Authentication method of ad hoc network and wireless communication terminal thereof

• US 7,869,601 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Manchu, Tetsuo, Fukuzawa, Yasuko, Ando, Eriko, Ishida, Shuichi, Matsui, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Tongoc
• Application Number:
  US11/293,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20060133613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270, 380/278, 713/169, 713/170, 713/171, 726/2
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

On ad hoc networks in which connection relationships among communication terminals constantly change, the processing load increases when authentication is performed each time a connection relationship changes. According to this invention, when communication terminals possess the same common key, mutual authentication is conducted with that common key, and when communication terminals do not possess the same common key, mutual authentication is conducted with a public key. Communication terminals that conducted mutual authentication exchange and retain a common key that they selected and common keys received from other communication terminals. When neither communication terminal possesses a common key at authentication, one terminal creates a common key and distributes it to the other terminal, and when one terminal has a common key it creates that common key and distributes it to the other terminal. Further, a common key possessed by a communication terminal corresponding to a relay node is broadcast periodically.

Claims

1. An authentication method of an ad hoc network that is configured by wireless communication terminals communicating with each other,

wherein, when a first wireless communication terminal and a second wireless communication terminal conduct mutual authentication, the authentication method comprises:

determining whether or not a common key that is commonly possessed by the first wireless communication terminal and the second wireless communication terminal exists;

conducting, when a common key that is commonly possessed does not exist, a first mutual authentication using a public key, and effecting commonly possessing a common key by the first wireless communication terminal and the second wireless communication terminal, when both of the terminals having successfully completed the first mutual authentication; and

conducting when a common key that is commonly possessed exists, a second mutual authentication between the first and the second wireless communication terminals with the common key;

wherein, in the effecting commonly possessing the common key;

when a common key does not exist in either the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal, the first wireless communication terminal generates a common key, and sends common key information including the common key to the second wireless communication terminal,

when a common key exists in the first wireless communication terminal and a common key does not exist in the second wireless communication terminal, the first wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key to the second wireless communication terminal, and

when a common key exists in the first wireless communication terminal and another common key also exists in the second wireless communication terminal, the first wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key that the first wireless communication terminal possesses to the second wireless communication terminal and the second wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key that the second wireless communication terminal possesses to the first wireless communication terminal.

2. The authentication method of an ad hoc network according to claim 1, wherein the common key information includes a common key generated by the own terminal and a common key included in common key information received from another terminal.

3. The authentication method of an ad hoc network according to claim 1, wherein a wireless communication terminal transmits common key information that the wireless communication terminal possesses to another adjacent wireless communication terminal.

4. A wireless communication terminal of an ad hoc network that is configured by wireless communication terminals communicating with each other, wherein the wireless communication terminal has:

means that performs a first mutual authentication between wireless communication terminals;

means that performs a second mutual authentication between wireless communication terminals using a common key;

means that sends a common key information message relating to a common key for mutual authentication;

means that receives a common key information message relating to a common key for mutual authentication;

means that stores a common key for mutual authentication; and

means that determines, when performing mutual authentication with another wireless communication terminal on the ad hoc network, whether or not a common key that is commonly possessed by the other wireless communication terminal exists;

wherein, when the means that determines whether or not a common key that is commonly possessed by the other wireless communication terminal exists determines that a commonly possessed common key does not exist, a first mutual authentication using a public key is conducted with the other wireless communication terminal by means that conducts the first mutual authentication between the wireless communication terminals, and effecting the wireless communication terminal that successfully completed the first mutual authentication and the other wireless communication terminal to possess a common key,

and when the means that determines whether or not a common key that is commonly possessed by the other wireless communication terminal exists determines that a commonly possessed common key exists, a second mutual authentication is conducted by means that uses the common key to conduct the second mutual authentication between the wireless communication terminal and the other wireless communication terminal using the common key;

wherein, in the effecting commonly possessing the common key;

when a common key does not exist in either the wireless communication terminal or the other wireless communication terminal, the wireless communication terminal generates a common key, and sends common key information including the common key to the other wireless communication terminal,

when a common key exists in the wireless communication terminal and a common key does not exist in the other wireless communication terminal, the wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key to the other wireless communication terminal, and

when a common key exists in the wireless communication terminal and another common key also exists in the other wireless communication terminal, the wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key that the wireless communication terminal possesses to the other wireless communication terminal and the other wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key that the other wireless communication terminal possesses to the wireless communication terminal.

5. The wireless communication terminal of an ad hoc network according to claim 4, wherein the common key information message includes a common key generated by the own terminal and a common key received from another terminal as a common key information list.

6. The wireless communication terminal of an ad hoc network according to claim 4, wherein the wireless communication terminal and another wireless communication terminal send and receive the common key information message to and from each other.

7. The wireless communication terminal of an ad hoc network according to claim 4, wherein the wireless communication terminal broadcasts the common key information message to other adjacent wireless communication terminals.

8. The wireless communication terminal of an ad hoc network according to claim 4, wherein the wireless communication terminal stores a common key generated by its own terminal and a common key received from another terminal as information on common keys that exist.

9. An authentication method of an ad hoc network that is configured by wireless communication terminals communicating with each other,

wherein, when a first wireless communication terminal and a second wireless communication terminal conduct mutual authentication, the authentication method comprises:

determining whether or not a common ad hoc network key for authentication to an ad hoc network is commonly possessed by the first wireless communication terminal and the second wireless communication terminal;

conducting, when the common ad hoc network key is not commonly possessed, a first mutual authentication using a public key, and if the first and the second wireless communication terminals belong to a predetermined ad hoc network group, effecting commonly possessing the common ad hoc network key by the first wireless communication terminal and the second wireless communication terminal, when both of the terminals having successfully completed the first mutual authentication; and

conducting when the common ad hoc network key is commonly possessed, a second mutual authentication between the first and the second wireless communication terminals with the common ad hoc network key to establish the first and the second wireless communication terminals as authenticated within the ad hoc network;

wherein, in the effecting commonly possessing the common key;

when a common key does not exist in either the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal, the first wireless communication terminal generates a common key, and sends common key information including the common key to the second wireless communication terminal,

when a common key exists in the first wireless communication terminal and a common key does not exist in the second wireless communication terminal, the first wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key to the second wireless communication terminal, and

when a common key exists in the first wireless communication terminal and another common key also exists in the second wireless communication terminal, the first wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key that the first wireless communication terminal possesses to the second wireless communication terminal and the second wireless communication terminal sends common key information including the common key that the second wireless communication terminal possesses to the first wireless communication terminal.