Network terminal with means for wirelessly establishing secure private link with external terminal

• US 7,675,889 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IP Wave Pte. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Keisuke, Kashitani, Atsushi, Takahashi, Mie, Nakao, Toshiyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skripnikov; Alex
• Application Number:
  US10/460,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 455/151.2, 455/410, 455/411, 455/41.2, 370/318, 370/328, 370/329, 370/332, 370/334, 370/338, 370/341, 370/349
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

In a communications network where first and second communication terminals are interconnected via a common communication medium such as a local area network, the terminals jointly establish an infrared light private communication link if they are brought close to each other. The first and second terminals communicate their network addresses to each other either via the local area network or via the private communication link, and establish a session between the communicated network addresses via the local area network if the strength of the infrared-light private communication link at the receiving end is higher than a decision threshold.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a common communication medium;

a first communication terminal, connected to said common communication medium and having a first network address, the first communication terminal including an emitter for emitting a signal in space so that a sensor can detect said signal through said space to establish a private communication link between said emitter and said sensor; and

a second communication terminal, connected to said common communication medium and having a second network address, the second communication terminal including said sensor for detecting said signal through said space,

wherein said first communication terminal includes means for receiving an output signal of said sensor via said common communication medium, means for making a comparison between the output signal of said sensor and a decision threshold, and means for establishing a session via said common communication medium between said first and second network addresses if a strength indicated by said output signal is higher than said decision threshold, and

wherein said first communication terminal is a client terminal and said second communication terminal is a server.

2. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the comparing means calculates a degree of agreement of the output of said sensor to said decision threshold and compares the calculated degree of agreement with a predetermined value.

3. A communications method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said decision threshold is established in said first communication terminal.

4. A communications method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said decision threshold is established in said second communication terminal.

5. A communication system comprising:

a common communication medium; and

first and second communication terminals, connected to said common communication medium, for jointly wirelessly establishing a private communication link therebetween when said terminals are brought close to each other,

said first and second communication terminals having first and second network addresses, respectively,

said first communication terminal comprising a sensor,

said second communication terminal comprising;

an emitter for emitting a signal in space SO that said sensor can detect said signal through said space to establish said private communication link between said emitter and said sensor; and

means for receiving an output signal of said sensor via said common communication medium and establishing said session if a strength indicated by said output signal is higher than a decision threshold,

wherein said second communication terminal includes means for making a comparison between the strength indicated by said output signal and a decision threshold, and

wherein said decision threshold is established in said first communication terminal.

6. A communication system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the comparing means calculates a degree of agreement of the strength to said decision threshold and compares the calculated degree of agreement with a predetermined value.

7. A communication system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first communication terminal is a client terminal and said second communication terminal is a server.

8. A communication system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first communication terminal is a server and said second communication terminal is a client terminal.

9. A communications network comprising:

a first communication terminal having a first network address;

a second communication terminal having a second network address; and

a common communication medium for interconnecting said first and second communication terminals,

said first and second communication terminals including means for jointly wirelessly establishing a private communication link if said first and second communication terminals are brought close to each other, communicating their network addresses to each other either via said common communication medium or said private communication link, and establishing a session between the communicated first and second network addresses via said common communication medium if said private communication link at a receiving end thereof has a strength greater than a decision threshold,

wherein said first communication terminal comprises a sensor, and wherein said second communication terminal comprises;

an emitter for emitting a signal in space so that said sensor can detect said signal through said space to establish said private communication link between said emitter and said sensor; and

means for receiving an output signal of said sensor via said common communication medium and establishing said session if the strength indicated by said output signal is higher than said decision threshold, and

wherein said first communication terminal is a server terminal and said second communication terminal is a client terminal.

10. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said session is established if a quotient of the strength of said private communication link by said decision threshold is greater than a predetermined value.

11. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said private communication link is an optical link.

12. A communications network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said optical link is an infrared light link.

13. A communications network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said optical link is a narrow beam of optical energy.

14. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said client terminal is a mobile terminal.

15. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said common communication medium is a local area network.

16. A communications network as claimed in claim 15, wherein said server terminal is one of a plurality of server terminals connected to said local area network, each of said server terminals having a unique network address.

17. A communications network as claimed in claim 15, wherein said common communication medium includes a wireless access unit for establishing said session between said client terminal and said server terminal via said local area network.

18. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said client terminal is responsible for establishing said session.

19. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said means for jointly wirelessly establishing a private communication link is an optical link that is in the form of a wide beam of optical energy for establishing a plurality of private communication links between said client terminal and a plurality of said server terminals.

20. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said common communication medium includes a wireless access unit for establishing a wireless link between said client terminal and said server terminal.

21. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said second communication terminal communicates said second network address to said first communication terminal via said common communication medium and said first communication terminal communicates said first network address to said second communication terminal via said common communication medium in response to receipt of said second network address from the second communication terminal.

22. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said second communication terminal communicates said second network address to said first communication terminal via said private communication link.

23. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first communication terminal comprises:

means for calculating a degree of agreement of an output signal of said sensor to said decision threshold and communicating the calculated degree of agreement to said second communication terminal,

wherein said second communication terminal comprises;

means for communicating said decision threshold to said first communication terminal; and

means for establishing said session if the communicated degree of agreement is greater than a predetermined value.

24. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first communication terminal further comprises:

means for communicating the output signal of said sensor to said second communication terminal via said common communication medium; and

means for communicating said decision threshold to said second communication terminal via said common communication medium.

25. A communications network as claimed in claim 24, wherein said second communication terminal communicates said second network address to said first communication terminal via said common communication medium.

26. A communications network as claimed in claim 24, wherein said second communication terminal communicates said second network address via said private communication link.

27. A communications network as claimed in claim 24, wherein said first communication terminal communicates said first network address via said common communication medium along with the communicated output signal of said sensor.

28. A communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first communication terminal further comprises:

means for calculating a degree of agreement of the output signal of said sensor to said decision threshold and communicating the calculated degree of agreement to said second communication terminal,

wherein said second communication terminal comprises;

means for establishing said session when the communicated degree of agreement is greater than a predetermined value.

29. A communications network as claimed in claim 28, wherein said second communication terminal communicates said second network address to said first communication terminal via said common communication medium and said first communication terminal communicates said first network address to said second communication terminal via said common communication medium in response to receipt of said second network address from the second communication terminal.

30. A communications network as claimed in claim 28, wherein said second communication terminal communicates said second network address to said first communication terminal via said private communication link.

31. A communications network as claimed in claim 28, wherein said first communication terminal communicates said first network address to said second communication terminal via said common communication medium in response to receipt of said second network address from the second communication terminal.

32. A communication terminal for a communications network in which the communication terminal establishes communication with a second communication terminal via a common communication medium, wherein said communication terminal and the second communication terminal arc each uniquely identified by a network address, comprising:

means for jointly wirelessly establishing a private communication link with said second communication terminal if said communication terminal and said second communication terminal are brought close to each other, means for communicating their network addresses to each other either via said common communication medium or said private communication link, and means for establishing a session between the communicated network addresses via said common communication medium if strength of said private communication link at a receiving end thereof is higher than a decision threshold;

wherein said communication terminal comprises a sensor, and wherein said second communication terminal comprises;

an emitter for emitting a signal in space to said sensor so that said private communication link is established between said emitter and said sensor;

means for receiving the output signal of said sensor via said common communication medium and establishing said session if said output signal is higher than said decision threshold; and

means for calculating a degree of agreement of the output signal to a predetermined agreement value and communicating the calculated degree of agreement to said communication terminal.

33. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for requesting said second communication terminal for activating said emitter to emit said signal.

34. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 32, wherein second communication terminal comprises means for calculating a degree of agreement of the output signal to said decision threshold and communicating the calculated degree of agreement to said communication terminal.

35. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

means for communicating said decision threshold to said second communication terminal; and

means for establishing said session when the calculated degree of agreement communicated from said second communication terminal is higher than a predetermined value.

36. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 32, further comprising means for releasing said session when the strength of said private communication link at said receiving end becomes lower than said decision threshold.

37. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 32, further comprising means for releasing said session in response to a command signal from an application layer.