Mobile Station Authentication Failure Ban Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Authentication processes in wireless local area networks (WLANs) are power-intensive and can lead to significant battery drain in mobile stations when they fail repeatedly, especially when attempting to connect to the same access point.

Innovation Solution

Implementing techniques in mobile stations to temporarily ban or suppress connection profiles and access points that result in authentication failures, thereby preventing repeated failed authentication attempts and conserving power by excluding them from scanning results and connection attempts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If mobile station repeatedly attempts authentication with same access point, then connection reliability may improve, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by implementing a ban mechanism that prevents repeated authentication attempts with banned access points. When authentication fails, the mobile station adds the access point to a ban list, which prevents future scanning and connection attempts to that access point. This preliminary restriction stops the harmful repeated authentication process before it can consume excessive power, while still allowing the device to attempt connections to non-banned access points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Use of energy by moving object

If mobile station excludes banned access points from scanning, then power consumption reduces, but time to find available networks increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidnetwork discovery time
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing access points into two categories: banned and non-banned. The scanning process is segmented to handle these categories differently - banned access points are excluded from scanning results and connection attempts, while non-banned access points continue to be scanned and attempted. This segmentation allows the mobile station to focus its scanning efforts on promising access points only, reducing power consumption while maintaining efficient network discovery for available networks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Use of energy by moving object

If mobile station implements authentication failure ban mechanism, then power consumption decreases, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidauthentication management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by implementing automatic ban and unban mechanisms that operate without user intervention. The mobile station automatically adds access points to the ban list when authentication fails, and automatically removes them after a predetermined time period expires. This self-service approach manages the complexity internally through automated processes, reducing power consumption through intelligent ban management while minimizing the perceived complexity for the user.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2309790B1Authentication failure in a wireless local area network
Publication Date: 2016.07.27 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2309790B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2309790B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2309790B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In the event of an authentication process failure, a mobile station (102, 20) bans a connection profile (58) storing the credentials provided by the mobile station when initiating the failed authentication process, thus affecting how subsequent scans - other than discovery scans - and connection attempts are handled. In the event of an authentication process failure, a mobile station (102, 20) bans or suppresses an access point (104, 114) with which the mobile station initiated the failed authentication process. The mobile station refrains from transmitting any communications addressed to the unique identifier of any banned access point. The mobile station may ignore any communications received from a banned access point. Suppressed access points are occasionally not made available to the mobile station for selection as a target for a connection attempt.