Wireless perimeter security device and network using same

• US 7,349,544 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Blueleaf, LLC
• Inventors: Tiwari, Sameer
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lipman; Jacob
• Application Number:
  US10/946,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20050089171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 380/277, 726/11
• US Class Current: 380/277
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/18 for wireless local area networks or WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/32 including a particular configuration of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/34 involving multiple cooperating jammers
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/43 characterized by the control of the jamming power, signal-to-noise ratio or geographic coverage area
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/46 characterized in that the jamming signal is produced by retransmitting a received signal, after delay or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/86 related to preventing deceptive jamming or unauthorized interrogation or access, e.g. WLAN access or RFID reading record carriers with integrated circuit chips including means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or to record carriers by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07318; arrangements for sensing record carriers including arrangements for protecting the interrogation against piracy attacks G06K7/10257
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A Radio Frequency based security system for providing security for wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) that allows the creation and maintenance of arbitrarily shaped secure wireless access areas with boundaries around said wireless Local Area Network and prevents access to the said wireless LAN from outside the perimeter of the secure area. The system includes a plurality of perimeter Radio Frequency Sentry Devices (RFSDs) that are employed to establish the boundaries of said secure area around said wireless LAN. The wireless LAN being secured may be an industry standard IEEE 802.11a, 801.11b or 802.11g based wireless LAN or any other wireless LAN that uses packet based communication protocols. The said RFSDs may be stand-alone devices or they may be connected to a wired or wireless Local Area Network.

This radio frequency based security system may also be employed to create arbitrarily shaped “no-WLAN” areas whereby any wireless networking device within said “no-WLAN” area will be unable to access any wireless LAN that might be in operation outside the boundary of the secure area.

Claims

1. A wireless network comprising:

at least one wireless device that transmits radio traffic; and

at least one radio frequency device (RFSD) for altering the radio traffic based upon a defined perimeter of the network, wherein the radio traffic is altered by deciphering of a transmitted wireless packet to determine the validity of the packet;

turning off or muting a receiver; and

transmitting new data, before the predicted end of transmission of the packet, causing the receiver of the original packet to receive an altered packet.

2. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein the radio traffic is altered to prevent excursion of radio traffic beyond the perimeter.

3. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein the at least one RFSD creates an invisible radio wail around a defined space outside of which the wireless radio traffic within the defined space is rendered invisible and indecipherable.

4. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein the radio traffic is altered to sanitize the defined perimeter of the network.

5. The wireless method of claim 1 wherein the altering can render wireless packets undecipherable wherein the transmission of data could be provided in a manner that any receivers in range cannot decipher the original data;

the length of transmission will be determined by the protocol in use; and

the power of transmission is determined by the amount of power reaching the receiver from the altering signal is similar to the original transmission.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the altering can render wireless packets undecipherable wherein the transmission of data could be provided in a manner that any receivers in range cannot decipher the original data;

the length of transmission will be determined by the protocol in use; and

the power of transmission is determined by the amount of power reaching the receiver from the altering signal is similar to the original transmission.

6. A method for providing security for a wireless network, the wireless network comprising at least one wireless device that transmits radio traffic, the method comprising:

altering the radio traffic based upon a defined perimeter of the network, wherein the radio traffic is altered by deciphering of a transmitted wireless packet to determine the validity of the packet;

turning off or muting a receiver; and

transmitting new data, before the predicted end of transmission of the packet, causing the receiver of the original packet to receive an altered packet.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the radio traffic is altered to prevent excursion of radio traffic beyond the perimeter.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the radio traffic is altered to sanitize the defined perimeter of the network.

10. A radio frequency security device (RFSD) comprising:

a plurality of radios;

a microcontroller coupled to the plurality of radios; and

a plurality of antennas communicating with the plurality of radios for receiving and transmitting radio traffic, wherein the (RFSD) alters radio traffic, wherein the radio traffic is altered by deciphering of a transmitted wireless packet to determine the validity of the packet;

turning off or muting a receiver; and

transmitting new data, before the predicted end of transmission of the packet, causing the receiver of the original packet to receive an altered packet.

11. The RFSD of claim 10 in which the radios use discrete components.

12. The RFSD of claim 10 in which the radios are a radio on a chip.

13. The RFSD of claim 10 in which the radios use a combination of discrete components and a radio on a chip.

14. The wireless method of claim 10 wherein the altering can render wireless packets undecipherable wherein the transmission of data could be provided in a manner that any receivers in range cannot decipher the original data;

the length of transmission will be determined by the protocol in use; and

the power of transmission is determined by the amount of power reaching the receiver from the altering signal is similar to the original transmission.

15. The RFSD of claim 10 which includes an radio direction finding (RDF) unit for determining the location of wireless packets.

16. The RFSD of claim 15 which comprises:

an antenna system which has a capability to determine signal strength comparisons at high speeds;

a capability to determine Time of Difference of Arrival (TDOA) comparisons at high speeds; and

a capability to determine phase difference measurements.

17. The RFSD of claim 16 wherein the antenna system comprises:

a plurality of directional antennas facing in different directions.

18. The RFSD of claim 16 therein the antenna system comprises:

a plurality of directional antennas facing in the same direction.

19. The RFSD of claim 16 wherein the antennas can be any of a Parabolic antenna, Yagi antenna, Patch antenna, Quad antenna, Bi-Quad antenna, Dish antenna, Collinear antenna, Vertical antenna, Dipole antenna and Phased Arrays antenna.

20. The RFSD of claim 16 therein the antennas have steering capability, for changing the radiation pattern and direction.

21. The RFSD of claim 16 wherein the antenna system includes hot antenna pluggable capability, where antennas can be removed and added without making any changes to the underlying hardware or software.

22. A wireless network comprising:

a plurality of wireless devices that transmit and redirect radio traffic;

at least one access point for communicating with the plurality of wireless devices; and

a plurality of radio frequency security devices (RFSDs), each of the RFSDs for altering the radio traffic based upon a defined perimeter of the network, wherein the radio traffic is altered by deciphering of a transmitted wireless packet to determine the validity the packet;

turning off or muting a receiver; and

transmitting new data, before the predicted end of transmission of the packet. causing the receiver of the original packet to receive an altered packet.

23. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein the radio traffic is altered to prevent excursion of radio traffic beyond the perimeter.

24. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein the at least one RFSD creates an invisible radio wall around a defined space outside of which the wireless radio traffic within the defined space is rendered invisible and indecipherable.

25. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein the radio traffic is altered to sanitize the defined perimeter of the network.

26. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein the plurality of RFSDs are placed on points boundary of the defined perimeters.

27. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs comprises:

a plurality of radios;

a microcontroller coupled to the plurality of radios; and

a plurality of antennas coupled to the plurality of radios for receiving and transmitting radio traffic, wherein the RFSD alters radio traffic.

28. The wireless network of claim 22 in which the radios use discrete components.

29. The wireless network of claim 22 in which the radios are a radio on a chip.

30. The wireless network of claim 22 in which the radios use a combination of discrete components and a radio on a chip.

31. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs operates in a stand alone manner.

32. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs can operate as a cloaking mechanism.

33. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs can operate as a dagger mechanism.

34. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs can operate as either a clock or a dagger mechanism.

35. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs has an infrared (IR) port.

36. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs has a Battery backup to provide backup coverage if there is a main power outage, and eventually to provide graceful shutdown of the device.

37. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs has a Reverse Engineering Proof Unit, comprising:

circuitry to burn out most of the critical circuitry including some of the PCB tracks with minimum visual damage;

Physical Electronic Key to allow access into the device; and

software based key to allow electrome access.

38. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs comprises a multi channel and multi band unit.

39. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs can be constructed as a single unit.

40. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs can be spread over a plurality of units.

41. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RESDs has the capability to derive power from regular power sources, wherein the regular power sources comprise any of AC outlets with adaptors or use Power over Ethernet (PoE).

42. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs has built in redundancy to support failover.

43. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs has a self tuning capability, comprising:

maintaining information about its surrounding peers and their status to maintain redundancy and self healing;

wherein its self tuning can be fired at preset intervals, where the RFSDs communicate with each other to map out an RF map of the area.

44. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein each of the RFSDs has the ability of tracking and locating wireless devices, inside and outside a secured space.

45. The wireless network of claim 22 which includes a Central Controller (CC), which will control the RFSDs, the CC comprises;

a control authority that holds knowledge of all other systems in place;

a central registry, where the RYSDs can register themselves with the CC;

wherein the RFSDs can communicate with each other via the CC, or lookup another RFSDs from CC and establish a direct contact with it;

a secure tunnel for communicating between the RFSDs and the CC, which can be switched on, to discourage theft and misuse; and

a distributed architecture for CC, where each CC talks to a set of RFSDs and send the information to the others.

46. The wireless network of claim 22 wherein the altering can render wireless packets undecipherable wherein the transmission of data could be provided in a manner that any receivers in range cannot decipher the original data;

the length of transmission will be determined by the protocol in use; and

the power of transmission is determined by the amount of power reaching the receiver from the altering signal is similar to the original transmission.

47. The wireless network of claim 22 which includes a radio direction finding (RDF) unit for determining the location of wireless packets.

48. The wireless network of claim 47 which comprises:

an antenna system which has a capability to determine signal strength comparisons at high speeds;

a capability to determine Time of Difference of Arrival (TDOA) comparisons at high speeds; and

a capability to determine phase difference measurements.

49. The wireless network of claim 48 wherein the antenna system comprises:

a plurality of directional antennas facing in different directions.

50. The wireless network of claim 48 wherein the antenna system comprises:

a plurality of directional antennas facing in the same direction.

51. The wireless network of claim 48 wherein the antennas can be any of a Parabolic antenna, Yagi antenna. Patch antenna, Quad antenna, Bi-Quad antenna, Dish antenna, Coilinear antenna, Vertical antenna, Dipole antenna and Phased Arrays antenna.

52. The wireless network of claim 48 wherein the antennas have steering capability, for changing the radiation pattern and direction.

53. The wireless network of claim 48 wherein the antenna system includes hot antenna pluggable capability, where antennas can be removed and added without making any changes to the underlying hardware or software.