Method and system for allowing and preventing wireless devices to transmit wireless signals

• US 20060165078A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arista Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Airtight Networks Incorporated (Arista Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhagwat, Pravin, Gopinath, K. N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method for arbitrating use of wireless medium for transmission of wireless signals within a selected local geographic region. The selected local geographic region comprises a first set of a plurality of devices to be allowed to transmit wireless signals and a second set of one or more devices to be substantially restricted from transmitting wireless signals. The method includes providing identity information associated with the first set of wireless devices. The method includes transmitting over a wireless medium at least one packet for each of the wireless devices in the first set. The at least one packet for each of the wireless devices includes an identity information, including an address, associated with that wireless device. That wireless device is a recipient of the one packet on the wireless medium. The at least one packet also has a selected value in a duration field of at least the one packet. The selected value is associated with a portion of time for which that wireless device is to be allowed to transmit wireless signals within the selected local geographic region while restricting at least the wireless devices in the second set.

Claims

1. A method for allowing one or more wireless devices to transmit wireless signals within a selected local geographic region while substantially preventing at least one other wireless device from transmitting wireless signals, the method comprising:

receiving an indication associated with an undesirable wireless activity, the undesirable wireless activity being associated with at least the one other wireless device;

transmitting over a wireless medium a first packet intended for a first selected device while at least the one other wireless device associated with the undesirable wireless activity receives at least a portion of the first packet, the first packet including at least a first selected value in a duration field in the packet, to allow the first selected device to transmit a plurality of wireless signals for a first determined portion of time;

whereupon the portion of the first packet received by the one other wireless device causes the one other wireless device to be restricted from providing the undesirable wireless activity for at least a portion of time associated with the first selected value in the duration field of the first packet while the first selected device transmits the plurality of wireless signals for the first determined portion of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the first packet comprises the duration field.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting over a wireless medium a second packet intended for a second selected device while at least a second wireless device associated with a second undesirable wireless activity receives a portion of the second packet, the second packet including at least a second selected value in a duration field in the packet, to allow the second selected device to transmit a plurality of wireless signals for a second determined portion of time while the at least the second wireless device is restricted from providing the undesirable wireless activity for at least a portion of time associated with the second selected value in the duration field of the second packet;

whereupon the first undesirable wireless activity and the second undesirable wireless activity can be the same undesirable wireless activity or different undesirable wireless activities.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the undesirable wireless activity comprises a denial of service (DOS) attack and at least the one other wireless device generates the DOS attack.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the undesirable wireless activity comprises an ad hoc wireless connection and at least the one other wireless device forms the ad hoc wireless connection with other wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first packet is associated with an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard, and the first selected value in the duration field in the first packet is larger than that is recommended by the IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard for the first packet and no greater than the maximum value allowed by the IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard for the first packet.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless signals are associated with an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first selected device is free from any restriction of transmission of wireless signals based on the duration field in the first packet.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first selected device and at least the one other wireless device are operable on a same radio channel, the same radio channel being a selected frequency.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least the one other wireless device restricts transmission of wireless signals for the portion of time associated with the first selected value in the duration field of the first packet.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first packet is transmitted by a sniffer device.

12. A method for arbitrating use of wireless medium for transmission of wireless signals within a selected local geographic region, the selected local geographic region comprising a first set of a plurality of devices to be allowed to transmit wireless signals and a second set of one or more devices to be substantially restricted from transmitting wireless signals, the method comprising:

providing identity information associated with the first set of wireless devices; and

transmitting over a wireless medium at least one packet for each of the wireless devices in the first set, the at least one packet for each of the wireless devices including an identity information, including an address, associated with that wireless device, that wireless device being a recipient of the one packet on the wireless medium, and

a selected value in a duration field of the one packet, the selected value being associated with a portion of time for which that wireless device is to be allowed to transmit wireless signals within the selected local geographic region while restricting at least the wireless devices in the second set.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each of wireless devices in the second set is associated with one or more undesirable wireless activities within the selected local geographic region.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the one or more undesirable wireless activities include a DOS attack.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the one or more undesirable wireless activities include an ad hoc wireless connection.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the first set of devices comprises a plurality of authorized wireless devices.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the address comprises a MAC address of that device in the first set.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the first set of wireless devices and the second set of wireless devices are operable over a same radio channel, the same radio channel being a selected frequency.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein at least each of the devices in the second set receives at least a portion of the packet, the portion comprising the duration filed in the one packet.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein at least each of the devices in the second set restricts transmission of wireless signals for the portion of time.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein that wireless device in the first set receives the one packet and transmits an acknowledgement to the one packet over the wireless medium during the portion of time.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein that wireless device in the first set transmits one or more packets over the wireless medium to one or more wireless devices subsequent to the acknowledgement during the portion of time.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the one packet, the acknowledgement to the one packet and the one or more packets subsequent to the acknowledgement are associated with an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard.

24. The method of claim 12 wherein the one packet is associated with an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard, and the selected value in the duration field of the one packet is larger than that is recommended by the IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard for the one packet and no greater than the maximum value allowed by the IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard for the one packet.

25. A system for allowing one or more wireless devices to transmit wireless signals within a selected local geographic region while substantially preventing at least one other wireless device from transmitting wireless signals, the system comprising one or more computer memories, the one or more computer memories including:

one or more codes directed to receiving an indication associated with an undesirable wireless activity, the undesirable wireless activity being associated with at least the one other wireless device;

one or more codes directed to transmitting over a wireless medium a packet intended for a selected wireless device, the packet including a selected value in a duration field, while at least the one other device receives at least a portion of the packet, after the indication associated with the undesirable wireless activity has been received, to allow the selected wireless device to transmit a plurality of wireless signals for a determined portion of time, the portion of the packet causing the one other wireless device to be restricted from providing further undesirable wireless activity for at least a portion of time associated with the selected value in the duration field of the packet while the selected device transmits the plurality of wireless signals for the determined portion of time.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the one or more codes directed to the receiving is provided in a memory of a sniffer device.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the one or more codes directed to the transmitting is provided in a memory of a sniffer device.