Patent ID: 7743408
Filing Date: 2010-06-22
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. In a station that is capable of communicating with at least one access point in a communications network, a method for creating a secure association between the station and at least one access point, the method comprising: at a station that is a client device seeking access to other client devices and a network by associating with and authenticating itself to one or more access points that bridge communications between the client device and a network communications server in the communications network, obtaining discovery information from the one or more access points in the communications network, the discovery information reflecting capabilities of the one or more respective access points to facilitate communication with the station; selecting one of the access points to become associated with; and authenticating the selected access point, wherein authenticating the selected access point includes verifying the discovery information previously obtained from the one or more access points in the communications network by: sending all of the discovery information obtained from the selected access point while previously obtaining discovery information back to the selected access point as part of a discovery verification request to be verified, wherein all of the discovery information previously obtained from the access point and sent back to the selected access point includes the capabilities of the selected access point and is sent back with a security object; and receiving an acknowledgement receipt from the selected access point verifying that the capabilities included in the discovery information sent back with the security object in the discovery verification request matches the capabilities included in the discovery information provided by the selected access point while obtaining discovery information from the one or more access points.