WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, TERMINAL, MESSAGE SENDING METHOD, AND PROGRAM FOR ALLOWING TERMINAL TO EXECUTE THE METHOD

• US 20080119185A1
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SAITO, Shin, Suzuki, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Upon receiving a beacon, a terminal B sends a RTS control message to a terminal A before sending a registration request message to the terminal A. Upon receiving the RTS control message, the terminal A sends a CTS control message. The terminal B measures the time from when the RTS control message is sent to when the CTS control message is received so as to calculate the distance with the terminal A. If the distance with the terminal A is within a predetermined distance X1, the terminal B sends a registration request message to the terminal A. Similarly, the terminal A measures the distance with the terminal B, and sends a registration request acknowledgement message to the terminal B when the distance with the terminal B is within a predetermined distance X2.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system including a plurality of terminals communicating with each other in an ad-hoc manner, comprising:

a first terminal configured to send a signal including beacon information; and

a second terminal configured to perform ranging to determine a distance with the first terminal in response to the signal, and to make a registration request to the first terminal when the determined distance is within a first predetermined range.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal is configured to perform ranging to determine a distance with the second terminal in response to the registration request, and to return an acknowledgement of the registration request to the second terminal when the determined distance is within a second predetermined range.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second terminal is configured to perform ranging to determine a distance with the first terminal in response to a registration request acknowledgement message when receiving the registration request acknowledgement message from the first terminal in response to the registration request message, and to send a certificate-of-privilege issuing request message to the first terminal when the determined distance is within a second predetermined range.

4. A wireless communication system including a plurality of terminals communicating with each other in an ad-hoc manner, comprising:

a fourth terminal configured to send a signal including beacon information; and

a third terminal configured to perform ranging to determine a distance with the fourth terminal in response to the signal, and to make a registration proposal to the fourth terminal when the determined distance is within a first predetermined range.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the fourth terminal is configured to perform ranging to determine a distance with the third terminal in response to the registration proposal, and to return an acknowledgement of the registration proposal to the third terminal when the determined distance is within a second predetermined range.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the third terminal is configured to perform ranging to determine a distance with the fourth terminal in response to a registration proposal acknowledgement message when receiving the registration request acknowledgement message from the fourth terminal in response to the registration proposal, and to send a certificate-of-privilege issuing request message to the fourth terminal when the determined distance is within a second predetermined range.

7. A terminal communicating with another terminal in an ad-hoc manner, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a predetermined signal;

ranging means for determining a distance with a first terminal when receiving the predetermined signal from the first terminal; and

sending means for sending a predetermined message to the first terminal when the determined distance is within a predetermined range.

8. The terminal according to claim 7, wherein the ranging means determines the distance with the first terminal by performing communication with the first terminal.

9. The terminal according to claim 8, wherein the ranging means determines the distance with the first terminal by sending and receiving access control packets to and from the first terminal.

10. The terminal according to claim 8, wherein the ranging means determines the distance with the first terminal by a response signal from the first terminal in response to the communication with the first terminal.

11. The terminal according to claim 7, wherein the receiving means receives the predetermined signal including beacon information, and

the sending means sends the predetermined message including a registration request message when the determined distance is within the predetermined range.

12. The terminal according to claim 7, wherein the receiving means receives the predetermined signal including beacon information, and

the sending means sends the predetermined message including a registration proposal message when the determined distance is within the predetermined range.

13. The terminal according to claim 11, wherein the ranging means determines the distance with the first terminal by performing communication with the first terminal.

14. The terminal according to claim 13, wherein the ranging means determines the distance with the first terminal by sending and receiving access control packets to and from the first terminal.

15. The terminal according to claim 13, wherein the ranging means determines the distance with the first terminal by a response signal from the first terminal in response to the communication with the first terminal.

16. The terminal according to claim 11, wherein the sending means sends a public key certificate of the terminal together with the registration request message when sending the registration request message.

17. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein the sending means sends a public key certificate of the terminal together with the registration proposal message when sending the registration proposal message.

18. A wireless communication method, comprising:

sending, by a first terminal, a signal including beacon information;

performing, by a second terminal, ranging to determine a distance with the first terminal in response to the signal; and

making, by the second terminal, a registration request to the first terminal when the determined distance is within a first predetermined range.

19. The wireless communication method according to claim 18, further comprising:

performing, by the first terminal, ranging to determine a distance with the second terminal in response to the registration request; and

returning, by the first terminal, an acknowledgement of the registration request to the second terminal when the determined distance is within a second predetermined range.

20. The wireless communication method according to claim 18, further comprising:

performing, by the second terminal, ranging to determine a distance with the first terminal in response to a registration request acknowledgement message when receiving the registration request acknowledgement message from the first terminal in response to the registration request message; and

sending, by the second terminal, a certificate-of-privilege issuing request message to the first terminal when the determined distance is within a second predetermined range.

21. A wireless communication method, comprising:

sending, by a fourth terminal, a signal including beacon information;

performing, by a third terminal, ranging to determine a distance with the fourth terminal in response to the signal; and

making, by a third terminal, a registration proposal to the fourth terminal when the determined distance is within a first predetermined range.

22. The wireless communication method according to claim 21, further comprising:

performing, by the fourth terminal, ranging to determine a distance with the third terminal in response to the registration proposal; and

returning, by the fourth terminal, an acknowledgement of the registration proposal to the third terminal when the determined distance is within a second predetermined range.

23. The wireless communication method according to claim 21, further comprising:

performing, by the third terminal, ranging to determine a distance with the fourth terminal in response to a registration proposal acknowledgement message when receiving the registration request acknowledgement message from the fourth terminal in response to the registration proposal; and

sending, by the third terminal, a certificate-of-privilege issuing request message to the fourth terminal when the determined distance is within a second predetermined range.

24. A method for a terminal to communicate with another terminal according to the ad-hoc manner, comprising:

receiving a predetermined signal;

determining a distance with a first terminal when receiving the predetermined signal from the first terminal; and

sending a predetermined message to the first terminal when the determined distance is within a predetermined range.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the determining comprises determining the distance with the first terminal by performing communication with the first terminal.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the determining comprises determining the distance with the first terminal by sending and receiving access control packets to and from the first terminal.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the determining comprises determining the distance with the first terminal by a response signal from the first terminal in response to the communication with the first terminal.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the predetermined signal including beacon information, and the sending comprises sending the predetermined message including a registration request message when the determined distance is within the predetermined range.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the predetermined signal including beacon information, and the sending comprises sending the predetermined message including a registration proposal message when the determined distance is within the predetermined range.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the determining comprises determining the distance with the first terminal by performing communication with the first terminal.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the determining comprises determining the distance with the first terminal by sending and receiving access control packets to and from the first terminal.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the determining comprises determining the distance with the first terminal by a response signal from the first terminal in response to the communication with the first terminal.

33. The method according to claim 28, wherein the sending comprises sending a public key certificate of the terminal together with the registration request message when sending the registration request message.

34. The terminal according to claim 29, wherein the sending comprises sending a public key certificate of the terminal together with the registration proposal message when sending the registration proposal message.