COMMUNICATION DEVICE, METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A COMMUNICATION CONNECTION AND METHOD FOR USING A COMMUNICATION CONNECTION

• US 20080279158A1
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Schwagmann, Norbert, Schmidt, Andreas, Luft, Achim, Benkert, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A communication device including a communication connection establishing circuit configured to establish an ad hoc network communication connection between the communication device, a second communication device and a third communication device, a generating circuit configured to generate encryption parameters to be used by the second communication device and the third communication device for encrypting and decrypting data transmitted between the second communication device and the third communication device via the communication connection when the first communication device has left the communication connection, a signaling circuit configured to signal the encryption parameters to the second communication device and the third communication device, and a disconnection circuit configured to remove the communication device from the communication connection.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a communication connection establishing circuit configured to establish an ad hoc network communication connection between the communication device, a second communication device and a third communication device;

a generating circuit configured to generate encryption parameters to be used by the second communication device and the third communication device for encrypting and decrypting data transmitted between the second communication device and the third communication device via the communication connection when the communication device has left the communication connection;

a signaling circuit configured to signal the encryption parameters to the second communication device and the third communication device; and

a disconnection circuit configured to remove the communication device from the communication connection.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, configured to control the usage of a physical channel used for the communication connection and further comprising:

a selecting circuit configured to select the second communication device or the third communication device as controller of the physical channel;

a requesting circuit configured to request the selected communication device to control the physical channel; and

a handover circuit configured to hand over the control of the physical channel to the selected communication device.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the disconnection circuit removes the communication device from the communication connection when the communication device has received an acknowledgement from the selected communication device that the selected communication device has taken over control of the physical channel.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device are Bluetooth devices and the communication connection is a Bluetooth connection.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the encryption parameters comprise a master key generated by the communication device.

6. The communication device according to claim 4, configured to be master for the communication connection and further comprising:

a selecting circuit configured to select the second communication device or the third communication device as new master for the communication connection;

a requesting circuit configured to request the selected communication device to be the new master for the communication connection; and

a handover circuit configured to hand over the master role for the communication connection to the selected communication device.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the disconnection circuit is configured to remove the communication device from the communication connection when the communication device has received an acknowledgement from the selected communication device that the selected communication device has taken over the master role for the communication connection.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein at least one communication device is a mobile communication device.

9. A method for establishing a communication connection, comprising:

establishing an ad hoc network communication connection between a first communication device, a second communication device and a third communication device;

generating encryption parameters to be used by the second communication device and the third communication device for encrypting and decrypting data transmitted between the second communication device and the third communication device via the communication connection when the first communication device has left the communication connection;

signaling the encryption parameters to the second communication device and the third communication device; and

removing the communication device from the communication connection.

10. A communication device comprising:

a communication connection establishing circuit configured to establish an ad hoc network communication connection between the communication device, a second communication device and a third communication device;

a receiving circuit configured to receive encryption parameters to be used by the communication device and the second communication device for encrypting and decrypting data transmitted between the communication device and the second communication device via the communication connection when the third communication device has left the communication connection from the third communication device; and

an encrypting/decrypting circuit configured to encrypt data to be sent to the second communication device via the communication connection using the encryption parameters and to decrypt data received from the second communication device via the communication connection using the encryption parameters when the third communication device has left the communication connection.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the receiving circuit is further configured to receive a request to control the physical channel of the communication connection and the communication device is configured to take over the control of the physical channel.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, further comprising a transmitting circuit configured to transmit an acknowledgement to the third communication device for acknowledging that the communication device has taken over the control of the physical channel.

13. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device are Bluetooth devices and the communication connection is a Bluetooth connection.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein the encryption parameters comprise a master key generated by the third communication device.

15. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein the receiving circuit is further configured to receive a request to take over the master role for the communication connection and the communication device is configured to take over the master role for the communication connection.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, further comprising a transmitting circuit configured to transmit an acknowledgement to the third communication device for acknowledging that the communication device has taken over the master role for the communication connection.

17. A method for using a communication connection comprising:

establishing an ad hoc network communication connection between a first communication device, a second communication device and a third communication device;

receiving, from the third communication device, encryption parameters to be used by the first communication device and the second communication device for encrypting and decrypting data transmitted between the communication device and the second communication device via the communication connection when the third communication device has left the communication connection;

encrypting data to be sent to the second communication device via the communication connection using the encryption parameters when the third communication device has left the communication connection; and

decrypting data received from the second communication device via the communication connection using the encryption parameters when the third communication device has left the communication connection.