Wireless network association and authentication system

Abstract

A wireless network association and authentication system includes an access point that is coupled to an authentication server via a first wireless network. The access point receives, from a first user device that associates with the access point, a first request for access to a second wireless network provided by the access point that is coupled to a wide area network through the first wireless network. The first request includes first authentication information. The access point provides the first request that includes the first authentication information to the authentication server via the first wireless network and receives a first authentication response from the authentication server via the first wireless network. In response to the first authentication response indicating that the first user device is authenticated, the access point provides the first user device access to the second wireless network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by an access point coupled to a vehicle from a user equipment located within a coverage area of the access point, a first authentication request for access to a first wireless network via the access point, the first authentication request comprising authentication credentials associated with the user equipment;   transmitting, by the access point to network equipment of a second wireless network that is not the first wireless network, a second authentication request, comprising the authentication credentials and indicating the user equipment as an originator of the second authentication request; and   in response to determining that the network equipment has successfully authenticated the user equipment, granting, by the access point, access to the first wireless network by the user equipment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the second authentication request is before an authentication of the user equipment with the access point. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second authentication request further comprises device information associated with the access point. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the granting of the access to the first wireless network is further in response to the network equipment authorizing a connection between the user equipment and the access point based on the device information associated with the access point. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network utilize different communication protocols. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network equipment is a remote authentication dial-in user service proxy gateway. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle, an airplane, a car, a truck, a bus, a train, a submersible, a boat, a tractor, or a construction vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is first user equipment, wherein the authentication credentials are first authentication credentials, and wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, by the access point from second user equipment located within the coverage area of the access point, a third authentication request for the access to the first wireless network, the third authentication request comprising second authentication credentials associated with the second user equipment;   transmitting, by the access point to the network equipment, a fourth authentication request comprising the second authentication credentials; and   in response to determining that the second user equipment is not authorized to receive network service via the access point, denying, by the access point, the access to the first wireless network by the second user equipment while continuing to grant the access to the first wireless network by the first user equipment.   
     
     
         9 . A connected car device, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 extracting authentication data from an authentication request obtained from a user equipment for access to a first wireless network enabled via the connected car device; 
 transmitting, to network equipment of a second wireless network that is not the first wireless network, a forwarded authentication request comprising the authentication data, the forwarded authentication request indicating the user equipment as a requesting device; and 
 in response to the user equipment being successfully authenticated by the network equipment, granting access to the first wireless network for the user equipment. 
   
     
     
         10 . The connected car device of  claim 9 , wherein the transmitting of the forwarded authentication request is before an authentication of the user equipment with the connected car device. 
     
     
         11 . The connected car device of  claim 9 , wherein the forwarded authentication request further comprises device data associated with the connected car device. 
     
     
         12 . The connected car device of  claim 11 , wherein the granting of the access to the first wireless network is further in response to the network equipment authorizing association between the user equipment and the connected car device based on the authentication data and the device data. 
     
     
         13 . The connected car device of  claim 9 , wherein the first wireless network is a Wi-Fi network, and wherein the second wireless network is a cellular network. 
     
     
         14 . The connected car device of  claim 9 , wherein the connected car device is removably coupled to a housing of a vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The connected car device of  claim 9 , wherein the connected car device is built into a vehicle and receives power from the vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of in-vehicle network equipment, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 receiving, from a mobile device, a first connection request for access to a first wireless network via the in-vehicle network equipment, the first connection request comprising mobile device authentication data;   transmitting, to network equipment of a second wireless network that is distinct from the first wireless network, a second connection request, comprising the mobile device authentication data and appearing to the network equipment of the second wireless network as originating from the mobile device; and   in response to the network equipment of the second wireless network authenticating the mobile device, enabling a connection between the mobile device and the in-vehicle network equipment.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the transmitting of the second connection request occurs before the in-vehicle network equipment authenticates the mobile device. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the second connection request further comprises device data associated with the in-vehicle network equipment. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the enabling of the connection is further in response to the network equipment authorizing the connection based on the mobile device authentication data and the device data associated with the in-vehicle network equipment. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the first wireless network utilizes a first communication protocol, and wherein the second wireless network utilizes a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol.