Mobile Access Point Authentication for Seamless Wireless Handover

Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless network access can be disrupted when users move between access points, causing breaks in connectivity due to the need for reauthentication and limited range of wireless access points, especially in environments like vehicles traveling along a path.

Innovation Solution

Configuring a communication network with overlapping access point ranges and a mobile access point that records authentication information to minimize reauthentication delays, allowing seamless transition between access points and maintaining network access without address renegotiation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If users connect to different wireless networks or access points as they move, then network coverage is extended, but network connectivity is interrupted due to reauthentication requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork coverage areaVSAvoidnetwork connectivity continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication by establishing a prediction relationship between access points based on their physical locations. When a mobile device moves toward a new access point, the target access point is pre-authenticated with the authentication server before the device actually connects, so authentication is already complete when the device needs to switch, preventing connectivity interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically predicts which access point a mobile device will next connect to based on the device's current location and movement trajectory. This dynamic prediction allows the system to proactively prepare authentication for the anticipated target access point, making the authentication process adaptive to user movement patterns rather than reactive.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If access points are arranged with overlapping ranges to prevent connectivity breaks, then network coverage is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork connectivity continuityVSAvoidaccess point arrangement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The authentication server acts as an intermediary that manages authentication credentials and predicts which access points will be needed. Instead of requiring complex overlapping arrangements of access points, the server mediates the authentication process by pre-authorizing target access points based on predicted user movement, simplifying the physical deployment requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If authentication is performed with the authentication server for each access point transition, then security is maintained, but authentication time increases causing connectivity delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidauthentication time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication by establishing a prediction relationship between access points based on their physical locations. When a mobile device moves toward a new access point, the target access point is pre-authenticated with the authentication server before the device actually connects, so authentication is already complete when the device needs to switch, preventing connectivity interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically predicts which access point a mobile device will next connect to based on the device's current location and movement trajectory. This dynamic prediction allows the system to proactively prepare authentication for the anticipated target access point, making the authentication process adaptive to user movement patterns rather than reactive.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8971300B2System and method of wirelessly communicating with mobile devices

Publication Date: 2015.03.03 WIFI RAIL INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for providing network access to mobile devices that travel with a vehicle, such as a train, a bus, a boat, etc. along or adjacent to a relatively fixed path that may extend over a large geographic area. Mobile devices access the network through stationary access points arranged along or adjacent to the path and communicate with a communication network. The communication network may be arranged as an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) local area network emulation (LANE) network. One of the mobile devices may be a mobile access point which can couple other mobile devices to the network and record authentication information of other mobile devices so that fast transitions can be made from one stationary access point to another as the vehicle moves along the path.