Communication device and communication method

• US 7,948,925 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoneda, Yoshihiro, Kuroda, Seiji, Ishikawa, Yasuharu, Takada, Kazuo, Sueyoshi, Masahiro, Miyabayashi, Naoki, Soma, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): EBRAHIM, ANEZ C
• Application Number:
  US12/367,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 370/386, 370/389, 370/474, 370/395.21, 370/412, 370/401, 370/316, 455/40, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/552, 713/169, 713/168, 713/171, 713/189, 726/9, 726/20, 726/26
• US Class Current: 370/302
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A communication device has a first communication section that supports a first communication mode having a low communication rate and a second communication section that supports a second communication mode having a higher communication rate than the first communication mode. The communication device includes a packet generation section and a communication control section. The packet generation section generates a first portion containing authentication information used for connection authentication for the second communication mode and a second portion other than the first portion. The communication control section performs control to cause the first communication section to transmit the first portion and to cause the second communication section to transmit the second portion after the connection authentication succeeds using the authentication information contained in the first portion.

Claims

1. A communication device having a first communication section that supports a first communication mode having a low communication rate and a second communication section that supports a second communication mode having a higher communication rate than the first communication mode, the communication device comprising:

a packet dividing section configured to divide a communication packet for the first communication mode into a first portion containing authentication information used for a connection authentication for the second communication mode and a second portion other than the first portion;

an information adding section configured to add, to the first portion, information regarding the second portion obtained as a result of division performed by the packet dividing section; and

a communication control section configured to perform a control to cause the first communication section to transmit the first portion to which the information regarding the second portion has been added by the information adding section, and to cause the second communication section to transmit the second portion after the connection authentication succeeds using the authentication information contained in the first portion.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the information adding section adds, to the first portion, mode identification information for identifying the second communication mode, and, in a case in which a target communication device does not support the second communication mode, the communication control section causes the first communication section to transmit the communication packet for the first communication mode, the communication packet including the first portion and the second portion.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second portion contains type information indicating a type of an application using the second communication mode and option information used for launching an application indicated by the type information, and the type information and the option information are used to launch the application.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first portion further includes a list of communication protocols that are usable by the second communication section and a list of option information used for a connection authentication for each communication protocol included in the list.

5. A communication device having a first communication section that supports a first communication mode having a low communication rate and a second communication section that supports a second communication mode having a higher communication rate than the first communication mode, the communication device comprising:

a packet dividing section configured to divide a communication packet for the first communication mode into a first portion containing authentication information used for a connection authentication for the second communication mode and a second portion other than the first portion;

an information adding section configured to add, to the first portion, division information indicating whether or not the first portion is a portion obtained as a result of division and mode identification information for identifying the second communication mode; and

a communication control section configured to perform a control to cause the first communication section to transmit the first portion to which the division information and the mode identification information have been added by the information adding section, and to cause the second communication section to transmit the second portion after the connection authentication succeeds using the authentication information contained in the first portion,

wherein in a case in which a target communication device does not support reception of a packet which is obtained as a result of division, the communication control section causes the first communication section to transmit the communication packet for the first communication mode, the communication packet including the first portion and the second portion.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the second portion contains type information indicating a type of an application using the second communication mode and option information used for launching an application indicated by the type information, and the type information and the option information are used to launch the application.

7. The communication device according to claim 5,

wherein the first portion further includes a list of communication protocols that are usable by the second communication section and a list of option information used for a connection authentication for each communication protocol included in the list.

8. A communication device having a first communication section that supports a first communication mode having a low communication rate and a second communication section that supports a second communication mode having a higher communication rate than the first communication mode, the communication device comprising:

a communication control section configured to perform a control such that a communication packet for the first communication mode is divided into a first portion containing authentication information used for a connection authentication for the second communication mode and a second portion other than the first portion, and the first communication section is caused to receive a communication packet obtained by adding information regarding the second portion to the first portion;

a determination section configured to determine, in accordance with the information regarding the second portion, whether or not the second communication section supports a reception of the second portion obtained as a result of division; and

a connection authentication section configured to authenticate a connection performed by the second communication section in accordance with the authentication information,

wherein the communication control section performs a control such that the second communication section receives the second portion after the determination section has determined that the reception of the second portion is supported and the connection performed by the second communication section is successfully authenticated by the connection authentication section.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the second portion contains type information indicating a type of an application using the second communication mode and option information used for launching an application indicated by the type information, and the type information and the option information are used to launch the application.

10. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the first portion further includes a list of communication protocols that are usable by the second communication section and a list of option information used for a connection authentication for each communication protocol included in the list.

11. A communication method for a communication device having a first communication section that supports a first communication mode having a low communication rate and a second communication section that supports a second communication mode having a higher communication rate than the first communication mode, the communication method comprising:

dividing a communication packet for the first communication mode into a first portion containing authentication information used for a connection authentication for the second communication mode and a second portion other than the first portion;

adding, to the first portion, information regarding the second portion obtained as a result of division in the dividing;

transmitting, from the first communication section, the first portion to which the information regarding the second portion has been added in the adding;

authenticating a connection by using the authentication information contained in the first portion; and

transmitting, from the second communication section, the second portion after the connection authentication succeeds.

12. A communication method for a communication device having a first communication section that supports a first communication mode having a low communication rate and a second communication section that supports a second communication mode having a higher communication rate than the first communication mode, the communication method comprising:

dividing a communication packet for the first communication mode into a first portion containing authentication information used for a connection authentication for the second communication mode and a second portion other than the first portion;

adding, to the first portion, division information indicating whether or not the first portion is a portion obtained as a result of division and mode identification information for identifying the second communication mode;

transmitting, from the first communication section, the first portion to which the division information and the mode identification information have been added in the adding;

authenticating a connection by using the authentication information contained in the first portion; and

transmitting, from the second communication section, the second portion after the connection authentication succeeds,

wherein, in the transmittings, in a case in which a target communication device does not support a reception of a packet which is obtained as a result of division, the communication packet for the first communication mode, the communication packet including the first portion and the second portion, is transmitted by the first communication section.

13. A communication method for a communication device having a first communication section that supports a first communication mode having a low communication rate and a second communication section that supports a second communication mode having a higher communication rate than the first communication mode, the communication method comprising:

dividing a communication packet for the first communication mode into a first portion containing authentication information used for a connection authentication for the second communication mode and a second portion other than the first portion, and receiving, by the first communication section, a communication packet obtained by adding information regarding the second portion to the first portion;

determining, in accordance with the information regarding the second portion, whether or not the second communication section supports a reception of the second portion obtained as a result of division; and

authenticating a connection performed by the second communication section in accordance with the authentication information,

wherein the second communication section receives the second portion in the receiving after it is determined in the determining that the reception of the second portion is supported and the connection performed by the second communication section is successfully authenticated in the authenticating.