POSITION BASED ENHANCED SECURITY OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090240940A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hughes, John M., Schrum, Sidney Brower JR., Shoemake, Matthew Brendan
• Granted Patent: US 8,806,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• 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 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

The convenience of a wireless network is tempered by the concern that a rogue device can listen in on the wireless communications. Determining the position of the home device and other devices within range allows the user of the home device to choose the specific wireless devices with which to communicate. The distance to the other devices within wireless communications range is helpful and allows the user to sort between safe and unsafe or rogue devices. Distance can be determined by a variety of methods including use of trusted references, signal strength, and error rate. Once the safe device is selected, the system will then establish a communications path with that device.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing the security of wireless communications from a home device comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a handshake signal from a plurality of wireless devices,

(b) identifying a position attribute for each of the wireless devices; and

(c) querying the user for a sorting criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises

(d) displaying only those wireless devices that meet the sorting criteria.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises selecting a default sorting criteria.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprise applying no sorting criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises identifying a distance to the wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises identifying if the wireless device is moving.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

(d) establishing a communications path with the selected wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises prompting a user to connect a wireless device based on its distance.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprises prompting a user to connect to a wireless device depending on if the wireless device is coming closer or moving away.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising excluding a wireless device based on an absolute location that is established via other fixed references.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein step (d) further comprises exchanging an encryption key only with a wireless device within a predetermined distance.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein step (d) further comprises turning down a transmission power to limit the distance that a wireless signal can be detected by the wireless devices.