Personal area network system and method
An exemplary system includes a mobile device having an application and wireless access user credentials, a configurable access point of a network, and a terminal connected to the configurable access point. The wireless access user credentials can be pushed, using the application, from the first mobile device to the terminal to reconfigure the access point and create a virtual network that recognizes the wireless access user credentials.
1. A personal area network system, the system comprising:
a first mobile device comprising an application and wireless access user credentials;
a configurable access point of a network providing a network hotspot broadcasting an identifier of a first virtual network; and
a terminal connected to the configurable access point,
wherein the wireless access user credentials are pushed, using the application, from the first mobile device to the terminal,
wherein the configurable access point uses the wireless access user credentials to reconfigure the hotspot to form a second virtual network that replicates a network known to the first mobile device, such that the configurable access point broadcasts an identifier of the second virtual network, and
wherein, in response to receiving the broadcasted identifier of the second virtual network, the first mobile device connects to the second virtual network of the reconfigured hotspot using the wireless access user credentials.
2. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the terminal uses a proximity-based protocol to receive information from the first mobile device.
3. The personal area network system of claim 2 , wherein a cloud service is used to reconfigure the access point.
4. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the hotspot has virtual network security parameters based on a user's selected network security parameters.
5. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a second mobile device comprising the wireless access user credentials, and wherein the second mobile device connects to the virtual network using the wireless access user credentials.
6. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access user credentials comprise one or more of service set identifier, user name, and password.
7. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the terminal passes network credentials to the first mobile device.
8. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access user credentials comprise a MAC address.
9. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable access point supports a plurality of wireless networks.
10. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable access point comprises personal service set identification information and local service set identification information.
11. The personal area network system of claim 10 , wherein a priority of data transmitted using the personal service set identification information differs from a priority of data transmitted using the local service set identification information.
12. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein a user uses the application to select the wireless access user credentials.
13. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable access point and the terminal are integrated into a single device.
14. The personal area network system of claim 1 , wherein the terminal comprises a smart device.
15. A method of accessing a wireless network having a first mobile device comprising an application and wireless access user credentials, a configurable access point of a network providing a network hotspot broadcasting an identifier of a first virtual network, and a terminal connected to the configurable access point, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting, from the application, the wireless access user credentials to obtain selected wireless access user credentials;
establishing a connection to the configurable access point using the terminal;
reconfiguring the hotspot using the selected wireless access user credentials to form a second virtual network that replicates a network that is known to the first mobile device, such that the configurable access point broadcasts an identification of the second virtual network; and
in response to receiving the broadcasted identifier of the second virtual network, connecting the first mobile device to the second virtual network of reconfigured hotspot using the selected wireless access user credentials.
16. The method of accessing a wireless network of claim 15 , wherein the step of establishing a connection to the configurable access point comprises using one or more protocols selected from the group consisting of Near Field communication, Bluetooth low energy, Bluetooth, and Infrared technology.
17. The method of accessing a wireless network of claim 15 , further comprising a step of connecting a second mobile device to the network using the selected wireless access user credentials.
18. The method of accessing a wireless network of claim 15 , further comprising a step of transmitting network credentials to the first mobile device.
19. A wireless network system, the system comprising:
a first mobile device comprising an application and wireless access user credentials; and
a configurable access point of a network providing a network hotspot broadcasting an identifier of a first virtual network,
wherein the wireless access user credentials are pushed, using the application, from the first mobile device to the configurable access point,
wherein the configurable access point uses the wireless access user credentials to reconfigure the hotspot to form a second virtual network that replicates a network known to the first mobile device, such that the configurable access point broadcasts an identification of the second virtual network; and
wherein the first mobile device connects to the second virtual network of reconfigured hotspot in response to receiving the broadcasted identifier of the second virtual network using the wireless access user credentials.