COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20090175447A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palmira Wireless AG
• Original Assignee: Kiyoshi Toshimitsu, Tomoko Adachi
• Inventors: Toshimitsu, Kiyoshi, Adachi, Tomoko
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In a communication system, a first wireless communication apparatuses belonging to a communication group receives a connection request frame including a notifying security level from a second communication apparatus outside of the communication group. The first communication apparatus stores a reference security level peculiar to the communication group, which is selected from security levels depending on one of encryption methods including non-encryption and encryption strengths. In the first communication apparatus, the notifying security level is compared with the reference level, and a response frame including one of a connect rejection and a connection permission is described, is generated and transferred to the second communication apparatus. The connect rejection represents a rejection of connection to the second communication apparatus and the connection permission represents a permission of connection to the second communication apparatus.

Claims

1. :

A wireless communication unit configured to receive data that is to be transmitted by a wireless communication apparatus, comprising;

a frame generating unit configured to generate a first Medium Access Control frame having a frame control field and a data field, the frame control field including a type field and an encryption field, the type field indicating that the first Medium Access Control frame is classified into a management frame, the encryption field indicating a use or a non-use of encryption, and the data field including a management data;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the first Medium Access Control frame to the wireless communication apparatus, wherein the management data of the first Medium Access Control frame includes a security level field in which a notifying security level is described.

2. :

The wireless communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the notifying security level corresponds to one of first, second and third security levels of a plurality of security levels, the first security level corresponding to the non-encryption, the second security level corresponding to a first encryption depending on a first encryption method and a first encryption strength of the first encryption method, and the third security level corresponding to a second encryption depending on the first encryption method and a second encryption strength of the first encryption.

3. :

The wireless communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the notifying security level corresponds to a maximum security level of a plurality of notifying security levels supported by the transmission unit.

4. :

The wireless communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to receive a beacon frame or a probe response frame from the wireless communication apparatus, the beacon frame or the probe response frame having a field including a reference security level, the wireless communication apparatus belonging to a wireless communication group to which the reference security level is assigned, the reference security level being supported by the wireless communication unit.

5. :

The wireless communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication apparatus includes;

a second reference memory configured to store a reference security level selected from a plurality of security levels including an encryption method having at least one of non-encryption and an encryption strength,

a second frame generating unit configured to compare the notifying security level with the reference security level, configured to decide a connection permission, and configured to generate the second Medium Access Control frame after deciding the connection permission; and

a second transmission unit configured to transmit the second Medium Access Control frame to the wireless communication unit.

6. :

The wireless communication unit according to claim 5, wherein the wireless communication apparatus transmits a connection rejection for rejecting a data transmission between the wireless communication unit and the wireless communication apparatus when the notifying security level supported by the wireless communication unit is lower than the reference security level.

7. :

The wireless communication unit according to claim 1, further comprising;

a first reference memory configured to store a plurality of security levels, the security levels including an encryption method having at least one of non-encryption and an encryption strength, wherein the frame generating unit is configured to select one of the security levels as the notifying security level.

8. :

The wireless communication unit according to claim 4, further comprising;

a first reference memory configured to store a plurality of security levels, the security levels including an encryption method having at least one of non-encryption and an encryption strength, wherein the frame generating unit is configured to compare the reference security level with the security levels to determine to select one of the security levels as the notifying security level.

9. :

A wireless communication method in a communication unit, the communication unit receiving data that is to be transmitted by a wireless communication apparatus, the wireless communication method comprising;

generating a first Medium Access Control frame having a frame control field and a data field, the frame control field including a type field and an encryption field, the type field indicating that the first Medium Access Control frame is classified into a management frame, the encryption field indicating a use or a non-use of encryption, and the data field including a management data; and

transmitting the first Medium Access Control frame to the wireless communication apparatus, wherein the management data of the first Medium Access Control frame includes a security level field in which a notifying security level is described.