Method and system for provisioning device specific wlan credentials

Abstract

A method at an electronic device, the method including initiating authentication with a network through a network element; providing a configuration request, the configuration request including an attribute set for the electronic device; and receiving a configuration response, the configuration response including a certificate or credential for future authentication with the network.

1 . A method at a network element of a network, the method comprising:
 receiving a configuration request from an electronic device associated to a user account, the configuration request including an attribute set for the electronic device;   transmitting a configuration response to the electronic device, the configuration response including a certificate or credential for future authentication with the network;   receiving a connection request from the electronic device, the connection request comprising the certificate or credential; and   mapping communications from the electronic device to the user account based on the certificate or credential.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute set contains a global Media Access Control (MAC) address or a hash of the global MAC address. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute set contains a unique identifier for the electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the identifier is unique for one or more of a type of the electronic device; for the network operator; for a Wi-Fi operator; for a Carrier operator; for a network equipment manufacturer; or for an equipment vendor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute set includes a Wi-Fi client class for the electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network is a Wi-Fi network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the configuration request and configuration response are Device Provisioning Protocol messages. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connection request comprises a new MAC address for the electronic device, further comprising:
 mapping the new MAC address to the certificate or credential.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the certificate includes a hash of at least a portion of the attribute set. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a second connection request from a second electronic device, the second connection request comprising the certificate or credential;   mapping communications from the second electronic device to the user account based on the certificate or credential.   
     
     
         11 . A network element of a network, comprising:
 a processor; and   a communications subsystem,   wherein the network element is configured to:
 receive a configuration request from an electronic device associated to a user account, the configuration request including an attribute set for the electronic device; 
 transmit a configuration response to the electronic device, the configuration response including a certificate or credential for future authentication with the network; 
 receive a connection request from the electronic device, the connection request comprising the certificate or credential; and 
 map communications from the electronic device to the user account based on the certificate or credential. 
   
     
     
         12 . The network element of  claim 11 , wherein the attribute set contains a global Media Access Control (MAC) address or a hash of the global MAC address. 
     
     
         13 . The network element of  claim 11 , wherein the attribute set contains a unique identifier for the electronic device. 
     
     
         14 . The network element of  claim 13 , wherein the identifier is unique for one or more of a type of the electronic device; for the network operator; for a Wi-Fi operator; for a Carrier operator; for a network equipment manufacturer; or for an equipment vendor. 
     
     
         15 . The network element of  claim 11 , wherein the attribute set includes a Wi-Fi client class for the electronic device. 
     
     
         16 . The network element of  claim 11 , wherein the network is a Wi-Fi network. 
     
     
         17 . The network element of  claim 16 , wherein the configuration request and configuration response are Device Provisioning Protocol messages. 
     
     
         18 . The network element of  claim 11 , wherein the connection request comprises a new MAC address for the electronic device, the network element being further configured to:
 map the new MAC address to the certificate or credential.   
     
     
         19 . The network element of  claim 11 , wherein the certificate includes a hash of at least a portion of the attribute set. 
     
     
         20 . The network element of  claim 11 , further configured to:
 receive a second connection request from a second electronic device, the second connection request comprising the certificate or credential;   map communications from the second electronic device to the user account based on the certificate or credential.   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing instruction code, which, when executed by a processor of a network element of a network, cause the network element to:
 receive a configuration request from an electronic device associated to a user account, the configuration request including an attribute set for the electronic device;   transmit a configuration response to the electronic device, the configuration response including a certificate or credential for future authentication with the network;   receive a connection request from the electronic device, the connection request comprising the certificate or credential; and   map communications from the electronic device to the user account based on the certificate or credential.