Setting in wireless communication device for encrypted communication

• US 20050154874A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Koga, Katsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,032,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission

Abstract

A system administrator of a wireless LAN 100 manipulates a personal computer PC1 to change a WEP key. The personal computer PC1 authenticates a memory card MC as genuine under management of the system administrator. In the case of the authenticated memory card MC, changed setting information, as well as a previous WEP key before the change of the setting information, is written into the memory card MC. The system administrator then inserts this memory card MC into a memory card slot of a printer PRT1. The printer PRT1 authenticates the memory card MC as genuine under management of the system administrator. In the case of the authenticated memory card MC, the setting information is updated. This arrangement effectively relieves the user'"'"'s workload in setting wireless communication devices, while ensuring the sufficiently high security.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device for encrypted communication, the wireless communication device comprising:

a setting information storage module that stores setting information used for the encrypted communication;

an interface that is used to write the setting information into a portable recording medium;

a judgment information input module that externally inputs judgment information, which is used to determine whether output of the setting information to the interface is to be permitted or prohibited;

a determination module that determines whether the output of the setting information to the interface is to be permitted or prohibited, based on the input judgment information; and

an output control module that controls the output of the setting information to the interface, according to a result of the determination.

2. The wireless communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the determination module determines whether the output of the setting information to the interface is to be permitted or prohibited, based on the judgment information and the setting information.

3. The wireless communication device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the judgment information input module inputs the judgment information from the portable recording medium.

4. The wireless communication device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the setting information storage module and the portable recording medium respectively store passwords, and

the determination module gives permission to output the setting information to the interface when the two passwords are identical.

5. The wireless communication device in accordance with claim 4, the wireless communication device conforming to International Standard IEEE 802.11,

wherein the password is a WEP key.

6. The wireless communication device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the determination module, in the case of failed input of the judgment information, waits for a change of the setting information from factory default setting information and gives permission to output the changed setting information to the interface.

7. A wireless communication device for encrypted communication, the wireless communication device comprising:

a setting information storage module that stores first setting information used for the encrypted communication;

an interface that is used to read data from a portable recording medium;

a setting information input module that inputs second setting information from the portable recording medium, in which the second setting information is recorded, via the interface;

a determination module that determines whether update of the first setting information to the second setting information is to be permitted or prohibited, based on the first setting information and the second setting information; and

an update control module that controls the update of the first setting information to the second setting information, according to a result of the determination.

8. The wireless communication device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the determination module gives permission to update the first setting information to the second setting information, only when the first setting information represents factory default setting information.

9. The wireless communication device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the setting information storage module and the portable recording medium respectively store passwords, and

the determination module gives permission to update the first setting information to the second setting information when the two passwords are identical.

10. The wireless communication device in accordance with claim 9, the wireless communication device conforming to International Standard IEEE 802.11,

wherein the password is a WEP key.

11. A control method of controlling a wireless communication device for encrypted communication, the wireless communication device having an interface that is used to write data into a portable recording medium,

the control method comprising the steps of

(a) storing setting information used for the encrypted communication;

(b) externally inputting judgment information, which is used to determine whether output of the setting information to the interface is to be permitted or prohibited;

(c) determining whether the output of the setting information to the interface is to be permitted or prohibited, based on the input judgment information; and

(d) controlling the output of the setting information to the interface, according to a result of the determination.

12. A control method of controlling a wireless communication device for encrypted communication, the wireless communication device having an interface that is used to read data from a portable recording medium, the control method comprising the steps of

(a) storing first setting information used for the encrypted communication;

(b) inputting second setting information from the portable recording medium, in which the second setting information is recorded, via the interface;

(c) determining whether update of the first setting information to the second setting information is to be permitted or prohibited, based on the first setting information and the second setting information; and

(d) controlling the update of the first setting information to the second setting information, according to a result of the determination.

13. A computer program product that is applied to control a wireless communication device for encrypted communication, which has an interface that is used to write data into a portable recording medium,

the computer program product comprising:

a first program code of storing setting information used for the encrypted communication;

a second program code of externally inputting judgment information, which is used to determine whether output of the setting information to the interface is to be permitted or prohibited;

a third program code of determining whether the output of the setting information to the interface is to be permitted or prohibited, based on the input judgment information;

a fourth program code of controlling the output of the setting information to the interface, according to a result of the determination; and

a computer readable medium in which the first to fourth program codes are stored.

14. A computer program product that is applied to control a wireless communication device for encrypted communication, which has an interface that is used to read data from a portable recording medium,

the computer program product comprising:

a first program code of storing first setting information used for the encrypted communication;

a second program code of inputting second setting information from the portable recording medium, in which the second setting information is recorded, via the interface;

a third program code of determining whether update of the first setting information to the second setting information is to be permitted or prohibited, based on the first setting information and the second setting information;

a fourth program code of controlling the update of the first setting information to the second setting information, according to a result of the determination; and

a computer readable medium in which the first to fourth program codes are stored.