Vehicle Wi-Fi Authentication via External Server Mediator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle Wi-Fi authentication systems fail to authorize individual users or devices, leading to unauthorized data consumption and impracticalities in switching between vehicles or using public transportation, as existing solutions anonymize Wi-Fi connections and require equipment overhead that is not feasible for all vehicles.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a wireless network association and authentication system using an access point with a proxy gateway and authentication server, allowing individual device authentication through protocols like Passpoint, which links user devices to Wi-Fi networks via cellular networks, enabling secure and efficient access management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing Wi-Fi authentication systems are used in vehicles, then Wi-Fi access is provided, but individual user authentication is not possible and unauthorized data consumption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that handles authentication externally. The server receives authentication requests from the vehicular access point, validates user credentials, and returns authentication decisions. This mediator approach enables individual user authentication without requiring complex authentication equipment to be installed in each vehicle, thus improving security while maintaining simplicity.
2Reliability
If equipment is installed in vehicles for authentication, then individual user authentication is enabled, but the equipment overhead becomes impractical for all vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication functionality is moved from the vehicle (access point) to an external server. The vehicular access point only needs to communicate authentication requests to the server, while the server performs the complex authentication logic. This eliminates the need to manufacture and install sophisticated authentication equipment in every vehicle, making deployment practical across all vehicle types.
Solution Approach 2:
The server provides a universal authentication service that can be accessed by any vehicular access point in the network. Rather than each vehicle needing its own authentication system, a single multi-functional server serves multiple vehicles, enabling individual user authentication across the entire fleet without duplicating equipment in each vehicle.
3Loss of information
If Wi-Fi connections are anonymized, then connection privacy is maintained, but user identification for billing and authorization becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that receives authentication requests containing user identification information from the vehicular access point. The server processes this information to identify the user, perform billing calculations, and make authorization decisions. This intermediary approach maintains the anonymity of the Wi-Fi connection itself while enabling user identification through the authentication protocol at the server level.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless network association and authentication system includes an access point that is coupled to an authentication server via a first wireless network. The access point receives, from a first user device that associates with the access point, a first request for access to a second wireless network provided by the access point that is coupled to a wide area network through the first wireless network. The first request includes first authentication information. The access point provides the first request that includes the first authentication information to the authentication server via the first wireless network and receives a first authentication response from the authentication server via the first wireless network. In response to the first authentication response indicating that the first user device is authenticated, the access point provides the first user device access to the second wireless network.