Radio LAN access authentication system

• US 7,127,234 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US10/527,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270, 380/278, 380/279, 380/255, 380/247, 380/248, 380/249, 380/250, 726/2, 726/3, 726/4, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 455/433
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless LAN access authentication system capable of shortening the time required for an access authentication procedure of a radio terminal apparatus. In this wireless LAN access authentication system, when a radio terminal apparatus 116 of a user who has sent an access request is already registered through initial access, a gateway apparatus 111 searches for a WEP key assigned to the radio terminal apparatus 116 through a WEP key control section 306 and redistributes the WEP key registered beforehand to a new access point section 124 in the destination area and the radio terminal apparatus 116. The radio terminal apparatus 116 and access point section 124 to which the WEP key has been distributed encrypt transmission/reception data in a predetermined radio section using the redistributed WEP key and carry out a communication.

Claims

1. A wireless LAN access authentication system in a network system comprising a plurality of wireless LAN network systems and a center station that controls said plurality of wireless LAN network systems in a centralized manner,

each of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems comprising at least two access point sections accessed by a radio terminal apparatus that transmits/receives a radio signal through a radio section and a gateway apparatus which relays transmission/reception of data signals and control signals between said access point sections,

said center station comprising a center station gateway apparatus that relays transmission/reception of data signals and control signals between the gateway apparatuses of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems and an authentication server that performs access authentication on said radio terminal apparatus which has accessed said access point sections and distributes cryptographic keys used for encryption of a radio section through which said access-authenticated radio terminal apparatus carries out communication to said radio terminal apparatus and said access point section,

said wireless LAN access authentication system comprising:

an access control section provided for each of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems for controlling the situation of access of said radio terminal apparatus in the own communication area to said authentication server and checking the presence/absence of access of said radio terminal apparatus to said authentication server when said radio terminal apparatus moves to a communication area of a new access point section; and

a cryptographic key control section provided for each of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems for controlling cryptographic keys distributed from said authentication server and distributing, when said access control section confirms that said radio terminal apparatus which has moved to the communication area of the other access point section has already accessed said authentication server, the cryptographic key for said radio section through which said radio terminal apparatus carries out communication to said radio terminal apparatus and said new access point section in the area to which said radio terminal apparatus has moved.

2. The wireless LAN access authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said access control section and said cryptographic key control section are arranged in said gateway apparatus.

3. The wireless LAN access authentication system according to claim 2, wherein said access control section comprises a control section that controls at least one access amount of an access time of said radio terminal apparatus or communication packet amount and requests said radio terminal apparatus for reauthentication when said access amount reaches a predetermined amount.

4. The wireless LAN access authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said radio terminal apparatus comprises an information card which records ID information and uses the ID information recorded in said information card as an authentication ID at the time of access authentication of said radio terminal apparatus.

5. A wireless LAN access authentication method in a network system comprising a plurality of wireless LAN network systems and a center station that controls said plurality of wireless LAN network systems in a centralized manner,

each of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems comprising at least two access point sections accessed by a radio terminal apparatus that transmits/receives a radio signal through a radio section and a gateway apparatus which relays transmission/reception of data signals and control signals between said access point sections, and

said center station comprising a center station gateway apparatus that relays transmission/reception of data signals and control signals between the gateway apparatuses of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems and an authentication server that performs access authentication on said radio terminal apparatus which has accessed said access point sections and distributes cryptographic keys used for encryption of a radio section through which said access-authenticated radio terminal apparatus carries out communication to said radio terminal apparatus and said access point section,

said wireless LAN access authentication method comprising:

an access control step of controlling the situation of access of said radio terminal apparatus in each of said wireless LAN network systems to said authentication server and checking the presence/absence of access of said radio terminal apparatus to said authentication server when said radio terminal apparatus moves to a communication area of a new access point section; and

a cryptographic key control step of controlling cryptographic keys distributed from said authentication server and distributing, when it is confirmed in said access control step that the radio terminal apparatus which has moved to the communication area of the other access point section has already accessed said authentication server, the cryptographic key for the radio section through which said radio terminal apparatus carries out communication to said radio terminal apparatus and said new access point section in the area to which said radio terminal apparatus has moved.

6. A gateway apparatus in each of wireless LAN networks in a wireless LAN access authentication system in a network system comprising a plurality of wireless LAN network systems and a center station that controls said plurality of wireless LAN network systems in a centralized manner,

each of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems comprising at least two access point sections accessed by a radio terminal apparatus that transmits/receives a radio signal through a radio section,

said center station comprising a center station gateway apparatus that relays transmission/reception of data signals and control signals between the gateway apparatuses of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems and an authentication server that performs access authentication on said radio terminal apparatus which has accessed said access point section and distributes cryptographic keys used for encryption of a radio section through which said access-authenticated radio terminal apparatus carries out communication to said radio terminal apparatus and said access point section,

said gateway apparatus comprising:

a transmission/reception section that transmits/receives said data signals and said control signals to/from the center station gateway apparatus of said center station;

an access control section that controls the situation of access of said radio terminal apparatus to said authentication server within each of said wireless LAN networks and checks the presence/absence of access of said radio terminal apparatus to said authentication server when said radio terminal apparatus moves to a communication area of a new access point section; and

a cryptographic key control section that controls said cryptographic keys distributed from said authentication server through said access control section and distributes, when it is confirmed that said radio terminal apparatus which has moved to the communication area of the other access point section has already accessed said authentication server, said cryptographic key for the radio section through which said radio terminal apparatus carries out communication to said radio terminal apparatus and the new access point section in the area to which said radio terminal apparatus has moved.

7. The gateway apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said access control section comprises a control section that controls an access amount of at least one of an access time or communication packet amount of said radio terminal apparatus and requests said radio terminal apparatus for reauthentication at the time at which said access amount has reached a predetermined amount.

8. A radio terminal apparatus used in a wireless LAN access authentication system in a network system comprising a plurality of wireless LAN network systems and a center station which controls said plurality of wireless LAN network systems in a centralized manner,

each of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems comprising at least two access point sections accessed by a radio terminal apparatus transmitting/receiving a radio signal through a radio section and a gateway apparatus that relays transmission/reception of data signals and control signals between said access point sections,

said center station comprising a center station gateway apparatus that relays transmission/reception of data signals and control signals between the gateway apparatuses of said plurality of wireless LAN network systems and an authentication server that performs access authentication on said radio terminal apparatus which has accessed said access point section and distributes the cryptographic key used for encryption of the radio section through which said access-authenticated radio terminal apparatus carries out communication to said radio terminal apparatus and said access point section,

said radio terminal apparatus comprising an information card in which ID information is recorded when access authentication is performed by said authentication server of said center station.