Communication network system, gateway, data communication method and program providing medium

• US 20010020241A1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Published: 09/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagano, Motohiko, Kawamoto, Youji, Futagami, Motomasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

This invention relates to provide a communication network system, a gateway, and a data communication method, in which the gateway has an advanced functionality. A person who issues an access request can retrieve a desired access destination easily by the following configuration: functions of routing information providing and authentication processing are added to a gateway that performs protocol conversion between two different communication networks; when an access request is issued from a public communication network such as Internet to a terminal in a local (private) communication network connected to the gateway, a request terminal is authenticated to enable prevention of unauthorized data writing and reading; and an access request user who succeeded in the authentication is provided with an active terminal list comprising accessible terminal information, or with a user condition table.

Claims

1. In a communication network system, in which communication between two communication networks is made possible by involving a gateway for performing communication protocol conversion between said two communication networks communicating according to different protocols,

the gateway has data accumulation means for accumulating either program data executed at a terminal connected to one of the two communication networks or data processed by the program data.

2. A communication network system according to

claim 1

, wherein said data accumulation means accumulate backup data of data stored in local storing means which is included in a terminal connected to one of the communication networks, automatically or in a manner specified by a user.

3. A communication network system according to

claim 1

, wherein if data to be stored in the accumulation means is data that requires a license such as program data, a license table, which associates an identification value of a terminal as an accumulation executer and a license identification value with the accumulated data, is kept when accumulating the data;

and

if a terminal connected to one of the communication networks performs a request for acquiring data that requires a license and that is stored in the accumulation means, the gateway requests the terminal to transmit license data and a terminal unique value, retrieves the received license data and the received terminal unique value in the license table, judges whether or not the terminal is licensed, and then allows or rejects download of the required data according to the judgment.

4. A communication network system according to

claim 1

, wherein one of the two communication networks communicating according to different protocols is a public communication network that enables an indefinite number of users to communicate, and the other is a private communication network that enables only terminals within a specific communication area to communicate;

said data accumulation means has data accumulation means for accumulating either program data executed at a terminal connected to the private communication network or data processed by the program data.

5. A communication network system according to

claim 1

, wherein the gateway has a registration table for registering a user identification value or a device identification value in the data accumulation means;

and

if the gateway receives an access request for accessing the data accumulation means, the gateway requests an access request user to transmit a user identification value or a device identification value, retrieves the received user identification value or the received device identification value in the registration table, judges whether or not the access request user has an access right, and then allows or rejects the access request according to the judgment.

6. A gateway, wherein communication protocol conversion between two communication networks communicating according to different protocols is performed,

the gateway has data accumulation means for accumulating either program data executed at a terminal connected to one of the two communication networks or data processed by the program data.

7. A gateway according to

claim 6

, wherein said data accumulation means accumulate backup data of data stored in local storing means, which is included in a terminal connected to one of the communication networks, automatically or in a manner specified by a user.

8. A gateway according to

claim 6

, wherein if data to be stored in the accumulation means is data that requires a license such as program data, a license table, which associates an identification value of a terminal as an accumulation executer and a license identification value with the accumulated data, is kept when accumulating the data;

and

if a terminal connected to one of the communication networks performs a request for acquiring data that requires a license and that is stored in the accumulation means, the gateway requests the terminal to transmit license data and a terminal unique value, retrieves the received license data and the received terminal unique value in the license table, judges whether or not the terminal is licensed, and then allows or rejects download of the required data according to the judgment.

9. A gateway according to

claim 6

, wherein one of the two communication networks communicating according to different protocols is a public communication network that enables an indefinite number of users to communicate, and the other is a private communication network that enables only terminals within a specific communication area to communicate;

said data accumulation means has data accumulation means for accumulating either program data executed at a terminal connected to the private communication network or data processed by the program data.

10. A gateway according to

claim 6

, wherein the gateway has a registration table for registering a user identification value or a device identification value in the data accumulation means;

and

if the gateway receives an access request for accessing the data accumulation means, the gateway requests an access request user to transmit a user identification value or a device identification value, retrieves the received user identification value or the received device identification value in the registration table, judges whether or not the access request user has an access right, and then allows or rejects the access request according to the judgment.

11. A data processing method in the communication network system, wherein communication between two communication networks is made possible by involving a gateway for performing communication protocol conversion between said two communication networks communicating according to different protocols,

the following processing is executed:

either program data executed at a terminal connected to one of the two communication networks or processing data based on the program data is accumulated in data accumulation means which is included in the gateway, automatically or in a manner specified by a user.

12. A data processing method according to

claim 11

, wherein backup data of data stored in local storing means included in a terminal connected to one of the communication networks is accumulated in data accumulation means included in the gateway.

13. A data processing method according to

claim 11

, wherein if data to be stored in the accumulation means is data that requires a license such as program data, said gateway generates a license table, which associates an identification value of a terminal as an accumulation executer and a license identification value with the accumulated data, when accumulating the data;

and

if a terminal connected to one of the communication networks performs a request for acquiring data that requires a license and that is stored in the accumulation means, the gateway requests the terminal to transmit license data and a terminal unique value, retrieves the received license data and the received terminal unique value in the license table, judges whether or not the terminal is licensed, and then allows or rejects download of the required data according to the judgment.

14. A data processing method according to

claim 11

, wherein one of the two communication networks communicating according to different protocols is a public communication network that enables an indefinite number of users to communicate, and the other is a private communication network that enables only terminals within a specific communication area to communicate;

said data accumulation means accumulates either program data executed at a terminal connected to the private communication network or data processed by the program data.

15. A data processing method according to

claim 11

, wherein the gateway generates and stores a registration table for registering a user identification value or a device identification value in the data accumulation means;

and

if the gateway receives an access request for accessing the data accumulation means, the gateway requests an access request user to transmit a user identification value or a device identification value, retrieves the received user identification value or the received device identification value in the registration table, judges whether or not the access request user has an access right, and then allows or rejects the access request according to the judgment.

16. Program providing medium, wherein the medium provides a computer program for executing, on a computer system, data processing in a communication network that enables communication between two communication networks by involving a gateway for performing communication protocol conversion between said two communication networks communicating according to different protocols,

the computer program has a processing step to store either program data executed at a terminal connected to one of the two communication networks or processing data based on the program data in data accumulation means which is included in the gateway, automatically or in a manner specified by a user.

17. In a communication network system, in which communication between two communication networks is made possible by involving a gateway for performing communication protocol conversion between said two communication networks communicating according to different protocols;

the improvement wherein the gateway receives a request to access a terminal or a registered user in a local communication network connected to the gateway from an outside communication network; and

the gateway selects accessible terminals from terminals or registered user terminals in the local communication network connected to the gateway, generates an active terminal list and then transmits the active terminal list to a request terminal that has performed the access request.

18. A communication network system according to

claim 17

, wherein the gateway generates a user condition table as said active terminal list which registers routing information that enables communication with registered users;

and the gateway provides said request terminal with the registered users'"'"' routing information in the user condition table.

19. A communication network system according to

claim 17

, wherein the gateway receives device unique information as specific information from a terminal in the local communication network connected to the gateway and from an unconnected terminal including mobile telephones;

and

the gateway extracts terminals having appropriate unique information from registered device data in a home gateway, and makes a table of routing information of the extracted terminals to generate the active terminal list.

20. A communication network system according to

claim 17

, wherein the gateway provides only specific users with accessible terminal information by performing authentication processing for the request terminal or the request user that issued the access request.

21. A communication network system according to

claim 17

, wherein the gateway has setting information specifying a range of access right for each request terminal or each request user that issued the access request;

and based on terminal or user information obtained by the authentication processing for the request terminal or the request user, the gateway provides access destination information with restriction according to the setting information.

22. A communication network system according to

claim 17

, wherein the gateway keeps a log of access requests from retrieving users having no access right as an access history and transmits the access history to registered users.

23. In a gateway, in which communication protocol conversion between two communication networks communicating according to different protocols is performed;

the improvement wherein the gateway receives a request to access a terminal or a registered user in a local communication network connected to the gateway from an outside communication network; and

the gateway selects accessible terminals from terminals or registered user terminals in the local communication network connected to the gateway, generates an active terminal list, and then transmits the active terminal list to a request terminal that has performed the access request.

24. A gateway according to

claim 23

, wherein the gateway generates a user condition table as said active terminal list which registers routing information that enables communication with registered users;

and the gateway provides said request terminal with the registered users'"'"' routing information in the user condition table.

25. A gateway according to

claim 23

, wherein the gateway receives device unique information as specific information from a terminals in the local communication network connected to the gateway, and from an unconnected terminal including mobile telephones;

and

the gateway extracts terminals having appropriate unique information from registered device data in a home gateway, and makes a table of routing information of the extracted terminals to generate the active terminal list.

26. A gateway according to

claim 23

, wherein the gateway provides only specific users with accessible terminal information by performing authentication processing for the request terminal or the request user that issued the access request.

27. A gateway according to

claim 23

, wherein the gateway has setting information specifying a range of access right for each request terminal or each request user that issued the access request;

and based on terminal or user information obtained by the authentication processing for the request terminal or the request user, the gateway provides access destination information with restriction according to the setting information.

28. A gateway according to

claim 23

, wherein the gateway keeps a log of access requests from retrieving users having no access right as an access history and transmits the access history to registered users.

29. In a data communication method in a communication network system, in which communication between two communication networks is made possible by involving a gateway for performing communication protocol conversion between said two communication networks communicating according to different protocols;

the improvement comprising;

a request receiving step for receiving a request to access a terminal or a registered user in a local communication network connected to the gateway from an outside communication network;

a list generation step for selecting accessible terminals from terminals or registered user terminals in the local communication network connected to the gateway to generate an active terminal list; and

a list transmission step for transmitting the active terminal list to a request terminal that has performed the access request.

30. A data communication method according to

claim 29

, wherein said list generation step is a step for generating a user condition table which registers routing information that enables communication with registered users;

and

said list transmission step is a step for transmitting the registered users'"'"' routing information in the user condition table to said request terminal.

31. A data communication method according to

claim 29

, wherein said list generation step receives device unique information as specific information from a terminal in the local communication network connected to the gateway and from an unconnected terminal including mobile telephones;

and

the list generation step extracts terminals having appropriate unique information from registered device data in a home gateway, and generates routing information of the extracted terminals by listing them.

32. A data communication method according to

claim 29

, wherein said gateway performs authentication processing for the request terminal or the request user that issued the access request and provides accessible terminal information for only specific users authenticated successfully by the authentication processing.

33. A data communication method according to

claim 29

, wherein the gateway generates setting information specifying a range of access right for each request terminal or each request user that issued the access request;

and based on terminal or user information obtained by the authentication processing for the request terminal or the request user, the gateway provides access destination information with restriction according to the setting information.

34. A data communication method according to

claim 29

, wherein a log of access requests from request terminals or request users that have no access right is kept as an access history, and the access history is transmitted to registered users.

35. In a program providing medium, in which the medium provides a computer program for executing, on a computer system, data communication processing in a communication network system that enables communication between two communication networks by involving a gateway for performing communication protocol conversion between said two communication networks communicating according to different protocols;

the improvement wherein the computer program comprises a request receiving step for receiving a request to access a terminal or a registered user in a local communication network connected to the gateway from an outside communication network;

a list generation step for selecting accessible terminals from terminals or registered user terminals in the local communication network connected to the gateway to generate an active terminal list; and

a list transmission step for transmitting the active terminal list to a request terminal that has performed the access request.