Position based enhanced security of wireless communications

• US 8,806,202 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Shoemake, Matthew Brendan, Hughes, John M., Schrum, Sidney Brower Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Jason
• Application Number:
  US12/467,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

The convenience of a wireless network is tempered by the concern that a rogue device can listen in on the wireless communications. Determining the position of the home device and other devices within range allows the user of the home device to choose the specific wireless devices with which to communicate. The distance to the other devices within wireless communications range is helpful and allows the user to sort between safe and unsafe or rogue devices. Distance can be determined by a variety of methods including use of trusted references, signal strength, and error rate. Once the safe device is selected, the system will then establish a communications path with that device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scanning for transmissions of signals from a wireless device;

identifying a position attribute for the wireless device based on characteristics of the signals;

determining whether the wireless device is located beyond a fixed boundary based at least in part on the position attribute prior to a communication path being established with the wireless device;

if it is determined that the wireless device is not located beyond the fixed boundary, determining a time at which the wireless device was identified and assigning a place in an ordered list to the wireless device based on the time at which the wireless device was identified;

displaying the ordered list to a user; and

prompting the user to select whether a communication path to the wireless device must be established or not, based on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a distance to the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying if the wireless device is in motion.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising prompting the user to select the wireless device in response to identifying that the wireless device is in motion.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a transmission power in response to the selection of the wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of a signal includes at least one of a strength of the signal, number of errors detected during decoding of the signal, or transmit power of the signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning for transmissions is performed prior to receiving any requests for access from the wireless device.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver to scan for transmissions of signals from a wireless device;

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor adapted to;

identify a position attribute associated with the wireless device based on characteristics of the signals;

determine whether the wireless device is located beyond a fixed boundary based at least in part on the position attribute prior to a communication path being established with the wireless device;

if it is determined that the wireless device is not located beyond the fixed boundary, determine a time at which the wireless device was identified and assign a place in an ordered list to the wireless device based on the time at which the wireless device was identified;

a display to display the ordered list to a user; and

a user interface to prompt the user to select whether a communication path to the wireless device must be established or not, based on the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fixed boundary includes a building boundary.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further adapted to prompt the user to select the wireless device in response to determining that the wireless device is in motion.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

scan for transmissions of signals from a wireless device;

identify a position attribute associated with the wireless device based on characteristics of the signals;

determine whether the wireless device is located beyond a fixed boundary based at least in part on the position attribute prior to a communication path being established with the wireless device;

if it is determined that the wireless device is not located beyond the fixed boundary, determine a time at which the wireless device was identified and assign a place in an ordered list to the wireless device based on the time at which the wireless device was identified;

provide the ordered list to a user; and

prompt the user to select whether a communication path to the wireless device must be established or not, based on the classification.

12. An apparatus comprising:

means for scanning for transmissions of signals from a wireless device;

means for identifying a position attribute associated with the wireless device based on characteristics of the signals;

means for determining whether the wireless device is located beyond a fixed boundary based at least in part on the position attribute prior to a communication path being established with the wireless device;

if it is determined that the wireless device is not located beyond the fixed boundary, means for determining a time at which the wireless device was identified and means for assigning a place in an ordered list to the wireless device based on the time at which the wireless device was identified;

means for displaying the ordered list to a user; and

means for prompting the user to select whether a communication path to the wireless device must be established or not, based on the display.

13. A laptop computer comprising:

a transceiver to scan for transmissions of signals from a wireless device;

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor adapted to;

identify a position attribute associated with the wireless device based on characteristics of the signals;

determine whether the wireless device is located beyond a fixed boundary based at least in part on the position attribute prior to establishing a communication path with the wireless device;

if it is determined that the wireless device is not located beyond the fixed boundary, determine a time at which the wireless device was identified and assign a place in an ordered list to the wireless device based on the time at which the wireless device was identified;

a display to display the ordered list to a user; and

a user interface coupled to the processor to prompt the user to select whether a communication path to the wireless device must be established or not, based on the display.