Authentication Proxy Method, Distribution Management Device, And Authentication Proxy Method Program

• US 20070289007A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Inventors: Tanaka, Satoru, Kagoshima, Tetsuro, Miyayama, Shinsuke, Iida, Yutaka, Terauchi, Keiji
• Application Number:
  US10/589,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20070289007A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity

Abstract

[Problem] To obtain an authentication proxy method, a distribution management device to be proxy for authentication, etc. in which a user does not have to be aware of authentication in distribution of contents needing authentication.

[Means for Resolution] A distribution management device 22 for managing distribution of signals including data of contents to a mobile communication network 10 determines whether a contents providing server 31 on another communication network 30 has made a transmission request for a signal including authentication data in response to a distribution request for a signal including data of contents which request has been sent from a mobile terminal device 11 through the mobile communication network 10. When it is concluded that the transmission request has been made, the distribution management device 22 creates a signal including the authentication data for the mobile terminal device 11 and transmits the created signal to the contents providing server 31.

Claims

1. An authentication proxy method characterized by including the steps of:

determining whether a transmission request for a signal including authentication data has been made from a contents providing server to a terminal device or not; and

creating a signal including the authentication data for the terminal device and transmitting the created signal to the contents providing server when it is concluded that the transmission request has been made.

2. An authentication proxy method characterized in that a distribution management device for managing distribution of signals including data of contents to one communication network performs:

determining whether a transmission request for a signal including authentication data has been made from a contents providing server on another communication network in response to a distribution request for a signal including data of contents from a terminal device through the one communication network or not; and

creating a signal including the authentication data for the terminal device and transmitting the created signal to the contents providing server when it is concluded that the transmission request has been made.

3. An authentication proxy method according to claim 2, characterized by including the steps of:

searching authentication data stored in a storage means in advance, so as to acquire authentication data corresponding to the terminal device, the contents or the contents providing server; and

creating a signal including the acquired authentication data.

4. A distribution management device characterized in that:

the distribution management device is provided between one communication network and another communication network; and

when a transmission request for a signal including authentication data for a terminal device on the one communication network has been made from a contents providing server on the other communication network, the distribution management device creates a signal including the authentication data for the terminal device and transmits the created signal to the contents providing server.

7. A distribution management device according to claim 4, characterized in that the data of the contents are data in a streaming format, and the signal including the authentication data is a signal created according to RTSP.

8. A distribution management device according to claim 4, characterized in that the one communication network is a mobile communication network for wireless communication with mobile terminal devices.

15. A distribution management device according to claim 7, characterized in that the one communication network is a mobile communication network for wireless communication with mobile terminal devices.

5. A distribution management device characterized in that:

the distribution management device is provided between one communication network and another communication network; and

the distribution management device comprises;

a storage means for storing authentication data about one or plural terminal devices;

a data processing means for searching the storage means so as to acquire authentication data corresponding to one of the terminal devices, and creating a signal including the acquired authentication data, when the terminal device makes a distribution request for a signal including data of contents and a contents server makes a transmission request for a signal including the authentication data for the terminal device in response to the distribution request; and

a communication means for transmitting the signal including the authentication data to the contents providing server.

6. A distribution management device according to claim 5, characterized in that:

the storage means stores one or plural pieces of the authentication data for each of the terminal devices correspondingly to the contents or the contents providing server; and

the data processing means searches authentication data corresponding to the terminal device, the contents or the contents providing server.

11. A distribution management device according to claim 5, characterized in that the data of the contents are data in a streaming format, and the signal including the authentication data is a signal created according to RTSP.

12. A distribution management device according to claim 6, characterized in that the data of the contents are data in a streaming format, and the signal including the authentication data is a signal created according to RTSP.

13. A distribution management device according to claim 5, characterized in that the one communication network is a mobile communication network for wireless communication with mobile terminal devices.

14. A distribution management device according to claim 6, characterized in that the one communication network is a mobile communication network for wireless communication with mobile terminal devices.

16. A distribution management device according to claim 11, characterized in that the one communication network is a mobile communication network for wireless communication with mobile terminal devices.

17. A distribution management device according to claim 12, characterized in that the one communication network is a mobile communication network for wireless communication with mobile terminal devices.

9. An authentication proxy method program characterized by making a computer execute the steps of:

determining whether a signal indicating a request for authentication data for a terminal device has been transmitted from a contents providing server or not in response to a distribution request from the terminal device for a signal including data of contents; and

creating a signal including the authentication data for the terminal device and transmitting the created signal to the contents providing server through a communication means when it is concluded that the signal indicating the request for the authentication data has been transmitted.

10. An authentication proxy method program according to claim 9, characterized by making the computer execute the steps of:

searching authentication data stored in a storage means in advance, so as to acquire authentication data corresponding to the terminal device, the contents or the contents providing server; and

creating a signal including the acquired authentication data.