further wherein the wireless short-range communication provides for communications to and from the second device, and wherein the first message is transmitted by the second device;
transmit a response message to the second device, the response message comprising a device identifier (ID) that identifies the first wireless device and a service set ID (SSID) that identifies the WLAN.

13 . The first wireless device of claim 12 , wherein the wireless short-range communication includes one of near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Zig bee, wireless universal serial bus, or an ultra-wideband technology.

14 . The first wireless device of claim 12 , wherein the processor receives the first message from the second device when the first wireless device is within communication range of the second device, the first message being automatically transmitted by the second device.

15 . The first wireless device of claim 12 , wherein the first wireless device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA) and wherein the wireless short-range communication comprises near field communication (NFC).

16 . The first wireless device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive the device ID within the first message, the device ID identifying a NFC-enabled device.

17 . The first wireless device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a WLAN registration request message in response to the first message.

18 . The first wireless device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to include at least one of the device ID, an ID associated with the non-AP STA, or an authentication credential associated with the non-AP STA within the WLAN registration request message.

19 . The first wireless device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit an information message in response to receiving the first message.

20 . The first wireless device of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to include at least one of device information that identifies the non-AP STA or user information that identifies a user of the non-AP STA within the information message.

21 . The first wireless device of claim 12 , wherein the first wireless device comprises a near field communication (NFC)-enabled device and the second device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA).

22 . The first wireless device of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a mobile ID within the first message, the mobile ID identifying the non-AP STA.

23 . The first wireless device of claim 21 , wherein the first message further comprises the device ID.

24 . The first wireless device of claim 12 , wherein the response message further comprises at least one of a mobile ID, or a network identifier that identifies a network to which the WLAN is connected to or to which the WLAN is associated with within the response message.

25 . A method, comprising:
transmitting, by a first device, a first message to a second wireless device using wireless short-range near field communication (NFC), wherein the first device comprises a near field communication (NFC)-enabled device and the second wireless device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA), wherein the first message initiates a registration process with a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the first message is transmitted to the second wireless device when the first device is within communication range of the second wireless device; and receiving, in response to the first message, a response message that includes a mobile identifier (ID) which is a device ID that identifies the NFC-enabled device, and a service set ID (SSID) that identifies the WLAN.

26 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising transmitting a WLAN registration request in response to receiving the response message.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the response message includes a mobile identifier (ID), a second device ID that identifies the non-AP STA, and a service set ID (SSID) that identifies the WLAN.

28 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the first message includes at least one of the device ID or SSID, the device ID identifying the NFC-enabled device and the SSID identifying the WLAN.

29 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising transmitting, by the non-AP STA, a WLAN registration request message in response to the first message.

Assignees

• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Mccann Stephen
• Montemurro Michael Peter
• Nathwani Sanjay
• Durand Roger Paul

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W48/10

  using broadcasted information · CPC title

• H04W60/04 Primary

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04L69/14

  Multichannel or multilink protocols · CPC title