Communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and communication method

• US 7,813,508 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• 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:
  US12/397,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20090175447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 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 network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• 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 circuit used as a component in a wireless communication device, comprising:

a receiver part configured to receive at least one of a beacon frame and a probe response frame from a first wireless communication apparatus belonging to a first communication group, at least one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame including first security information indicating a first encryption method, the first encryption method to be applied to data transmitted to wireless communication apparatuses belonging to the first communication group; and

a transmitter part configured

to transmit a first association request frame to the first wireless communication apparatus, the first association request frame including second security information indicating a second encryption method which is supported by the wireless communication device, after the wireless communication device has determined that the second encryption method overlaps with the first encryption method, and declines to associate with the first wireless communication apparatus, if the first encryption method fails to overlap with the second encryption method, and

to transmit a data frame including a frame body, the frame body including data encrypted by the second encryption method, after the receiver part has received, from the first wireless communication apparatus, an association response frame including a status code that indicates successful association with the first wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the first association request frame includes a frame control field and a frame body, the frame body includes the second security information, the frame control field includes a type field and a protected frame field, the type field includes information indicating that the first association request frame is classified as a management frame, and the protected frame field includes information indicating whether the frame body includes encrypted information.

2. The wireless communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first encryption method corresponds to one of non-encryption method and various encryption methods, and the second encryption method corresponds to one of non-encryption method and various encryption methods.

3. The wireless communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first encryption method corresponds to one of a first encryption algorithm having a first encryption strength and the first encryption algorithm having a second encryption strength different from the first encryption strength, and

the second encryption method corresponds to one of the first encryption algorithm having the first encryption strength and the first encryption algorithm having the second encryption strength.

4. The wireless communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein the second encryption method is the highest encryption strength in a plurality of encryption methods which is supported by the wireless communication device.

5. The wireless communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein the association response frame includes an address indicating the first communication group.

6. A wireless communication device comprising:

an antenna; and

a wireless communication circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the receiver part of the wireless communication circuit receives one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame through the antenna, and the transmitter part of the wireless communication circuit transmits the first association request frame and the data frame through the antenna.

7. A wireless communication circuit used as a component in a wireless communication device, comprising:

a receiver part configured to receive at least one of a beacon frame and a probe response frame from a first wireless communication apparatus belonging to a first communication group, at least one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame including first security information indicating a first encryption method, the first encryption method to be applied to data transmitted to wireless communication apparatuses belonging to the first communication group; and

a transmitter part configured

to transmit a first association request frame to the first wireless communication apparatus, the first association request frame including second security information indicating a second encryption method which is supported by the wireless communication device after the wireless communication device has determined that the second encryption method overlaps with the first encryption method, and if the wireless communication device has determined that the second encryption method fails to overlap with the first encryption method, the transmitter part transmits the first association request frame having code indicating failure of the connection, and

to transmit a data frame including a frame body, the frame body including data encrypted by the second encryption method, after the receiver part has received, from the first wireless communication apparatus, an association response frame including a status code that indicates successful association of the wireless communication device with the first wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the first association request frame includes a frame control field and a frame body, the frame body includes the second security information, the frame control field includes a type field and a protected frame field, the type field includes information indicating that the first association request frame is classified as a management frame, and the protected frame field includes information indicating whether the frame body includes encrypted information.