Peripheral device, network system, communication processing method

• US 8,689,002 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Norihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): LWIN, MAUNG T
• Application Number:
  US13/011,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 713/156, 713/158, 713/173, 713/182, 726/17, 705/39, 705/64, 235/380
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

A peripheral device includes an interface for connection to a wired or wireless LAN, a local interface for wireless connection, and a control unit configured to check a legitimacy of a user based on a user-specific certificate stored in a communication-function-equipped device upon being accessed through the local interface by the communication-function-equipped device using near-field wireless communication, and to allow a predetermined process to be performed upon successful authentication of the legitimacy.

Claims

1. A peripheral device, comprising:

an interface for connection to a wired or wireless LAN;

a local interface for wireless connection; and

a central processing unit configured to check a legitimacy of a user based on a user-specific certificate stored in a communication-function-equipped device upon being accessed through the local interface by the communication-function-equipped device using near-field wireless communication, and to allow a predetermined process to be performed upon successful authentication of the legitimacy,

wherein the central processing unit is configured to allow the user to decide whether a process of disabling a lost user-specific certificate is performed when the lost user-specific certificate is used,

wherein, when the process of disabling the lost user-specific certificate is performed, the peripheral device displays a notification for a disabled user-specific certificate on an operation display unit of the peripheral device, and registers a disabled status in the user-specific certificate,

wherein, when the process of disabling the lost user-specific certificate is not performed, the authentication of the legitimacy is performed by the lost user-specific certificate, and a history of use of the lost user-specific certificate is checked upon establishing a successful authentication,

wherein the central processing unit is further configured to determine whether the lost user-specific certificate is used in a predetermined period of time based on the history of the use of the lost user-specific certificate,

wherein if the lost user-specific certificate is not used in the predetermined period of time it is determined whether a user for which the authentication is successful is a legitimate user, the user is authenticated as the legitimate user, and a completion of the authentication is displayed in the operation display unit, and

wherein if the lost user-specific certificate is used in the predetermined period of time it is determined that the user for which the authentication is successful is the legitimate user, and the completion of the authentication is displayed in the operation display unit.

2. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined process is an encryption of a communication path.

3. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined process is an authentication check of credibility and/or legitimacy of electronic data.

4. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication-function-equipped device stores therein information about a plurality of certificates.

5. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the central processing unit links the certificates to respective encryption strengths for control purposes.

6. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the central processing unit links the certificates to respective processing performances of use of the certificates for control purposes.

7. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 5, comprising the operation display unit configured to be operated by the user, wherein the information about the plurality of certificates is displayed on the operation display unit, thereby allowing the user to select one of the certificates on the operation display unit.

8. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 4, comprising the operation display unit configured to be operated by the user, wherein the operation display unit displays an expiration date or information about disabled status with respect to the certificates.

9. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operation display unit displays information about an update or reissue of a given certificate, and allows the user to perform a procedure to update or reissue the given certificate.

10. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central processing unit adds a record of use of an application to a history of certificate uses in response to the application being used by using the certificate, and stores therein the history of certificate uses.

11. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is one of a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile, or a digital multifunctional device equipped with at least two functionalities of the printer, the scanner, and the facsimile, or a personal computer, and wherein the communication-function-equipped device is one of an IC card, an RFID, an NFC-R/W, and a mobile terminal.

12. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is configured to display a history of previous uses of the certificate, execute the predetermined process by using the certificate, and add a history of use of the certificate to the first and second histories.

13. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication-function-equipped device is a near field communication token.

14. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the local interface is a near field communication R/W.

15. A network system, comprising:

a network including one of a wired LAN and a wireless LAN; and

a peripheral device connected to the network,

wherein the peripheral device includes;

an interface for connection to a wired or wireless LAN;

a local interface for wireless connection; and

a central processing unit configured to check a legitimacy of a user based on a user-specific certificate stored in a communication-function-equipped device upon being accessed through the local interface by the communication-function-equipped device using near-field wireless communication, and to allow a predetermined process to be performed upon successful authentication of the legitimacy,

wherein the central processing unit is configured to allow the user to decide whether a process of disabling a lost user-specific certificate is performed when the lost user-specific certificate is used,

wherein, when the process of disabling the lost user-specific certificate is performed, the peripheral device displays a notification for a disabled user-specific certificate on an operation display unit of the peripheral device, and registers a disabled status in the user-specific certificate,

wherein, when the process of disabling the lost user-specific certificate is not performed, the authentication of the legitimacy is performed by the lost user-specific certificate, and a history of use of the lost user-specific certificate is checked upon establishing a successful authentication,

wherein the central processing unit is further configured to determine whether the lost user-specific certificate is used in a predetermined period of time based on the history of the use of the lost user-specific certificate,

wherein if the lost user-specific certificate is not used in the predetermined period of time it is determined whether a user for which the authentication is successful is a legitimate user, the user is authenticated as the legitimate user, and a completion of the authentication is displayed in the operation display unit, and

wherein if the lost user-specific certificate is used in the predetermined period of time it is determined that the user for which the authentication is successful is the legitimate user, and the completion of the authentication is displayed in the operation display unit.

16. A method of processing communication for a peripheral device which includes an interface for connection to a wired or wireless LAN and a local interface for wireless connection, the method comprising:

checking a legitimacy of a user based on a user-specific certificate stored in a communication-function-equipped device upon being accessed through the local interface by the communication-function-equipped device using near-field wireless communication; and

allowing a predetermined process to be performed upon successful authentication of the legitimacy,

wherein the method further comprises allowing the user to decide whether a process of disabling a lost user-specific certificate is performed when the lost user-specific certificate is used,

wherein, when the process of disabling the lost user-specific certificate is performed, the peripheral device displays a notification for a disabled user-specific certificate on an operation display unit of the peripheral device, and registers a disabled status in the user-specific certificate,

wherein, when the process of disabling the lost user-specific certificate is not performed, the authentication of the legitimacy is performed by the lost user-specific certificate, and a history of use of the lost user-specific certificate is checked upon establishing a successful authentication,

wherein the central processing unit is further configured to determine whether the lost user-specific certificate is used in a predetermined period of time based on the history of the use of the lost user-specific certificate,

wherein if the lost user-specific certificate is not used in the predetermined period of time it is determined whether a user for which the authentication is successful is a legitimate user, the user is authenticated as the legitimate user, and a completion of the authentication is displayed in the operation display unit, and

wherein if the lost user-specific certificate is used in the predetermined period of time it is determined that the user for which the authentication is successful is the legitimate user, and the completion of the authentication is displayed in the operation display unit.