Re-login time duration allowing hotspot user to sign up for additional access time without disconnecting from secured wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9615252-B2
Application number	US-201514868114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A hotspot provides an open wireless network and a secure wireless network. The open wireless network has no network-level encryption and allows open association therewith. The secure wireless network employs network-level encryption and requires authentication of a received access credential from a client device before allowing association therewith. A system for authorizing the client device for secured access at the hotspot includes an access controller configured to establish an encrypted connection between the client device and a login portal of the hotspot over the open wireless network, and to store a user-specific access credential transmitted via the encrypted connection as a valid access credential in a credential database. The credential database is accessed by wireless access points of the hotspot to authenticate the received access credential from the client device in response to a request from the client device to associate with the secure wireless network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of authorizing secured wireless access at a hotspot, the method comprising:
providing an open wireless network having no network-level encryption and allowing open association therewith by a client device;
establishing an encrypted connection between the client device and a login portal of the hotspot over the open wireless network;
requiring a user of the client device to perform a predetermined sign-up process at the login portal in order to obtain a user-specific access credential with a predetermined access expiry time;
providing a secure wireless network employing network-level encryption and requiring successful completion of an authentication process before allowing association therewith by the client device;
receiving the user-specific access credential from the client device as a part of the authentication process, and allowing the client device is to successfully associate with the secure wireless network prior to the predetermined access expiry time being reached;
allowing the client device to access a resource over the secure wireless network while the client device is successfully associated with the secure wireless network until the predetermined access expiry time is reached;
in response to the predetermined access expiry time being reached, preventing the client device from accessing the resource over the secure wireless network and starting a re-login time duration; and
automatically disconnecting the client device from the secure wireless network in response to the re-login time duration expiring unless the user signs up for additional access time at the login portal;
wherein, during the re-login time duration, the user of the client device may access the login portal without needing to disconnect from the secure wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the user-specific access credential to the user as a part of a reservation confirmation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the user-specific access credential on an in-room television in a registered room of a hotel, the registered room associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing a web browser running on the client device to establish a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) connection with the login portal over the open wireless network after the client device has associated with the open wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting instructions from the login portal to the client device instructing the user of the client device to switch the client device to a service set identifier (SSID) of the secure wireless network at the hotspot and to authenticate with the secure wireless network utilizing the user-specific access credential.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-specific access credential comprises a username and a password.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising preventing the client device from accessing the resource over the open wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource is the Internet.

9. A system for authorizing secured wireless access at a hotspot, the system comprising:
one or more access points providing an open wireless network having no network-level encryption and allowing open association therewith by a client device;
one or more processors executing software in order to provide a login portal;
one or more access points providing a secure wireless network employing network-level encryption and requiring successful completion of an authentication process before allowing association therewith by the client device; and
a firewall coupled to the one or more access points providing the secure wireless network;
wherein the login portal is operable to establish an encrypted connection with the client device over the open wireless network and require a user of the client device to perform a predetermined sign-up process in order to obtain a user-specific access credential with a predetermined access expiry time;
the one or more access points providing the secure wireless network are operable to receive the user-specific access credential from the client device as a part of the authentication process, and allow the client device to successfully associate with the secure wireless network prior to the predetermined access expiry time being reached;
the firewall is operable to allow the client device to access a resource over the secure wireless network while the client device is successfully associated with the secure wireless network until the predetermined access expiry time is reached;
the one or more processors are further operable to automatically reconfigure the firewall to prevent the client device from accessing the resource over the secure wireless network in response to the predetermined access expiry time being reached;
the one or more processors are further operable to start a re-login time duration in response to the predetermined access expiry time being reached;
the one or more processors are further operable to send a command to the one or more access points providing the secure wireless network in response to the re-login time duration expiring unless the user signs up for additional access time at the login portal, the command causing the client device to be disconnected from the secure wireless network; and
during the re-login time duration, the client device may access the login portal without needing to disconnect from the secure wireless network.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to send the user-specific access credential to the user as a part of a reservation confirmation.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to display the user-specific access credential on an in-room television in a registered room of a hotel, the registered room associated with the user.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the firewall is further coupled to the one or more access points providing the open wireless network;
the login portal is web-based; and
after the client device has associated with the open wireless network, the firewall causes a web browser running on the client device to establish a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) connection over the open wireless network with the login portal.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the login portal is further operable to transmit instructions to the client device instructing the user of the client device to switch the client device to a service set identifier (SSID) of the secure wireless network at the hotspot and to authenticate with the secure wireless network utilizing the user-specific access credential.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user-specific access credential comprises a username and a password.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the firewall is further coupled to the one or more access points providing the open wireless network; and
the firewall prevents the client device from accessing the resource over the open wireless network.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the resource is the Internet.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more access points providing the secure wireless network are operable to prevent the client device from successfully associating with the secure wireless network using the user-specific access credential after the predetermined access expiry time is reached.

18. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more access points providing the secure wirele

Assignees

• Guest Tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd

Inventors

• Bryksa Ellison W
• Macmillan Andrew T

Classifications

• H04L63/105

  Multiple levels of security · CPC title

• H04L63/108

  when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time · CPC title

• H04L63/083

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

• H04L63/168

  above the transport layer · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title