Title of Invention

"A PROCESS FOR THE INITIAL REGISTRATION OF A MOBILE TERMINAL (PC) AT AN ACCESS POINT (AP) OF A LOCAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK (LAN)"

Abstract The invention relates to a method for the initial login of an especially mobile terminal at an access point of a local communication network, whereby a first transmission power of a first ratio transmitter/radio receiver of the access point is reduced after detection of the terminal, in such a way that a transmission/reception process can only be carried out in a near field of the access point. The invention also relates to an access point and to a terminal for carrying out the method.
Full Text The invention relates to a process for the initial registration of a mobile terminal (PC) at an access point (AP) of a local communication network (LAN) according to claim 1, an access point for carrying out the method according to claim 8 and a terminal for carrying the method according to claim 9.
The merging of information networks and communication networks has resulted in data transmission networks such as local area networks (LANS) increasingly being equipped with wireless access points. These access points allow new network subscribers, also referred to as network nodes, to connect wirelessly to the LAN. This development even allows some networks of this type to exchange data predominantly or completely in a wireless manner.
These kinds of networks also provide scope for unauthorized access to data within the network so that many kinds of approaches have been developed in order to guarantee security.
One approach is to restrict the data exchange within the network to known network nodes, a new network node being made known to the network in that at the initial login, authentication data, generally keys for encrypting data during transmission, is exchanged with the respective access point.
One disadvantage results if this exchange takes place wirelessly. In this case, a possible attacker can intercept the authentication data, to pose as a known terminal for

unauthorized access and/or to decrypt the encrypted data by means of the key.
The object underlying the invention is to specify a method and an arrangement which allow unauthorized access to a local communication network with wireless access points to be prevented as far as possible.
This object is achieved by the method based on the preamble of Claim 1 by means of its characterizing features. Furthermore, the object is achieved by the access point based on the preamble of Claim 8 by means of its characterizing features and by the terminal based on Claim 9 by means of its characterizing features.
With the method according to the invention for the initial login of an especially mobile terminal at an access point of a local communication network according to Claim 1, a first transmission power of a first radio transmitter/radio receiver of the access point is reduced after detection of the terminal, in such a way that a transmit/receive process can only be carried out in a near field of the access point.
Opportunities for listening in by means of another terminal device (eavesdropper) not associated with the local communication network are at least considerably reduced by means of the unilateral reduction of the first transmission power of the first radio transmitter/radio receiver of the access point, so that a receive process is only possible in the near field of the access point. Above all an eavesdropper is prevented from evaluating security-related data typically transmitted during the initial login, e.g. authentication keys, since an eavesdropper is not generally in the near field of an access point and both the data from the access point and

the data from the terminal logging in for the first time is required for an evaluation, A further advantage is that Lerridiials need not be modified to implement this protection against eavesdropping attacks, for example the protection can even be guaranteed if the terminals are not able to change their transmission power.
With one possible development of the invention a signaling directed at the terminal is implemented advantageously after detection by the access point, which causes the terminal to reduce a second transmission power of a second radio transmitter/radio receiver, the second transmission power being reduced such that a transmit/receive process can only take place in a near field of the terminal, the signaling taking place prior to reducing the first transmission power. In this way neither data transmitted from the access point nor data to be sent by the terminal during the course of the login process can be intercepted by an eavesdropper outside the near field, thereby completely preventing evaluation of the exchanged data.
The signaling preferably takes place by transmitting a first message, which is provided to indicate a received first signal level determined by the access point, in particular a Received Signal Strength Indicator RSSI value, whereby a second signal level, particularly having a higher value, is indicated instead of the first signal level provided. The advantage of this development is the easier implementation thereby rendered possible in already existing systems, which at least partially use transmission via radio, since every radio communication standard essentially reserves the transmission of this type of message as feedback information for the source of the respective signal. This development thus allows terminals to support the method according to the invention without

rnoditication. Only the access points have to be configured such that they use this message reserved according to radio
to signal such a high received signal level irrespective of the level of the signal level actually received, that the terminal (source) reduces its transmission power to such an extent that data can only be received in a near field of the terminal.
If the signaling contains a second message, which prompts the terminal to instruct the user of the terminal to move the terminal into the near field of the access point, unwanted interruption of the data exchange to implement the initial login of the terminal, because the user of the terminal does not know that they have to remain with the terminal in the near field of the access point for the initial login, is prevented.
In a further embodiment, the message is retransmitted after the expiry of a predetermined time interval to ensure that the second message achieves the desired effect, i.e. to make the user aware. To ensure that this message can be received by the terminal, the first transmission power is at least temporarily increased to a level existing at the time of detection.
It is also possible for retransmission to be repeated periodically after expiry of the predetermined time interval
in each instance, so that it can be excluded with greater
i
probability that the user has not taken note of the message.
If the first and second radio transmitter/radio receiver function according to a short-range radio standard, the already short transmission distance with this standard is further reduced, so that an eavesdropper is noticed if they

attempt to move into the near field covered by the first and second radio transmitter/receiver. In addition, radio transmitters/radio receivers of more recent generations, particularly radio transmitter/radio receivers operating according to the Bluetooth standard, comprising chip sets which allow variation of the transmission power in a terminal.
The inventive access point and the inventive terminal are distinguished by their means for implementing the process, so that the process according to the invention is supported in the corresponding system.
According to the invention a for process for the initial registration of a mobile terminal (PC) at an access point (AP) of a local communication network (LAN), comprising a first transmission power of a first radio transmitter/radio receiver (TRX1) of the access point such that a transmit/receive process can only be carried out in a near field of the access point (AP) directing the signaling directed at the terminal (PC) after detection by the access point (AP) is implemented, which prompts the terminal (PC) to reduce (S2) a second transmission power of a second radio transmitter/radio receiver (TRX2) of the terminal, the second transmission power being reduced such that a transmit/receive process can only be carried out in a near field of the terminal (PC), and the signaling only taking place prior to reduction of the first transmission power, the signaling takes place by transmitting a first message which is provided to indicate a received first signal level determined by the access point (AP), in particular a first signal level Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value (S2), whereby a second, signal level is

particular having a higher value is indicated instead of the first signal level.
According to the invention, access Point (AP) compromises means (uPl, TRXl) for carrying out the process as hereinbefore described
Further details and advantages of the invention are detailed in the Figures 1 to 2, in which;
Figure 1 shows a representation of an arrangement scenario, in which an attempted eavesdropping attack would be possible
Figure 2 shows a flow diagram of the method according to the invention used in an arrangement according to the Scenario.
Figure 1 shows an arrangement for example, which according to the invention protects against an attempted eavesdropping, this being achieved in that a terminal not yet known to a local network LAN, operating according to the Bluetooth standard in the exemplary embodiment shown, is located in a first radio coverage are Nl of an access point AP in the local network LAN.
This first radio coverage area Nl is provided by a first radio transmitter/radio receiver TRXl, a first transmission power of the first radio transmitter/radio receiver TRXl having a value

controlled by a first microprocessor uPl, which .limits the range of the first radio coverage area Nl to a near field of the access point AP, in other words having a radius amounting in general to a few decimeters, alternatively even up to a meter.
In addition to the first radio coverage area Nl, with this exemplary embodiment the second radio coverage area N2 of a terminal PC to be logged in for the first time is limited to a near field of generally the same range as the range of the first radio coverage area N2. This is achieved by controlling a second transmission power of a second radio
transmitter/radio receiver TRX2 of the terminal PC by means of a second microprocessor yP2 (Bluetooth chipset).
The access point AP is located within the second radio coverage area N2 so that data transmission is possible in both directions without any problem, an attempted eavesdropping attack by another unregistered terminal LA being prevented or at least rendered more difficult in that it is not located within the two artificially limited radio coverage areas Nl, N2.
An initial login, which is referred to as a pairing process according to the Bluetooth Standard, is particularly critical because during this process a Bluetooth terminal is authenticated on a one-time basis with a network by the transmission of keys and is stored from then on as a known, trusted terminal or trusted device, so that interception of this information (keys) would allow an eavesdropper further unauthorized access to the network.
The arrangement shown in Figure 1 protects against these types of attack by means of the exemplary embodiment of the method

according to the invention, the flow diagram of which is shown In Figure 2 .
The flow diagram shown in Figure 2 shows the steps to be carried out within the scope of the method according to the invention in the scenario described above.
Generally the method starts with an unknown terminal PC being detected by the access point AP, the access point AP thus having 'Unknown Bluetooth terminal' status in a first step SI.
Starting from this first step SI, an artificially increased received signal level is then generally signaled (RSSI value) to the Bluetooth terminal PC in a subsequent second step S2 . Artificially increased in this instance means that the actual signal level value determined is generally not signaled, but according to the invention such a high value that the terminal PC reduces its transmission power to a level which results in a second radio coverage area N2 of the terminal PC, which is limited to a near field.
If the method is used a radio system having terminals, which do not support control of the transmission power, the second step S2 can be dispensed with. Alternatively, it is also possible for the second step S2 to be carried out deliberately even if it is a terminal PC which does not support control. In this case eavesdropping protection is only ensured by the access point AP reducing its transmission power in a third step S3 to a value which limits the first radio coverage area Nl to a near field.
In contrast, if the terminal PC supports control of the transmission power, as assumed for this exemplary embodiment, protection against a possible eavesdropper LA is ensured both

by reducing the transmission power of the access point AP in the third step S3 and also by reducing the transmission power of the terminal PC in a fourth step 34.
Subsequently it is verified in a fifth step S5 whether the terminal PC is located in the range of the first radio transmitter/radio receiver TRXl of the access point AP, this being realized for example in that no response is transmitted to the access point on the part of the terminal PC.
This fifth step S5 is repeated in a loop, i.e. requests are sent to the terminal PC, until a response is received, so that it is clear that the terminal is located in the near field of the access point.
To accelerate and/or support this, alternatively and or in addition a message can also be transmitted with the signaling in the second step, which prompts the terminal PC to instruct its user that to move into the near field of the access point AP with the terminal for this pairing process.
Alternatively this request can be made for the first time in conjunction with the fifth step, and/or be periodically repeated after each negative detection result, in order to provide the user with feedback that they are possibly not yet near enough to the access point AP.
If detection in the fifth step S5 indicates that the terminal PC is located in the near field of the access point AP, as shown in Figure 1, the actual pairing process can be started in the sixth step S6, and the method according to the invention terminated.





We claim :-
1. A process for the initial registration of a mobile
terminal (PC) at an access point (AP) of a local
communication network (LAN), comprising a first
transmission power of a first radio transmitter/radio
receiver (TRX1) of the access point such that a
transmit/receive process can only be carried out in a
near field of the access point (AP) directing the
signaling directed at the terminal (PC) after detection
by the access point (AP) is implemented, which prompts
the terminal (PC) to reduce (S2) a second transmission
power of a second radio transmitter/radio receiver (TRX2)
of the terminal, the second transmission power being
reduced such that a transmit/receive process can only be
carried out in a near field of the terminal (PC), and the
signaling only taking place prior to reduction of the
first transmission power, the signaling takes place by
transmitting a first message which is provided to
indicate a received first signal level determined by the
access point (AP), in particular a first signal level
Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value (S2),
whereby a second, signal level is particular having a
higher value is indicated instead of the first signal
level.
2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
signaling (S2) contains a second message which prompts
the terminal (PC) to instruct the user of the terminal
(PC) to move the terminal (PC) into the near field of the
access point (AP).
3. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the message
is retransmitted after the expiry of a predetermined time
interval, the first transmission power being increased at

least temporarily to this end to a level existing at the time of detection.
4. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein
retransmission is periodically repeated after expiry of
each predetermined time interval.
5. A process as claimed in any of the preceding claims
wherein the first and second radio transmitters/radio
receivers (TRXl, TRX2) operate according to a short-range
radio standard, in particular according to the Bluetooth
standard.
6. A process for the initial registration of a mobile
terminal (PC) at an access point (AP) of a local
communication network (LAN) as claimed in claim 1 wherein
the said access points comprises means (uPl, TRXl) for
carrying out the said process.
7 . A process for the initial registration of a mobile terminal (PC) at an access point (AP) of a local communication network (LAN) substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1124-delnp-2005-abstract.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-claims.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-complete specifiction (granted).pdf

1124-delnp-2005-correspondence-others.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-correspondence-po.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-description (complete).pdf

1124-delnp-2005-drawings.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-form-1.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-form-13.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-form-18.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-form-2.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-form-3.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-form-5.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-gpa.pdf

1124-delnp-2005-petition-137.pdf


Patent Number 227737
Indian Patent Application Number 1124/DELNP/2005
PG Journal Number 05/2009
Publication Date 30-Jan-2009
Grant Date 19-Jan-2009
Date of Filing 22-Mar-2005
Name of Patentee SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Applicant Address WITTELSBACHERPLATZ 2, 80333 MUNICH, GERMANY.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 JATSCHKA, THOMAS HAUSWEINGARTEN 21/1/11, A-2102 KLEINENGERSDORF, AUSTRIA.
PCT International Classification Number H04L 12/28
PCT International Application Number PCT/EP03/010637
PCT International Filing date 2003-09-24
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 102 44 462.5 2002-09-24 Germany