Method for reconnecting over wi-fi at least one repeater to a home gateway and associated home gateway

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for reconnecting over WI-FI at least one repeater (2) to a home gateway (1), the repeater (2) having already been connected at least once to the home gateway (1), characterised in that the method comprises the following steps: - detecting the at least one repeater (2) by the home gateway (1), the at least one repeater (2) no longer being able to connect to the home gateway (1); - sending encrypted connection data by the home gateway (1) to the at least one repeater (2); - decrypting the connection data by the at least one repeater (2) via a security key; and - reconnecting the at least one repeater (2) to the home gateway (1) via the decrypted connection data.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE: Method for reconnecting at least one repeater to a home gateway via Wi-Fi and associated home gateway.

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The present invention relates to a method for reconnecting at least one repeater to a home gateway via Wi-Fi. It also relates to a home gateway configured for reconnecting at least one repeater to it via Wi-Fi.

[0005] State of the prior art

[0006] Today, a repeater can connect to a home gateway using the "Wi-Fi Protected Setup" (WPS) standard, which is a wireless local network standard for the secure configuration of equipment connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot. This WPS standard allows Wi-Fi access credentials to be sent to Wi-Fi equipment (smartphone or repeater).

[0007] In the event that a customer changes the Wi-Fi credentials of their home gateway, the extender is no longer able to connect, so the customer must restart a WPS association.

[0008] The aim of the present invention is to solve at least one of the drawbacks mentioned.

[0009] Statement of the invention

[0010] This objective is achieved with a method of reconnecting at least one repeater to a home gateway via Wi-Fi, the repeater having already been connected at least once to the home gateway. The method according to the invention comprises the following steps:

[0011] - detection of at least one repeater by the home gateway, the at least one repeater no longer being able to connect to said home gateway,

[0012] - sending encrypted connection data by the home gateway to at least one repeater,

[0013] - decryption of connection data by at least one repeater via a security key,

[0014] - reconnecting the at least one repeater to the home gateway via the decrypted connection data. The invention then makes it possible to find a functional Wi-Fi link between a home gateway and at least one repeater without user action when the connection data of the home gateway has been modified and the at least one repeater was offline when the connection data was changed. The reconnection of the at least one repeater to the home gateway is automatic. The invention therefore aims to re-pair at least one repeater via Wi-Fi if the latter no longer has the correct connection or access data to the home network.

[0015] The method may also include the following steps:

[0016] - signing the encrypted connection data by the home gateway before sending it to at least one repeater via a private key of the home gateway,

[0017] - verification of the signature via a public key of the home gateway by at least one repeater upon receipt of the encrypted connection data.

[0018] To optimize the security of connections to the home gateway, additional provisions such as data signing can be used. The home gateway uses the public key of the at least one repeater to encrypt the connection data and adds a signature using the private key of the home gateway. The encrypted and signed connection data is sent to the at least one repeater. The latter verifies the signature with the public key of the home gateway, and then decrypts the connection data using the private key of the at least one repeater. The encrypted connection data can be sent via a standardized Wi-Fi frame.

[0019] Connection data can be encrypted with a public certificate of at least one repeater in the standardized Wi-Fi frame.

[0020] The security key for decrypting the connection data may correspond to a private key of at least one repeater.

[0021] The login data may correspond to home gateway login credentials.

[0022] According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a home gateway configured for the WI-FI reconnection of at least one repeater to it, the home gateway being equipped with a processing unit for implementing the steps of the method according to the invention. According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0023] Description of figures and embodiments

[0024] Other advantages and particularities of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description of implementations and embodiments which are in no way limiting, and the following appended drawings:

[0025] [Fig. 1] illustrates a flowchart of a reconnection method according to a first embodiment of the invention,

[0026] [Fig. 2] illustrates a flowchart of a reconnection method according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0027] These embodiments being in no way limiting, it will be possible in particular to consider variants of the invention comprising only a selection of characteristics described or illustrated subsequently isolated from the other characteristics described or illustrated (even if this selection is isolated within a sentence comprising these other characteristics), if this selection of characteristics is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention compared to the state of the prior art. This selection comprises at least one preferably functional characteristic without structural details, and / or with only a part of the structural details if this part only is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention compared to the state of the prior art.

[0028] Generally, each home is equipped with a home gateway 1. Home gateway 1 is generally placed in the living room. Home gateway 1 broadcasts a local network. Different repeaters 2 are connected to home gateway 1 via the local network. The connection of the different repeaters 2 in the home with home gateway 1 via the local network is either wired or wireless. The different repeaters 2 in the home are, for example: reading devices such as a laptop or desktop computer, a tablet, a mobile phone. The user connects repeaters 2 via Wi-Fi to the local network of home gateway 1 by directly entering the Wi-Fi connection identifiers given by home gateway 1 on the repeater 2 in question.However, when the user changes the connection identifiers for example, all the repeaters 2 which were connected to the local network of the home gateway 1 are automatically disconnected. The method according to the invention is executed by the processing unit of the home gateway 1.

[0029] We will first describe, with reference to Figure 1, a flowchart of a reconnection method according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0030] Repeater 2 has already connected once to the local Wi-Fi network provided by Home Gateway 1. However, the login credentials for the Wi-Fi network in question have been changed by the user. Repeater 2 is turned off when the login credentials are changed or is offline. Repeater 2 can no longer connect to the local network when it is turned back on or if it is no longer offline.

[0031] Repeater 2 scans the environment, preferably repeatedly, to find its access point. Home gateway 1 can then detect it. When home gateway 1 detects that repeater 2 is trying to connect to it, the processing unit encrypts the connection data, i.e. the connection identifiers, with the public certificate of repeater 2 in a standardized Wi-Fi frame or a "public action frame". The public certificate was received by home gateway 1 during the first association of repeater 2. This standardized Wi-Fi frame is sent to repeater 2 by home gateway 1. The Wi-Fi frame is sent on several Wi-Fi channels so that repeater 2 can receive it.

[0032] If Home Gateway 1 does not know Repeater 2, it cannot detect it, so it is mandatory that Repeater 2 has already connected once to Home Gateway 1 via the local WI-FI network in order to be able to retrieve the repeater certificate.

[0033] Repeater 2 then receives the Wi-Fi frame and decrypts the connection data with its private key to retrieve the new Wi-Fi connection credentials of home gateway 1. Repeater 2 reads the connection data. Reconnection to the Wi-Fi network of home gateway 1 is then automatic with the new connection credentials. Thus, this mechanism makes it possible to find a functional Wi-Fi link between a home gateway 1 and a repeater 2 without user action. There is no limitation on the number of repeaters 2 for simultaneous connection.

[0034] We will now describe, with reference to Figure 2, a flowchart of a reconnection method according to a second embodiment of the invention. The method in this embodiment operates in the same way as that presented in Figure 1 with the only difference that it includes additional steps such as:

[0035] - encrypted connection data is signed by home gateway 1 before sending to repeater 2 via a private key of home gateway 1,

[0036] - the signature is verified via a public key of the home gateway 1 by the repeater 2 upon receipt of the encrypted connection data.

[0037] When it first connects to Home Gateway 1's Wi-Fi network, Repeater 2 retrieves Home Gateway 1's public certificate, which gives it access to Home Gateway 1's public key to verify the signature later.

[0038] Typically at least one of the means of the device according to the invention previously described, preferably each of the means of the device according to the invention previously described are technical means.

[0039] Typically, each of the means of the device according to the invention previously described may comprise at least one computer, a central or calculation unit, an analog electronic circuit (preferably dedicated), a digital electronic circuit (preferably dedicated), and / or a microprocessor (preferably dedicated), and / or software means.

[0040] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous adjustments can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0041] Of course, the various features, forms, variants and embodiments of the invention may be combined with each other in various combinations provided that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. In particular, all the variants and embodiments described above may be combined with each other.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Method for reconnecting via WI-FI at least one repeater (2) to a home gateway (1), the repeater (2) having already been connected at least once to the home gateway (1), characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: - detection of the at least one repeater (2) by the home gateway (1), the at least one repeater (2) no longer being able to connect to said home gateway (1), - sending encrypted connection data by the home gateway (1) to the at least one repeater (2), - decryption of the connection data by the at least one repeater (2) via a security key, - reconnecting the at least one repeater (2) to the home gateway (1) via the decrypted connection data, and in that the method further comprises: - signing the encrypted connection data by the home gateway (1) before sending it to the at least one repeater (2) via a private key of the home gateway, - verification of the signature via a public key of the home gateway by the at least one repeater (2) upon receipt of the encrypted connection data.

2. Reconnection method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the sending of encrypted connection data is carried out via a standardized Wi-Fi frame.

3. Reconnection method according to claim 2, wherein the connection data is encrypted with a public certificate of the at least one repeater in the standardized WI-FI frame.

4. Reconnection method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the security key for decrypting the connection data corresponds to a private key of the at least one repeater.

5. Reconnection method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the connection data correspond to connection identifiers of the home gateway.

6. Home gateway configured for the reconnection via WI-FI of at least one repeater (2) to it, the home gateway (1) being equipped of a processing unit for implementing the steps of the method according to claims 1 to 5.

7. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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