Patent · US Active

Method and system for detecting captive portals

US8479263B1 · kind B1 · utility

15Cited by
0References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 7, 2011
Grant dateJul 2, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 11, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L63/168
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for detecting captive portals includes a two phase captive portal detection process whereby an initial HTTP ping request is sent from the endpoint captive portal detection application on an end user computing system to an Internet accessible web server. The Internet accessible web server is expected to return an initial response token to the endpoint captive portal detection application in response to the initial HTTP ping request and if the expected initial response token is received, an initial HTTPS query request is then sent together with the returned initial response token that requires server/client mutual authentication. If mutual authentication is accomplished, then it is determined that the user is not in a captive portal. Follow up HTTP ping requests are then periodically generated by the endpoint captive portal detection application and if the responses to the follow up HTTP ping requests do not change, i.e., the token does not change, no new HTTPS query request is sent.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.