JP2008113128A - Radio communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radio communication device capable of saving user's trouble when data needed for authentication for radio communication are registered without using a wired communication interface. <P>SOLUTION: The radio communication device 10 which transmits and receives data with frames based upon radio communication standards, includes a memory 12 which stores one or more serial numbers of a radio communication device as a communication partner, a radio communication processing unit 13 which transmits a frame for authentication wherein a serial number prestored in the memory 12 is set to the radio communication device of the communication partner when the radio communication device of the communication partner performs authentication, and an authentication judgement unit 14 which judges authentication when the radio communication processing unit 13 receives a reply frame according to the frame for authentication. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication apparatus that performs processing related to wireless communication.

  In recent years, the development of communication technology has been remarkable, and wireless communication technology has attracted more and more attention because it further improves the convenience of users who use wireless networks, such as eliminating the complexity of wired networks. However, various problems may occur due to heavy use of wireless communication technology.

  For example, one of the problems is a problem related to security. If a wired network is used as a communication means, information is transmitted via a cable, so the risk of eavesdropping on information from a third-party communication device is small. However, when a wireless network is used as a communication means, information is transmitted via radio waves, so that there is a high possibility that information is wiretapped from a third party communication device that is not a wireless network participant.

  Therefore, as an example of an authentication procedure before the communication device establishes wireless communication, the USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface of the host PC and the USB interface of the printing apparatus are connected with a USB cable. By transmitting the setting command to the printing apparatus via the USB cable in accordance with the instruction, the wireless communication is started after both the host PC and the printing apparatus have the key (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

In addition, an access point and a wireless LAN terminal are wirelessly connected to the wireless LAN network, and the ID data of the wireless LAN terminal is stored in advance in the access point, and the user attaches a USB key to the wireless LAN terminal. Then, the wireless LAN terminal transmits the ID data stored in the access point to the access point, and the access point is wireless only when the transmitted ID data matches the previously stored ID data. A method for performing communication has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2005-217657 A JP 2006-5398 A

  However, in the communication method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary for the user to connect with a USB cable and perform wired communication before performing wireless communication. In addition, in the communication method of Patent Document 2, the user is required to start communication every time wireless communication is started. Therefore, the communication method disclosed in any patent document is very troublesome for the user. In addition, in any communication method disclosed in any patent document, the wireless communication apparatus has a USB wired communication interface that is not originally required for the wireless communication system, and the scale of the configuration of the wireless communication apparatus increases. End up.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems. When registering data necessary for authentication when performing wireless communication without using a wired communication interface, the user's effort is reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication device that can be reduced.

A wireless communication device according to the present invention is a wireless communication device that transmits and receives data in a frame that complies with a wireless communication standard, a memory that stores one or more serial numbers of a wireless communication device of a communication partner, and the wireless communication device of the communication partner When authenticating, a wireless communication processing unit that transmits the authentication frame in which the serial number stored in advance in the memory is set to the wireless communication device of the communication partner, and according to the authentication frame The wireless communication processing unit has a configuration including an authentication determination unit that determines authentication when a response frame is received.
With this configuration, the authentication frame in which the serial number stored in advance in the memory is set is transmitted to the wireless communication device of the communication partner, and the authentication determination is performed when the response frame corresponding to the authentication frame is received. It is not necessary for the user to set a serial number necessary for authentication every time communication is started and to start authentication, and it is possible to reduce time and effort of the user by automatically performing authentication when performing wireless communication.

In the wireless communication device of the present invention, when the wireless communication processing unit receives the authentication frame, the serial number set in the received authentication frame is stored in advance in the memory. If the number matches the number, the response frame is transmitted to the transmission source of the authentication frame.
With this configuration, when the serial number set in the received authentication frame matches the serial number stored in advance in the memory, the response frame is transmitted to the transmission source of the authentication frame. User authentication can be reduced by automatically performing authentication when performing communication.

In the wireless communication device of the present invention, when the wireless communication processing unit receives the authentication frame, the serial number set in the received authentication frame is stored in advance in the memory. If the number does not match, the transmission of the authentication frame to the transmission source is prohibited for a certain period.
With this configuration, if the serial number set in the received authentication frame does not match the serial number stored in the memory in advance, transmission to the transmission source of the authentication frame is prohibited for a certain period. Safety can be maintained by not communicating with a wireless communication device.

Further, in the wireless communication device of the present invention, the wireless communication processing unit transmits the authentication frame in which the serial number and the MAC address of the wireless communication device of the communication partner corresponding to the serial number are set. It has the structure which transmits to the radio | wireless communication apparatus of a communicating party.
With this configuration, since the authentication frame in which the serial number and MAC address are set is transmitted to the wireless communication device of the communication partner, the serial number and the MAC address need only be transmitted once, thereby reducing the amount of communication traffic. Can do.

In the wireless communication device of the present invention, when the wireless communication processing unit transmits the authentication frame and the reply frame, the wireless communication device is encrypted with the public key of the wireless communication device of the communication partner, and the encrypted When the authentication frame and the response frame are received, the authentication frame is decrypted with its own decryption key.
With this configuration, when transmitting the authentication frame and the response frame, the encryption key is encrypted with the public key of the wireless communication device of the communication partner, and when the encrypted authentication frame and the response frame are received, the decryption key of itself is received. Therefore, the confidentiality of data transmitted and received at the time of authentication can be improved.

In the wireless communication device of the present invention, when the wireless communication device is connected to a computer and a program for performing wireless communication installed in the computer is started, the wireless communication processing unit Is transmitted to the wireless communication device of the communication partner.
With this configuration, when a program for performing wireless communication installed in a computer is activated, an authentication frame is transmitted to the wireless communication device of the communication partner, so that the user's effort can be reduced.

The wireless communication apparatus of the present invention has a configuration in which the authentication frame and the response frame have a structure in which a field for setting a serial number is provided in the IEEE 802.11 series frame format. .
With this configuration, authentication can be performed with a simple frame structure.

In the wireless communication device of the present invention, the public key used when transmitting a frame to the counterpart wireless communication device is a key based on the serial number of the counterpart wireless communication device, and the counterpart key The decryption key used when receiving a frame from the wireless communication apparatus is configured to be a decryption key paired with the public key based on the serial number.
With this configuration, since the key based on the serial number uses a public key and a decryption key paired with the public key, encrypted communication can be easily performed.

  As described above, the present invention provides a wireless communication apparatus capable of reducing the user's trouble when registering data necessary for authentication when performing wireless communication without using a wired communication interface. Is.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the present invention will be described using an example regarding an IEEE 802.11 series wireless LAN. The present invention is not limited to IEEE802.11 series wireless LAN communication, but may be communication conforming to a wireless communication standard such as Wireless-USB.

  FIG. 1 is an example of a configuration diagram of a wireless communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication device 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a data transmission / reception unit 11, a memory 12, a wireless communication processing unit 13, and an authentication determination unit 14.

  Each of the data transmitting / receiving unit 11, the memory 12, the wireless communication processing unit 13, and the authentication determining unit 14 may be configured by an electronic circuit, for example, or may be formed on the same chip.

  Note that the wireless communication device 10 transmits and receives data after establishing a link with the wireless communication device of the communication partner. The wireless communication device 10 can be a host that requests authentication when establishing a link with a wireless communication device that is a communication partner, or a terminal (device) that receives this request.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the data transmission / reception unit 11 is a USB interface when transmitting / receiving data to / from an external device such as a personal computer 20 or a multifunction device, and connects the external device and the wireless communication device 10 with a USB cable. In addition, data is transmitted / received to / from an external device in accordance with the USB standard.

  The data transmitting / receiving unit 11 is not limited to the USB interface unit, but may be a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) interface unit or an IEEE 1394 interface unit.

  Further, when the wireless communication device 10 is not connected to and communicates with an external device such as a personal computer 20 or a multifunction device, but is a mobile terminal having a CPU that executes a program, the data transmission / reception unit 11 Data is transmitted to and received from the CPU via a program that executes an application of a mobile terminal.

  The memory 12 stores data that is DMA (Direct Memory Access) transferred from an external device such as the personal computer 20, and outputs the data to the wireless communication processing unit 13 when the data is transmitted to the wireless communication device of the communication partner. Yes. Note that the memory 12 stores a serial number (identification number), a MAC address, and the like of the communication partner wireless communication device stored in advance.

  The wireless communication processing unit 13 converts the data stored in the memory 12 into a frame conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series, modulates the converted frame into an RF signal, and transmits the RF signal via the antenna 9. The wireless communication processing unit 13 receives an RF signal via the antenna 9 and demodulates the received RF signal into a frame.

  The wireless communication processing unit 13 encrypts the frame with the public key before modulating the frame into the RF signal when encrypting the frame transmitted / received to / from the wireless communication apparatus of the communication partner using the public key method. You may do it. Further, when the radio communication processing unit 13 demodulates the RF signal received from the communication partner into an encrypted frame, the wireless communication processing unit 13 may decrypt the encrypted frame with a decryption key paired with the public key. Good.

  When the wireless communication device 10 is a host, the wireless communication processing unit 13 sets a serial number stored in advance in the memory 12 when establishing a link with a wireless communication device of a communication partner according to the IEEE 802.11 series. The generated authentication frame is generated, and the generated authentication frame is transmitted to the wireless communication apparatus of the communication partner.

  When the wireless communication device 10 is a terminal, the authentication determination unit 14 is included in the authentication frame received by the wireless communication processing unit 13 when establishing a link with a wireless communication device of a communication partner according to the IEEE 802.11 series. It is determined whether or not the serial number matches the serial number stored in advance in the memory 12.

  When the wireless communication processing unit 13 determines that the authentication determination unit 14 matches the serial number, the wireless communication processing unit 13 returns a reply frame to the transmission source, and when the authentication determination unit 14 determines that the serial number does not match, Transmission to the wireless communication apparatus of the host is prohibited for a certain period.

  Further, when the wireless communication device 10 is a host, the authentication determination unit 14 receives a reply frame from the wireless communication processing unit 13 when establishing a link with a wireless communication device of a communication partner according to the IEEE 802.11 series. As a result of the authentication determination, for example, the establishment of the link is permitted when the initial authentication is successful.

  If the wireless communication device 10 serving as the host does not receive a response frame after a certain period of time has passed since the authentication frame is transmitted to the terminal, the establishment of the link is not permitted because the initial authentication has failed.

  The operation of the wireless communication apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation on the host side when a link is established with the wireless communication device of the communication partner.

  First, the user connects the personal computer 20 and the wireless communication device 10 with a USB cable, and starts a program for performing wireless communication introduced into the personal computer 20, or this program is started when the personal computer 20 is started. The At this time, the wireless communication processing unit 13 generates an authentication frame in which a serial number stored in advance in the memory 12 is set when establishing a link with the wireless communication device of the communication partner (S1).

  When the wireless communication device 10 is a mobile terminal or the like, step S1 may be performed when the power switch is turned on.

  FIG. 3 shows an authentication frame and a response frame. The frame shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a field for newly setting a serial number in the IEEE 802.11 series MAC frame format, and a MAC in which information such as a destination MAC address and a source MAC address is set. It consists of a header part, a serial number, a frame body part in which data is set, and an FCS field.

  Although not particularly illustrated, a bit indicating the type of the authentication frame or the response frame may be present in the frame, and this bit may be turned ON according to the type of the frame.

  Next, the wireless communication processing unit 13 encrypts the generated authentication frame with the communication partner's public key (S2), and transmits the encrypted authentication frame to the communication partner's wireless communication device via the antenna 9. (S3).

  Subsequently, the wireless communication apparatus of the communication partner that has received the encrypted authentication frame decrypts the authentication frame with its own decryption key, and the serial number set in the decrypted authentication frame is its own serial number. If the number matches, the response frame is encrypted with the public key of the wireless communication device 10 and transmitted to the wireless communication device 10.

  Thereafter, the wireless communication processing unit 13 receives the response frame (S4), and decrypts the received response frame with the decryption key of the wireless communication device 10 (S5). Next, the authentication determination unit 14 confirms the communication partner from the MAC address included in the response frame, and permits establishment of a link on the assumption that the initial authentication is successful (S6).

  The wireless communication processing unit 13 checks whether there is a serial number that has not yet been selected among the serial numbers stored in the memory 12 (S7), and selects any serial number that has not been selected, Step S1 is performed again.

  When there is no serial number that has not been selected, the wireless communication processing unit 13 starts communication with the communication partner permitted to establish the link in step S7 (S8). Note that if the wireless communication apparatus 10 does not receive a response frame after a certain period of time has passed since the authentication frame is transmitted to the terminal, the establishment of the link is not permitted because the initial authentication has failed. Steps S1 to S8 described above are all automatically performed.

  As a specific example, FIG. 4 shows a conceptual diagram when a plurality of wireless communication devices exist in the wireless network. Note that the wireless network in FIG. 4 represents a wireless LAN identified by BSS or IBSS. In this wireless network, a wireless communication device 10A, a wireless communication device 10B, a wireless communication device 10C, and a wireless communication device 10D are included. It is connected. The wireless communication device 10A stores the serial numbers in the memory 12 in the order of the wireless communication device 10B, the wireless communication device 10C, and the wireless communication device 10D.

  The wireless communication device 10A as the host authenticates in the order of the wireless communication device 10B, the wireless communication device 10C, and the wireless communication device 10D as shown in FIG. 4 based on the order of the serial numbers stored in the memory 12 in advance. Link is established with the wireless communication device 10B, the wireless communication device 10C, and the wireless communication device 10D.

  The wireless communication device 10 serving as a host may be either an AP (access point) or an STA (station), but only the serial number of the AP is stored in the memory 12 of the wireless communication device 10 serving as the STA, It is desirable that the wireless communication device 10 to be communicated only with the wireless communication device 10 to be an AP.

  In step S8 described above, it is confirmed whether there is a serial number that has not yet been selected among the serial numbers stored in the memory 12, but it may be confirmed by other methods.

  For example, if a specific wireless communication device 10 among a plurality of wireless communication devices 10 is a communication partner, the user can be set to communicate with only the specific wireless communication device 10, and in step S8, It may be checked whether there is a serial number that has not yet been selected among specific serial numbers determined by user settings.

  Further, when the wireless communication device 10 serving as a terminal is not in a communication start state because the power is not turned on or the like, the wireless communication device 10 serving as a host does not receive a response frame corresponding to the authentication frame. The authentication frame may be retransmitted to the wireless communication apparatus 10 that does not transmit a response frame after a certain period of time has elapsed since the frame was transmitted.

  In addition, when a frame transmitted and received between the wireless communication device 10 serving as a host and the wireless communication device 10 serving as a terminal is encrypted by a public key method, the wireless communication device 10 serving as a host stores the memory 12 in advance. A key based on each serial number is used as a public key, and a decryption key paired with the public key based on the serial number is generated. The serial number itself may be used as a public key. Tabular information that identifies the corresponding public key and decryption key from the MAC address of the wireless communication device 10 serving as a terminal corresponding to the serial number may be stored in the memory 12.

  The wireless communication device 10 serving as a terminal may transmit the encrypted information to the wireless communication device 10 serving as a host, using the serial number transmitted from the wireless communication device 10 serving as a host as an encryption key. At that time, the wireless communication device 10 serving as the host receives the encrypted information, identifies the decryption key from the encrypted MAC address of the wireless communication device 10, and decrypts the information encrypted with the identified decryption key. To do.

  As described above, the wireless communication apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention transmits an authentication frame in which a serial number stored in advance in the memory 12 is set to the wireless communication apparatus of the communication partner, and Since authentication is determined when a response frame corresponding to the frame is received, it is not necessary for the user to set a serial number necessary for authentication each time wireless communication is started and authentication is started. By performing it automatically, the user's trouble can be reduced.

Configuration diagram of a wireless communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention Flow chart of host-side operation when establishing link with wireless communication device of communication partner Diagram showing authentication and response frames Conceptual diagram when there are multiple wireless communication devices in the wireless network

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Wireless communication apparatus 11 Data transmission / reception part 12 Memory 13 Wireless communication processing part 14 Authentication determination part 20 Personal computer

Claims (8)

In a wireless communication device that transmits and receives data in a frame compliant with the wireless communication standard,
A memory that stores one or more serial numbers of wireless communication devices of communication partners;
A wireless communication processing unit for transmitting an authentication frame in which the serial number stored in advance in the memory is set to the wireless communication device of the communication partner when the wireless communication device of the communication partner is authenticated;
A wireless communication apparatus comprising: an authentication determination unit that determines authentication when the wireless communication processing unit receives a response frame corresponding to the authentication frame.   When the wireless communication processing unit receives the authentication frame, if the serial number set in the received authentication frame matches the serial number stored in advance in the memory, the response The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is transmitted to a transmission source of the authentication frame.   When the wireless communication processing unit receives the authentication frame, if the serial number set in the received authentication frame does not match the serial number stored in advance in the memory, the authentication The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transmission of a transmission frame to a transmission source is prohibited for a certain period.   The wireless communication processing unit transmits the authentication frame in which the serial number and the MAC address of the communication partner wireless communication device corresponding to the serial number are set to the communication partner wireless communication device. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a wireless communication device.   The wireless communication processing unit encrypts the authentication frame and the response frame by encrypting with the public key of the communication partner wireless communication device when transmitting the authentication frame and the response frame. 5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when receiving, the wireless communication apparatus performs decryption with its own decryption key.   When the wireless communication device is connected to a computer and a program for performing wireless communication installed in the computer is started, the wireless communication processing unit transmits the authentication frame to the wireless communication device of the communication partner. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a wireless communication device.   7. The authentication frame and the response frame have a structure in which a field for setting a serial number is provided in an IEEE 802.11 series frame format. A wireless communication device according to 1. The public key used when transmitting a frame to the partner wireless communication device is a key based on the serial number of the partner wireless communication device as a public key, and when the frame is received from the partner wireless communication device. 6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the decryption key used for the communication is a decryption key that is paired with a public key based on the serial number.

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