System and method for controlling communication using device ID

• US 7,496,752 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kannari, Shingo, Kazuhiro, Kanee, Shimada, Muneki, Kimoto, Yousuke, Komaki, Kenjiro, Yamaguchi, Keisuke, Masuda, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUVAN, LEYNNA THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/826,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713155-157, 713182-186, 713188-189, 713161- 16, 713168-170, 713/21, 726 1- 8, 726 17- 19, 726/10, 726/21, 726 27- 30, 709/203, 709/229, 709223-225
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

A client terminal reads a device ID fixedly assigned to itself, and sends the device ID to an authentication server to make a request for authentication. The authentication server authenticates the device ID accepted from the client terminal. When succeeding in the authentication, the authentication server issues and sends a ticket to the client terminal. The client terminal receives the ticket, and then sends the ticket to a locator server to make a request for registration of an IP address. The locator server verifies the correctness of the accepted ticket. When the correctness is confirmed, the locator server registers an ID and the IP address of the client terminal in a manner that they are associated with each other, and replies the completion of the registration.

Claims

1. A communication management system comprising:

a terminal of a user;

an authentication server which is managed by the maker of the terminal and authenticates the terminal; and

a management server which is provided separately from the authentication server and manages an IP address which uniquely identifies the terminal on a network,

the terminal comprising;

a holding unit which holds a device ID which is fixedly assigned to the terminal in such a manner as to uniquely identify the terminal;

an authentication request unit which reads the device ID from the holding unit, and sends the device ID to the authentication server to make a request for authentication;

a certificate acquisition unit which acquires a certificate, which certifies success in the authentication of the device ID, from the authentication server; and

a registration request unit which sends the certificate to the management server, to make a request for registration of the IP address, which is assigned to the own terminal,

the authentication server comprising;

an authentication reception unit which acquires the device ID from the terminal and receives the request for the authentication;

a terminal database which holds a device ID unique to the terminal to be authentication;

an authentication unit which authenticates the correctness of the device ID of the terminal by referring to the terminal database;

a certificate issue unit which issues a certificate when succeeding in the authentication of the terminal,

an ID issue unit which issues an ID for uniquely identifying the terminal when succeeding in authentication of the terminal; and

a communication control unit which transmits the certificate issued by the certificate issue unit and the ID issued by the ID issue unit to the terminal,

the management server comprising;

a database which holds the ID issued by the ID issue unit, and the IP address in a manner that they are associated with each other;

a registration reception unit which acquires, from the terminal, the certificate, the ID issued to the terminal by the ID issue unit, and the IP address of the terminal, and receives the request for registration of the IP address of the terminal;

a registration unit which verifies the correctness of the certificate, and registers the ID and the IP address of the terminal in the database when the certificate is confirmed to be correct;

an inquiry reception unit which receives the request for inquiring the IP address of the terminal;

a search unit which searches through the database on the basis of the ID of the terminal as the target of an inquiry, to acquire the IP address of the terminal;

an answer unit which answers search result;

a user database which stores information related to the user of the terminal; and

a matching control unit which controls matching of a communication partner between the terminals, wherein

when the inquiry reception unit receives a requirement for the communication partner,

the search unit searches through the user database on the basis of the requirement, and

the matching control unit determines the communication partner on the basis of search result, and

the answer unit answers the communication partner.

2. The communication management system according to claim 1, wherein

the holding unit holds the device ID in such a manner that the device ID is un-rewritable from outside.

3. The communication management system according to claim 1, wherein

the terminal database stores the device ID assigned by the maker of the terminal to the terminal and acquired from the maker of the terminal.

4. The communication management system according to claim 1, wherein

the management server further comprises a group database which holds information related to a group including a plurality of the terminals, wherein

the inquiry reception unit receives a request for an inquiry about the group, and

the search unit searches through the group database on the basis of the request for the inquiry.

5. The communication management system according to claim 1, wherein

the management server is managed by a service provider servicing the terminal.

6. A method for managing communication comprising:

reading a device ID by a terminal of a user, the device ID unique to the terminal and fixedly assigned to the terminal being held in a memory in the terminal;

sending the device ID from the terminal to an authentication server managed by the maker of the terminal and authenticating the terminal;

authenticating the correctness of the device ID by the authentication server by referring to a device database storing the device ID of the terminal to be authenticated;

issuing a certificate for certifying success in authentication of the device ID by the authentication server and an ID for uniquely identifying the terminal, when succeeding in the authentication;

sending the certificate and the ID from the authentication server to the terminal;

sending the certificate, the ID, and an IP address from the terminal to a management server provided separately from the authentication server, the management server managing a network address for uniquely identifying the terminal on a network;

verifying the certificate by the management server;

storing an ID for uniquely identifying the terminal and the IP address in a database by the management server, in a manner that they are associated with each other, when the certificate is confirmed to be correct;

receiving a request for an inquiry about the IP address of the terminal by the management server;

searching through the database on the basis of the ID of the terminal by the management server, to acquire the IP address of the terminal; and

answering the IP address by the management server.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

steps from reading the device ID to storing in the database are automatically carried out without involvement by a user.

8. The method according to claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a requirement for the communication partner by the management server;

searching through a user database storing information related to the user of the terminal, on the basis of the requirement by the management server;

determining the communication partner on the basis of the search result by the management server; and

answering the communication partner by the management server.

9. A management server comprising:

a database which holds an ID for uniquely identifying a terminal and an IP address of the terminal in a manner that they are associated with each other, the ID being issued by an authentication server managed by the maker of the terminal and adapted to authenticate the terminal;

a registration reception unit which acquires a certificate from the terminal and receives a request for registration of the IP address of the terminal, the certificate being issued by the authentication server and certifying success in the authentication of a device ID uniquely identifying the terminal and fixedly assigned to the terminal;

a registration unit which verifies the correctness of the certificate, and registers the ID issued by the authentication server to the terminal and the IP address of the terminal in the database, when the certificate is confirmed to be correct;

an inquiry reception unit which receives a request for an inquiry about the network address of the terminal;

a search unit which searches through the database on the basis of the ID of the terminal as the target of the inquiry, to acquire the IP address of the terminal; and

an answer unit which answers search result.

10. A method for managing communication comprising:

acquiring a certificate from a terminal, and receiving a request for registering an IP address of the terminal, the certificate being issued by an authentication server, which is managed by the maker of the terminal and authenticates the terminal, to certify success in authentication of a device ID uniquely identifying the terminal and fixedly assigned to the terminal;

verifying the correctness of the certificate, and registering an ID, uniquely identifying the terminal and issued by the authentication server, and the IP address of the terminal in a database, when the certificate is confirmed to be correct;

receiving a request for an inquiry about the IP address of the terminal;

searching through the database on the basis of the ID of the terminal as the target of the inquiry, to acquire the IP address of the terminal; and

answering search result.

11. A computer-readable recording medium which stores a program to make a computer carry out:

a function of acquiring a certificate from a terminal, and receiving a request for registering an IP address of the terminal, the certificate being issued by an authentication server, which is managed by the maker of the terminal and authenticates the terminal, to certify success in authentication of a device ID uniquely identifying the terminal and fixedly assigned to the terminal;

a function of verifying the correctness of the certificate, and registering an ID, uniquely identifying the terminal and issued by the authentication server, and the IP address of the terminal in a database, when the certificate is confirmed to be correct;

a function of receiving a request for an inquiry about the IP address of the terminal;

a function of searching through the database on the basis of the ID of the terminal as the target of the inquiry, to acquire the IP address of the terminal; and

a function of answering search result.