Wireless Communication Apparatus Using Segmented NFC Tokens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for setting association information in wireless communication systems are cumbersome and insecure, allowing outsiders to easily intercept communications or make unauthorized wireless connections, and managing NFC tokens with both association and user identification information is troublesome.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication system that includes a first storage medium for association information and a second storage medium for user identification information, with a communication apparatus that performs wireless communication to receive and validate this information, and only establishes a connection if user authentication is successful, using NFC tokens to facilitate secure and intuitive setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If association information is exchanged using conventional In-Band or Out-Of-Band methods, then wireless connection can be established, but the procedures become cumbersome and security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the NFC token functionality into two distinct storage media: one dedicated to association information (encryption keys, authentication data) and another to user identification information. This segmentation allows the system to selectively exchange only necessary information through NFC, simplifying the operation while maintaining security by preventing unauthorized access to complete credential sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary medium to transfer association information. Instead of direct wireless exchange between communication apparatuses, the camera captures and transmits the association information through its image processing capabilities. This intermediary approach simplifies the exchange process while enhancing security, as the information is transmitted through a controlled channel rather than direct peer-to-peer wireless communication.
2Ease of operation
If NFC tokens contain both association information and user identification information, then setup is simplified, but management becomes troublesome and security is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the NFC token into two separate storage media: one containing association information and another containing user identification information. This segmentation simplifies management by allowing independent handling of each information type, reduces security risks by preventing both information types from being stored together, and maintains setup simplicity through the use of multiple lightweight NFC tokens rather than complex single-token systems.
3Reliability
If association information is exchanged before wireless communication, then secure communication is enabled, but the setup process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/wireless exchange method with an optical system using the camera. The camera captures association information as an image and transmits it optically to the communication apparatus. This substitution significantly reduces setup time while maintaining security, as the optical transmission is rapid and can be performed through the camera's existing imaging capabilities without requiring dedicated wireless communication channels for the exchange process.
Data Source
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AI summary
A communication apparatus includes a first communication unit (33) that performs a wireless communication with two storage media (3, 4) that store therein association information for establishing a wireless connection and user identification information for identifying a user, respectively, and receives the association information and the user identification from the two storage media; a determination unit (27) that performs user authentication based on the user identification information, determines whether or not to validate the association information based on the user authentication, and if the association information is determined to be valid, sets the association information; and a second communication unit (34) that establishes a wireless connection based on the association information set by the determination unit.