Systems and methods for authentication using a device identifier

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed which may allow a user having a mobile device to automatically authenticate to a server using a device identifier associated with the mobile device. An access point may be configured to send the device identifier as well as additional identifying information to the server so that the device identifier can be accurately matched to the mobile device. Then, when the mobile device submits a credential during authentication, the device identifier and the credential may be matched such that the next time the server receives the device identifier from the access point, the mobile device may be automatically authenticated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving user authentication credentials from a mobile device;   performing an initial authentication of a user of the mobile device based on the received user authentication credentials;   sending, to the mobile device through an access point communicatively coupled to the mobile device, a plurality of packets that have predetermined packet timing or packet length;   receiving, from the access point that is communicatively coupled to the mobile device, a unique device identifier of the mobile device based on the plurality of packets; and   associating the user authentication credentials with the unique device identifier.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, after the initial authentication of the mobile device, a subsequent submission of the unique device identifier by the access point in response to a detection that the mobile device is within a communicative coupling range of the access point;   retrieving the user authentication credentials that are associated with the unique device identifier; and   re-authenticating the user automatically based on the retrieved user authentication credentials.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the re-authenticating is performed without requiring the user of the mobile device to manually submit the user authentication credentials. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the access point, the mobile device that received the plurality of packets having the predetermined packet timing or packet length; and   thereafter obtaining the unique device identifier of the identified mobile device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the unique device identifier comprises at least one of a media access control (MAC) address and an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access point comprises at least one of a wireless access point and a mobile phone base station. 
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a server, a unique device identifier of a mobile device of a user, the unique device identifier being sent out by the mobile device in a broadcast signal;   locating, from a database, a user authentication credential that is associated with the unique device identifier, the user authentication credential being previously received from the mobile device in a previous user authentication process, the unique device identifier being previously received from an access point that was communicatively coupled to the mobile device during the previous user authentication process, the user authentication credential being associated with the unique device identifier based on a plurality of packets sent by the server to the mobile device during or after the previous user authentication process, the plurality of packets having predetermined packet timing or packet length; and   automatically authenticating the user to the server based on an association of the user authentication credential with the unique device identifier.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the automatically authenticating is performed without requiring the user of the mobile device to manually submit the user authentication credential. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the unique device identifier includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address or an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of packets were sent to the device via the access point. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the re-authenticating is performed without requiring the user of the mobile device to manually submit the user authentication credentials. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the access point, the mobile device that received the plurality of packets having the predetermined packet timing or packet length; and   thereafter obtaining the unique device identifier of the identified mobile device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the unique device identifier comprises at least one of a media access control (MAC) address and an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the access point comprises at least one of a wireless access point and a mobile phone base station. 
     
     
         15 . An authentication system, comprising:
 a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and   one or more processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read the instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
 receive user authentication credentials from a mobile device; 
 perform an initial authentication of a user of the mobile device based on the received user authentication credentials; 
 send, to the mobile device through an access point communicatively coupled to the mobile device, a plurality of packets that have predetermined packet timing or packet length; 
 receive, from the access point that is communicatively coupled to the mobile device, a unique device identifier of the mobile device based on the plurality of packets; and 
 associate the user authentication credentials with the unique device identifier. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 receive, after the initial authentication of the mobile device, a subsequent submission of the unique device identifier by the access point in response to a detection that the mobile device is within a communicative coupling range of the access point;   retrieve the user authentication credentials that are associated with the unique device identifier; and   re-authenticate the user automatically based on the retrieved user authentication credentials.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the re-authentication is performed without requiring the user of the mobile device to manually submit the user authentication credentials. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 identify, by the access point, the mobile device that received the plurality of packets having the predetermined packet timing or packet length; and   thereafter obtain the unique device identifier of the identified mobile device.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the unique device identifier comprises at least one of a media access control (MAC) address and an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the access point comprises at least one of a wireless access point and a mobile phone base station.