Wireless perimeter security device and network using same
View Patent ↗A Radio Frequency based security system for providing security for wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) that allows the creation and maintenance of arbitrarily shaped secure wireless access areas with boundaries around said wireless Local Area Network and prevents access to the said wireless LAN from outside the perimeter of the secure area. The system includes a plurality of perimeter Radio Frequency Sentry Devices (RFSDs) that are employed to establish the boundaries of said secure area around said wireless LAN. The wireless LAN being secured may be an industry standard IEEE 802.11a, 801.11b or 802.11g based wireless LAN or any other wireless LAN that uses packet based communication protocols. The said RFSDs may be stand-alone devices or they may be connected to a wired or wireless Local Area Network.
1. A security-enhanced wireless communications system, comprising:
one or more primary wireless devices configured to communicate with one or more secondary devices so as to form a local area network (LAN) capable of communication at least in part by wireless packets; and
one or more communications security devices (CSDs) configured to cloak communications traffic to one or more external devices not associated with said LAN, wherein said primary and secondary devices are within a predetermined proximity defined by a network operations area (NOA),
wherein the one or more CSDs are respectively configured to track respective locations of the one or more external devices.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a central controller (CC) unit configured to communicate with said one or more CSDs, the CC unit having:
a control authority containing knowledge of said primary and secondary devices;
a central registry, wherein said one or more CSDs can respectively register themselves with the CC unit; and
a switchable communications means for enabling communication between said one or more CSDs and said CC unit.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein said communication between said one or more CSDS and said CC unit may be one of wired or wireless communication, and is bidirectional.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein said communication between said CC unit and said one or more CSDs is bidirectional.
5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the NOA is determined as a secured space that includes one of a physical dimension of an area having said primary and secondary devices resident therein or a locale.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said NOA is located in one or more floors of a building housing said LAN.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein said one or more CSDs includes CSDs which are positioned at a predetermined proximity to one another and in relation to physical dimensions of said NOA.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an associated central commander unit in wired or wireless communication with said one ore more CSDs; and
at least one wireless local area network (WLAN) having one or more access points (APs) within a locale, wherein said one or more CSDs includes one or more radio frequency security devices (RFSDs).
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said central commander includes a (CC) unit in communication with said one or more RFSDs, said CC unit having:
a control authority containing knowledge of said primary and secondary devices;
a central registry, wherein said RFSDs can respectively register themselves with the CC unit; and
a switchable communications means for enabling communication between said one or more RFSDs and said CC unit.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said communication between said CC unit and said one or more RFSDs is bidirectional, and wherein said locale is determined as being a physical perimeter dimension of a predetermined location having said one or more RFSDs proximate thereto and positioned in relation to one another.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein each of said one or more RFSDs can operate as a cloaking device.
12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising at least one wireless local area network (WLAN) having one or more access points (APs).
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the WLAN further includes said secondary devices, said secondary devices are capable of being in communication with said APs.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein said APs are communicably configured along a backbone of said LAN.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein said one or more RFSDs include:
a transmission means for transmitting data across the WLAN and LAN;
a receiver means for receiving data across the WLAN and LAN;
a controller means for controlling the one or more RFSDs, respectively, across the WLAN and LAN;
a power means for powering said one or more RFSDs singly or collectively; and
a directionally steerable communication means for enabling communications of said one or more RFSDs across the WLAN and LAN.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said transmission means includes a transmitter, said receiver means includes a receiver, said controller means includes a controller, said power means includes a powered source device, or said directionally steerable communication means includes an antenna.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein said powered source device includes a battery or an electrical current source.
18. A security-enhanced wireless communications system, comprising:
one or more primary wireless devices that are configured to communicate with one or more secondary devices so as to form at least in part a wireless local area network (WLAN) capable of communication at least in part by wireless packets; and
one or more communication security devices (CSDs) configured to alter one or more wireless packets of communications between said one or more primary wireless devices and said one or more secondary devices so as to make said one or more packets indecipherable to one or more external devices not associated with said WLAN,
wherein said one or more primary and secondary devices are located within a perimeter of a network operations area (NOA) and said one or more external devices are located outside of the perimeter of the NOA, the perimeter being proximately defined by locations of the one or more CSDs, and
wherein the one or more CSDs are respectively configured to track respective locations of the one or more external devices.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein each CSD of said one or more CSDs has capability to track and locate the one or more primary and secondary wireless devices.
20. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a central controller (CC) unit in communication with said one or more CSDs, the CC unit having:
a control authority having information related to said primary and secondary devices;
a central registry having information related to the one or more CSDs; and
a switchable wired or wireless communications means for enabling communication between said one or more CSDs and said CC unit.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein said communication between said CC unit and said one or more CSDs is bidirectional.
22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the NOA includes an area having one or more floors of a building that houses said primary and secondary devices.
23. The system of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the one or more secondary devices includes an access point (AP).
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein said AP is communicably coupled to a local area network (LAN).
25. The system of claim 18 , wherein said one or more CSDs respectively includes:
a transmission means for transmitting data across the WLAN;
a receiver means for receiving data across the WLAN;
a controller means for respective ones of the one or more CSDs;
a power means for powering said CSDs singly or collectively; and
a directionally steerable communication means for changing radiation patterns of the respective ones of the CSDs during said transmitting and said receiving.
26. The system of claim 25 , wherein said transmission means includes a transmitter, said receiver means includes a receiver, said controller means includes a controller, said power means includes a powered source device, or said directionally steerable communication means includes one or more antennas.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein said powered source device includes a battery or electrical current source.