MASTER UNIT AND SLAVE UNIT

• US 20110173447A1
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yibo
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Provided is a communication device which securely registers a slave unit. A secret address generation and setup section generates a secret address generator, and a secret address of the slave unit used temporarily instead of a unique address of the slave unit based on the secret address generator and identification information of the slave unit. A second communication section transmits to the slave unit a registration start notice containing the secret address generator by broadcast. A registration process section generates a registration authentication key; generates a unique key of the slave unit by transmitting/receiving, to/from the slave unit, unique key generation information encrypted using the registration authentication key; receives, from the slave unit, the unique address of the slave unit encrypted using the registration authentication key; and stores the identification information in association with the unique address and the unique key of the slave unit in the registration information storing section.

Claims

1. A master unit which manages registration of a slave unit, the master unit comprising:

a first communication section which receives an input of identification information of the slave unit;

a secret address generation and setup section which;

generates a secret address generator whose value varies every time the secret address generator is generated; and

generates, based on the generated secret address generator and the identification information of the slave unit, a secret address of the slave unit to be used temporarily instead of a unique address of the slave unit;

a second communication section which;

transmits to and receives from the slave unit a notice relating to a registration process;

transmits to the slave unit a registration start notice having stored therein the secret address generator by broadcast; and

describes, when transmitting the notice relating to the registration process to the slave unit, a secret address of the slave unit and a unique address of the master unit as a destination address for the slave unit and a source address, respectively;

a registration information storing section which stores registration information of the slave unit;

a registration process section which;

generates a registration authentication key to be used as an encryption key for encrypting communication with the slave unit;

generates a unique key of the slave unit by transmitting to and receiving from the slave unit, unique key generation information encrypted using the generated registration authentication key;

receives from the slave unit the unique address of the slave unit encrypted using one of the registration authentication key and the unique key of the slave unit; and

stores the identification information of the slave unit, the unique address of the slave unit, and the unique key of the slave unit in association with one another in the registration information storing section.

2. The master unit according to claim 1, wherein the registration process section transmits, to the slave unit, registration authentication key generation information as a registration request;

receives, from the slave unit, registration authentication key generation information as a registration response; and

generates the registration authentication key based on the transmitted registration authentication key generation information, the received registration authentication key generation information, and the identification information of the slave unit.

3. The master unit according to claim 2, wherein the registration process section receives a plain text challenge from the slave unit;

and confirms, by transmitting to the slave unit a cipher text challenge obtained by encrypting the received plain text challenge using the registration authentication key, that the common registration authentication key has been generated by the master unit and the slave unit.

4. The master unit according to claim 1, wherein the registration process section receives, from the slave unit, the unique key generation information encrypted using the registration authentication key as a key generation request;

transmits, to the slave unit, the unique key generation information encrypted using the registration authentication key as a key generation response; and

generates the unique key of the slave unit based on the received unique key generation information and the transmitted unique key generation information.

5. The master unit according to claim 4, wherein the registration process section decrypts, upon receipt from the slave unit of a unique address notice indicating an encrypted unique address of the slave unit, the encrypted unique address of the slave unit using one of the registration authentication key and the unique key of the slave unit;

and stores the identification information of the slave unit, the unique address of the slave unit, and the unique key of the slave unit in association with one another in the registration information storing section, thereby terminating the registration process of the slave unit.

6. The master unit according to claim 5, wherein the registration process section, upon termination of the registration process with respect to all of slave units connected with the master unit, transmits to each slave unit a registration termination notice indicating termination of use of the secret address by broadcast.

7. The master unit according to claim 1, wherein the registration process section determines whether the identification information of the slave unit, the unique address of the slave unit, and the unique key of the slave unit are present in the registration information storing section;

and when a result of the determination is that the identification information of the slave unit, the unique address of the slave unit, and the unique key of the slave unit are present, updates only the unique key of the slave unit while retaining the identification information of the slave unit and the unique address of the slave unit.

8. A slave unit connected with a master unit which manages registration of the slave unit, the slave unit comprising:

a second communication section which;

transmits to and receives from the master unit a notice relating to a registration process;

receives, from the master unit, a registration start notice having stored therein a secret address generator whose value varies every time the secret address generator is generated; and

describes, when transmitting the notice relating to the registration process to the master unit, a secret address of the slave unit generated based on the secret address generator and a unique address of the master unit as a source address for the slave unit and a destination address, respectively;

a secret address generation and setup section which generates, based on the secret address generator received from the master unit and identification information of the slave unit, a secret address of the slave unit to be used temporarily instead of a unique address of the slave unit;

a registration information storing section which stores information relating to the master unit;

a registration process section which;

generates a registration authentication key to be used as an encryption key for encrypting communication with the master unit;

generates a unique key of the slave unit by transmitting to and receiving from the master unit unique key generation information encrypted using the generated registration authentication key ;

transmits, to the master unit, the unique address of the slave unit encrypted using one of the registration authentication key and the unique key of the slave unit; and

stores the unique key of the slave unit and the unique address of the master unit in association with each other in the registration information storing section.

9. The slave unit according to claim 8, wherein the registration process section receives, from the master unit, registration authentication key generation information as a registration request;

transmits, to the master unit, registration authentication key generation information as a registration response; and

generates the registration authentication key based on the received registration authentication key generation information, the transmitted registration authentication key generation information, and the identification information of the slave unit.

10. The slave unit according to claim 9, wherein the registration process section transmits, to the master unit, a randomly generated plain text challenge;

decrypts a cipher text challenge received from the master unit into a plain text challenge using the registration authentication key; and

confirms, when the generated plain text challenge is identical with the plain text challenge into which the cipher text challenge has been decrypted, that the common registration authentication key has been generated by the master unit and the slave unit.

11. The slave unit according to claim 8, wherein the registration process section transmits, to the slave unit, the unique key generation information encrypted using the registration authentication key as a key generation request;

receives, from the master unit, the unique key generation information encrypted using the registration authentication key as a key generation response; and

generates the unique key of the slave unit based on the transmitted unique key generation information and the received unique key generation information.

12. The slave unit according to claim 11, wherein the registration process section encrypts, upon receipt from the master unit of the key generation response, the unique address of the slave unit using one of the registration authentication key and the unique key of the slave unit;

and transmits, to the master unit, a unique address notice having stored therein the encrypted unique address of the slave unit.

13. The slave unit according to claim 12, wherein the registration process section stores the unique key of the slave unit and the unique address of the master unit in association with each other in the registration information storing section.

14. The slave unit according to claim 13, wherein the registration process section, upon receipt from the master unit of a registration termination notice indicating termination of use of the secret address, terminates use of the secret address.

15. The slave unit according to claim 12, wherein the registration process section determines whether the unique address of the master unit and the unique key of the slave unit are stored in the registration information storing section;

and determines, when a result of the determination is that the unique address of the master unit and the unique key of the slave unit are stored, that the master unit already retains the unique address of the slave unit, thereby not transmitting the unique address notice to the master unit.

16. A method in which a master unit manages registration of a slave unit, the master unit including a registration information storing section which stores registration information of the slave unit, and the method comprising the steps of:

generating a secret address generator whose value varies every time the secret address generator is generated, and generating, based on the secret address generator and identification information of the slave unit, a secret address of the slave unit to be used temporarily instead of a unique address of the slave unit;

transmitting to the slave unit a registration start notice having stored therein the secret address generator by broadcast;

transmitting to and receiving from the slave unit a notice relating to a registration process; and

describing, when transmitting the notice relating to the registration process to the slave unit, the secret address of the slave unit and a unique address of the master unit as a destination address for the slave unit and a source address, respectively;

generating a registration authentication key to be used as a encryption key for encrypting communication with the slave unit and transmitting to and receiving from the slave unit unique key generation information encrypted using the generated registration authentication key;

receiving the unique address of the slave unit encrypted using the registration authentication key from the slave unit;

generating a unique key of the slave unit based on the unique key generation information; and

storing the identification information of the slave unit, the unique address of the slave unit, and the unique key of the slave unit in association with one another in the registration information storing section.

17. A method in which a slave unit connected with a master unit which manages registration of the slave unit identifies the master unit, the slave unit comprising a registration information storing section which stores information relating to the master unit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the master unit, a registration start notice having stored therein a secret address generator whose value varies every time the secret address generator is generated,

generating, based on the secret address generator received from the master unit and identification information of the slave unit, a secret address of the slave unit to be used temporarily instead of a unique address of the slave unit;

describing, when transmitting a notice relating to a registration process to the master unit, the secret address of the slave unit and a unique address of the master unit as a source address for the slave unit and a destination address, respectively;

generating a registration authentication key to be used as an encryption key for encrypting communication with the master unit; and

transmitting to and receiving from the master unit unique key generation information encrypted using the generated registration authentication key;

transmitting, to the master unit, the unique address of the slave unit encrypted using the registration authentication key;

generating a unique key of the slave unit; and

storing the unique key of the slave unit and the unique address of the master unit in association with each other in the registration information storing section.