IP Library Granted Patent US 11,129,123
Granted Patent B2
US 11,129,123 · App. 16/042,777 · Granted Sep 21, 2021

Wireless local area network hotspot registration using near field communications

Inventors: Stephen McCann (Southampton, GB); Michael Peter Montemurro (Toronto, CA); Roger Paul Durand (Amherst, NH); Sanjay Nathwani (Mississauga, CA)
Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
H04W60/04H04W4/80H04W48/10H04L69/14H04W84/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,129,123
App. No.
16/042,777
Granted
Sep 21, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first device that includes a processor configured to transmit/receive a trigger message to/from a second device based on wireless short-range communication. The trigger message initiates a registration process within a wireless local area network (WLAN).

Claims (27)

1. A first device, comprising:

a processor configured to:

receive a message from a second device, using wireless short-range communication, to trigger operation for wireless local area network (WLAN) registration, wherein the message comprises registration information for the WLAN registration, wherein the registration information comprises authentication credentials; and

upon completion of the trigger operation, initiate the WLAN registration process with an access point (AP) of the WLAN, using the registration information, wherein the first device initiates the WLAN registration process by transmitting a WLAN registration request message to the AP, using a transport protocol, and wherein transmitting the WLAN registration request message to the AP causes the AP to communicate with the second device to authenticate the second device as being securely associated with the WLAN to complete the WLAN registration process of the first device with the WLAN.

2. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless short-range communication includes one of near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Zig bee, wireless universal serial bus, or an ultra-wideband technology.

3. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the second device is within communication range of the first device, the message being automatically transmitted to the first device in response to the second device being within communication range of the first device.

4. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA) and wherein the wireless short-range communication comprises near field communication (NFC).

5. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises a Service Set Identifier (SSID), the SSID ID identifying the WLAN.

6. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the message automatically triggers the WLAN registration process to register the second device with the AP without requiring a user of the second device to manually input registration information during the WLAN registration process.

7. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises a near field communication (NFC)-enabled device and the first device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA).

8. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises at least one of a second device ID or a service set ID (SSID), the second device ID identifying the NFC-enabled device, and the SSID identifying the WLAN.

9. The first device of claim 7 , wherein the non-AP STA automatically initiates the WLAN registration process by transmitting the WLAN registration request message to the AP, using the transport protocol, in response to receiving the message from the second device.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a message, by a first device from a second device using wireless short-range communication, to trigger operation for wireless local area network (WLAN) registration, wherein the message comprises registration information for the WLAN registration, wherein the registration information comprises authentication credentials; and

upon completion of the trigger operation, the first device initiating the WLAN registration process with an access point (AP) of the WLAN, using the registration information, wherein the first device initiates the WLAN registration process by transmitting a WLAN registration request message to the AP, using a transport protocol, and wherein transmitting the WLAN registration request message to the AP causes the AP to communicate with the second device to authenticate the second device as being securely associated with the WLAN to complete the WLAN registration process of the first device with the WLAN.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA) and the second device comprises a near field communication (NFC)-enabled device.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless short-range communication includes one of near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Zig bee, wireless universal serial bus, or an ultra-wideband technology.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining, by the first device, whether the second device is within communication range of the first device.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the message is automatically transmitted to the first device in response to the second device being within communication range of the first device.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the message automatically triggers the WLAN registration process to register the second device with the AP without requiring a user of the second device to manually input registration information during the WLAN registration process.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first device comprises a non-access point station (non-AP STA) and wherein the wireless short-range communication comprises near field communication.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the message comprises a mobile ID, the mobile ID identifying the non-AP STA.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the message comprises at least one of a second device ID or a service set ID (SSID), the second device ID identifying the NFC-enabled device, and the SSID identifying the WLAN.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the non-AP STA automatically initiates the WLAN registration process by transmitting the WLAN registration request message to the AP, using the transport protocol, in response to receiving the message from the second device.

20. A non-transitory computer medium storing computer readable instructions executable by a processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving a message, by a first device from a second device using wireless short-range communication, to trigger operation for wireless local area network (WLAN) registration, wherein the message comprises registration information for the WLAN registration, wherein the registration information comprises authentication credentials; and

upon completion of the trigger operation, the first device initiating the WLAN registration process with an access point (AP) of the WLAN, using the registration information, wherein the first device initiates the WLAN registration process by transmitting a WLAN registration request message to the AP, using a transport protocol, and wherein transmitting the WLAN registration request message to the AP causes the AP to communicate with the second device to authenticate the second device as being securely associated with the WLAN to complete the WLAN registration process of the first device with the WLAN.

Assignments (12)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDED PATENT NUMBER TO REMOVE PATENT NO. 8,873,407 AT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 64066 FRAME 1. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT EFFECTIVE DATE MARCH 20, 2023. Recorded Feb 2, 2026
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 074921/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT 12817157 APPLICATION NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 064015 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 5, 2023
From: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064807/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE COVER SHEET AT PAGE 50 TO REMOVE 12817157 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 063471 FRAME 0474. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 5, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 064806/0669 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 19, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064066/0001 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064015/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 063471/0474 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2018
From: MONTEMURRO, MICHAEL PETER; NATHWANI, SANJAY
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046583/0897 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 8, 2018
From: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046747/0334 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2018
From: RESEARCH IN MOTION CORPORATION
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046747/0028 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2018
From: RESEARCH IN MOTION UK LIMITED
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046746/0895 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2018
From: MCCANN, STEPHEN
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION UK LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046584/0222 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2018
From: DURAND, ROGER PAUL
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046584/0170 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14992736 · Jan 11, 2016
Continuation 13417658 · Mar 12, 2012
Related Publication 20180332556A1 · Nov 15, 2018