Wireless communication system and method for facilitating wireless communication

• US 20050164634A1
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony France
• Original Assignee: Sony France
• Inventors: Violette, Laurent, Valadon, Guillaume, Tanaka, Atau
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In a system and method for facilitating wireless communication between agents in a wireless network, each agent is equipped with an agent'"'"'s device (10a, 10b) using a main wireless infrastructure (2) and a separate auxiliary wireless infrastructure (1). Initial contact between any first agent'"'"'s device (10a) and any other agent'"'"'s device (10b) is made within the auxiliary wireless infrastructure, whereas, once this initial contact has been established, all ensuing communications between the first agent'"'"'s device (10a) and the other agent'"'"'s device (10b) take place within the main wireless infrastructure.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating wireless communication between agents in a wireless network, wherein each agent is equipped with an agent'"'"'s device using a main wireless infrastructure and a separate auxiliary wireless infrastructure which is distinct from the main wireless infrastructure, and wherein initial contact between any first agent'"'"'s device and any other agent'"'"'s device is made within the auxiliary wireless infrastructure whereas, once this initial contact has been established, all ensuing communications between said first agent'"'"'s device and said any other agent'"'"'s device take place within the main wireless infrastructure.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the main wireless infrastructure does not pre-exist before said initial contact and said initial contact made on the auxiliary wireless infrastructure includes the step of exchanging information to set up an ad-hoc wireless network between said first agent'"'"'s device and said other agent'"'"'s device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the main wireless infrastructure is pre-existent to said initial contact and said other agent'"'"'s device has already been recognised by said main wireless infrastructure before said initial contact.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary wireless infrastructure uses a short-range device, said initial contact is established between said first agent'"'"'s device and said at least one access point device and, once said first agent'"'"'s device has been localized by said at least one access point device, communication is established between said first agent'"'"'s device and other agent'"'"'s devices over the main wireless infrastructure which comprises a pervasive wireless local area network (WLAN).

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary wireless infrastructure uses a line-of-sight transmission for exchanging basic identification information between a first agent'"'"'s device and another agent'"'"'s device during said initial contact, and further communication between said first agent'"'"'s device and said other agent'"'"'s device is achieved over a main wireless infrastructure comprising a wireless local area ad-hoc network.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein during the initial infrared connection within the auxiliary wireless infrastructure, said first agent'"'"'s device and said other agent'"'"'s device negotiate configuration settings for communicating within the main wireless infrastructure, said configuration settings comprising at least Service Set Identifier (SSID), channel and Internet Protocol (IP) address.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said configuration settings further comprise a wired equivalent privacy (WEP) key.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first agent'"'"'s device having been put into communication with a first other agent'"'"'s device within the main wireless infrastructure is allowed to hierarchically discover, in cascading series of discoveries, other agent'"'"'s devices based on acquaintances already known to said first other agent'"'"'s device after said initial contact.

27. A method according to claim 8, wherein each agent'"'"'s device includes a local database of acquaintances which keeps a history of previous interactions with other agent'"'"'s devices with the names of the other agents and the levels of acquaintances.

9. A method for facilitating communication between agents in a network, wherein each agent is equipped with an agent'"'"'s device using a main infrastructure and wherein a first agent'"'"'s device having been put into communication with a first other agent'"'"'s device within the main infrastructure is allowed to hierarchically discover, in cascading series of discoveries, other agent'"'"'s devices based on acquaintances already known to said first other agent'"'"'s device.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the main infrastructure is a wireless infrastructure.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein each agent'"'"'s device includes a local database of acquaintances which keeps a history of previous interactions with other agent'"'"'s devices with the names of the other agents and the levels of acquaintances.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein any original interaction between two different agent'"'"'s devices establishing an acquaintance is recorded by each agent'"'"'s device keeping a friendly token of the original interaction.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said friendly token comprises a private encryption key signed certificate that can be read by a public encryption key.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein, in the databases of acquaintances, the agents are distributed among a total of three to six levels of acquaintances.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein, in the database of acquaintances of a defined agent, the level 0 of acquaintances comprises level 0 agents with whom interaction was initiated via direct contact with said defined agent, the level 1 of acquaintances comprises level 1 agents with whom there has not been direct contact with said defined agent, but who have been introduced to said defined agent by a level 0 agent, the level 2 of acquaintances comprises level 2 agents who have been introduced to said defined agent by a level 1 agent, and so on, the trust decreasing from level 0 of acquaintances to the level N of acquaintances, N being comprised between 2 and 5.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein levels of acquaintanceship with heretofore unknown agents are verified directly at transaction time during said initial contact.

17. A wireless communication system comprising a main wireless infrastructure and a separate auxiliary wireless infrastructure using a plurality of agent'"'"'s devices each being equipped with detection means for establishing contact with at least another agent'"'"'s device within said separate auxiliary wireless infrastructure and communication means for communicating with other agent'"'"'s devices within said main wireless infrastructure, wherein said detection means are adapted to provide initial contact between any first agent'"'"'s device and any other agent'"'"'s device within the auxiliary wireless infrastructure whereas said communication means are adapted to ensure communications between said first agent'"'"'s device and said other agent'"'"'s device within the main wireless infrastructure once the initial contact has been established by said detection means.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said main wireless infrastructure is an ad-hoc wireless network set up by agent'"'"'s devices once the initial contact has been established by the detection means of said agent'"'"'s devices within an auxiliary wireless infrastructure.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein said auxiliary wireless infrastructure uses a short-range wireless connection and includes at least one access point device and said main wireless infrastructure comprises a pervasive wireless local area network (WLAN).

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein said detection means comprise means for transmitting and receiving an infrared-beam for exchanging basic identification information between a first agent'"'"'s device and another agent'"'"'s device during the initial contact.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein said main wireless infrastructure comprises a high frequency wireless local area ad-hoc network.

22. A system according to claim 17, wherein each agent'"'"'s device includes means for storing a local database of acquaintances which keeps a history of previous interactions with other agent'"'"'s devices with the names of the other agents and the levels of acquaintances.

26. A system according to claim 17, wherein agent'"'"'s devices comprise terminals such as mobile phones, computers, personal digital assistants.

23. A wireless communication system comprising a main wireless infrastructure using a plurality of agent'"'"'s devices, each agent'"'"'s device comprising communication means for communicating with other agent'"'"'s devices within the main wireless infrastructure and means for storing a local database of acquaintances which keeps a history of previous interactions with other agent'"'"'s devices with the names of the other agents and the levels of acquaintances.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein agent'"'"'s devices comprise terminals such as mobile phones, computers, personal digital assistants.

25. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for an agent'"'"'s device of a communication network which is put into communication with a first other agent'"'"'s device within said communication network, said computer-executable instructions performing the steps of hierarchically discovering, in cascading series of discoveries, other agent'"'"'s devices based on acquaintances already known to said first other agent'"'"'s device.