Information processing apparatus

• US 20050273610A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaneda, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a verification unit for verifying validity of a certificate that certifies a communication party and a transmission unit for externally transmitting information for identifying the information processing apparatus and a result of verification of the certificate.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a verification unit configured to verify validity of a certificate that certifies a communication party; and

a transmission unit configured to externally transmit information for identifying the information processing apparatus and a result of verification of the certificate.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the verification unit verifies the validity of the certificate at predetermined intervals or at the time of an event occurrence.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit externally transmits information for identifying the information processing apparatus and information indicating invalidity if the result of verification indicates invalidity of the certificate.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits information for identifying the information processing apparatus, a result of verification of the certificate, and a request to update the certificate.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive a certificate for updating; and

an update unit configured to update the certificate using the received certificate for updating.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether the certificate is invalid based on an expiration date of the certificate,

wherein the transmission unit transmits a message indicating necessity of updating as the result of verification of the certificate if the certificate is not invalid, and

the transmission unit transmits a message indicating invalidity as the result of verification of the certificate if the certificate is invalid.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an invalidity-determination unit configured to determine whether the certificate is invalid based on an expiration date of the certificate; and

a usage-determination unit configured to determine whether the certificate is used if the certificate is invalid,

wherein the transmission unit transmits a message indicating necessity of updating and a request to transmit a certificate if the certificate is not invalid,

the transmission unit transmits a message indicating invalidity and a request to transmit a certificate if the certificate is invalid and the invalid certificate is used, and

the transmission unit transmits a message indicating invalidity if the certificate is invalid and the invalid certificate is not used.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a verification unit configured to verify validity of a built-in CA certificate; and

a transmission unit configured to externally transmit information for identifying the information processing apparatus and a result of verification of the built-in CA certificate.

9. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive information for identifying an external device having a certificate that certifies a communication party and a result of verification of the certificate in the external device;

a recording unit configured to record the received result of verification of the certificate; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit to the external device a message in response to the received information.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the reception unit receives information for identifying the external device, the result of verification of the certificate in the external device, and a request to update the certificate, and

the transmission means transmits a certificate for updating to the external device according to the request to update the certificate.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a generation unit configured to generate the certificate for updating.

12. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive information for identifying an external device and a result of verification of a CA certificate in the external device;

a recording unit configured to record the received result of verification of the CA certificate; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit to the external device a message in response to the received information.

13. An information processing method comprising:

verifying validity of a certificate that certifies a communication party; and

externally transmitting information for identifying an information processing apparatus and a result of verification of the certificate.

14. An information processing method according to claim 13, wherein verifying the validity of the certificate occurs at a predetermined interval or at the time of an event occurrence.

15. An information processing method according to claim 13, wherein the information for identifying the information processing apparatus and information indicating invalidity is externally transmitted if the verification indicates invalidity of the certificate.

16. An information processing method according to claim 13, wherein information for identifying the information processing apparatus, a result of verification of the certificate, and a request to update the certificate is transmitted.

17. An information processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a certificate for updating; and

updating the certificate using the received certificate for updating.

18. An information processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the certificate is invalid based on an expiration date of the certificate,

wherein a message indicating necessity of updating as the result of verification of the certificate if the certificate is not invalid is transmitted, and

wherein a message indicating invalidity as the result of verification of the certificate if the certificate is invalid is transmitted.

19. An information processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the certificate is invalid based on an expiration date of the certificate; and

determining whether the certificate is used if the certificate is invalid,

wherein a message indicating necessity of updating and a request to transmit a certificate if the certificate is not invalid is transmitted,

wherein a message indicating invalidity and a request to transmit a certificate if the certificate is invalid and the invalid certificate is used is transmitted, and

wherein a message indicating invalidity if the certificate is invalid and the invalid certificate is not used is transmitted.

20. Computer-executable process steps for causing a computer to execute the method of claim 13.

21. An information processing method comprising:

receiving information for identifying an external device having a certificate that certifies a communication party and a result of verification of the certificate in the external device;

recording the received result of verification of the certificate; and

transmitting to the external device a message in response to the received information.

22. An information processing method according to claim 21,

wherein information for identifying the external device, the result of verification of the certificate in the external device, and a request to update the certificate, is received, and

a certificate for updating to the external device according to the request to update the certificate is transmitted.

23. An information processing method according to claim 21, further comprising generating the certificate for updating.

24. Computer-executable process steps for causing a computer to execute the method of claim 21.

25. An information processing method comprising:

verifying validity of a built-in CA certificate; and

externally transmitting information for identifying an information processing apparatus and result of verification of the built-in CA certificate.

26. Computer-executable process steps for causing a computer to execute the method of claim 25.

27. An information processing method comprising:

receiving information for identifying an external device and a result of verification of a CA certificate in the external device;

recording the received result of verification of the CA certificate; and

transmitting to the external device a message in response to the received information.

28. Computer-executable process steps for causing a computer to execute the method of claim 27.