Communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and communication method

• US 8,798,271 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Palmira Wireless AG
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Tomoko, Toshimitsu, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy, Pramila
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, DAO Q
• Application Number:
  US13/437,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20120189123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270, 726/4, 726/6, 726/7
• 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

A wireless communication circuit includes a receiver 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 circuit includes a transmitter to transmit an association request frame to the first wireless communication apparatus, the association request frame including second security information indicating a second encryption method which is supported by the wireless communication circuit, after a determination that the second encryption method overlaps with the first encryption method. The transmitter declines to associate with the first wireless communication apparatus if the first encryption method fails to overlap with the second encryption method. The transmitter transmits a data frame including a frame body after a reception of an association response frame.

Claims

1. A wireless communication circuit comprising:

a receiver 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 configured to transmit an association request frame to the first wireless communication apparatus, the association request frame including second security information indicating a second encryption method which is supported by the wireless communication circuit, after a determination that the second encryption method overlaps with the first encryption method, and configured to decline to associate with the first wireless communication apparatus, if the first encryption method fails to overlap with the second encryption method, and configured to transmit a data frame including a frame body, the frame body including data encrypted by the second encryption method, after a reception of an association response frame including a status code that indicates successful association with the first wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the 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 the type field includes information indicating that the association request frame is classified as a management frame.

2. 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.

3. 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 circuit.

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

5. The wireless communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein the frame control field further includes a protected frame field, and the protected frame field includes information indicating whether the frame body includes encrypted information.

6. A wireless communication device comprising:

an antenna; and

a wireless communication circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the receiver of the wireless communication circuit receives one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame through the antenna, and

the transmitter of the wireless communication circuit transmits the first association request frame and the data frame through the antenna.

7. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processor;

a wireless communication circuit according to claim 1; and

an antenna,

wherein the processor receives information included in one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame by using both the receiver of the wireless communication circuit and the antenna, and

the processor transmits information to be included in the association request frame by using both the transmitter of the wireless communication circuit and the antenna.

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

an antenna;

a processor; and

a wireless communication circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the processor transmits first information to be included in the data frame by using both the transmitter of the wireless communication circuit and the antenna,

the processor receives second information included in a second data frame from the first wireless communication apparatus by using both the receiver of the wireless communication circuit and the antenna.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 8, wherein a type of the second information is either one of a video type, an audio type, or a text type, and the processor performs a process for the second information according to the type of the second information.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display, wherein the processor displays at least part of the second information on the display.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a wired network interface, wherein the processor coupled to the wired network interface, and the processor receives third information via the wired network interface.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 11, wherein the processor generates fourth information based on the third information, and the processor transmits the fourth information to be included in a data frame by using both the transmitter of the wireless communication circuit and the antenna.

13. A wireless communication method comprising:

receiving 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;

transmitting an association request frame to the first wireless communication apparatus, the association request frame including second security information indicating a second encryption method, after a determination that the second encryption method overlaps with the first encryption method;

declining to associate with the first wireless communication apparatus, if the first encryption method fails to overlap with the second encryption method;

transmitting a data frame including a frame body, the frame body including data encrypted by the second encryption method, after a reception of an association response frame including a status code that indicates successful association with the first wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the 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 the type field includes information indicating that the association request frame is classified as a management frame.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, 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.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein the second encryption method is the highest encryption strength in a plurality of encryption methods which is supported.

16. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein the association response frame includes an address indicating the first communication group.

17. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein the frame control field further includes a protected frame field, and the protected frame field includes information indicating whether the frame body includes encrypted information.

18. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame is received through an antenna, and the first association request frame and the data frame is transmitted through the antenna.

19. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein information included in one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame is received by a processor, and information to be included in the association request frame is transmitted by the processor.

20. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein first information to be included in the data frame is transmitted by a processor, and second information included in a second data frame from the first wireless communication apparatus is received by the processor.

21. The wireless communication method according to claim 20, wherein a type of the second information is either one of a video type, an audio type, or a text type, and the processor performs a process for the second information according to the type of the second information.

22. The wireless communication method according to claim 20, wherein at least part of the second information is displayed on a display by the processor.

23. The wireless communication method according to claim 20, wherein the processor is coupled to a wired network interface, and third information is received via the wired network interface by the processor.

24. The wireless communication method according to claim 23, wherein fourth information is generated based on the third information by the processor, and the fourth information to be included in a data frame is transmitted by the processor.