Communication Device, Communication System and Program

• US 20070192596A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Naoki
• Application Number:
  US11/277,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192596A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/166
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A communication device is configured to transmit data to which a predetermined security level is set to another communication device. The communication device is provided with a security level determining unit configured to determine a necessary security level to transmit the data in accordance with the security level set to the data, a security setting unit configured to re-set the security level that is determined by the security level determining unit to the data, a security procedure executing unit configured to apply a security procedure to the data so that a requirement of the security level set by the security setting unit is satisfied, and a data transmitting unit configured to transmit the data to which the security procedure has been applied.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a security level determining unit configured to determine a necessary security level to transmit data in accordance with a security level set to the data;

a security setting unit configured to re-set the security level that is determined by the security level determining unit to the data;

a security procedure executing unit configured to apply a security procedure to the data so that a requirement of the security level set by the security setting unit is satisfied; and

a data transmitting unit configured to transmit the data to which the security procedure has been applied.

2. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the security level determining unit determines a security level that is equal to or greater than the security level set to the data as the necessary security level in order to transmit the data.

3. The communication device according to claim 2,

wherein the security level includes a plurality of items, a security level being defined for each of the plurality of items, and

wherein the security level determining unit determines the necessary security level such that, for each of a plurality of items, the necessary security level is equal to or greater than the security level having been set to the data.

4. The communication device according to claim 2,

wherein the security level includes a plurality of items, a security level being defined for each of the plurality of items, and

wherein the security level determining unit determines the necessary security level such that, if one of the plurality of items of the necessary security level represents a lower security level than the corresponding item of the security level set to the data, the other items of the necessary security level are set to be greater than corresponding items of the security level set to the data.

5. The communication device according to claim 1,

further comprising a data receiving unit configured to received data,

wherein the security level determining unit determines the security level same as the security level set to the data received by the data receiving unit as the necessary security level for transmitting the data.

6. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the data transmitted to another communication device includes a data group having a plurality of pieces of data, and

wherein the security level determining unit determines the necessary security level for the data group.

7. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of communication devices connected to a network, each of the communication devices being configured to transmit data to which a predetermined security level is set to another communication device,

wherein the communication device includes;

a security level determining unit configured to determine a necessary security level to transmit the data in accordance with the security level set to the data;

a security setting unit configured to re-set the security level that is determined by the security level determining unit to the data;

a security procedure executing unit configured to apply a security procedure to the data so that a requirement of the security level set by the security setting unit is satisfied; and

a data transmitting unit configured to transmit the data to which the security procedure has been applied.

8. The communication system according to claim 7,

wherein the security level determining unit determines a security level that is equal to or greater than the security level set to the data as the necessary security level in order to transmit the data.

9. The communication system according to claim 8,

wherein the security level includes a plurality of items, a security level being defined for each of the plurality of items, and

wherein the security level determining unit determines the necessary security level such that, for each of a plurality of items, the necessary security level is equal to or greater than the security level having been set to the data.

10. The communication system according to claim 8,

wherein the security level includes a plurality of items, a security level being defined for each of the plurality of items, and

wherein the security level determining unit determines the necessary security level such that, if one of the plurality of items of the necessary security level represents a lower security level than the corresponding item of the security level set to the data, the other items of the necessary security level are set to be greater than corresponding items of the security level set to the data.

11. The communication system according to claim 7,

each of the communication devices further comprising a data receiving unit configured to received data,

wherein the security level determining unit determines the security level same as the security level set to the data received by the data receiving unit as the necessary security level for transmitting the data.

12. The communication system according to claim 7,

wherein the data transmitted to another communication device includes a data group having a plurality of pieces of data, and

wherein the security level determining unit determines the necessary security level for the data group.

13. A communication system, comprising:

a first communication device;

a second communication device configured to communicate with the first communication device through a communication path ensuring a first security; and

a third communication device configured to communicate with the first communication device at a second security which is lower than the first security,

wherein the first communication device includes;

a data receiving unit configured to receive data from the second communication device;

a security level setting unit configured to set a security level, in the communication path, to the data when the data is received from the data receiving unit;

a security level determining unit configured to determine a necessary security level that is necessary for transmitting the data, in accordance with the security level set by the security level setting unit;

a security level setting unit that sets the necessary security level to the data; and

a security procedure applying unit that applies a security procedure satisfying a requirement of the security level set by the security level setting unit to the data; and

a data transmitting unit that transmits the data to which the security procedure has been applied to the third communication device.

14. A computer program product for a communication device that transmits data to another communication device through a network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable instructions that cause a computer to:

determine a necessary security level to transmit the data in accordance with the security level set to the data;

re-set the security level that is determined by the security level determining unit to the data;

apply a security procedure to the data so that a requirement of the security level set by the security setting unit is satisfied; and

transmit the data to which the security procedure has been applied.