Communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and communication method

• US 7,519,183 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Palmira Wireless AG
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Toshimitsu, Kiyoshi, Adachi, Tomoko
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH DIEU T
• Application Number:
  US11/837,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20070286425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 380/28, 380/270, 726/1, 726/4, 726 6- 7, 713168-169, 709/227, 370/392, 455/410, 455/411
• 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
• 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 apparatus which belongs to a wireless communication group, comprising:

a receiver unit configured to receive an association request for data communication security from a wireless communication unit outside of the wireless communication group, the association request including information on a data security level used for communication data that is to be transmitted by the wireless communication unit;

a reference memory configured to store a reference security level assigned to the wireless communication group, the reference security level selected from a plurality of security levels corresponding to a plurality of encryption methods including at least one of non-encryption and a plurality of encryption strengths for communication data;

a control unit configured to compare the data security level with the reference security level to determine whether the data security level satisfies the reference security level of the group, and configured to generate a reply including information on either an association rejection or an association permission depending on a result of the comparison of the data security level with the reference security level; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the reply to the wireless communication unit,

wherein the wireless communication unit transmits the communication data to the wireless communication apparatus after receiving the reply having an association permission, and after an authentication of the wireless communication unit has been performed.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reference security level is selected from first, second and third security levels of the security levels, the first security level corresponding to non-encryption, the second security level corresponding to a first encryption strength of a first encryption method, and the third security level corresponding to a second encryption strength of the first encryption method.

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the association rejection when the data security level is lower than the reference security level.

4. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reference memory is configured to store a wireless communication unit address, the data security level relating to communication data that is to be transmitted by the wireless communication unit when the association permission is determined.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reply includes information on an address identifying the wireless communication group.

6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the association request includes a first MAC frame having a frame control field.

7. The wireless communication system apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the reply has a status code field, the status code field indicating a success or a failure of the operation requested by the first MAC frame.

8. The wireless communication system apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first MAC frame has a data field in which a management data is described and the management data includes the data security level.

9. A wireless communication system including a first wireless communication apparatus belonging to a wireless communication group and a second wireless communication apparatus being outside of the wireless communication group, the first wireless communication apparatus including:

a first receiver unit configured to receive an association request for data communication security from the second wireless communication apparatus, the association request including information on a data security level for communication data that is to be transmitted by the second wireless communication apparatus;

a first reference memory configured to store a reference security level assigned to the wireless communication group, the reference security level selected from a plurality of security levels corresponding to a plurality of encryption methods including at least one of non-encryption and a plurality of encryption strengths for communication data;

a control unit configured to compare the data security level with the reference security level to determine whether the data security level of the communication data that is to be transmitted satisfies the reference security level, and configured to generate a reply including information on either an association rejection or an association permission depending on a result of the comparison of the data security level with the reference security level; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the reply to the second wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the second wireless communication apparatus transmits the communication data to the first wireless communication apparatus after receiving the reply having an association permission, and after an authentication of the second wireless communication apparatus has been performed.

10. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein the reference security level is selected from first, second and third security levels of the plurality of security levels, the first security level corresponding to non-encryption, the second security level corresponding to a first encryption strength of a first encryption method, and the third security level corresponding to a second encryption strength of the first encryption method.

11. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit determines the association rejection when the data security level is lower than the reference security level.

12. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein the association request has information including a second unit address identifying the second wireless communication apparatus, and the reference memory stores the data security level and the second unit address when the association permission is determined.

13. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein the reply includes information on an address identifying the wireless communication group.

14. The wireless communication system according to claim 13, wherein the second wireless communication apparatus includes a second memory configured to store the reference security level and the group address.

15. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein the second wireless communication apparatus transmits a second association request to the first wireless communication apparatus, the second association request including information on a second data security level which is different from the first data security level, when the second wireless communication apparatus receives the reply including the association rejection.

16. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein the first reference memory stores a plurality of security levels which are supported by the first wireless communication apparatus, the reference security level selected from the plurality of supported security levels, and encryption parameters which relate to the plurality of encryption methods, respectively.

17. The wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein the second wireless communication apparatus is configured to transmit a second association request to the first wireless communication apparatus, the second association request including encryption data, when the second wireless communication apparatus receives the reply including association permission, and the first wireless communication apparatus is configured to decrypt the encryption data using one of the encryption parameters.

18. The wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein the data security level corresponds to a maximum security level of the plurality of security levels supported by the second wireless communication apparatus.

19. The wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein the first wireless communication apparatus includes an access point.

20. A wireless communication method of determining a connection to a wireless communication unit with a reference security level assigned to a wireless communication group, the method comprising:

receiving an association request for data communication security from the wireless communication unit to the wireless communication group, the request including a data security level of data that is to be transmitted to a member of the wireless communication group by the wireless communication unit;

storing a reference security level, the reference security level including a plurality of encryption methods selected from a plurality of security levels corresponding to at least one of non-encryption or a plurality of encryption strengths for communication data;

generating a reply including an association rejection or an association permission, the association rejection and the association permission being determined by comparing the data security level with the reference security level, the association rejection representing a rejection of association to the communication unit and the association permission representing a permission association to the communication unit that is using the data security level; and

transmitting the reply to the wireless communication unit,

wherein the wireless communication unit transmits the communication data to a wireless communication apparatus of the wireless communication group after receiving the reply having an association permission, and after an authentication of the wireless communication unit has been performed.