RELAY DEVICE, WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE, NETWORK SYSTEM, PROGRAM STORAGE MEDIUM, AND METHOD

• US 20120030466A1
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Incorporated (Melco Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Buffalo Incorporated (Melco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0478 applying multiple layers of encryption, e.g. nested tunnels or encrypting the content with a first key and then with at least a second key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0841 involving Diffie-Hellman or related key agreement protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation

Abstract

A relay device first uses latest authentication data to determine whether request-authentication data transmitted from a wireless communications device is valid. If the latest authentication data is used to determine that the request-authentication data is valid, the relay device carries out relayed communications with the wireless communications device. If the latest authentication data is used to determine that the request-authentication data is invalid, the relay device next uses a former authentication data to determine whether the request-authentication data is valid. If the former authentication data is used to determine that the request-authentication data is valid, the relay device provides the wireless communications device with the latest authentication data to update authentication data in the wireless communications device.

Claims

1. A relay device for carrying out wireless communications with a wireless communications device via a communications interface, the relay device comprising:

a memory unit storing a plurality of authentication data for determining whether request-authentication data received from the wireless communications device requesting relayed communications with another communications device is valid;

an authentication data updating section for updating current-generation authentication data, and storing, in the memory unit, the updated current-generation authentication data as latest authentication data and storing authentication data at least one generation earlier than the updated current-generation authentication data as former authentication data;

a latest authentication data determination section for using the latest authentication data to determine whether the request-authentication data received from the wireless communications device is valid;

a relay control section for executing the requested relayed communications if the latest authentication data determination section has determined that the request-authentication data is valid;

a former authentication data determination section for using the former authentication data to determine whether the request-authentication data is valid if the latest authentication data determination section has determined that the request-authentication data is invalid; and

an authentication data provision section for providing the latest authentication data to the wireless communications device if the former authentication data determination section has determined that the request-authentication data is valid.

2. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication data provision section encrypts the latest authentication data and transmits the encrypted latest authentication data to the wireless communications device.

3. The relay device according to claim 2, wherein the authentication data provision section uses common-key cryptography to encrypt the latest authentication data.

4. The relay device according to claim 2, wherein the authentication data provision section multi-encrypts the latest authentication data.

5. The relay device according to claim 3, wherein the authentication data provision section multi-encrypts the latest authentication data.

6. The relay device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an update schedule determination section for determining a schedule whereby the current-generation authentication data is updated by the authentication data update section;

wherein

the authentication data update section automatically updates the authentication data, according to the schedule determined by the update schedule determination section.

7. The relay device according to claim 2, further comprising

an update schedule determination section for determining a schedule whereby the current-generation authentication data is updated by the authentication data update section, wherein

the authentication data update section automatically updates the authentication data, according to the schedule determined by the update schedule determination section.

8. The relay device according to claim 3, further comprising

an update schedule determination section for determining a schedule whereby the current-generation authentication data is updated by the authentication data update section, wherein

the authentication data update section automatically updates the authentication data, according to the schedule determined by the update schedule determination section.

9. The relay device according to claim 4, further comprising

an update schedule determination section for determining a schedule whereby the current-generation authentication data is updated by the authentication data update section;

wherein

the authentication data update section automatically updates the authentication data according to the schedule determined by the update schedule determination section.

10. The relay device according to claim 5, further comprising

an update schedule determination section for determining a schedule whereby the current-generation authentication data is updated by the authentication data update section, wherein

the authentication data update section automatically updates the authentication data, according to the schedule determined by the update schedule determination section.

11. A wireless communications device for carrying out wireless communications with a relay device via a communications interface, the wireless communications device comprising:

a memory unit storing reference authentication data for verifying request-authentication data whereby relayed communications with another communications device is requested of the relay device;

a request-authentication data provision section for using the reference authentication data stored in the memory unit to verify the request-authentication data, and for providing the verified request-authentication data to the relay device; and

an authentication data update section for acquiring latest authentication data from data provided by the relay device, and updating, by the acquired latest authentication data, the reference authentication data stored in the memory unit.

12. A network system including a relay device and a wireless communications device between which wireless communications are carried out via communications interface,

the relay device comprising:

a memory unit storing a plurality of authentication data for determining whether request-authentication data received from the wireless communications device requesting relayed communications with another communications device is valid;

an authentication data updating section for updating current-generation authentication data, and storing, in the memory unit, the updated current-generation authentication data as latest authentication data and storing authentication data at least one generation earlier than the updated current-generation authentication data as former authentication data;

a latest authentication data determination section for using the latest authentication data to determine whether the request-authentication data received from the wireless communications device is valid;

a relay control section for executing the requested relayed communications if the latest authentication data determination section has determined that the request-authentication data is valid;

a former authentication data determination section for using the former authentication data to determine whether the request-authentication data is valid if the latest authentication data determination section has determined that the request-authentication data is invalid; and

an authentication data provision section for providing the wireless communications device with the latest authentication data if the former authentication data determination section has determined that the request-authentication data is valid; and

the wireless communications device comprising;

a memory unit storing reference authentication data for verifying the request-authentication data requested of the relay device;

a request-authentication data provision section for using the reference authentication data stored in the memory unit to verify the request-authentication data, and for providing the verified request-authentication data to the relay device; and

an authentication data update section for acquiring latest authentication data from data provided by the relay device, and updating, by the acquired latest authentication data, the reference authentication data stored in the memory unit.

13. A computer readable nontransitory storage medium having stored therein a program executable by a relay device whereby wireless communications with a wireless communications device via a communications interface are carried out, the program causing the relay device to perform steps of:

updating current-generation authentication data, and storing, in a memory unit, the updated current-generation authentication data as latest authentication data, and storing authentication data at least one generation earlier than the updated current-generation authentication data as former authentication data;

using the latest authentication data to determine whether request-authentication data received from the wireless communications device, requesting relayed communications with another communications device, is valid;

executing the requested relayed communications if it has been determined using the latest authentication data that the request-authentication data is valid;

using the former authentication data to determine whether the request-authentication data is valid if it has been determined using the latest authentication data that the request-authentication data is invalid; and

providing the latest authentication data to the wireless communications device if it has been determined, using the former authentication data, that the request-authentication data is valid.

14. A computer readable nontransitory storage medium having stored therein a program executable by a wireless communications device whereby wireless communications with a relay device via a communications interface are carried out, the program causing the wireless communications device to perform steps of:

using reference authentication data stored in a memory unit to verify request-authentication data whereby relayed communications with another communications device is requested of the relay device;

providing the verified request-authentication data to the relay device;

acquiring latest authentication data from data provided by the relay device; and

updating, by the acquired latest authentication data, the reference authentication data stored in the memory unit.

15. A method for controlling a network system including a relay device and a wireless communications device between which wireless communications are carried out via communications interface, the method comprising steps of:

in the relay device, updating current-generation authentication data and storing, in a memory unit included in the relay device, the updated current-generation authentication data as latest authentication data, and storing authentication data at least one generation earlier than the updated current-generation authentication data, as former authentication data;

in the wireless communications device, using reference authentication data stored in a memory unit included in the wireless communications device to verify, request-authentication data whereby relayed communications with another communications device is requested of the relay device;

in the wireless communications device, providing the determined verified request-authentication data to the relay device;

in the relay device, using the latest authentication data to determine whether the request-authentication data received from the wireless communications device, requesting relayed communications with the other communications device is valid;

in the relay device, executing the requested relayed communications if it has been determined using the latest authentication data that the request-authentication data is valid;

in the relay device, using the former authentication data to determine whether the request-authentication data is valid if it has been determined using the latest authentication data that the request-authentication data is invalid;

in the relay device, providing the latest authentication data to the wireless communications device if it has been determined using the former authentication data that the request-authentication data is valid; and

in the wireless communications device, updating the reference authentication data stored in the memory unit included in the wireless communications device, by the latest authentication data provided from the relay device.

16. A method executable by a relay device for carrying out wireless communications with a wireless communications device via a communications interface, the method comprising steps of:

updating current-generation authentication data, and storing the updated current-generation authentication data as latest authentication data and storing authentication data at least one generation earlier than the updated current-generation authentication data as former authentication data;

using the latest authentication data to determine whether request-authentication data, received from the wireless communications device, requesting wireless communications with another communications device is valid;

executing the requested wireless communications if it has been determined, using the latest authentication data, that the request-authentication data is valid;

using the former authentication data to determine whether the request- authentication data is valid if it has been determined, using the latest authentication data, that the request-authentication data is invalid; and

providing the latest authentication data to the wireless communications device if it has been determined, using the former authentication data, that the request-authentication data is valid.

17. A method executable by a wireless communications device for carrying out wireless communications with a relay device via a communications interface, the method comprising steps of:

using reference authentication data stored in a memory unit to verify request-authentication data whereby wireless communications with another communications device is requested of the relay device;

providing the verified request-authentication data to the relay device;

acquiring latest authentication data from data provided by the relay device; and

updating, by the acquired latest authentication data, the reference authentication data stored in the memory unit.

18. A wireless access point network-communicable with wireless communications devices transmitting communication request-authentication data that the access point receives via a communications interface thereof, the access point comprising:

an authentication-data memory storing at least a latest, current-generation pre-shared key and a former, one-generation-earlier pre-shared key; and

a control section having

a schedulable authentication-data updating function operating to update, on a pre-determinable scheduled basis, the current-generation pre-shared key stored in said authentication data memory with a new latest pre-shared key, and store the pre-updated current-generation key as the former, one-generation-earlier pre-shared key,

a determine-if-latest-key function operating to receive communication request-authentication data from a wireless communications device and validate the request-authentication data against the latest pre-shared key in said authentication data memory,

a relay control function operating to network-relay communications from/to the communications device in response to validation of the communication request-authentication data by said determine-if-latest-key function,

a determine-if-former-key function operating to validate the request-authentication data against the former pre-shared key in said authentication data memory if said determine-if-latest-key function determines that the request-authentication data is not valid, and

an update requesting-device-key function operating to provide the wireless communications device with the latest pre-shared key, as updated by said updating function, if said determine-if-former-key function determines that the request-authentication data is valid in the event that said determine-if-latest-key function determines that the request-authentication data is not valid.