Cloud device identification and authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9787680-B2
Application number	US-201615339555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 7, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for authentication and/or provisioning of wireless network devices, and in particular, methods and apparatuses for authentication and/or provisioning of wireless network devices that are communicating with and may be monitored and/or controlled by a remote (e.g., cloud) server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of automatic and hands-free authentication of a network device through a cloud-computing environment, the method comprising:
connecting the network device to the cloud computing environment;
obtaining a unique identifier from the network device using a computing device from an outer surface of the network device;
transmitting the unique identifier from the computing device to the cloud computing environment;
transmitting, upon receipt of the unique identifier, an authentication key from the cloud computing environment to the network device;
presenting, by the network device, the authentication key for detection by the computing device;
obtaining the authentication key from the network device; and
sending the authentication key from the computing device to the cloud computing environment to authenticate the network device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier comprises a bar code, a QR code, or an alphanumeric code on the network device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device comprises an access point.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a handheld computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a personal computer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a smartphone.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication key comprises a code displayed on a screen of the network device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication key comprises a pattern of lights or indicators on the network device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication key comprises an audio code from the network device.

10. A method for authenticating a network device through a cloud computing environment, comprising:
obtaining a unique identifier of the network device using a computing device to read the unique identifier from an outer surface of the network device;
sending the unique identifier from the computing device to the cloud computing environment;
transmitting, upon receipt of the unique identifier, an authentication key from the cloud computing environment to the network device,
presenting, by the network device, the authentication key for detection by the computing device;
obtaining the authentication key with the computing device from the network device when the computing device is in the presence of the network device;
sending the authentication key from the computing device to the cloud computing environment; and
confirming the authentication key from the computing device to authenticate the network device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the unique identifier comprises a bar code, a QR code, or an alphanumeric code on the network device.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the network device comprises an access point.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device comprises a handheld computing device.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device comprises a personal computer.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device comprises a smartphone.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the authentication key comprises a code displayed on a screen of the network device.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the authentication key comprises a pattern of lights or indicators on the network device.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the authentication key comprises an audio code from the network device.

Assignees

• Ubiquiti Networks Inc

Inventors

• Hardy Matthew A
• Frei Randall W
• Bauer Jonathan P
• Paolini-Subramanya Mahesh

Classifications

• H04W12/04

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W4/50

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title

• H04L41/5096

  wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title