Proximity-Based Wireless Access Point Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Households face difficulties in setting up wireless access points due to unfamiliarity with technical features such as SSID, WEP/WPA passwords, and other configurations, making network access cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where wireless devices can gain access to a network by being brought within a predetermined physical proximity to the access point, bypassing the need for manual entry of information like SSID and passwords, while maintaining security through proximity-based authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual configuration of SSID and passwords is required, then network security is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs network configuration tasks by detecting proximity to the access point and autonomously establishing the connection, eliminating the need for users to manually configure SSID, passwords, or other network parameters. The device serves itself by handling the authentication and connection process without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical input (typing passwords, configuring settings) with an automated electromagnetic field-based proximity detection system. The access point uses wireless signal strength to determine device proximity and automatically grants access, substituting the mechanical configuration process with an automated electronic system.
2Ease of operation
If proximity-based access is implemented, then ease of operation improves, but security measures may be weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the authentication parameter from static credentials (passwords, SSIDs) to a dynamic parameter based on physical proximity distance. The access point measures wireless signal strength to determine if the device is within a predetermined distance threshold, using this distance parameter as the basis for granting or denying network access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces proximity distance as an intermediary factor between the user and network access. Instead of directly authenticating users with passwords, the system uses physical proximity as an intermediate verification mechanism, where being within a certain distance of the access point serves as the authentication criterion.
3Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used, then security is maintained, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs authentication actions in advance by continuously monitoring for devices within proximity range. When a device enters the predetermined distance, the access point has already been prepared to grant immediate access without requiring the user to initiate a connection request or go through traditional authentication steps at the moment of connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows the authentication process to be skipped entirely by using proximity detection. Devices within the predetermined distance automatically receive network access without undergoing the time-consuming steps of manual password entry, SSID selection, or authentication handshakes that characterize traditional connection methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, a device, and an access point are provided for obtaining network access. A method, comprising: receiving, by an access point device and from wireless device, a request for authorization to access a network through the access point; determining, by the access point, a distance between the access point and the wireless device; determining, by the access point, that the distance is less than a first threshold distance; using, by the access point, a first process to grant access to the network through the access point when the distance is less than the first threshold distance; and using, by the access point, a second process to grant access to the network through the access point when the distance is not less than the first threshold distance, where the first process is a different and less complex for granting access to the network than the second process.