Wireless base station and wireless communication terminal and wireless communication system

• US 8,902,871 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mukai, Tsutomu, Takai, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Albert T
• Application Number:
  US13/607,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/329, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/681 using addresses for wireless personal area networks or wireless sensor networks, e.g. Zigbee addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Provided is a wireless communication system transmitting information to a communication terminal moving through a spot wireless area. In an integrated base station, an external information communication section controls communication with a server. A contents memory section stores contents received from the server. A wireless LAN communication section communicates with the communication terminal. A control section establishes connection with the communication terminal using a first connection not requiring an authentication procedure for connection with the communication terminal, or using a second connection requiring the authentication procedure for connection with the communication terminal. An access control (restriction) section permits access from the communication terminal to the contents memory section and prohibits access to the server when a type of connection with the communication terminal is the first connection, and permits access from the communication terminal to the contents memory section and to the server in the case of the second connection.

Claims

1. A wireless base station connected to a wireless communication terminal, the wireless base station comprising:

a wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a predetermined communication method; and

a control section that controls the wireless communication section,

wherein the control section controls the wireless communication section to establish a connection with the wireless communication terminal by using (i) a first connection which does not require an authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminal, or (ii) a second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminal,

wherein the wireless communication section includes;

a first wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a first wireless communication method; and

a second wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a second wireless communication method, and

wherein, prior to the first wireless communication section starting communication with the wireless communication terminal, the control section controls the second wireless communication section, and transmits, to the wireless communication terminal, profile information that is necessary for the first wireless communication section to communicate with the wireless communication terminal.

2. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein the wireless base station is connected to a server that distributes contents, the wireless base station further comprising:

an external communication control section that controls communication with the server; and

an access restriction section that monitors a type of connection with the wireless communication terminal, and for restricting access for a connection from the wireless communication terminal to the server or to the wireless base station,

wherein the access restriction section (i) prohibits access from the wireless communication terminal to the server when the type of connection with the wireless communication terminal is the first connection, and (ii) permits access from the wireless communication terminal to the server when the type of connection with the wireless communication terminal is the second connection.

3. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein the profile information includes communication channel information or identification information of the first wireless communication section.

4. The wireless base station according to claim 3, wherein the profile information further includes encrypting information necessary to encrypt a first wireless communication performed by the first wireless communication section.

5. The wireless base station according to claim 3, wherein the profile information further includes startup information that causes the wireless communication terminal to start a communication function based on the first wireless communication method.

6. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication section operates by using a lower power than the first wireless communication section.

7. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication method establishes a connection with the wireless communication terminal in a shorter period of time than the first wireless communication method.

8. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication method is a broadcasting type communication method that simultaneously transmits information to a plurality of the wireless communication terminals.

9. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication method is a broadcasting type communication method that simultaneously transmits information to a plurality of the wireless communication terminals.

10. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of a second wireless communication area, which is an area enabling communication using the second wireless communication method, is overlapped with a first wireless communication area, which is an area enabling communication using the first wireless communication method.

11. The wireless base station according to claim 10, wherein the second wireless communication area is located within the first wireless communication area.

12. A wireless communication terminal connected to a wireless base station, the wireless communication terminal comprising:

a wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless base station in accordance with a predetermined communication method; and

a control section that controls the wireless communication section,

wherein the control section controls the wireless communication section to establish a connection with the wireless base station by using (i) a first connection which does not require an authentication procedure for connection with the base station, or (ii) a second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless base station,

wherein the wireless communication section includes;

a first wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless base station in accordance with a first wireless communication method; and

a second wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless base station in accordance with a second wireless communication method, and

wherein, prior to the first wireless communication section starting communication with the wireless base station, the control section controls the second wireless communication section, and receives, from the wireless base station, profile information that is necessary for the first wireless communication section to communicate with the wireless base station.

13. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 12,

wherein the wireless communication section receives, from the wireless base station, metadata relating to the contents, and

wherein the terminal control section includes:

a user attribute extraction section that extracts user attribute information; and

a request contents filter section that (i) filters the metadata received from the wireless base station so as to obtain contents which strongly coincide with the extracted user attribute information, and (ii) generates the information regarding the contents request.

14. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 12,

wherein the wireless communication section includes:

a first wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless base station in accordance with a first wireless communication method; and

a second wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless base station in accordance with a second wireless communication method, and

wherein, prior to the first wireless communication section starting communication with the wireless base station, the control section controls the second wireless communication section, and transmits, to the wireless base station, profile information that is necessary for the first wireless communication section to communicate with the wireless base station.

15. A wireless communication system comprising a wireless communication terminal and a wireless base station,

wherein the wireless base station comprises:

an access restriction section that monitors a type of connection with the wireless communication terminal, and that restricts access for a connection from the wireless communication terminal to the server or to the wireless base station;

a base-station-side wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a predetermined communication method; and

a base-station-side control section that controls the base-station-side wireless communication section,

wherein the base-station-side control section controls the base-station-side wireless communication section to establish a connection with the wireless communication terminal by using (i) a first connection which does not require an authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminal, or (ii) a second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminal,

wherein the access restriction section (i) prohibits access from the wireless communication terminal to the server when the type of connection with the wireless communication terminal is the first connection, and (ii) permits access from the wireless communication terminal to the server when the type of connection with the wireless communication terminal is the second connection,

wherein the wireless communication terminal comprises;

a terminal-side wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless base station in accordance with a predetermined communication method;

a terminal-side control section that controls the terminal-side wireless communication section; and

a terminal-side control section that transmits information regarding a contents request to the wireless base station,

wherein the terminal-side control section controls the terminal-side wireless communication section to establish a connection with the wireless base station by using (i) the first connection which does not require the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless base station, or (ii) the second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless base station,

wherein the base-station-side wireless communication section includes;

a first base-station-side wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a first wireless communication method; and

a second base-station-side wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a second wireless communication method, and

wherein, prior to the first base-station-side wireless communication section starting communication with the wireless communication terminal, the base-station-side control section controls the second base-station-side wireless communication section, and transmits, to the wireless communication terminal, profile information that is necessary for the first base-station-side wireless communication section to communicate with the wireless communication terminal.

16. A method implemented by a wireless base station connected to a wireless communication terminal, the method comprising:

a wireless communication controlling step of controlling communication with the wireless communication terminal,

wherein the wireless communication controlling step establishes a connection with the wireless communication terminal by using (i) a first connection which does not require an authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminal, or (ii) a second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminal,

wherein the wireless communication controlling step further comprises;

a first wireless communication controlling step of controlling communication with the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a first wireless communication method; and

a second wireless communication controlling step of controlling communication with the wireless communication terminal in accordance with a second wireless communication method, and

wherein the second wireless communication controlling step performs transmitting, to the wireless communication terminal, profile information that is necessary for the first wireless communication step.

17. A method implemented by a wireless communication terminal connected to a wireless base station, the method comprising:

a wireless communication step of communicating with the wireless base station in accordance with a predetermined communication method,

wherein the wireless communication step establishes a connection with the wireless base station by using (i) a first connection which does not require an authentication procedure for connection with the wireless base station, or (ii) a second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless base station,

wherein the wireless communication controlling step further comprises;

a first wireless communication step of communicating with the wireless base station in accordance with a first communication method; and

a second wireless communication step of communicating with the wireless base station in accordance with a second communication method, and

wherein the second wireless communication controlling step performs receiving, from the wireless base station, profile information that is necessary for the first wireless communication step.