COMMUNICATION CONTROL DEVICE, COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20150117298A1
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: OBA, Yoshihiro, HANATANI, Yoshikazu, KAMBAYASHI, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 10,715,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0833 involving conference or group key network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a communication control device is connected to communication devices and includes a storage, a generator, and an output unit. The storage is configured to store group information containing a group ID of a group and device IDs of the communication devices belonging to the group. The generator is configured to generate compressed information in which the device IDs are compressed. The output unit is configured to output, when the group information is updated, to all communication devices identified by the device IDs included in the group information after updating and to a plurality of communication devices including one or more of the communication devices identified by the device IDs not included in the group information after updating, output information containing identification information for identifying the group after updating and compressed information in which the device IDs included in the group information after updating are compressed.

Claims

1. A communication control device connected to a plurality of communication devices, the device comprising:

a group information storage configured to store group information containing a group ID for identifying a group and device IDs for identifying the communication devices belonging to the group;

a compressed-information generator configured to generate compressed information in which the device IDs included in the group information are compressed; and

an output unit configured to output, when the group information is updated, to a plurality of communication devices including all of the communication devices identified by the device IDs included in the group information after updating and including one or more of the communication devices identified by the device IDs not included in the group information after updating, output information containing identification information for identifying the group after updating and compressed information in which the device IDs included in the group information after updating are compressed.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to output, to a plurality of communication devices including all of the communication devices identified by the device IDs included in the group information after updating and including one or more of the communication devices identified by the device IDs not included in the group information after updating, the output information using multicast communication.

3. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to output the output information using broadcast communication.

4. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein

the device IDs are expressed as numerical values, and

the communication control device further comprises an assignor configured to assign the device IDs in a way that a difference between the device IDs assigned to the communication devices having mutually similar or identical attributes is smaller than a difference between the device IDs assigned to the communication devices having mutually non-similar or non-identical attributes.

5. The communication control device according to claim 1, further comprising a group key generator configured to generate a group key that is used by the communication devices belonging to the group;

and

a confidential information generator configured to generate confidential information from which the communication devices belonging to the group are able to derive the group key, wherein

the output unit is configured to output the output information further containing the confidential information.

6. The communication control device according to claim 5, wherein the confidential information generator is configured to generate the confidential information in the form of a media key block, from the group key and device keys that are assigned to the communication devices belonging to the group corresponding to the group key.

7. The communication control device according to claim 1, further comprising a confidential information generator configured to generate confidential information from which the communication devices belonging to the group are able to derive a group key that is used by the communication devices belonging to the group and the group ID included in the group information after updating, wherein

the output unit is configured to output the output information containing the confidential information as the identification information.

8. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein

the communication control device is further connected to a management device, and

the management device includes

a group key generator configured to generate a group key that is used by the communication devices belonging to the group, and

a confidential information generator configured to generate confidential information from which the communication devices belonging to the group are able to derive the group key, and

the output unit is configured to output the output information further containing the confidential information generated by the management device.

9. A communication device connected to a communication control device, the communication device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from the communication control device, output information containing identification information for identifying a group and compressed information in which device IDs for identifying devices belonging to the group are compressed;

a group ID storage configured to store a group ID for identifying the group;

a determining unit configured to determine whether an ID for identifying the communication device is included in the device IDs obtained from the compressed information; and

an updater configured to update, when the determining unit determines that the ID for identifying the communication device is included in the device IDs obtained from the compressed information, the group ID stored in the group ID storage with the group ID of the group identified by the identification information included in the output information.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the output information that is sent from the communication control device, using multicast communication.

11. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the output information that is sent from the communication control device, using broadcast communication.

12. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein

the receiver is configured to receive the output information further containing a group key that is used by the communication device belonging to the group, and

the communication device further comprises a key storage configured to store the group key included in the output information.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, wherein

the receiver is configured to receive the output information containing a media key block that is generated from the group key and from device keys assigned to one or more devices,

the communication device further comprises:

a device key storage configured to store a device key that is assigned to the communication device; and

an MKB processor configured to generate the group key from the device key stored in the device key storage and from the media key block.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing a program executed by a computer that is connected to a plurality of communication devices and includes a group information storage configured to store group information containing a group ID for identifying a group and device IDs for identifying the communication devices belonging to the group, the program causing the computer to execute:

generating compressed information in which the device IDs included in the group information are compressed; and

outputting, when the group information is updated, to a plurality of communication devices including all of the communication devices identified by the device IDs included in the group information after updating and including one or more of the communication devices identified by the device IDs not included in the group information after updating, output information containing identification information for identifying the group after updating and compressed information in which the device IDs included in the group information after updating are compressed.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing a program executed by a computer that is connected to a communication control device and includes a group ID storage configured to store a group ID for identifying a group;

the program causing the computer to execute;

receiving, from the communication control device, output information containing identification information for identifying the group and compressed information in which device IDs for identifying devices belonging to the group are compressed;

determining whether an ID for identifying the computer is included in the device IDs obtained from the compressed information; and

updating, when the ID for identifying the computer is determined to be included in the device IDs obtained from the compressed information, the group ID stored in the group ID storage with the group ID of the group identified by the identification information included in the output information.