Wireless local area network security

• US 20050059388A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Haines, Russell John, Kalogridis, Georgios
• Application Number:
  US10/896,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20050059388A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.100
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/00 Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system means for positioning H01Q1/125
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The present invention relates to security for wireless networks, especially WLAN'"'"'s and PAN'"'"'s. The present invention provides a terminal which adjusts its transmission output to provide a narrow beam directed at the receiving terminal, and also adjusts the transmission power to limit the range of the beam to that of the receiving terminal.

Claims

1. A wireless local area network comprising a first and a second terminal in wireless communication with each other, the first terminal arranged to transmit to the second terminal, said first terminal comprising:

a transmitter arranged to form a directed transmission radiation pattern depending on the relative location of said second terminal; and

a power controller arranged to control the power of said transmission depending on the relative location of said second terminal.

2. A network according to claim 1 wherein the second terminal is arranged to transmit to the first terminal and comprises:

a transmitter arranged to form a directed transmission radiation pattern depending on the relative location of said first terminal; and

a power controller arranged to control the power of said transmission depending on the relative position of said first terminal.

3. A network according to claim 1 wherein the transmitter is arranged to generate a narrow beam.

4. A network according to claim 1 wherein the transmitter is arranged to direct said pattern away from another transmission source.

5. A network according to claim 4 wherein the transmitter is arranged to form the pattern with a null.

6. A network according to claim 1 wherein the transmitter comprises a beam-former and an antenna array.

7. A network according to claim 6 wherein the transmitter comprises a mapping function which instructs the beam-former and power controller depending on the relative location of the second terminal.

8. A network according to claim 1 wherein the or each terminal comprises circuitry and/or software arranged to determine the relative location of the other terminal.

9. A network according to claim 1 wherein the power controller is arranged to communicate with the other said terminal to determine whether the transmission power level should be adjusted.

10. A network according to claim 9 wherein the power controller is arranged such that the signal strength received by the other terminal is maintained between two predetermined levels.

11. A terminal in a wireless local area network comprising at least two terminals in wireless communication with each other, said terminal comprising:

a transmitter arranged to form a directed transmission radiation pattern depending on the relative location of the other said terminal; and

a power controller arranged to control the power of said transmission depending on the relative position of the other said terminal.

12. A method of operating a wireless local area network to increase its security, the network comprising at least two terminals in wireless communication with each other;

the method comprising;

directing the or each terminals transmission radiation pattern depending on the relative location of another terminal;

controlling the power of said radiation depending on the relative location of another terminal.