Asynchronous tiered access control to a wireless home network
View Patent ↗An asynchronous access controller comprising a subscriber profiler, a piracy detector and a password injector. The subscriber profiler configured to aggregate both information about subscribers together with information about each associated WLAN. The piracy detector is configured to detect whether wireless communications usage of at least one of the WLANs exceeds at least one parameter specified in a service level agreement (SLA) with the associated subscriber. The password injector controller is configured to inject a new network access password into one or more of the nodes of the WLAN responsive to an affirmative determination by the piracy detector; whereby subsequent network access is selectively revoked on the WLAN in a manner which returns communications usage thereon into conformance with the SLA for the associated subscriber.
1. An asynchronous access controller apparatus for managing wireless local area networks (WLANs), the asynchronous access controller apparatus comprising:
a subscriber profiler configured to aggregate both information about subscribers together with information about each associated WLAN supporting wireless communications between a wireless access point (WAP) node and associated station nodes on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels across an available spectrum;
a piracy detector configured to detect whether wireless communications usage of at least one of the WLANs exceeds at least one parameter specified in a service level agreement (SLA) with the associated subscriber; and
a password injector controller configured to inject a new network access password into one or more of the nodes of the at least one of the WLANs responsive to an affirmative determination by the piracy detector; whereby subsequent network access is selectively revoked on the at least one of the WLANs in a manner which returns communications usage thereon into conformance with the SLA for the associated subscriber.
2. The asynchronous access controller apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the piracy detector further configured to detect whether wireless communications usage of at least one of the WLANs exceeds at least one of: a subscription expiration date, a seat limit, a user limit, a location limit, a user identify and a promised video content as specified in the SLA of the associated subscriber.
3. The asynchronous access controller apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the password injector controller further configured to initialize each subscriber's associated WLAN nodes by distributing a password injector application thereto, which application configures each node to support remote password changes or updates by the asynchronous access controller.
4. The asynchronous access controller apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the password injector controller further configured to initialize each subscriber's associated WLAN nodes by distributing a password injector application to each associated WAP node for re-distribution to associated remaining nodes, which application configures each node to support remote password changes or updates by the asynchronous access controller.
5. The asynchronous access controller apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the password injector controller further configured to initialize each subscriber's associated WLAN nodes by distributing a password injector application to nodes lacking same, which application configures each node to support remote password changes or updates by the asynchronous access controller.
6. The asynchronous access controller apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the password injector controller linked to each node on the at least one WLAN for controlled distribution of new passwords, responsive to periodic password update requests from each node; thereby allowing a controlled updating of the shared WLAN password to selected nodes of the WLAN.
7. The asynchronous access controller apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the subscriber profiler further configured to aggregate both information about the subscriber together with location information about each station node in the associated WLAN; and
the piracy detector further configured to use said location information to detect usage outside the subscriber's premises as specified in a corresponding parameter of the corresponding SLA.
8. A method for asynchronous access control of wireless local area networks (WLANs), the method comprising:
aggregating both information about subscribers together with information about each associated WLAN supporting wireless communications between a wireless access point (WAP) node and associated station nodes on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels across an available spectrum;
detecting whether wireless communications usage of at least one of the WLANs exceeds at least one parameter specified in a service level agreement (SLA) with the associated subscriber; and
injecting a new network access password into one or more of the nodes of the at least one of the WLANs responsive to an affirmative determination in the detecting act; whereby subsequent network access is selectively revoked on the at least one of the WLANs in a manner which returns communications usage thereon into conformance with the SLA for the associated subscriber.
9. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 8 , wherein the detecting act further comprises:
detecting whether wireless communications usage of at least one of the WLANs exceeds at least one of: a subscription expiration date, a seat limit, a user limit, a location limit, a user identify and a promised video content as specified in the SLA of the associated subscriber.
10. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 8 , wherein the injecting act further comprises:
distributing a password injector application to each subscriber's associated WLAN nodes, which application configures each node to support remote password changes or updates.
11. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 8 , wherein the injecting act further comprises:
distributing a password injector application to each subscriber's associated WAP node for re-distribution to associated remaining nodes, which application configures each node to support remote password changes or updates.
12. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 8 , wherein the injecting act further comprises:
distributing a password injector application to nodes lacking same, which application configures each node to support remote password changes or updates.
13. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 8 , wherein the injecting act further comprises:
selectively responding to periodic password update requests from each node on the at least one WLAN with a new password; thereby allowing a controlled updating of the shared WLAN password to selected nodes of the WLAN.
14. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 8 , wherein the aggregating and detecting acts further comprise:
aggregating both information about the subscriber together with location information about each station node in the associated WLAN; and
utilizing said location information to detect usage outside the subscriber's premises as specified in a corresponding parameter of the corresponding SLA.
15. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 8 , further comprising:
authenticating a session with an associated WLAN node by determining whether the associated WLAN node shares the same password; and
encrypting, in the event of an affirmative determination in the authenticating act, subsequent communications with the associated WLAN node based on the shared password.
16. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 8 , further comprising:
combining link specific information with the new password to generate both a link specific master key for authenticating a session between link nodes and a link specific temporary key cryptographically derived from the link specific master key for encrypting communications between the link nodes.
17. The method for asynchronous access control of WLANs of claim 12 , wherein the aggregating act further comprises:
aggregating the channel utilization information at an Internet Service Provider, a Telco or a Cable Provider operative as an asynchronous access controller with respect to WAP nodes associated with each WLAN.