Methods, devices and systems for dynamic network access administration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9763094-B2
Application number	US-201414170474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2014
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Methods and devices for providing access to a wireless network through a network access point secured with a network password may include receiving a request to provide access to the wireless network for a device on the network access point. A virtual access point may be established to provide access to the wireless network for the device in response to receiving the request to provide access for the device on the network access point. A virtual access point password may be established for the device and associated with a unique identifier of the device. The virtual access point password may be different from the network password. The device may be provided with access to the network when an entered password matches the virtual access point password and the device identifier matches the unique identifier of the device associated with the virtual access point password.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing access to a wireless network through a network access point secured with a network password, the method comprising:
receiving in the network access point a request to provide access to the wireless network for a guest device;
establishing, by the network access point, a virtual access point to provide access to the wireless network for the guest device in response to receiving the request to provide access for the guest device;
creating, by the network access point, a virtual access point password for the guest device that is associated with a unique device identifier of the guest device, wherein the virtual access point password is different from the network password, wherein the virtual access point password and the unique device identifier are each unique to only the guest device and the virtual access point for the network access point;
limiting, by the network access point, use of the virtual access point password to gain access to the wireless network via the virtual access point to only the guest device by binding the virtual access point password with the unique device identifier of the guest device in a database accessible to the virtual access point; and
providing the guest device with access to the wireless network when an entered password matches the virtual access point password and a guest device identifier of the guest device matches the unique device identifier of the guest device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique device identifier of the guest device includes a medium access control (MAC) address of the guest device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the virtual access point comprises:
determining whether a limit of available virtual access points has been reached; and
establishing the virtual access point with a virtual access point identifier in response to determining that the limit of available virtual access points has not been reached.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the received request includes information associated with the guest device;
creating the virtual access point password for the guest device comprises creating the virtual access point password for the guest device and associating the virtual access point password with a virtual identifier of the guest device based on the information associated with the guest device; and
providing the guest device with access to the wireless network comprises providing provisional access to the wireless network during a first access attempt when the entered password matches the virtual access point password and the information associated with the guest device matches the virtual identifier of the guest device.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving in the network access point a second password from a second guest device for which access has not been requested and obtaining information associated with the second guest device in a second guest device access attempt;
determining whether the second password received from the second guest device matches either the network password of the network access point or the virtual access point password;
informing an administrator of the wireless network about the second guest device access attempt in response to recognizing that the second password received from the second guest device does not match the network password of the network access point or the virtual access point password;
receiving in the network access point a message from the administrator requesting the network access point to provide the second guest device with access to the wireless network;
creating, by the network access point, a second virtual access point password for the second guest device that is-associated with a second virtual identifier of the second guest device based on the information associated with the second guest device, wherein the second virtual access point password is different from the network password and from the virtual access point password for the guest device, wherein the second virtual access point password and the second virtual identifier are each unique to only the second guest device; and
limiting, by the network access point, use of the second virtual access point password to gain access to the wireless network via the virtual access point to only the second guest device by binding the second virtual access point password with the second virtual identifier of the second guest device in the database.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
establishing a virtual access point identifier associated with the virtual access point;
providing the virtual access point identifier and the virtual access point password to the guest device;
storing the virtual access point identifier and the virtual access point password in the database accessible to the virtual access point;
obtaining the unique device identifier of the guest device during the first access attempt by the guest device using the virtual access point identifier and the virtual access point password; and
storing the unique device identifier of the guest device in association with the virtual access point identifier and the virtual access point password in the database accessible to the virtual access point,
wherein, when the unique device identifier is obtained, providing the guest device with access to the wireless network comprises providing the guest device with access to the wireless network in subsequent access attempts when the guest device accesses the virtual access point using the virtual access point identifier, when the entered password matches the virtual access point password and when the guest device identifier of the guest device matches the unique device identifier of the guest device stored in association with the virtual access point password.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein establishing the virtual access point to provide access to the wireless network for the guest device in response to receiving the request to provide access for the guest device comprises:
establishing the virtual access point when the information associated with the guest device matches the virtual identifier of the guest device during the first access attempt; and
establishing the virtual access point when the guest device identifier matches the unique device identifier of the guest device stored in association with the virtual access point password during subsequent access attempts after the first access attempt.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
establishing the virtual access point comprises establishing a restriction on access to the wireless network for the guest device; and
providing the guest device with access to the wireless network in subsequent access attempts when the entered password matches the virtual access point password and the guest device identifier matches the unique device identifier of the guest device stored in association with the virtual access point password comprises providing the guest device with access to the wireless network subject to the restriction when the entered password matches the virtual access point password and the guest device identifier matches the unique device identifier of the guest device stored in association with the virtual access point password.

9. A network access point for providing access to a wireless network secured with a network password, the network access point comprising:
a processor configured to access processor readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request to provide access to the wireless network for a guest device;
establishing a virtual access point to provide access to the wireless network for the guest de

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Thelen Christian Oliver
• Gooding Ted Ray
• Daley Robert Sean

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04L63/06

  for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08) · CPC title

• H04W12/08 Primary

  Access security · CPC title

• H04L63/083

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