# US 2019/0246277 A1 · Systems and methods for virtual personal wi-fi network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0246277 A1 - Document ID: US20190246277A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/271,683 - Filed: 2019-02-08 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-08 - Assignees: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. - Applicants: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc - Inventors: Belal Hamzeh; Bernardo Huberman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190246277A1 ## CPC - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04L 63/0272: {Virtual private networks} - H04W 12/033: of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic - H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] - H04W 12/73: Access point logical identity - H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W 88/04: adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A wireless communication network includes a plurality of first electronic devices configured for wireless communication, at least one second electronic device configured for wireless communication, and at least one access point configured to wirelessly receive client data from, and transmit network data to, the plurality of first electronic devices and the at least one second electronic device. The wireless communication network further includes a virtual private wireless communication sub-network that includes the plurality of first electronic devices and excludes the at least one second electronic device. The virtual private wireless communication sub-network is configured to enable each of the plurality of first electronic devices to automatically connect with the wireless communication network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wireless communication network, comprising: a plurality of first electronic devices configured for wireless communication; at least one second electronic device configured for wireless communication; at least one access point (AP) configured to wirelessly receive client data from, and transmit network data to, the plurality of first electronic devices and the at least one second electronic device; and a virtual private wireless communication sub-network (VPWN) that includes the plurality of first electronic devices and excludes the at least one second electronic device, wherein the VPWN is configured to enable each of the plurality of first electronic devices to automatically connect with the wireless communication network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wireless communication network of claim 1, comprising a wide area network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wireless communication network of claim 1, comprising a wireless local area network (WLAN) conformant to an IEEE 802.11 communication standard. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The wireless communication network of claim 3, wherein the WLAN includes a network-defined service set identifier (SSID) indicating a primary name associated with the WLAN. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The wireless communication network of claim 4, wherein the network-defined SSID comprises a unique network ID of up to 32 characters. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The wireless communication network of claim 4, wherein the network-defined SSID conforms to a WPA2 wireless security standard. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The wireless communication network of claim 4, wherein the VPWN includes a user-defined SSID that is different from the network-defined SSID. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The wireless communication network of claim 7, wherein the WLAN includes a network-defined password for accessing the WLAN, and the VPWN includes a user-defined security key that is different from the network-defined password. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The wireless communication network of claim 8, wherein each first electronic device of the plurality of first electronic devices is configured to store the user-defined security key in a memory of the respective first electronic device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The wireless communication network of claim 9, wherein the user-defined security key is configured to encrypt wireless data traffic between the plurality of first electronic devices and the at least one AP such that the at least one second electronic device in communication with the at least one AP cannot decrypt the wireless data traffic between the plurality of first electronic devices and the at least one AP. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The wireless communication network of claim 10, wherein the at least one AP is configured to temporarily store the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11, wherein a particular first electronic device of the plurality of first electronic devices is configured to automatically wirelessly connect to the at least one AP upon discovery of at least one of the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key stored in the at least one AP. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The wireless communication network of claim 3, further comprising a server configured to operably connect with the at least one AP with the Internet. ### Claim 14 A method of implementing a virtual private wireless network (VPWN) within a wireless communication network, the method implemented by a first Wi-Fi-enabled device having a processor and memory, the method comprising the steps of: storing a user-defined service set identifier (SSID) and a user-defined security key in the memory; scanning for one or more wireless networks that support of the VPWN; identifying the wireless communication network from among the one or more wireless networks; transmitting the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key to the wireless communication network; instructing the wireless network to enable the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key at a target access point (AP) configured to wirelessly communicate according to a communication protocol of the first Wi-Fi-enabled device; pushing the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key to a second Wi-Fi-enabled device associated with a user of the first Wi-Fi-enabled device; and authorizing the second Wi-Fi-enabled device to automatically discover the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key enabled at the target AP. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of storing comprises a substep of configuring a preferred SSID and a preferred security key as the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key, respectively. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the substep of configuring is executed before the step of scanning. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the substep of configuring is executed after the step of scanning, but before the step of transmitting. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising, after the step of authorizing, the step of automatically connecting the second Wi-Fi-enabled device to the target AP upon discovery of the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key at the target AP. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of instructing comprises a substep of disabling the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key on the target AP when the first and second Wi-Fi-enabled devices are disconnected from the target AP. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of instructing comprises a substep of disabling the user-defined SSID and the user-defined security key on the target AP after a predetermined duration.