Communication system, communication device, and communication method

• US 7,548,623 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Manabe, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, JUNG W
• Application Number:
  US11/113,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 380/283
• US Class Current: 380/283
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption

Abstract

One and the other communication terminals for performing wireless communication are connected by a cable. The one communication terminal performs control so that an encryption key is transmitted from the one communication terminal to the other communication terminal by wireless during a period in which the potential of the cable is active. The other communication terminal stores the encryption key received from the one communication terminal within the period in which the potential of the cable is active, as a valid key, for use in subsequent encryption processing.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising at least two communication devices for performing wireless communication,

wherein one communication device of said two communication devices comprises a circuit for performing control so that a signal indicating that predetermined information is valid is transmitted to an other communication device when the predetermined information is transmitted from said one communication device to said other communication device by wireless,

wherein said other communication device comprises a circuit for determining whether received information is valid based on the signal indicating that the information is valid upon receipt of the information transmitted from said one communication device by wireless, and

wherein a potential of a medium that transmits said signal is set to an inactive state except while an encryption key is delivered by wireless.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said one communication device transmits the signal indicating that the information is valid to said other communication device in a form of an electric signal.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the signal indicating that the information is valid is set to be active during a time range including a period during which information sent from said one communication device by wireless is transmitted to said other communication device.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said one communication device further comprises a circuit for generating a timing signal as the signal indicating that the information is valid and transmitting the timing signal to said other communication device, the timing signal being for making discrimination between a timing of starting the transmission of the information by wireless and a timing of finishing the transmission of the information by wireless.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein said other communication device further comprises:

a receiving circuit for receiving the information transmitted by wireless from said one communication device; and

a circuit for receiving the timing signal transmitted from said one communication device,

wherein said receiving circuit determines whether the information transmitted by wireless from said one communication device is valid according to whether said receiving circuit has received the information transmitted or not by wireless from said one communication device at a time between a timing of starting the transmission and a timing of finishing the transmission indicated by the received timing signal.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein said other communication device determines that said other communication device is being attacked when a number of receiving the information at a time other than a period defined by the timing of starting the transmission and the timing of finishing the transmission indicated by the timing signal has exceeded a predetermined threshold value.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein said other communication device outputs an alarm signal when determining that said other communication device is being attacked.

8. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the signal indicating that the information is valid is transmitted from said one communication device to said other communication device through a cable detachably connecting one terminal of said one communication device and one terminal of said other communication device.

9. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined information includes the encryption key.

10. A communication system comprising:

at least two communication devices for performing communication by wireless; and

a cable for establishing connection between a predetermined terminal of one communication device of said two communication devices and a predetermined terminal of an other communication device of said two communication devices,

wherein said one communication device comprises a circuit for performing control so that a potential of said cable is set to an active state from an inactive state when transmitting an encryption key to said other communication device by wireless and a potential of said cable is set to an inactive state after a completion of the wireless transmission of said encryption key, and

wherein said other communication device comprises a circuit for determining said encryption key received from said one communication device within a period during which the potential of said cable is in the active state to be a valid encryption key, and storing said encryption key in a storage unit of said other communication device.

11. A method of performing wireless communication between at least two communication devices, said method comprising:

transmitting by one communication device of said two communication devices a signal indicating that predetermined information is valid to an other communication device when transmitting the predetermined information from said one communication device to said other communication device by wireless; and

determining whether received information is valid based on a signal indicating that the information is valid upon receipt of the information transmitted from said one communication device by wireless, by said other communication device,

wherein a potential of a medium that transmits said signal is set to an inactive state except while an encryption key is delivered by wireless.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the signal indicating that the information is valid is transmitted from said one communication device to said other communication device in a form of an electric signal.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the signal indicating that the information is valid is set to be active during a time range including a period during which the information sent from said one communication device by wireless is transmitted to said other communication device.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said one communication device generates a timing signal as the signal indicating that the information is valid, and transmits the timing signal to said other communication device, the timing signal being for making discrimination between a timing of starting the transmission of the information by wireless and a timing of finishing the transmission of the information by wireless.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said other communication device determines whether the information transmitted from said one communication device by wireless is valid according to whether said other communication device has received the information transmitted by wireless from said one communication device at a time between a timing of starting the transmission and a timing of finishing the transmission indicated by the timing signal.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said other communication device determines that said other communication device is being attacked when a number of receiving the information at a time other than a period defined by the timing of starting the transmission and the timing of finishing the transmission indicated by the timing signal has exceeded a predetermined threshold value.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said other communication device outputs an alarm signal when determining that said other communication device is being attacked.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the signal indicating that the information is valid is transmitted from said one communication device to said other communication device through a cable detachably connecting one terminal of said one communication device and one terminal of said other communication device.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined information includes the encryption key.

20. A communication method comprising:

establishing connection between one communication device and an other communication device by a cable;

setting a potential of said cable to an active state from an inactive state when transmitting an encryption key to said other communication device by wireless, and setting the potential of said cable to an inactive state after completion of the wireless transmission of said encryption key, by said one communication device; and

determining said encryption key received from said one communication device within a period during which the potential of said cable is in the active state to be a valid encryption key, and storing said encryption key in a storage unit of said other communication device, by said other communication device.

21. The communication method according to claim 20, wherein the potential of said cable is set to the inactive state except while said encryption key is delivered.

22. A communication device comprising:

an antenna;

a control terminal connected to a control terminal of a device of a communication party through an electrical connecting member;

a circuit for delivering an encryption key by wireless to said device of said communication party through said antenna; and

a circuit for setting a potential at said control terminal to an active state while delivering said encryption key to said device of said communication party by wireless and then setting the potential at said control terminal to an inactive state after delivering said encryption key to said device of said communication party by wireless.

23. A communication device comprising:

an antenna;

a control terminal for receiving a control signal;

a circuit for decoding an encryption key transmitted from a device of a communication party by wireless and received through said antenna; and

a circuit for determining whether said received encryption key has been received in a period during which the potential at said control terminal is an active state and performing control so that said received encryption key is stored in a holding circuit thereof as a valid encryption key when said encryption key is determined to have been received in a period during which the potential at said control terminal is in the active state.