COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20130195271A1
• Filed: 01/10/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: MIYABAYASHI, Naoki, Yoneda, Yoshihiro, Soma, Isao, Kuroda, Seiji, Ishikawa, Yasuharu, Takada, Kazuo, Sueyoshi, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A communication device for performing communication by employing first and second communication units, includes: a reception unit for receiving a communication packet including a random number generated for every connection with another communication device, a certificate calculated with the random number, and authentication method information indicating whether or not an authentication method at the second communication unit is compatible with the public key system, through the first communication unit; and a method determining unit for determining whether or not an originator of the communication packet accepts public key encryption based on the authentication method information included in the communication packet; wherein in a case of the method determining unit determining that the originator of the communication packet does not accept the public key system, the random number included in the communication packet is replied to the originator as the identification information of the device itself.

Claims

1. A communication device configured to perform a communication by employing first and second communication units, comprising:

an interface configured to receive communication data including at least a random number generated for every connection with another communication device, and authentication method information indicating an authentication method at the second communication unit, from the another communication device through the first communication unit; and

a hardware processing unit configured to determine, based on the authentication method information included in the communication data, whether or not the another communication device accepts a public key system, wherein,

when the processing unit has determined that the another communication device does not accept the public key system, the random number is set as a temporal key and authentication with the another communication device is done using the temporal key, through the second communication unit.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the communication data further includes

identification information for identifying an originator, and

time limit information indicating whether or not an expiration date has been set to the identification information;

and

when the time limit information indicates that an expiration date has been set, information generated based on setting information included in the communication data is discarded after the expiration date elapses.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display predetermined confirmation information; and

an input unit configured to input information indicating an approval as to the confirmation information;

wherein,

when an approval request for validating identification information included in the communication data is displayed on the display unit, and information indicating the approval is input by the input unit, the identification information is validated.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display predetermined confirmation information; and

an input unit configured to input information indicating an approval as to the confirmation information;

wherein,

when an approval request for replying information included in the communication data is displayed on the display unit, and information indicating the approval is input by the input unit, a communication by the second communication unit is started based on the identification information.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication data further includes address information for identifying an originator of the reception data;

and the second communication unit performs communication only with the originator of the reception data identified by the address information.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication data further includes configuration information indicating a network configuration which can be formed by the second communication unit;

and

attributes of the device itself within a network are determined from predetermined attributes based on the configuration information.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second communication unit communicates over a longer distance than does the first communication unit communicate, and the second communication unit has a wider bandwidth than a bandwidth of the first communication unit.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit transmits or receives data by a near field communication, and the second communication unit transmits or receives data by a Bluetooth communication.

9. A communication method by a communication device configured to perform a communication by employing first and second communication units, comprising:

receiving communication data including at least a random number generated for a connection with another communication device, and authentication method information indicating an authentication method at the second communication unit, from the another communication device through the first communication unit;

determining, based on the authentication method information included in the communication data, whether or not the another communication device accepts a public key system; and

when the determining determines that the another communication device does not accept the public key system, the random number is set as a temporal key and authentication with the another communication device is done using the temporal key, through the second communication unit.

10. A communication device configured to perform a communication by employing first and second communication means, comprising:

means for receiving communication data including at least a random number generated for a connection with another communication device, and authentication method information indicating an authentication method at the second communication means, from the another communication device through the first communication means; and

determination means for determining, based on the authentication method information included in the communication data, whether or not the another communication device accepts a public key system, wherein,

when the determination means has determined that the another communication device does not accept the public key system, the random number is set as a temporal key and authentication with the another communication device is done using the temporal key, through the second communication means.