File transfer system for secure remote file accesses

• US 20030061350A1
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Itaru, Masuoka, Yoshimasa, Imaki, Tsuneyuki, Sagawa, Nobutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,269,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In a file transfer system, a file stored in a server computer is transmitted to a client computer through a network. A portable mobile apparatus also connectable to the network has a transmission requesting means for requesting the server computer that the user of the mobile apparatus be authenticated and a desired file be transmitted from the server computer to the client computer. The server computer has a communication control unit for transmitting the desired file requested by the mobile apparatus to the client computer after authenticating the user of the mobile apparatus.

Claims

1. A file transfer system transferring a file stored in a second computer to a first computer through a network in response to a request made by a third computer to transfer the file and in dependence on a result of authentication of the third computer wherein:

the third computer, which is portable and connectable to the network, has a transmission requesting means for requesting the second computer that the third computer be authenticated and a file be transmitted from the second computer to the first computer; and

the second computer has a means for finding the file requested by the third computer and a transmission means for transmitting the file to the first computer after authenticating the third computer.

3. A file transfer system according to claim 1 wherein:

the transmission means for transmitting the file from the second computer to the first computer has an encryption means for encrypting the file prior to transmission of the file; and

the first computer has a decryption means for decrypting the file received from the second computer.

5. A file transfer system according to claim 3 wherein:

the encryption means in the second computer encrypts the file by using an encryption key received from the third computer; and

the decryption means in the first computer decrypts the encrypted file by using the encryption key received from the third computer.

6. A file transfer system according to claim 5 wherein:

the second computer comprises a plurality of distributed computers;

the third computer requests the distributed computers to transmit their respective files to the first computer; and

the first computer receives the respective files from the distributed computers.

7. A file transfer system according to claim 1 wherein:

the third computer has a means for transferring software required for receiving a file to the first computer; and

the first computer receives the file from the second computer by using the transferred software.

8. A file transfer system according to claim 1 wherein:

the first computer has a means for transmitting the file to the third computer; and

the third computer has a means for transferring a file received from the first computer to the second computer.

10. A file transfer system according to claim 1 wherein:

the first computer has;

an information generating means for generating information to be used as a basis by a transmission requesting means in the third computer to request the second computer; and

a means for transmitting the information to the third computer; and

the transmission requesting means in the third computer requests the second computer that the third computer be authenticated and a file be transmitted from the second computer to the first computer on the basis of the information received from the first computer.

11. A file transfer system according to claim 10 wherein:

the third computer has a file list transmitting means for transmitting a file list to the first computer; and

the information generated by the information generating means in the first computer to be used as a basis by the transmission requesting means in the third computer to request the second computer is a file selected by the information generating means from the file list.

12. A file transfer system according to claim 1 wherein the second computer has:

a means charging a usage fee to a user of the third computer on the basis of a transmission request from the third computer; and

an accounting means for computing an amount of money to be paid to the first or second computer.

2. A file transfer system for transferring a file stored in a second computer to a first computer through a network in response to a request made by a third computer to transfer the file and in dependence on a result of authentication of the third computer wherein:

the third computer, which is portable and connectable to the network, has a transmission requesting means for requesting the second computer that the third computer be authenticated and a file be transmitted from the second computer to the first computer;

the second computer has a means for finding the file requested by the third computer and a means for transmitting the file to a fourth computer after authenticating the third computer;

the first computer has a means for requesting the fourth computer that the file received from the second computer be transferred to the first computer; and

the fourth computer has a means for transmitting the file to the first computer in response to a request received from the first computer.

4. A file transfer system according to claim 2 wherein:

the transmission means for transmitting the file from the second computer to the fourth computer has an encryption means for encrypting the file prior to transmission of the file; and

the first computer has a decryption means for decrypting the file received from the second computer.

9. A file transfer system for transferring a result of processing carried out by a second computer to a first computer through a network based on a request for authentication of a third computer and a request for a transfer of the result, which are received from the third computer, wherein:

the third computer, which is portable and connectable to the network, has a means for requesting the second computer that the third computer be authenticated and the processing be carried out; and

the second computer has;

a means for carrying out the processing requested by the third computer after authenticating the third computer; and

a transmission means for transmitting the result of the processing to the first computer.

13. A file transferring program for transferring a file stored in a second computer to a first computer through a network in response to a request made by a third computer to transfer the file and in dependence on a result of authentication of the third computer, the program implementing functions of the second computer through the steps of:

authenticating the third computer as requested by the third computer, which is portable and connectable to the network;

finding the file specified by a file transmission request made by the third computer among files stored in the second computer; and

transmitting the file to the first computer specified by the file transmission request.

14. A file transferring program according to claim 13 wherein the step of transmitting the file from the second computer to the first computer includes an encryption step of encrypting the file prior to transmission of the file.

15. A file transferring program according to claim 14 whereby, at the encryption step, the file is encrypted with an encryption key received from the third computer.