Provisioning Methods And Apparatus For Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANS) With Use Of A Provisioning ESSID

A mobile communication device configured to operate in a wireless network, the wireless network having a primary network configured to provide one or more communication services and a provisioning network configured to provide a provisioning service but disallow the one or more communication services, the mobile communication device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;
• memory coupled to the one or more processors;
• the one or more processors being operative to:
• sending, via the wireless transceiver, to an access point of the wireless network, a request for associating with the access point for accessing and operating in the provisioning network, the request including a first set service identifier (SSID);
• while being associated with the access point using the first SSID, send via the wireless transceiver authentication information to the wireless network in an authentication procedure;
• if the authentication procedure is successful, then:
• receive, via the access point, a second SSID in a to provisioning procedure with the provisioning network;
• program the second SSID in a network list maintained in the memory;
• and
• for each one of a plurality of subsequent associations with an access point of the wireless network:
• sending, via the wireless transceiver to the access point, a request for associating with the access point for accessing and operating in the primary network, the request including the second SSID instead of the first SSID.

A method in a wireless network for use in providing communications with a mobile communication device, the wireless network having a primary network which provides one or more communication services and a provisioning network which provides a provisioning service but disallows the one or more communication services, the method comprising:

• receiving, from the mobile communication device, a request for associating with an access point of the wireless network for mobile device access and operation in the provisioning network, the request including a first set service identifier (SSID);
• while the mobile device is associated with the access point using the first SSID, receiving authentication information from the mobile communication device in an authentication procedure;
• if the authentication procedure is successful, then sending to the mobile communication device a second SSID in a provisioning procedure, for programming the second SSID in the mobile communication device;
• and
• receiving, from the mobile communication device, a request for associating with an access point of the wireless network for mobile device access and operation in the primary network, the request including the second SSID instead of the first SSID.

A wireless communication network having a primary network which provides one or more communication services and a provisioning network which provides a provisioning service but disallows the one or more communication services, the wireless communication network comprising:

• at least one access point;
• at least one server;
• the at least one access point being configured to receive, from a mobile communication device, a request for associating with the access point, for mobile device access and operation in the provisioning network, the request including a first set service identifier (SSID);
• the at least one server being configured to receive authentication information from the mobile communication device in an authentication procedure while the mobile device is associated with the access point using the first SSID;
• the at least one server being configured to, if the authentication procedure is successful, send to the mobile communication device a second SSID in a provisioning procedure;
• and
• the at least one access point being further configured to receive, from the mobile communication device, a request for associating with the access point, for mobile device access and operation in the primary network, the request including the second SSID instead of the first SSID.