CONFIGURING A NETWORK CONNECTION
A communication system for accessing media items via a display device. A receiver is coupled to the display device and a transmitter is coupled to a computer system. Media items stored locally on the computer system and/or remotely on a remote server may be wirelessly transferred from the transmitter to the receiver for display on the display device. In addition, the transmitter and the receiver may be pre-paired prior to delivery to the user, allowing for the network to be configured without any user input. Advantageously, embodiments provide a user with the ability to conveniently view content stored on a computer or a web server without the user having to perform any wireless network setup procedures.
1 . A method for generating network parameters for a communications system, the method comprising:
calculating a hash value based on a unique identifier associated with a receiver device and a first encryption value, wherein the communications system includes a transmitter device configured to perform two-way wireless communications with the receiver device;
generating one or more network parameters for use in establishing a network connection between the transmitter device and the receiver device within the communications system based on the hash value; and
storing the one or more network parameters in a non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network parameters include at least one of an SSID (Service Set Identifier) and a network password.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of generating the SSID by performing an encoding operation that includes at least the hash value as an input.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the encoding operation comprises calculating a base-N logarithm of the hash value.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein N equals 62.
6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:
calculating a second hash value based on the unique identifier and a second encryption value;
generating the SSID associated with the network connection based at least in part on the hash value; and
generating the network password associated with the network connection based at least in part on the second hash value.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of encrypting the network password prior to the step of storing the one or more network parameters in the non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first encryption value comprises a 128-bit value.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of calculating the hash value comprises performing a Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) hashing operation that includes the sum of the unique identifier and the first encryption value as an input to the SHA hashing operation.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier comprises a serial number of the receiver device.
11 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to generate network parameters for a communications system, by performing the steps of:
calculating a hash value based on a unique identifier associated with a receiver device and a first encryption value, wherein within the communications system includes a transmitter device configured to perform two-way wireless communications with the receiver device;
generating one or more network parameters for use in establishing a network connection between the transmitter device and the receiver device within the communications system based on the hash value; and
storing the one or more network parameters in a non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.
12 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more network parameters include at least one of an SSID (Service Set Identifier) and a network password.
13 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising the step of generating the SSID by performing an encoding operation that includes at least the hash value as an input.
14 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the encoding operation comprises calculating a base-N logarithm of the hash value.
15 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein N equals 62.
16 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
calculating a second hash value based on the unique identifier and a second encryption value;
generating the SSID associated with the network connection based at least in part on the hash value; and
generating the network password associated with the network connection based at least in part on the second hash value.
17 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising the step of encrypting the network password prior to the step of storing the one or more network parameters in the non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.
18 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the first encryption value comprises a 128-bit value.
19 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the step of calculating the hash value comprises performing a Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) hashing operation that includes the sum of the unique identifier and the first encryption value as an input to the SHA hashing operation.
20 . A computer system for generating network parameters for a communications system, the computer system comprising:
a processor configured to:
calculate a hash value based on a unique identifier associated with a receiver device and a first encryption value, wherein the communications system that includes a transmitter device configured to perform two-way wireless communications with the receiver device,
generate one or more network parameters for use in establishing a network connection between the transmitter device and the receiver device within the communications system based on the hash value, and
store the one or more network parameters in a non-volatile memory included in the transmitter device.
21 . The computer system of claim 20 , further comprising a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:
calculate the hash value;
generate the one or more network parameters; and
store the one or more network parameters in the non-volatile memory.