Wireless communication system and method for facilitating wireless communication

• US 7,477,873 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony France
• Original Assignee: Sony France
• Inventors: Violette, Laurent, Valadon, Guillaume, Tanaka, Atau
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Nay A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US10/865,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20050164634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/426.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In a system and method for facilitating wireless communication between agents in a wireless network, each agent is equipped with an agent'"'"'s device (10a, 10b) using a main wireless infrastructure (2) and a separate auxiliary wireless infrastructure (1). Initial contact between any first agent'"'"'s device (10a) and any other agent'"'"'s device (10b) is made within the auxiliary wireless infrastructure, whereas, once this initial contact has been established, all ensuing communications between the first agent'"'"'s device (10a) and the other agent'"'"'s device (10b) take place within the main wireless infrastructure.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising a main wireless infrastructure using a plurality of agent'"'"'s devices, each agent'"'"'s device comprising communication means for communicating with other agent'"'"'s devices within the main wireless infrastructure and means for storing a local database of acquaintances which keeps a history of previous interactions with other agent'"'"'s devices with the names of the other agents and the levels of acquaintances,

wherein, in the database of acquaintances, the agents are distributed among a total of three to six levels of acquaintances, and

wherein, in the database of acquaintances of a defined agent, the level 0 of acquaintances comprises level 0 agents with whom interaction was initiated via direct contact with said defined agent, the level 1 of acquaintances comprises level 1 agents with whom there has not been direct contact with said defined agent, but who have been introduced to said defined agent by a level 0 agent, the level 2 of acquaintances comprises level 2 agents who have been introduced to said defined agent by a level 1 agent, and so on, the trust decreasing from level 0 of acquaintances to the level N of acquaintances, N being comprised between 2 and 5.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein agent'"'"'s devices comprise terminals such as mobile phones, computers, personal digital assistants.

3. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for an agent'"'"'s device of a communication network which is put into communication with a first other agent'"'"'s device within said communication network, said computer-executable instructions performing the steps of hierarchically discovering, in cascading series of discoveries, other agent'"'"'s devices based on acquaintances already known to said first other agent'"'"'s device,

wherein each agent'"'"'s device includes a local database of acquaintances which keeps a history of previous interactions with other agent'"'"'s devices with the names of the other agents and the levels of acquaintances,

wherein, in the databases of acquaintances, the agents are distributed among a total of three to six levels of acquaintances, and wherein, in the database of acquaintances of a defined agent, the level 0 of acquaintances comprises level 0 agents with whom interaction was initiated via direct contact with said defined agent, the level 1 of acquaintances comprises level 1 agents with whom there has not been direct contact with said defined agent, but who have been introduced to said defined agent by a level 0 agent, the level 2 of acquaintances comprises level 2 agents who have been introduced to said defined agent by a level 1 agent, and so on, the trust decreasing from level 0 of acquaintances to the level N of acquaintances, N being comprised between 2 and 5.

4. A method for facilitating communication between agents in a network, wherein each agent is equipped with an agent'"'"'s device using a main infrastructure, wherein a first agent'"'"'s device having been put into communication with a first other agent'"'"'s device within the main infrastructure is allowed to hierarchically discover, in cascading series of discoveries, other agent'"'"'s devices based on acquaintances already known to said first other agent'"'"'s device,

wherein each agent'"'"'s device includes a local database of acquaintances which keeps a history of previous interactions with other agent'"'"'s devices with the names of the other agents and the levels of acquaintances,

wherein, in the databases of acquaintances, the agents are distributed among a total of three to six levels of acquaintances, and

wherein, in the database of acquaintances of a defined agent, the level 0 of acquaintances comprises level 0 agents with whom interaction was initiated via direct contact with said defined agent, the level 1 of acquaintances comprises level 1 agents with whom there has not been direct contact with said defined agent, but who have been introduced to said defined agent by a level 0 agent, the level 2 of acquaintances comprises level 2 agents who have been introduced to said defined agent by a level 1 agent, and so on, the trust decreasing from level 0 of acquaintances to the level N of acquaintances, N being comprised between 2 and 5.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the main infrastructure is a wireless infrastructure.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein any original interaction between two different agent'"'"'s devices establishing an acquaintance is recorded by each agent'"'"'s device keeping a friendly token of the original interaction.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein levels of acquaintanceship with heretofore unknown agents are verified directly at transaction time during said initial contact.

8. A method according to claim 4, wherein said friendly token comprises a private encryption key signed certificate that can be read by a public encryption key.