Security system for apparatuses in a wireless network

• US 20060045271A1
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schreyer, Oliver, Budde, Wolfgang Otto, Lelkens, Armand, Helbig, Tobias
• Application Number:
  US10/521,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20060045271A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

The invention relates to a security system for wireless networks, comprising a portable unit (1) with a key unit (3) for making a key record (4, 17, 104) available and being provided for short-range information transmission of the key record (4, 17, 104). At least one wireless apparatus (2) of the network is provided with a receiving unit (7) comprising a receiver (9) for receiving the key record (4, 17, 104) and an evaluation component (11) of the apparatus for storing, processing and/or passing on the key record (4, 17, 104) or a part of the key record to a second component. Due to the key record, the apparatuses of the wireless network acquire a secret shared key with which the encryption and decryption of the transmitted useful data and/or the authentication is performed. The unit (101) may further comprise a reading device (107) for a chip card (108), which chip card (108) preferably comprises the decoding key record (104) of copy-protected digital data.

Claims

1. A security system for networks, particularly wireless networks, comprising

a portable unit (1, 13, 101) with a key unit (3, 103) for making a key record (4, 17, 104) available and being provided for short-range information transmission of the key record (4, 17, 104), and

at least one receiving unit (7, 107) in at least one apparatus (2, 102) of the network, comprising a receiver (9) for receiving the key record (4, 17, 104) and an evaluation component (11) of the apparatus for storing, processing and/or passing on the key record (4, 17, 104) or a part of the key record to a second component.

2. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the unit (1, 13, 101) comprises at least one triggering unit (5, 15, 105a, 105b, 105c) for triggering a short-range transmission of information, particularly a short-range information transmission of the key record (4, 17, 104).

3. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, upon a user'"'"'s approach to the receiving unit (7, 107), a detector unit in the unit (1, 13, 101) triggers the short-range information transmission of the key record (4, 17, 104).

4. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the key unit (3) comprises a key generator (14) for generating a sequence of guest key records (17).

5. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (2, 102) is provided for erasing the key record (17, 104).

6. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the key record (4, 17, 104) consists of a bit sequence.

7. A security system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the bit sequence comprises characterizing bits used for distinguishing and characterizing key records (4, 17, 104).

8. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the unit (1, 13, 101) is a part of an apparatus, particularly a remote control unit.

9. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the key record (4, 17, 104) is supplied during or before a network configuration, particularly an automatic network configuration, of an apparatus (2, 102).

10. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus (2, 102) is provided for authentication, encryption and/or decryption, by means of a key in the key record (4, 17, 104), of useful data (109) transmitted between the apparatuses of the network.

11. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the key unit comprises a memory (3, 103a) for storing a worldwide unambiguous key record (4, 104).

12. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the key unit (103) comprises a reading device (107) for reading a mobile data memory, particularly a chip card (108) having a decoding key record (104) stored thereon.

13. A security system as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the key unit (3) comprises a writing device (107) for writing data into the mobile data memory (108).

14. A security system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the unit (101) and the apparatus (2, 102) are adapted to transmit a confirmation (104′

) by the apparatus (2, 102) to the unit (101), indicating the consequence of performing an instruction transmitted from the unit (101) to the apparatus (2, 102).

15. A security system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the confirmation (104′

) comprises an identification code for the apparatus (2, 102).

16. A security system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the key unit (3) is adapted to

store useful data in the mobile data memory (108), allowing the management of key records (104) read from the data memory (108) and installed on apparatuses (2, 102), and

block the transmission of a key record (104) from the mobile data memory (108) to an apparatus (2, 102) in case said useful data comply with a predetermined criterion.

17. A security system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the unit (101) comprises a triggering unit (105c) whose activation causes the apparatus (2, 102) to erase a key record (104).

18. A portable unit (1, 13, 101) for installing a key in at least one apparatus (2, 102) of a wireless network comprising a key unit (3, 103) for providing a key record (4, 17, 104) which is provided for short-range information transmission of the key record.

19. An electric apparatus (2, 102) with a receiving unit (7, 107) comprising a receiver (9) for receiving a key record (4, 17, 104) and an evaluation component (11) of the apparatus (2, 102) for storing, processing and/or passing on the key record or a part of the key record to a second component (10).