AUTHENTICATION APPARATUS, AUTHENTICATION METHOD, AND AUTHENTICATION PROGRAM IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD

• US 20110061098A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Hoso Kyokai, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Hoso Kyokai, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Sunasaki, Syunji, Konya, Yuko, Yamada, Tomokazu, Ishikawa, Koichi, Fujii, Arisa, Eto, Ganji, Kawamori, Masahito, Kawazoe, Katsuhiko, Ishikawa, Kiyohiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,726,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• 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

For enabling single sign-on among applications, a linkage ID indicating connection between the authentication apparatus 1 including the client function and the server apparatus 2 is shared among a plurality of applications. For that, a SV information management unit Aa of the authentication apparatus 1 having the client function manages the linkage ID by storing it in a predetermined storing unit. An AP information management unit Ab manages and stores connection information between applications in a predetermined storing unit, wherein the connection information includes an application name corresponding to an application. Then, an AP decision unit determines whether an application name included in a received linkage ID request is registered in the AP information management unit Ab, obtains the linkage ID from the SV information management unit Aa when the application name is registered in the AP information management unit Ab, and returns the linkage ID to a source of the linkage ID request.

Claims

1. An authentication apparatus, including a client function in a network, in which a plurality of applications for performing single sign-on to a server apparatus are installed, comprising:

a linkage ID sharing unit configured to share a linkage ID, among the applications, indicating connection between the authentication apparatus including the client function and the server apparatus.

2. The authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the linkage ID sharing unit comprising:

a SV information management unit configured to store the linkage ID in a SV information storing unit;

an AP information management unit configured to store connection information between applications in an AP information storing unit for at least one of the plurality of applications, wherein the connection information includes an application name of an application different from the at least one of the plurality of applications; and

an AP decision unit configured to determine whether an application name included in a received linkage ID request is stored in the AP information storing unit, obtain the linkage ID from the SV information storing unit when the application name is stored in the AP information storing unit, and return the linkage ID to a source of the linkage ID request.

3. The authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the SV information management unit, the AP information management unit and the AP decision unit are shared by the plurality of applications.

4. The authentication apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-3,

the server apparatus comprising a single sign-on function providing unit configured to issue the linkage ID, and the authentication apparatus comprising:

a unit configured to send an authentication request to the single sign-on function providing unit; and

a unit configured to receive the linkage ID from the single sign-on function providing unit when the single sign-on function providing unit succeeds in authentication for the authentication request.

5. An authentication method in which a plurality of applications are installed in an apparatus having a client function in a network, and the installed applications perform single sign-on to a server apparatus, comprising:

a linkage ID sharing step of sharing a linkage ID, among the applications, indicating connection between the authentication apparatus including the client function and the server apparatus.

6. The authentication method as claimed in claim 5, the linkage ID sharing step comprising:

a SV information management step of storing the linkage ID in a SV information storing unit;

an AP information management step of storing connection information between applications in an AP information storing unit for at least one of the plurality of applications, wherein the connection information includes an application name of an application different from the at least one of the plurality of applications; and

an AP decision step of determining whether an application name included in a received linkage ID request is stored in the AP information storing unit, obtaining the linkage ID from the SV information storing unit when the application name is stored in the AP information storing unit, and returning the linkage ID to a source of the linkage ID request.

7. The authentication method as claimed in claim 6, comprising a step of using, commonly by the plurality of applications, the SV information management step, the AP information management step and the AP decision step.

8. The authentication method as claimed in any one of claims 5-7,

the server apparatus comprising a single sign-on function providing unit configured to issue the linkage ID, and the authentication method comprising:

a step of sending an authentication request to the single sign-on function providing unit; and

a step of receiving the linkage ID from the single sign-on function providing unit when the single sign-on function providing unit succeeds in authentication for the authentication request.

9. A program for causing a computer, including a client function in a network, in which a plurality of applications for performing single sign-on to a server apparatus are installed, to function as:

a linkage ID sharing unit configured to share a linkage ID, among the applications, indicating connection between the computer including the client function and the server apparatus.

10. The program as claimed in claim 9, the computer comprising a SV information storing unit configured to store the linkage ID, and an AP information storing unit configured to store connection information between applications for at least one of the plurality of applications, wherein the connection information includes an application name of an application different from the at least one of the plurality of applications,

the linkage ID sharing unit comprising:

an AP decision unit configured to determine whether an application name included in a received linkage ID request is stored in the AP information storing unit, obtain the linkage ID from the SV information storing unit when the application name is stored in the AP information storing unit, and return the linkage ID to a source of the linkage ID request.

11. The program as claimed in claim 9 or 10, the server apparatus comprising a single sign-on function providing unit configured to issue the linkage ID, the program causing the computer to further function as:

a unit configured to send an authentication request to the single sign-on function providing unit; and

a unit configured to receive the linkage ID from the single sign-on function providing unit when the single sign-on function providing unit succeeds in authentication for the authentication request.