Communication apparatus and method with enhanced anonymity via modified use of addresses

• US 7,668,114 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kitawaki, Haruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck; Gregory B
• Application Number:
  US10/859,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20040258005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5053 Lease time; Renewal aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00

Abstract

A communication apparatus receives identification information and generates source information indicating a source of transmission made based on the received identification information. The communication apparatus changes the source information and a transmission route. The transmission route corresponds to the identification information used in generating the source information.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive plural pieces of prefix information from a plurality of devices, and to transmit data;

a memory unit configured to memorize a piece of prefix information which has been used in a last transmission to each of a plurality of communication destination addresses;

a changing unit configured to change host information within source information indicating a source of transmission made by said communication unit;

a determining unit configured to, when a first piece of prefix information is memorized in said memory unit as the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a first communication destination address, a second piece of prefix information is memorized in said memory unit as the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a second communication destination address, and the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a third communication destination address is not memorized in said memory unit, determine a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said communication unit other than the first piece of prefix information in a case where said communication unit transmits the data to the first communication destination address, determine a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said communication unit other than the second piece of prefix information in a case where said communication unit transmits the data to the second communication destination address, and determine a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said communication unit in a case where said communication unit transmits the data to the third communication destination address; and

a setting unit configured to set the source information based on the host information changed by said changing unit and the new piece of prefix information determined in accordance with the communication destination address by said determining unit, and to set a transmission route indicating that the data transmitted from said communication unit passes a device which sent the new piece of prefix information.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission route indicates a device which connects a network connected with said communication unit to another network.

3. A communication method comprising:

a reception step of receiving plural pieces of prefix information from a plurality of devices;

a transmission step of transmitting data;

a memory step of memorizing a piece of prefix information which has been used in a last transmission to each of a plurality of communication destination addresses in a memory;

a change step of changing host information within source information indicating a source of transmission made at said transmission step;

a determination step of determining a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission, when a first piece of prefix information is memorized in said memory step as the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a first communication destination address, a second piece of prefix information is memorized in the memory step as the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a second communication destination address, and the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a third communication destination address is not memorized in said memory step, from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said reception step other than the first piece of prefix information in a case where the data is transmitted to the first communication destination address in said transmission step, determining a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said reception step other than the second piece of prefix information in a case where the data is transmitted to the second communication destination address in said transmission step, and determining a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said reception step in a case where the data is transmitted to the third communication destination address in said transmission step; and

a setting step of setting the source information based on the host information changed in said change step and the new piece of prefix information determined in accordance with the communication destination address in said determination step, and of setting a transmission route indicating that the data of said transmission step passes a device which sent the new piece of prefix information.

4. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions executable by a processor for network communications, the medium comprising instructions to:

receive plural pieces of prefix information from a plurality of devices;

transmit data;

memorize a piece of prefix information which has been used in a last transmission to each of a plurality of communication destination addresses in a memory;

change host information within source information indicating a source of transmission made by said transmit instruction;

determine a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission, when a first piece of prefix information is memorized in said memory as the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a first communication destination address, a second piece of prefix information is memorized in said memory as the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a second communication destination address, and the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a third communication destination address is not memorized in said memory, from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said receive instruction other than the first piece of prefix information in a case where the data is transmitted to the first communication destination address by said transmit instruction, determine a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said receive instruction other than the second piece of prefix information in a case where the data is transmitted to the second communication destination address by said transmit instruction, and determine a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said receive instruction in a case where the data is transmitted to the third communication destination address by said transmit instruction; and

set the source information based on the host information changed by said change instruction and the new piece of prefix information determined in accordance with the communication destination address by said determine instruction, and set a transmission route indicating that the data of said transmit instruction passes a device which sent the new piece of prefix information.

5. A communication apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive plural pieces of prefix information from a plurality of devices, and to transmit data;

a memory unit configured to memorize a piece of prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to each of a plurality of communication destination addresses;

a determining unit configured to, when a first piece prefix information is memorized in said memory unit as the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a first communication destination address, a second piece prefix information is memorized in the memory unit as the prefix information which has been used in the last transmission to a second communication destination address, determine a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said communication unit other than the first piece of prefix information in a case where said communication unit transmits the data to the first communication destination address, and determine a new piece of prefix information to be used in a new transmission from the plural pieces of prefix information received by said communication unit other than the second piece of prefix information in a case where said communication unit transmits the data to the second communication destination address; and

a changing unit configured to change, according to the new piece of prefix information determined in accordance with the communication destination address by said determining unit, source information indicating a source of transmission made by said communication unit, and to change a transmission route indicating that the data transmitted from said communication unit passes a device which sent the new piece of prefix information for changing the piece of prefix information within the source information.