Method and system for generating a secure wireless link between a handset and base station

• US 7,013,153 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Beamish, Norman, Chan, Virginia M., Xie, Xiaohua Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US10/834,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20040209598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 455462-465, 455424-4262, 455/73, 455/74.1, 455/88, 4555501-5531, 455410-411, 379/56.1, 379/56.3
• US Class Current: 455/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/68 Circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/727 Identification code transfer arrangements

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for establishing secure wireless links between a handset and a base station in cordless telephone systems are described. A method of generating a secure wireless link between a handset and a base station includes initiating a linking procedure, generating a security code, displaying the security code at the base station, entering the security code into the handset and then establishing a radio frequency link between the handset and the base station utilizing the security code. A cordless telephone system capable of generating a secure wireless link includes both a handset and a base station. The handset includes a control circuit, a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the control circuit along with a keypad also coupled to the control circuit. The base station includes a control circuit, a code generation circuit coupled to the control circuit, a display coupled to the control circuit for displaying a code generated by the code generation circuit, and a transmitter and receiver coupled to the control circuit.

Claims

1. A wireless cordless telephone communication system including at least two transceiver units, the system comprising:

a first transceiver unit having a first control circuit, a security code generation circuit configured to generate a security code, and a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the first control circuit; and

a second transceiver unit having a second control circuit, a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the second control circuit, and a security code entry apparatus, wherein the security code entry apparatus receives the security code generated by the security code generation circuit for secure communications between the first and second transceiver units, wherein the first transceiver unit is not in physical contact with the second transceiver unit, wherein the security code is received via wireless transmission.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the security code generation circuit comprises a pseudo random number generator.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the security code generation circuit comprises a lookup table of security codes.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit of the first transceiver unit comprises a microprocessor and a computer readable media storing computer executable instructions for generating the security code.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first transceiver unit is a handset.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the second transceiver unit is a base station.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first transceiver unit is a base station.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the second transceiver unit is a hand set.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the security code is manually entered into the second transceiver unit.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the security code is manually transferred from the first transceiver unit to the second transceiver unit.

11. A method of providing secure wireless communication links between two transceiver units, the method comprising:

generating a security code in a first transceiver unit; and

receiving the security code in a second transceiver unit, wherein the first transceiver unit is not in physical contact with the second transceiver unit, wherein the security code is received via wireless transmission, and wherein the security code is used for secure communications between the first and second transceiver units.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first transceiver unit is a handset.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second transceiver unit is a base station.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the first transceiver unit is a base station.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second transceiver unit is a handset.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising establishing a secure link between the first and second transceiver units.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting additional security information over the established link utilizing the security code.

18. A method of providing secure wireless communication links between two transceiver units comprising:

generating a security code in a first transceiver unit;

receiving the security code in a second transceiver unit, wherein the first transceiver unit is not in physical contact with the second transceiver unit, wherein the security code is received via wireless transmission; and

establishing with the security code, secure communications between the first and second transceiver units.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating a security code is initiated upon applying power to the system.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of establishing secure communications is establishing a secure link between the first and second transceiver units.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising transmitting additional security information over the established link utilizing the security code.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating the security code comprises generating a pseudo random number.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating the security code comprises selecting an entry from a table.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating the security code is initiated upon activating an initialization button on the first transceiver unit.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating the security code is initiated upon activating an initialization button on the second transceiver unit.

26. A method of providing secure wireless communication links between two transceiver units, the method comprising:

generating a security code in a first transceiver unit;

receiving the security code in a second transceiver unit, wherein the first transceiver unit is not in physical contact with the second transceiver unit, wherein the security code is received via wireless transmission;

transmitting a signal over a link from the second transceiver unit to the first transceiver unit using the security code; and

transmitting over the link additional security information from the first transceiver unit to the second transceiver unit utilizing the security code to establish secure communications between the first and second transceiver units.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the first transceiver unit is a handset.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the second transceiver unit is a base station.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the first transceiver unit is a base station.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the second transceiver unit is a handset.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of generating a security code is initiated upon applying power to the system.

32. The method of claim 26 further comprising establishing a secure link between the first and second transceiver units.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of generating the security code comprises generating a pseudo random number.

34. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of generating the security code comprises selecting an entry from a table.

35. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of generating the security code is initiated upon activating an initialization button on the first transceiver unit.

36. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of generating the security code is initiated upon activating an initialization button on the second transceiver unit.

37. A wireless cordless telephone communication system comprising:

means for generating a security code in a first transceiver unit; and

means for receiving the security code in a second transceiver unit for secure communications between the first and second transceiver units, wherein the first transceiver unit is not in physical contact with the second transceiver unit, wherein the security code is received via wireless transmission.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the first transceiver unit is a handset.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the second transceiver unit is a base station.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein the first transceiver unit is a base station.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the second transceiver unit is a handset.

42. A wireless cordless telephone communication system comprising:

means for generating a security code in a first transceiver unit;

means for receiving the security code in a second transceiver units, wherein the first transceiver unit is not in physical contact with the second transceiver unit, wherein the security code is received via wireless transmission;

means for transmitting a signal over a link from the second transceiver unit to the first transceiver unit using the security code; and

means for transmitting over the link additional security information from the first transceiver unit to the second transceiver unit utilizing the security code to establish secure communications between the first and second transceiver units.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the means for generating the security code comprises a pseudo random number generator.

44. The system of claim 42 wherein the means for generating the security code comprises a lookup table of security codes.

45. The system of claim 42 wherein the means for generating the security code of the first transceiver unit comprises a microprocessor and a computer readable media storing computer executable instructions for generating the security code.

46. The system of claim 42 wherein the means for generating the security code is initiated upon applying power to the system.

47. The system of claim 42 wherein the means for generating the security code is initiated upon activating an initialization button on the first transceiver unit.

48. The method of claim 42 wherein the means for generating the security code is initiated upon activating an initialization button on the second transceiver unit.