Patent ID: 7412542

Claim:
A bridge for connecting a gaming console to a wireless network wherein the gaming console is incapable of displaying a web page that includes hypertext markup language code, the bridge comprising: (a) a memory in which are stored authentication data, machine instructions, and a medium access control address, said authentication data being included to enable the bridge to be recognized as compatible for configuration through a gaming console, the authentication data comprising a key that is not publicly known; (b) a port adapted to couple the bridge to the gaming console through a wire connector; (c) a radio that includes a wireless receiver and a wireless transmitter that are coupled to an antenna system; (d) a processor coupled to the memory, the port, and the radio, said processor executing the machine instructions to carryout a plurality of functions to connect the gaming console to a wireless network, wherein the gaming console is incapable of configuring the bridge through an interface that requires the display of a web page that includes hypertext markup language code, the functions including: (i) receiving a discover request from the gaming console that is coupled to the bridge, wherein the discover request includes a one-time variable that is generated by the gaming console; (ii) combining the one-time variable with the medium access control address to form a single concatenated component; (iii) applying a one-way hashing algorithm to the single concatenated component producing a digest, the hashing algorithm using the key; (iv) responding to the discover request from the gaming console by returning the digest and the medium access control address to the gaming console via the port to enable the gaming console to confirm a compatibility of the bridge for being configured with properties sent to the bridge by the gaming console; (v) responding to a command received from the gaming console to set properties of the bridge so as to enable the bridge to subsequently communicate data to and from the gaming console over the wireless network; and (vi) communicating data between the gaming console and the wireless network.