Patent Publication Number: US-2013252587-A1

Title: Wireless terminal and method for managing network connection using the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0122935, filed on Dec. 3, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a wireless terminal and a method of managing a network connection using the same, and more particularly, to a wireless terminal capable of enhancing the security of personal information and a method of managing a network connection using the wireless terminal. 
     2. Discussion of Related Art 
     Recently, network services based on communication systems are diversifying, and the scale of the market of wireless communication services using wireless terminals such as a smart phone is gradually increasing. 
     In general, a wireless terminal generates and stores a wireless connection profile including user account information in a network service area. The wireless connection profile that has been stored once is continuously maintained in the wireless terminal. Thus, there is always a security problem that, when the wireless terminal connects to a network with lax security, a malicious program in the wireless terminal or a malicious code parasitic to an application program may leak the personal information in the wireless connection profile to the outside. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventive concept is directed to providing a method in which a wireless terminal can enhance the security of a wireless connection profile and improve efficiency in operation management according to a network state. 
     According to an aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a wireless terminal including: a login processor configured to carry out a login procedure including an authentication procedure and a user account verification procedure; a received signal strength indication (RSSI) detector configured to detect an RSSI and check a receiving state; a wireless connection profile manager configured to generate, maintain, or delete a wireless connection profile; and a controller configured to monitor a login process state and a network connection state from the login processor and the RSSI detector, and control the login processor or the wireless connection profile manager according to the monitoring result. 
     According to another aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a method of managing a network connection using a wireless terminal including: when a user account is input by a user, generating, at the wireless terminal, a wireless connection profile corresponding to the user account, and switching to a logged-in state for user authentication and verification of the user account; when the user authentication and the verification of the user account succeed, switching, at the wireless terminal, from the logged-in state to a logged-on state while maintaining the wireless connection profile; and maintaining, at the wireless terminal, the wireless connection profile while an RSSI is detected in the logged-on state, and deleting the wireless connection profile and switching to a logged-off state when no RSSI is detected for a predetermined time. 
     According to still another aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a method of managing a network connection using a wireless terminal including: displaying, at the wireless terminal, an indicator icon having a first color during a user authentication procedure; displaying, at the wireless terminal, the indicator icon having a second color during verification of a user account when the user authentication succeeds; when the verification of the user account succeeds, switching, at the wireless terminal, to a logged-on state, and displaying the indicator icon having the second color while an RSSI is detected; and displaying, at the wireless terminal, the indicator icon having a fourth color before a timeout when no RSSI is detected in the logged-on state, and switching to a dormant state and removing the indicator icon when the timeout occurs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a constitution of a wireless terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is an operational flowchart illustrating a method of managing a network connection using the wireless terminal of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, detailed embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to drawings. However, the embodiments are merely examples and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. 
     When it is determined that the detailed description of known art related to the present invention may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. Terminology described below is defined considering functions in the present invention and may vary according to a user&#39;s or operator&#39;s intention or usual practice. Thus, the meanings of the terminology should be interpreted based on the overall context of the present specification. 
     The spirit of the present invention is determined by the claims, and the following exemplary embodiments are provided only to efficiently describe the spirit of the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     With reference to the accompanying drawings, a wireless terminal and a method of managing a network connection using the same according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a constitution of a wireless terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     A wireless terminal  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a controller  101 , a wireless connection profile manager  102 , a login processor  103 , a received signal strength indication (RSSI) detector  104 , and a state indicator  105 . 
     The controller  101  functions to centrally control the wireless connection profiler manager  102 , the login processor  103 , and so on. 
     The wireless connection profile manager  102  functions to generate, maintain, and delete a wireless connection profile under the control of the controller  101 . 
     Here, the wireless connection profile consists of a set of authentication parameters for a user to connect to a specific network, and includes, for example, a service set identifier (SSID) that is a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network ID, an encryption method (not set in an unsecured network), and additional information dependent on the encryption method (e.g., a user ID and a password). 
     The login processor  103  performs an authentication procedure and a user account verification procedure of the wireless terminal  100  under the control of the controller  101  in the case of manual login or automatic login. 
     The RSSI detector  104  detects an RSSI and provides a receiving state of the wireless terminal  100  to the controller  101 . 
     Here, the RSSI is a value indicating the strength of a received signal. For example, detection of no RSSI denotes that the strength of a received signal is 0, and the wireless terminal has moved out of a network service area. Thus, a wireless network connection is impossible, and an authentication procedure cannot be performed. 
     The state indicator  105  functions to indicate a login process state, a network connection state, etc. of the wireless terminal  100  in different colors. 
     The controller  101  monitors the login process state, the network connection state, etc. of the wireless terminal  100  from the login processor  103  and the RSSI detector  104  in real time, and indicates the current states of the wireless terminal  100  through the state indicator  105 . Details of this operation will be described later with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 2  is an operational flowchart illustrating a method of managing a network connection using the wireless terminal of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , first, when a user downloads and then completely installs an application program for network connection management in the wireless terminal  100  (S 101 ), an initial state of the wireless terminal  100  is an application closed state  10 . In this state, the application program has been installed in the wireless terminal  100  but not yet been executed. At this time, it is impossible to use a network, and a wireless connection profile has not been generated or has been deleted. 
     Next, when the user inputs a user account (a user ID and a password) to execute the application program and manually logs in (S 102 ), the wireless terminal  100  switches to a logged-in state  20 . At this time, the controller  101  driven by the application program controls the wireless connection profile manager  102  to generate a wireless connection profile, and controls the login processor  103  to perform an authentication procedure and a user account verification procedure of the wireless terminal  100 . 
     The logged-in state  20  is a step for user authentication and account verification, and divided into two sub-states. One is an authenticating state  200  of performing an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1X user authentication procedure, and the other is an account processing state  202  of verifying a user account. 
     First, when the wireless connection profile manager  102  generates a wireless connection profile and requests authentication upon manual login of the wireless terminal  100 , an authentication procedure is performed on the wireless terminal  100  in the authenticating state  200 . When the authentication succeeds (S 103 ), the wireless terminal  100  switches to the account processing state  202 . On the other hand, when the authentication fails or no RSSI is detected (S 104 ), the wireless terminal  100  switches to an authentication fail state  400  (S 104 ). At this time, the controller  101  driven by the application program controls the wireless connection profile manager  102  to delete the wireless connection profile. When no RSSI is detected, a platform of the wireless terminal  100  transfers a network disable intent to the application program, and in response to the network disable intent, the application program switches to the authentication fail state  400 . An intent denotes an object used when an application program calls a function of another module. For convenience, description will be made here on the basis of the Android platform. However, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the Android platform, and needless to say, can be applied to a variety of platforms. 
     Meanwhile, the wireless terminal  100  displays an indicator icon of a “U” shape for indicating a login process state and a network connection state in different colors on the state indicator  105 . The state indicator  105  is controlled by the controller  101  to display the indicator icon in different colors. in accordance with one example, the wireless terminal  100  displays a yellow indicator icon in the authenticating state  200 , and a green indicator icon in the account processing state  202 . In this state, user authentication has succeeded, and it is possible to basically use the network. In the authentication fail state  400 , the wireless terminal  100  displays a red indicator icon. In other words, the controller  101  of the wireless terminal  100  displays the indicator icon in different colors according to login process states or network connection states. 
     When the user account verification also succeeds (S 105 ) after the success of the user authentication, the wireless terminal  100  switches to a logged-on state  30 . On the other hand, when the user rejects a request for initial terminal registration in the account processing state  202 , or the user refuses to change the password in the account processing state  202  after expiry of a password change period (S 106 ), the wireless terminal  100  switches to the authentication fail state  400 . In other words, when the user account verification fails, the wireless terminal  100  switches to the authentication fail state  400 . At this time, the controller  101  driven by the application program controls the wireless connection profile manager  102  to delete the wireless connection profile. 
     Meanwhile, the logged-on state  30  is a state in which the authentication has succeeded, and it is possible to use the network, and is divided into two sub-states. One is an in-service state  300 , and the other is an out-of-service state  302 . 
     In the in-service state  300 , it is possible to use the network normally. After the user authentication and the user account verification, the wireless terminal  100  switches from the logged-in state  20  to the in-service state  300  of the logged-on state  30 . However, when no RSSI is detected in the account processing state  202  (S 107 ), the wireless terminal  100  may directly switch to the out-of-service state  302  of the logged-on state  30 . Even when no RSSI is detected in the in-service state  300  (S 108 ), the wireless terminal  100  switches to the out-of-service state  302 . From the viewpoint of the Android platform, the platform generates a network disable intent when no RSSI is detected (or when the wireless terminal  100  moves out of the service area), and in response to the network disable intent, the application program switches to the out-of-service state  302 . 
     In the out-of-service state  302 , the network cannot be used temporarily, and the indicator icon turns white. At this time, the controller  101  driven by the application program determines whether or not to delete the wireless connection profile according to whether or not an RSSI is detected again (or whether or not the wireless terminal  100  returns to the service area) before a predetermined time elapses (or before a timeout occurs) in the out-of-service state  302 . In other words, when an RSSI is detected again before a timeout, the wireless terminal  100  switches to the logged-in state  20  again by automatically logging in (S 109 ), and maintains the wireless connection profile as it is. 
     From the viewpoint of the Android platform, the platform generates a network enable intent when an RSSI is detected again before a timeout, and in response to the network enable intent, the controller  101  driven by the application program controls the login processor  103  to perform automatic login, and switches to the authenticating state  200 . 
     On the other hand, when the predetermined time elapses and a timeout occurs (S 110 ), the wireless terminal  100  deletes the wireless connection profile, and switches to a dormant state  402  of a logged-off state  40 . 
     As described above, even when the wireless terminal  100  moves out of the service area in the logged-on state  30 , if the wireless terminal  100  returns to the service area before a timeout, the wireless terminal  100  maintains the wireless connection profile, and when the predetermined time elapses and a timeout occurs, the wireless terminal  100  deletes the wireless connection profile, thereby preventing leakage of personal information. 
     Meanwhile, when booting of the wireless terminal  100  is completed (S 111 ), the wireless terminal  100  switches from the application closed state  10  to the dormant state  402 . From the viewpoint of the Android platform, the platform generates a device boot completed intent when the booting of the wireless terminal  100  is completed, and the application program receives the device boot completed intent, and switches to the dormant state  402 . The dormant state  402  denotes a state in which, upon booting of the wireless terminal  100 , the application can be executed, but the wireless terminal  100  waits for another operation. Since a network connection has been cut off in the dormant state  402 , the indicator icon of the “U” shape is not displayed on the state indicator  105  of the wireless terminal  100 . 
     Upon recovery of an RSSI in the dormant state  402 , the application program of the wireless terminal  100  receives the network enable intent from the platform and performs automatic login, thereby switching to the authenticating state  200 . Here, a login method of the application program may be manual login rather than automatic login, and may be configured to perform login when the application program is clicked (S 112 ). At this time, the controller  101  driven by the application program controls the wireless connection profile manager  102  to generate a wireless connection profile. 
     Meanwhile, when the user clicks the red indicator icon in the authentication fail state  400 , a manual login procedure  5113  is carried out. At this time, the wireless terminal  100  may receive both the user ID and the password and switch to the authenticating state  200 , or only receive the password with the user ID stored in advance and switch to the authenticating state  200 . On the other hand, when no RSSI is detected in the authentication fail state  400 , and no network enable intent is received from the platform before a timeout, the wireless terminal  100  switches to the dormant state  402  (S 114 ). In other words, when a predetermined time elapses in the authentication fail state  400 , the wireless terminal  100  switches to the dormant state  402 . 
     The user can terminate the application program in any of the logged-in state  20 , the logged-on state  30 , and the logged-off state  40  (S 115  and S 116 ). At this time, the controller  101  controls the wireless connection profile manager  102  to delete the wireless connection profile, and the wireless terminal  100  switches back to the application closed state  10 . 
     For example, when the user forcibly terminate, the application program by selecting a close function in a menu user interface (UI) of the application program displayed on a screen of the wireless terminal  100  or by using a command of the platform, etc., the controller  101  controls the wireless connection profile manager  102  to delete the wireless connection profile, and terminates operation of the wireless terminal  100 . 
     As described above, the wireless terminal  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention manages a network connection using the application program classified as a total of seven states including the application closed state  10 , the authenticating state  200 , the account processing state  202 , the in-service state  300 , the out-of-service state  302 , the authentication fail state  400 , and the dormant state  402 . 
     In addition, the method of managing a network connection using a wireless terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention maintains a wireless connection profile in the authenticating state  200 , the account processing state  202 , and the in-service state  300 , and before a timeout in the out-of-service state  302 . When the wireless terminal switches to the other states, the wireless connection profile is deleted, and thereby leakage of personal information included in the wireless connection profile is prevented. 
     For example, if the wireless terminal were to connect to another network with lax security in the authentication fail state  400  or the dormant state  402  without deleting the wireless connection profile, personal information in the wireless connection profile of the wireless terminal may be leaked to the outside by a malicious code, a malicious program, or so on. 
     Meanwhile, the method of managing a network connection using a wireless terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a user with so much convenience that the user can intuitively recognize a network state through an indicator icon displayed in different colors according to network connection states. 
     For convenience, the description above has been made regarding an application program of a wireless terminal running on the Android-based platform. However, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the Android platform, and can be applied to a variety of platform environments. In this case, needless to say, a class, intents, etc. used in the application program should be changed according to each platform. 
     According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to enhance the security of personal information included in a wireless connection profile and also improve convenience of connection by generating, deleting, or maintaining the wireless connection file according to a network environment. 
     In addition, exemplary embodiments of the present invention improve noticeability of a wireless terminal using an indicator icon of a “U” shape displayed in different colors according to a network connection state, thereby providing a user with so much convenience that the user can intuitively recognize a current network state. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the above-described exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers all such modifications provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.