Extensible authentication protocol with mobile device identification
AssigneeCharter Communications Operating, LLC
InventorLoay O. Kreishan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments comprise systems, methods, architectures, mechanisms, apparatus or protocols configured to provide seamless authentication of devices to secure networks via an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) using credentials based on device information and/or service information visible to third party mobile services providers.
Claims19
A method of authenticating a device to a network service provider (NSP), comprising:
- receiving, at an authentication server, a message indicative of a user device (UD) in communication with an access point (AP) and having provided thereby an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) response including an outer identity associated with the NSP and included in an EAP profile stored at the UD;
- establishing a secure communications tunnel to the UD;
- transmitting, via the secure communications tunnel, a request for inner identity and password information included in the EAP profile stored at the UD;
- requesting, from a device management server, device information with service status associated with the UD;
- and
- authenticating the UD to the NSP in response to receiving inner identity information matching received device information for a device having active status.
A network service provider (NSP) authentication apparatus configured to communicate with NSP provider equipment (PE) and comprising a processor configured for:
- receiving, at the authentication apparatus, a message indicative of a user device (UD) in communication with an access point (AP) and having provided thereby an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) response including an outer identity associated with the NSP and included in an EAP profile stored at the UD;
- establishing a secure communications tunnel to the UD via NSP PE;
- transmitting, via the secure communications tunnel, a request for inner identity and password information included in the EAP profile stored at the UD;
- requesting, from a device management server, device information with service status associated with the UD;
- and
- authenticating the UD to the NSP in response to receiving inner identity information matching received device information for a device having active status.
A tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method of authenticating a user device (UD) to a network service provider (NSP), the method comprising:
- receiving, at an authentication server, a message indicative of a user device (UD) in communication with an access point (AP) and having provided thereby an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) response including an outer identity associated with the NSP and included in an EAP profile stored at the UD;
- establishing a secure communications tunnel to the UD;
- transmitting, via the secure communications tunnel, a request for inner identity and password information included in the EAP profile stored at the UD;
- requesting, from a device management server, device information with service status associated with the UD;
- and
- authenticating the UD to the NSP in response to receiving inner identity information matching received device information for a device having active status.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.