Multi-tier wireless home mesh network with a secure network discovery protocol

An apparatus comprising:

• means for establishing a wireless communication interface;
• means for establishing a wireless home mesh network (WHMN);
• means for broadcasting a WHMN discovery request to discover at least one WHMN, the WHMN discovery request including at least a tier type of the apparatus and a first challenge text, the first challenge text including a secret key combined with an extended service set identification (ESSID);
• and
• means for sending a WHMN discovery response including at least the tier type of the apparatus and a second challenge text, the second challenge text being derived from at least a public key of the apparatus and a MAC address of the apparatus.

A system comprising:

• a first tier node being a wireless gateway coupled to a wired network to operate as a gateway node of a wireless home mesh network (WHMN);
• a second tier node being a stationary wireless device that communicates with the first tier node, interconnects a plurality of stationary wireless nodes, and operates as the stationary wireless node of the WHMN;
• a third tier node being a mobile wireless device to communicate with the second tier node to join the WHMN as a mobile wireless node of the WHMN, wherein the stationary node and the mobile node of the WHMN wirelessly communicate to share content and network services,
• wherein joining the WHMN includes
• broadcasting, by the third tier node, a WHMN discovery request, the WHMN discovery request including at least a first challenge text, the first challenge text including a secret key combined with an extended service set identification (ESSID),
• if the first challenge text is verified by the second tier node to be an expected value, receiving the WHMN discovery response by the first tier node, the WHMN discovery response including at least a second challenge text, the second challenge text being derived from at least a public key of the second tier node and a MAC address of the second tier node, and
• connecting to the WHMN by the first node using parameters included in the WHMN discovery response.

A system comprising:

• means for operating as a gateway node of a wireless home mesh network (WHMN), the means for operating as a gateway node being coupled to a wired network;
• means for operating as a stationary wireless node of the WHMN that communicates with the means for operating as the gateway node, and interconnects a plurality of stationary wireless nodes;
• means for operating as a mobile wireless node to communicate with the means for operating as the stationary wireless node to join the WHMN, wherein means for operating as the stationary node and the means for operating as the mobile node of the WHMN wirelessly communicate to share content and network services,
• wherein joining the WHMN includes
• broadcasting, by the means for operating as the mobile wireless node, a WHMN discovery request, the WHMN discovery request including at least a first challenge text, the first challenge text including a secret key combined with an extended service set identification (ESSID),
• if the first challenge text is verified by the means for operating as the stationary wireless node to be an expected value, receiving the WHMN discovery response by the means for operating as the mobile wireless node, the WHMN discovery response including at least a second challenge text, the second challenge text being derived from at least a public key of the means for operating as the stationary wireless node and a MAC address of the means for operating as the stationary wireless node, and
• connecting to the WHMN by the means for operating as the mobile wireless node using parameters included in the WHMN discovery response.