Communication device setting apparatus, communication device setting method, and recording medium

• US 8,775,582 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Hirokatsu, Kataoka, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Ashraf, Waseem
• Application Number:
  US13/238,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 709/203, 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/601 Broadcast encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57

Abstract

A communication device setting apparatus is arranged to register setup information in a communication device connected to the communication device setting apparatus via a communication network. In the communication device setting apparatus, a device setting unit recognizes an access from the communication device upon power up of the communication device, acquires setup information, which is specific to the communication device and contains a MAC address of the communication device, from list information pre-recorded in the communication device setting apparatus, and performs a setting process to set the acquired setup information in the communication device. A setting management unit detects an end of the setting process performed by the device setting unit, changes the list information based on the setup information having been set in the communication device after the end of the setting process, and manages the communication device according to the changed list information.

Claims

1. A communication device setting apparatus arranged to register setup information in a communication device that is connected to the communication device setting apparatus via a communication network, comprising:

a hardware processor configured to execute

a device setting unit to recognize an access from the communication device upon power up of the communication device, acquire setup information, which is specific to the communication device and contains a MAC address of the communication device, from list information pre-recorded in the communication device setting apparatus, and perform a setting process to set the acquired setup information in the communication device;

a setting management unit to detect an end of the setting process performed by the device setting unit, change the list information based on the setup information having been set in the communication device after the end of the setting process, and manage the communication device according to the changed list information; and

a key information generating unit to acquire key information via a corresponding key file name contained in the list information, and encrypt the acquired key information, wherein the setup information contains the encrypted key information from the key information generating unit,

wherein, after the device setting unit performs the setting process to set the acquired setup information in the communication device, the setting management unit moves the encrypted key information from a writing encryption key folder to a written encryption key storage folder without changing the key file name.

2. The communication device setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the key information contains at least one of a HDCP key and a Marlin key.

3. The communication device setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device setting unit generates command information for causing the communication device to receive the setup information, and outputs the generated command information to the communication device.

4. The communication device setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication device setting apparatus stores address information that is the same as address information which is beforehand registered in the communication device and used by the communication device to access an HTTP server on the network.

5. The communication device setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is one of a set-top box, a television set, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and a game machine.

10. A communication system comprising:

the communication device setting apparatus as claimed in claim 1; and

the communication device including a hardware control unit that controls processing of

a request process to, upon power up, request the communication device setting apparatus to acquire the setup information, which is specific to the communication device and contains the MAC address of the communication device, from the list information pre-recorded in the communication device setting apparatus;

a command receiving process to receive command information generated by the communication device setting apparatus;

an execution process to execute the command information for performing a process to access and retrieve the setup information from a predetermined recording area of a storage unit in the communication device setting apparatus; and

an output process that outputs, to the communication device setting apparatus, a message indicating an end of recording of the setup information in the communication device.

12. The communication device setting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an interface unit that directly connects to the communication device at a time of manufacturing or resetting of the communication device.

6. A communication device setting method for use in a communication device setting apparatus to register setup information in a communication device that is connected to the communication device setting apparatus via a communication network, the communication device setting apparatus including a device setting unit and a setting management unit, the communication device setting method comprising:

recognizing, by the device setting unit, an access from the communication device upon power up of the communication device;

acquiring, by the device setting unit, setup information, which is specific to the communication device and contains a MAC address of the communication device, from list information pre-recorded in the communication device setting apparatus;

performing, by the device setting unit, a setting process to set the acquired setup information in the communication device;

detecting, by the setting management unit, an end of the setting process performed by the device setting unit;

changing, by the setting management unit, the list information based on the setup information having been set in the communication device after the end of the setting process;

managing, by the setting management unit, the communication device according to the changed list information;

acquiring, by a key information generating unit of the communication device setting apparatus, key information via a corresponding key file name contained in the list information; and

encrypting, by the key information generating unit, the acquired key information,

wherein the setup information contains the encrypted key information,

wherein, after the device setting unit performs the setting process to set the acquired setup information in the communication device, the setting management unit moves the encrypted key information from a writing encryption key folder to a written encryption key storage folder without changing the key file name.

7. The communication device setting method according to claim 6, wherein the key information contains at least one of a HDCP key and a Marlin key.

8. The communication device setting method according to claim 6, further comprising:

generating, by the device setting unit, command information for causing the communication device to receive the setup information; and

outputting, by the device setting unit, the generated command information to the communication device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the communication device setting method according to claim 6.

11. The communication device setting method according to claim 6, further comprising:

requesting, by a control unit of the communication device, upon power up, the communication device setting apparatus to acquire the setup information, which is specific to the communication device and contains the MAC address of the communication device, from the list information pre-recorded in the communication device setting apparatus;

receiving, by the control unit of the communication device, command information generated by the communication device setting apparatus;

executing, by the control unit of the communication device, the command information for performing a process to access and retrieve the setup information from a predetermined recording area of a storage unit in the communication device setting apparatus; and

outputting, by the control unit of the communication device, a message to the communication device setting apparatus indicating an end of recording of the setup information in the communication device.