Radio communications system

• US 7,634,088 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Doshisha Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Doshisha Company Limited
• Inventors: Sasaoka, Hideichi, Aono, Tomoyuki, Ohira, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kimyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): King; John B
• Application Number:
  US10/553,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20060252381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,120 Days
• Field of Search: 380/44, 380/47, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0875 based on channel impulse response [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

A radio communications system includes radio devices, and antenna and an array antenna. The radio devices communicate a prescribed signal via the antenna and the array antenna in a system of transmission and reception at a single frequency, such as time division duplex, as the array antenna changes the in directivity to form a plurality of directivities. The radio devices detect a plurality of received radio waves'"'"' strength to produce receive signal profiles, respectively, indicating a plurality of strength profiles. The radio devices multivalue strength of the receive signal profiles, respectively, and generate private keys having the multivalued plurality of values serving as a bit pattern.

Claims

1. A radio communications system comprising:

a first antenna having a directivity electrically switchable;

a second antenna; and

first and second radio devices mutually transmitting and receiving a radio wave through a radio transmission path via only said first and second antennas, wherein;

said first radio device receives a radio wave or waves from said second radio device while changing a directivity of said first antenna with prescribed patterns to form a plurality of directivities, generates a first receive signal profile indicative of a signal strength of a plurality of radio waves received with the respective ones of the directivities, and generates a first private key based on the generated first receive signal profile; and

said second radio device receives a radio wave or waves from said first radio device while changing a directivity of said first antenna with prescribed patterns to form a plurality of directivities, generates a second receive signal profile indicative of a signal strength of a plurality of radio waves received with the respective ones of the directivities, and generates a second private key identical to said first private key based on the generated second receive signal profile.

2. The radio communications system of claim 1, wherein:

said first and second receive signal profiles are each formed of a plurality of signal strength of a plurality of radio waves corresponding to said plurality of directivities; and

said first and second radio devices quantize said plurality of strength to generate said first and second private keys, respectively.

3. The radio communications system of claim 1, wherein said first and second radio devices transmit and receive said plurality of radio waves in a time division duplex system.

4. The radio communications system of claim 1, wherein said first radio device verifies that said first private key generated matches said second private key.

10. The radio communications system of any one of claims 1-3 or 5-9, wherein when said first private key generated does not match said second private key, said first radio device matches said first private key (Ks2) to said second private key.

11. The radio communications system of any one of claims 1-9, wherein said first antenna is provided for said first radio device arranged adjacent to a terminal of an eavesdropper.

12. The radio communications system of any one of claims 1-9, wherein said first and second radio devices employ said first and second private keys to encrypt and decrypt data, and communicate said data.

5. A radio communications system comprising:

a first antenna having a directivity electrically switchable;

a second antenna; and

first and second radio devices mutually transmitting and receiving a radio wave through a radio transmission path via only said first and second antennas, wherein;

said first radio device receives a radio wave or waves corresponding to a plurality of data transmitted by said second radio device in accordance with a prescribed communications protocol while changing a directivity of said first antenna with prescribed patterns to form a plurality of directivities, generates a first receive signal profile indicative of a signal strength of a plurality of radio waves received with the respective ones of the directivities, and generates a first private key based on the generated first receive signal profile; and

said second radio device receives a radio wave or waves corresponding to a plurality of data transmitted by said first radio device in accordance with a prescribed communications protocol while changing a directivity of said first antenna with prescribed patterns to form a plurality of directivities, generates a second receive signal profile indicative of a signal strength of a plurality of radio waves received with the respective ones of the directivities, and generates a second private key identical to said first private key based on the generated second receive signal profile.

6. The radio communications system of claim 5, wherein when said first radio device has said first antenna controlled to be omnidirectional said first radio device establishes said radio transmission path between said first radio device and said second radio device and thereafter said first radio device has said first antenna changing the directivity to form said plurality of directivities, while said first radio device communicates said plurality of data with said second radio device.

7. The radio communications system of claim 6, wherein when said first radio device communicates each of said data with said second radio device, said first radio device updates a directivity of said first antenna (20) to receive said data from said second radio device and maintains said updated directivity of said first antenna to transmit said received data to said second radio device.

8. The radio communications system of claim 6, wherein:

said prescribed communications protocol is formed of a plurality of hierarchical layers;

said plurality of data are included in a data format in a hierarchical layer of said plurality of hierarchical layers converting said data to said electrical signal; and

said hierarchical layer converting said data to said electrical signal is common to a plurality of communications protocols.

9. The radio communications system of claim 5, wherein said plurality of data are each formed of a section detecting a strength of a radio wave received from said first and second radio devices and a section changing the directivity of said first antenna.