Wireless communication management system

• US 20060128360A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hibino, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

A wireless communication management system for managing a wireless communication device implemented with a security function may be provided with a security judging unit configured to judge whether a predetermined condition regarding security is satisfied, and a communication restriction unit that restricts the wireless communication with the external device if the security judging unit judges that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

Claims

1. A wireless communication management system for managing a wireless communication device having a security function, said wireless communication management system comprising:

a security judging unit configured to judge whether a predetermined condition regarding security is satisfied; and

a communication restriction unit that restricts the wireless communication with the external device if the security judging unit judges that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

2. The wireless communication management system according to claim 1, wherein the security judging unit is configured to judge whether the security function of the communication device is operating when the wireless communication device is capable of performing a wireless communication with an external device, and

wherein the communication restriction unit restricts the wireless communication with the external device if the security judging unit judges that the security function of the communication device is not operating.

3. The wireless communication management system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a restriction releasing unit that releases the restriction effected by the communication restriction unit if the security function of the wireless communication function starts to operate after the wireless communication between the wireless communication device and the external device was restricted.

4. The wireless communication management system according to claim 2,

wherein the wireless communication device includes a notification output unit that outputs a notification signal indicating that the wireless communication device exists to the external device, and

wherein the communication restriction unit disables the notification output unit from outputting the notification signal so that the wireless communication device is hidden from the external device, thereby restricting the wireless communication between the wireless communication device and the external device.

5. The wireless communication management system according to claim 4,

wherein the notification output unit voluntarily outputs the notification signal to the external device if a predetermined condition is satisfied.

6. The wireless communication management system according to claim 4,

wherein if the wireless communication device receives at least one of an inquiry signal directed to the wireless communication device and an inquiry signal directed to unidentified devices, the notification output unit outputs the notification signal to the external device from which the wireless communication device has received the inquiry signal, and

wherein the communication restriction unit disables the notification output unit from outputting the notification signal to the external device only when the wireless communication device has received the inquiry signal directed to unidentified devices.

7. The wireless communication management system according to claim 2,

wherein the communication restriction unit restricts the wireless communication with the external device for a predetermined period after the security judging unit has judged that the security function of the communication device is not operating.

8. The wireless communication management system according to claim 7,

wherein the communication restriction unit includes a data storage storing the length of the predetermined period.

9. The wireless communication management system according to claim 8,

wherein the data storage is a non-volatile re-writable data storage.

10. The wireless communication management system according to claim 7,

wherein the security judging unitjudges whether the security function of the communication device is operating during the predetermined period, and

wherein the communication restriction unit does not restrict the communication between the wireless communication device and the external device if the security judging unit judges that the security function of the communication device is started to operate during the predetermined period.

11. The wireless communication management system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a restriction notification unit that notifies of the restriction of the wireless communication between the wireless communication device and the external device when the communication restriction unit restricts the wireless communication between the wireless communication device and the external device.

12. The wireless communication management system according to claim 2,

wherein the security function includes at least one of a function to execute an authentication procedure when the wireless communication device starts the wireless communication with the external device and a function of encrypting signal to be transmitted from the wireless communication device to the external device.

13. The wireless communication management system according to claim 1,

wherein the security judging unit is configured to judge whether a value of a parameter that characterizes an operation of the security function of the communication device has a default value when the wireless communication device is capable of performing a wireless communication with an external device, and

wherein the communication restriction unit restricts the wireless communication with the external device if the security judging unit judges that the value of the parameter is the default value.

14. The wireless communication management system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a restriction releasing unit that releases the restriction effected by the communication restriction unit if the value of the parameter is changed to a value different from the default value after the wireless communication between the wireless communication device and the external device was restricted.

15. The wireless communication management system according to claim 13,

wherein the wireless communication device includes a notification output unit that outputs a notification signal indicating that the wireless communication device exists to the external device, and

wherein the communication restriction unit disables the notification output unit from outputting the notification signal so that the wireless communication device is hidden from the external device, thereby restricting the wireless communication between the wireless communication device and the external device.

16. The wireless communication management system according to claim 15,

wherein the notification output unit voluntarily outputs the notification signal to the external device if a predetermined condition is satisfied.

17. The wireless communication management system according to claim 15,

wherein, if the wireless communication device receives at least one of an inquiry signal directed to the wireless communication device and an inquiry signal directed to unidentified devices, the notification output unit outputs the notification signal to the external device from which the wireless communication device has received the inquiry signal, and

wherein the communication restriction unit disables the notification output unit from outputting the notification signal to the external device only when the wireless communication device has received the inquiry signal directed to unidentified devices.

18. The wireless communication management system according to claim 13,

wherein the communication restriction unit restricts the wireless communication with the external device for a predetermined period after the security judging unit has judged that the security function of the communication device is not operating.

19. The wireless communication management system according to claim 18,

wherein the communication restriction unit includes a data storage storing the length of the predetermined period.

20. The wireless communication management system according to claim 19,

wherein the data storage is a non-volatile re-writable data storage.

21. The wireless communication management system according to claim 18,

wherein the security judging unit judges whether the security function of the communication device is operating during the predetermined period, and

wherein the communication restriction unit does not restrict the communication between the wireless communication device and the external device if the security judging unit judges that the security function of the communication device is started to operate during the predetermined period.

22. The wireless communication management system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a restriction notification unit that notifies of the restriction of the wireless communication between the wireless communication device and the external device when the communication restriction unit restricts the wireless communication between the wireless communication device and the external device.

23. The wireless communication management system according to claim 13,

wherein the security function includes at least one of a function to execute an authentication procedure when the wireless communication device starts the wireless communication with the external device and a function of encrypting signal to be transmitted from the wireless communication device to the external device.

24. A wireless communication device implemented with a wireless communication function to perform a wireless communication with an external device and a security function to secure a communication security, comprising:

a security judging unit configured to judge whether a predetermined condition regarding security is satisfied; and

a communication restriction unit that restricts the wireless communication with the external device if the security judging unit judges that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

25. A computer program including instructions to be executed by a computer, the computer operating to manage a wireless communication device implemented with a security function for securing a security of a communication, the instructions causing the computer to perform the steps of:

judging whether a predetermined condition regarding security is satisfied; and

restricting the wireless communication with the external device if it is judged that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

26. A computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, said program including instructions to be executed by a computer, the computer operating to manage a wireless communication device implemented with a security function for securing a security of a communication, the instructions causing the computer to perform the steps of:

judging whether a predetermined condition regarding security is satisfied; and

restricting the wireless communication with the external device if the security judging unit judges that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

27. A method of managing a wireless communication device implemented with a security function for securing a security of a communication, the instructions causing the computer to perform the steps of:

judging whether a predetermined condition regarding security is satisfied; and

restricting the wireless communication with the external device if it is judged that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.