Apple Granted Patent That Describes Public Wi-Fi Network Ranking System

Apple has been granted a brand new patent for a ‘rating’ system of public Wi-Fi networks, relying on the standard of the connection and its safety. As per the submitting, it may probably allow the iPhone maker to implement a brand new method of figuring out Wi-Fi networks in public locations without having to establish the consumer and their location. Other patents and patent functions associated to the Cupertino-based expertise agency in current months embrace one which describes a self-healing show, an iPhone with digital buttons, and a clamshell folding smartphone.

Apple Patent Details Wi-Fi Ranking System

According to a patent issued to Apple by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on July 16, the iPhone maker is devising a system for mapping crowd-sourced entry factors with out figuring out the consumer gadgets or actual areas and protecting the information anonymised. The patent is titled “Crowd Sourced Privacy Preserving Access Point Mapping”.

It describes a service utilizing which a server machine can obtain experiences from a number of gadgets concerning the wi-fi entry level they’re related to. This report would come with a number of attributes and measurements.

Apple’s system would then generate a community topography, calculate community high quality scores, and supply details about its varied different traits. It would additionally label the scores as follows: High-quality, Popular, Captive, Suspicious, and extra.

Apple Patent for Access Point Mapping
Photo Credit: US Patent and Trademark Office/Apple

As per Apple, this technique would make connecting to public Wi-Fi networks simpler and safer, informing customers concerning the high quality of the connection and its safety particulars. The consumer may then select whether or not to hook up with the community.

While non-public Wi-Fi connections situated in safe locations comparable to our houses are thought of to be safer, public networks can pose a threat to unwary customers. Threat actors might be able to hop on these networks and goal weak gadgets, finishing up nefarious actions comparable to monetary, id, and information theft.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are often the primary line of defence in opposition to public Wi-Fi networks, encrypting the consumer’s information because it passes by way of the machine. Meanwhile, this proposed system by Apple may very well be a first-party resolution for its gadgets, such because the iPhone, iPad and Mac.

However, it’s essential to notice that expertise firms comparable to Apple file many patents for proposed gadgets and companies, however not all of them make it to the event stage. Thus, Apple’s system for cover in opposition to Wi-Fi networks, as proposed within the patent, might or might not arrive sooner or later.