Radio communication system, radio communication apparatus and method, and program

• US 7,594,021 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2004
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirata, Shinichi, Togashi, Ko, Ihori, Shoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US10/816,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20040259552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-229, 709/217, 709/218, 709/203, 709/250, 380/270
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A radio communication system and apparatus is disclosed wherein setting necessary for communication with a desired radio communication apparatus with which a user wants to communicate can be performed with certainty by an operation system familiar to the user and a high security level can be assured for the communication which uses the setting. When a first radio communication apparatus receives a request for communication information necessary for communication through a radio network from a second radio communication apparatus through a radio circuit, it transmits identification information for the radio network and information regarding the security set in advance as communication information therein to the second radio communication apparatus through the radio circuit. The second radio communication apparatus sets the communication information to itself. The invention can be applied to a radio LAN for which a household electric appliance is used.

Claims

1. A radio communication apparatus which communicates with a different radio communication apparatus by radio communication through a radio network, comprising:

switching means for selecting a first mode or a second mode;

setting means in which first information for identification of said radio network and second information regarding the security are set as communication information necessary for communication through said radio network; and

transmission control means for controlling, when request information for requesting for transmission of the communication information is received from said different radio communication apparatus by radio communication, transmission of the first and second information to said different radio communication apparatus as a response to the request information by radio communication in the first mode, and transmitting the first and second information from said radio communication apparatus to the different radio communication apparatus without receiving request information in the second mode.

2. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request information is a probe request.

3. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a management frame is utilized for the transmission of the request information and the communication information.

4. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first information is a Service Set Identification.

5. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second information is a Wired Equivalent Privacy key.

6. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising encryption means for encrypting the communication information at least once, said transmission control means controlling the transmission of the communication information encrypted by said encryption means.

7. A radio communication method for a radio communication apparatus which communicates with a different radio communication apparatus by radio communication through a radio network, comprising:

selecting a first mode or a second mode;

controlling, when request information for requesting for transmission of communication information necessary for communication through said radio network is transmitted from said different radio communication apparatus to said radio communication apparatus by radio communication, transmission of first information for identification of said radio network and second information regarding the security set as communication information in said radio communication apparatus in advance by radio communication from said radio communication apparatus to said different radio communication apparatus as a response to the request information in the first mode, and transmitting the first and second information from said radio communication apparatus to the different radio communication apparatus without receiving request information in the second mode.

8. A computer readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, which controls a radio communication apparatus which communicates with a different radio communication apparatus by radio communication through a radio network, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:

selecting a first mode or a second mode;

controlling, when request information for requesting for transmission of communication information necessary for communication through said radio network is transmitted from said different radio communication apparatus to said radio communication apparatus by radio communication, transmission of first information for identification of said radio network and second information regarding the security set as communication information in said radio communication apparatus in advance by radio communication from said radio communication apparatus to said different radio communication apparatus as a response to the request information in the first mode, and transmitting the first and second information from said radio communication apparatus to the different radio communication apparatus without receiving request information in the second mode.