Communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and communication method

• US 7,269,260 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2002
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palmira Wireless AG
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Toshimitsu, Kiyoshi, Adachi, Tomoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise; Emmanuel L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH DIEU T
• Application Number:
  US10/327,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20030119484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 380/28, 380/270, 455/410, 455/411, 726/1, 726/4, 726 6- 7, 370/392, 709/227, 709/229, 713168-169
• 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 network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• 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 system, comprising:

first and second wireless communication apparatuses which belong to a wireless communication group and outside of the wireless communication group, respectively, the first wireless comnnmication apparatus including;

a first receiver unit configured to receive a first transmission frame from the second wireless communication apparatus, the first transmission frame having a first fields in which a first notifying security level of a plurality of notifying security levels is described;

a first reference memory configured to store a reference security level assigned to the wireless communication group, the reference security level being selected from a subset of a plurality of reference security levels which correspond to a plurality of encryption methods, including non-encryption, and a plurality of encryption strengths, the subset being reference security levels supported by the first wireless communication apparatus;

a frame generating unit, configured to compare the notifying security level with the reference security level, configured to determine either one of a connect rejection representing a rejection of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus or a connect permission representing a permission of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus using the notifying security level, and configured to generate a second transmission frame having a second field in which the one of the connect rejection or the connect permission is described; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the second transmission frame to the second wireless communication apparatus, wherein

the first field of the first transmission frame is configured to describe a plurality of notification security levels, including the first notification security level, supported by the first wireless communication apparatus, and

the frame generating unit is configured to compare the plurality of notifying security levels with the reference security level, respectively, and configured to determine the connect permission if at least one of the notifying security levels is not lower than the reference security level and the connect rejection if all of the notifying security levels are lower than the reference security level.

2. A wireless communication system, comprising:

first and second wireless communication apparatuses which belong to a wireless communication group and outside of the wireless communication group, respectively, the first wireless communication apparatus including;

a first receiver unit configured to receive a first transmission frame from the second wireless communication apparatus, the first transmission frame having a first field in which a notifying security level is described;

a first reference memory configured to store a reference security level assigned to the wireless communication group, the reference security level being selected from a plurality of reference security levels which correspond to a plurality of encryption methods, including non-encryption, and a plurality of encryption strengths;

a frame generating unit, configured to compare the notifying security level with the reference security level, configured to determine either one of a connect rejection representing a rejection of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus or a connect permission representing a permission of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus using the notifying security level, and configured to generate a second transmission frame having a second field in which the one of the connect rejection or the connect permission is described;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the second transmission frame to the second wireless communication apparatus; and

a third wireless communication apparatus outside of the first wireless communication group and configured to communicate with the second wireless communication apparatus at the notifying security level.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 2, wherein the third wireless communication apparatuses corresponds to an access point.

4. A wireless communication system, comprising:

first and second wireless communication apparatuses which belong to a wireless communication group and outside of the wireless communication group, respectively, the first wireless communication apparatus including;

a first receiver unit configured to receive a first transmission frame from the second wireless communication apparatus, the first transmission frame having a first field in which a notifying security level is described;

a first reference memory configured to store a reference security level assigned to the wireless communication group, the reference security level being selected from a plurality of reference security levels which correspond to a plurality of encryption methods, including non-encryption, and a plurality of encryption strengths;

a frame generating unit, configured to compare the notifying security level with the reference security level, configured to determine either one of a connect rejection representing a rejection of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus or a connect permission representing a permission of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus using the notifying security level, and configured to generate a second transmission frame having a second field in which the one of the connect rejection or the connect permission is described;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the second transmission frame to the second wireless communication apparatus; and

a third wireless communication apparatus belonging to the first wireless communication group and configured to communicate with the first wireless communication apparatus at a security level which is not lower than the reference security level.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 4, wherein the third wireless communication apparatuses corresponds to an access point.

6. A wireless communication system. comprising:

first and second wireless communication apparatuses which belong to a wireless communication group and outside of the wireless communication group, respectively, the first wireless communication apparatus including;

a first receiver unit configured to receive a first transmission frame from the second wireless communication apparatus, the first transmission frame having a first field in which a notifying security level is described;

a first reference memory configured to store a reference security level assigned to the wireless communication group, the reference security level being selected from a plurality of reference security levels which correspond to a plurality of encryption methods, including non-encryption, and a plurality of encryption strengths;

a frame generating unit, configured to compare the notifying security level with the reference security level, configured to determine either one of a connect rejection representing a rejection of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus or a connect permission representing a permission of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus using the notifying security level, and configured to generate a second transmission frame having a second field in which the one of the connect rejection or the connect permission is described;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the second transmission frame to the second wireless communication apparatus;

a third wireless communication apparatus outside of the first wireless communication group and configured to communicate with the second wireless communication apparatus at the notifying security level; and

a fourth wireless communication apparatus belonging to the first wireless communication group and configured to communicate with the first wireless communication apparatus at a security level which is not lower than the reference security level.

7. A wireless communication system, comprising:

first and second wireless communication apparatuses which belong to a wireless communication group and outside of the wireless communication group, respectively, the first wireless communication apparatus including;

a first receiver unit configured to receive a first transmission frame from the second wireless communication apparatus, the first transmission frame having a first field in which a notifying security level is described;

a first reference memory configured to store a reference security level assigned to the wireless communication group, the reference security level being selected from a plurality of reference security levels which correspond to a plurality of encryption methods, including non-encryption, and a plurality of encryption strengths;

a frame generating unit, configured to compare the notifying security level with the reference security level, configured to determine either one of a connect rejection representing a rejection of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus or a connect permission representing a permission of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus using the notifying security level, and configured to generate a second transmission frame having a second field in which the one of the connect rejection or the connect permission is described;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the second transmission frame to the second wireless communication apparatus, wherein

the first wireless communication apparatus is configured to transmit a beacon frame or a probe response frame to the second wireless communication apparatus, the beacon frame or the probe response frame having a field in which security levels including the reference security level are described, the security levels being supported by the first wireless communication apparatus and not lower than the reference security level.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 7, wherein the second wireless communication apparatus includes;

a second reference memory configured to store the reference security level in the field of the beacon frame or the probe response frame and a plurality of second wireless communication apparatus security levels, and

a second frame generating unit configured to generate the first transmission frame including one security level which is selected as the notifying security level from the plurality of second wireless communication apparatus security levels based on a comparison between the plurality of second wireless communication apparatus security levels and the reference security level.