Communication device, communication system, and communication method

A communication system, comprising:

• a first network configured to support a virtual network;
• a first communication device configured to transmit a first packet, which includes virtual network identifying information, through the first network;
• a second network configured to transfer a second packet, the second packet being encrypted based on a security parameter selected according to a destination MAC address of the second packet;
• a second communication device configured to connect the second network;
• and
• a third communication device configured to receive the first packet from the first network, to convert a destination MAC address of the first packet to the destination MAC address of the second packet using the identifying information of the virtual network, to encrypt the second packet based on the security parameter selected according to the destination MAC address of the second packet, and to multicast the encrypted second packet to the second network,
• wherein the first network is based on IEEE 802.3-2002, the virtual network is a VLAN based on IEEE 802.1Q-2003, the second network is based on IEEE 802.11-1999, the encryption is based on IEEE 802.11i-2004, and the destination MAC address of the second packet is comprised of at least a portion of the destination MAC address of the first packet and a portion of the virtual network identifying information of the first packet.

A communication method for receiving a first packet from a first network including a virtual network, and for transmitting a second packet to a second network, the method comprising:

• receiving the first packet from the first network;
• converting a destination MAC address of the first packet to a destination MAC address of the second packet using virtual network identifying information of the first packet;
• encrypting the second packet based on a security parameter selected according to the destination MAC address of the first packet;
• and multicasting the encrypted second packet to the second network, wherein the first network is based on IEEE 802.3-2002, the virtual network is a VLAN based on IEEE 802.1Q-2003, the second network is based on IEEE 802.11-1999, the encrypting is based on IEEE 802.11i-2004, and the destination MAC address of the second packet is comprised of at least a portion of the destination MAC address of the first packet and a portion of the virtual network identifying information of the first packet.

A communication device, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a first packet from a virtual network;
• a converter configured to convert the first packet having destination MAC address and virtual network identifying information to a second packet having a destination MAC address addressed to a second network;
• a selector configured to select a security parameter based at least in part on at least one characteristic of the second packet;
• an encryption device configured to encrypt the second packet based on the security parameter;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit the encrypted second packet to the second network,
• wherein the first network is based on IEEE 802.3-2002, the virtual network is a VLAN based on IEEE 802.1Q-2003, the second network is based on IEEE 802.11-1999, the encryption is based on IEEE 802.11i-2004, and the destination MAC address of the second packet is comprised of at least a portion of the destination MAC address of the first packet and a portion of the virtual network identifying information of the first packet.

A communication system, comprising:

• a first network having a virtual network;
• a first communication device configured to transmit a first packet having virtual network identifying information of the virtual network on the first network;
• and
• a second communication device configured to receive the first packet from the first communication device via the first network, to convert a destination MAC address of the first packet to a destination MAC address of a second packet for transmission to a second network based on the virtual network identifying information of the first packet, and to encrypt the second packet, wherein the first network is based on IEEE 802.3-2002, the virtual network is a VLAN based on IEEE 802.1Q-2003, the second network is based on IEEE 802.11-1999, the encryption is based on IEEE 802.11i-2004, and the destination MAC address of the second packet is comprised of at least a portion of the destination MAC address of the first packet and a portion of the virtual network identifying information of the first packet.