Communication Device and Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Recording Medium Storing Computer-Readable Instructions for Communication Device

• US 20200137568A1
• Filed: 09/19/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Shun
• Granted Patent: US 11,218,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity

Abstract

A communication device may obtain second security information in a case where a first instruction for establishing a second wireless connection with a second parent station is accepted under a state where a first wireless connection with a first parent station is established, and determine whether a second security level indicated by the second security information is lower than a first security level indicated by first security information in a memory. The communication device may execute at least one process of a notification process or an acceptance process in a case where it is determined that the second security level is lower than the first security level and establish the second wireless connection with the second parent station without executing the at least one process in a case where it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing first security information indicating a first security level related to a first wireless connection with a first parent station, the memory further storing computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device to;

in a case where a first instruction for establishing a second wireless connection with a second parent station different from the first parent station is accepted under a state where the first wireless connection is established, obtain second security information indicating a second security level related to the second wireless connection;

in a case where the second security information is obtained under a state where the first security information is stored in the memory, determine whether the second security level indicated by the second security information is lower than the first security level indicated by the first security information in the memory;

in a case where it is determined that the second security level is lower than the first security level, execute at least one process of a notification process or an acceptance process, the notification process being for notifying that the second security level is lower than the first security level, the acceptance process being for accepting an input of authentication information for establishing the second wireless connection with the second parent station; and

in a case where it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level, establish the second wireless connection with the second parent station without executing the at least one process.

2. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

in a case where a second instruction for establishing the second wireless connection with the second parent station is accepted after the at least one process has been executed, establish the second wireless connection with the second parent station.

3. The communication device as in claim 1, further comprising a display unit,

wherein the notification process includes a process of displaying a notification screen on the display unit, the notification screen notifying that the second security level is lower than the first security level, and

the acceptance process includes a process of displaying an acceptance screen on the display unit, the acceptance screen accepting the input of the authentication information for establishing the second wireless connection with the second parent station.

4. The communication device as in claim 1, further comprising a wireless interface,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

send, to an external device via the wireless interface, a first information request that requests sending of the second security information in the case where the first instruction is accepted under the state where the first wireless connection is established, the external device being different from the first parent station and the second parent station; and

receive a first information response from the external device via the wireless interface in response to the first information request being sent to the external device,

wherein in a case where the first information response is received from the external device and the first information response includes the second security information, the second security information included in the first information response is obtained.

5. The communication device as in claim 4, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

determine whether the first information response includes the second security information in the case where the first information response is received from the external device;

in a case where it is determined that the first information response does not include the second security information, send, to the second parent station via the wireless interface, a second information request that requests sending of the second security information; and

receive a second information response including the second security information from the second parent station via the wireless interface in response to the second information request being sent to the second parent station,

wherein in a case where it is determined that the first information response includes the second security information, the second security information included in the first information response is obtained, and

in a case where the second information response is received from the second parent station, the second security information included in the second information response is obtained.

6. The communication device as in claim 4, further comprising an output unit,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

cause the output unit to output specific information obtained by using a public key of the communication device, the public key being obtained by the external device in response to the specific information being outputted;

receive an authentication request in which the public key is used from the external device via the wireless interface after the specific information has been outputted; and

send an authentication response to the external device via the wireless interface in response to the authentication request being received from the external device,

wherein the first information request is sent to the external device via the wireless interface after the authentication response has been sent to the external device,

in response to the first information request being sent to the external device, the first information response that includes connection information for establishing the second wireless connection between the communication device and the second parent station is received from the external device via the wireless interface,

in a case where the first information response is received from the external device and the connection information in the first information response includes the second security information, the second security information included in the connection information is obtained, and

in the case where it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level, the second wireless connection with the second parent station is established via the wireless interface by using the connection information.

7. The communication device as in claim 1, further comprising a wireless interface,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

in the case where the first instruction is accepted under the state where the first wireless connection is established, send, to the second parent station via the wireless interface, a second information request that requests sending of the second security information; and

receive a second information response including the second security information from the second parent station via the wireless interface in response to the second information request being sent to the second parent station,

wherein in a case where the second information response is received from the second parent station, the second security information included in the second information response is obtained.

8. The communication device as in claim 4, wherein

the wireless interface is an interface configured to execute a wireless communication according to a Wi-Fi scheme.

9. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the memory further stores authentication ranking information indicating a ranking of a plurality of authentication schemes according to security levels and encryption ranking information indicating a ranking of a plurality of encryption schemes according to security levels,

the first security information includes a first authentication scheme and a first encryption scheme used by the first parent station, and

the second security information includes a second authentication scheme and a second encryption scheme used by the second parent station,

in a case where it is determined that the second authentication scheme is a lower authentication scheme than the first authentication scheme by using the authentication ranking information in the memory, it is determined that the second security level is lower than the first security level,

in a case where it is determined that the second encryption scheme is a lower encryption scheme than the first encryption scheme by using the encryption ranking information in the memory, it is determined that the second security level is lower than the first security level, and

in a case where it is determined that the second authentication scheme is not a lower authentication scheme than the first authentication scheme by using the authentication ranking information in the memory and it is determined that the second encryption scheme is not a lower encryption scheme than the first encryption scheme by using the encryption ranking information in the memory, it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level.

10. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

in the case where it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level, disconnect the first wireless connection with the first parent station.

11. The communication device as in claim 10, wherein

the second wireless connection with the second parent station is established after the first wireless connection has been disconnected.

12. A communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing first security information indicating a first security level related to a first wireless connection with a first parent station, the memory further storing computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the communication device to;

in a case where a first instruction for establishing a second wireless connection with a second parent station different from the first parent station is accepted under a state where the first wireless connection is established, obtain second security information indicating a second security level related to the second wireless connection;

in a case where the second security information is obtained under a state where the first security information is stored in the memory, determine whether the second security level indicated by the second security information is lower than the first security level indicated by the first security information in the memory; and

in a case where it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level, establish the second wireless connection with the second parent station, wherein in a case where it is determined that the second security level is lower than the first security level, the second wireless connection is not established.

13. The communication device as in claim 12, further comprising a wireless interface,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

send, to an external device via the wireless interface, a first information request that requests sending of the second security information in the case where the first instruction is accepted under the state where the first wireless connection is established, the external device being different from the first parent station and the second parent station; and

receive a first information response from the external device via the wireless interface in response to the first information request being sent to the external device, and

in a case where the first information response is received from the external device and the first information response includes the second security information, the second security information included in the first information response is obtained.

14. The communication device as in claim 13, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

determine whether the first information response includes the second security information in the case where the first information response is received from the external device;

in a case where it is determined that the first information response does not include the second security information, send, to the second parent station via the wireless interface, a second information request that requests sending of the second security information; and

receive a second information response including the second security information from the second parent station via the wireless interface in response to the second information request being sent to the second parent station,

wherein in a case where it is determined that the first information response includes the second security information, the second security information included in the first information response is obtained, and

in a case where the second information response is received from the second parent station, the second security information included in the second information response is obtained.

15. The communication device as in claim 13, further comprising an output unit,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

cause the output unit to output specific information obtained by using a public key of the communication device, the public key being obtained by the external device in response to the specific information being outputted;

receive an authentication request in which the public key is used from the external device via the wireless interface after the specific information has been outputted; and

send an authentication response to the external device via the wireless interface in response to the authentication request being received from the external device,

wherein the first information request is sent to the external device via the wireless interface after the authentication response has been sent to the external device,

in response to the first information request being sent to the external device, the first information response that includes connection information for establishing the second wireless connection between the communication device and the second parent station is received from the external device via the wireless interface,

in a case where the first information response is received from the external device and the connection information in the first information response includes the second security information, the second security information included in the connection information is obtained, and

in the case where it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level, the second wireless connection with the second parent station is established via the wireless interface by using the connection information.

16. The communication device as in claim 12, further comprising a wireless interface,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

in the case where the first instruction is accepted under the state where the first wireless connection is established, send, to the second parent station via the wireless interface, a second information request that requests sending of the second security information; and

receive a second information response including the second security information from the second parent station via the wireless interface in response to the second information request being sent to the second parent station,

wherein in a case where the second information response is received from the second parent station, the second security information included in the second information response is obtained.

17. The communication device as in claim 13, wherein

the wireless interface is an interface conforming to a Wi-Fi scheme.

18. The communication device as in claim 12, wherein

the memory further stores authentication ranking information indicating a ranking of a plurality of authentication schemes according to security levels and encryption ranking information indicating a ranking of a plurality of encryption schemes according to security levels,

the first security information includes a first authentication scheme and a first encryption scheme used by the first parent station, and

the second security information includes a second authentication scheme and a second encryption scheme used by the second parent station,

in a case where it is determined that the second authentication scheme is a lower authentication scheme than the first authentication scheme by using the authentication ranking information in the memory, it is determined that the second security level is lower than the first security level,

in a case where it is determined that the second encryption scheme is a lower encryption scheme than the first encryption scheme by using the encryption ranking information in the memory, it is determined that the second security level is lower than the first security level, and

in a case where it is determined that the second authentication scheme is not a lower authentication scheme than the first authentication scheme by using the authentication ranking information in the memory and it is determined that the second encryption scheme is not a lower encryption scheme than the first encryption scheme by using the encryption ranking information in the memory, it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level.

19. The communication device as in claim 12, wherein

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the communication device to:

in the case where it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level, disconnect the first wireless connection with the first parent station.

20. The communication device as in claim 19, wherein

the second wireless connection with the second parent station is established after the first wireless connection has been disconnected.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-readable instructions for a communication device,

wherein the communication device comprises a memory storing first security information indicating a first security level related to a first wireless connection with a first parent station, and

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a processor of the communication device, cause the communication device to:

in a case where a first instruction for establishing a second wireless connection with a second parent station different from the first parent station is accepted under a state where the first wireless connection is established, obtain second security information indicating a second security level related to the second wireless connection;

in a case where the second security information is obtained under a state where the first security information is stored in the memory, determine whether the second security level indicated by the second security information is lower than the first security level indicated by the first security information in the memory;

in a case where it is determined that the second security level is lower than the first security level, execute at least one process of a notification process or an acceptance process, the notification process being for notifying that the second security level is lower than the first security level, the acceptance process being for accepting an input of authentication information for establishing the second wireless connection with the second parent station; and

in a case where it is determined that the second security level is not lower than the first security level, establish the second wireless connection with the second parent station without executing the at least one process.