Method of transferring digital certificate,apparatus for transferring digital certificate, and system, program, and recording medium for transferring digital certificate

• US 20050204164A1
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kakii, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method of transferring digital certificates for transferring, by means of a digital-certificate transferring apparatus, a digital certificate to a communications apparatus to be its communications counterpart is disclosed. The method includes the step of causing the digital-certificate transferring apparatus to execute; a first transferring procedure of using a common certificate being a digital certificate without apparatus-identifying information so as to authenticate the communications counterpart, and transferring a normal certificate being a digital certificate with information identifying the communications counterpart to the communications counterpart when the authenticating succeeds; and a second transferring procedure of receiving a first normal certificate from the communications counterpart, and when, based on the received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with the information identifying the communications counterpart, and being different from the first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring the second normal certificate to the communications counterpart.

Claims

1. A method of transferring digital certificates for transferring, by means of a digital-certificate transferring apparatus, a digital certificate to a communications apparatus to be a communications counterpart of the digital-certificate transferring apparatus, comprising the step of causing said digital-certificate transferring apparatus to execute:

a first transferring procedure of using a common certificate being a digital certificate without apparatus-identifying information so as to authenticate said communications counterpart, and transfer a normal certificate being a digital certificate with information identifying said communications counterpart to the communications counterpart when the authenticating succeeds; and

a second transferring procedure of receiving a first normal certificate from said communications counterpart, and when, based on said received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with the information identifying the communications counterpart, and being different from said first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring said second normal certificate to said communications counterpart.

3. The method of transferring digital certificates as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of:

determining whether to transfer said second normal certificate in said second transferring procedure based on information being described in the received first normal certificate.

4. The method of transferring digital certificate as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of:

determining whether to transfer said second normal certificate in said second transferring procedure based on an address at which said first normal certificate is received.

5. The method of transferring digital certificate as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a certification key for use in confirming the validity of said first normal certificate and a certification key for use in confirming the validity of said second normal certificate are different.

6. The method of transferring digital certificate as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of:

setting whether to execute said second transferring procedure so that, when a need arises for transferring said second normal certificate to said communications apparatus, setting for causing said digital-certificate transferring apparatus to execute said second transferring procedure.

7. The method of transferring digital certificate as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of:

causing said digital-certificate transferring means, in said first transferring procedure and second transferring procedure, when transferring said each one of said first normal certificate and said second normal certificate, to request for setting the digital certificate in the communications apparatus to which the digital certificate is transferred.

2. A method of transferring digital certificates for transferring, by means of a digital-certificate transferring apparatus, a digital certificate to a communications apparatus to be a communications counterpart of the digital-certificate transferring apparatus, comprising the steps of:

providing for said digital certificate-transferring apparatus to use two types of digital certificates having set different validity periods so as to authenticate the communications counterpart when communicating; and

causing said digital-certificate transferring apparatus to execute;

a first transferring procedure of using a long-term certificate having a longer validity period set out of said two types of digital certificates so as to authenticate said communications counterpart, and transfer a normal certificate having a shorter validity period set out of said two types of digital certificates to the communications counterpart when the authenticating succeeds during the validity period of said long-term certificate; and

a second transferring procedure of receiving a first normal certificate from said communications counterpart, and when, based on said received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with a validity period shorter relative to said long-term certificate, and being different from said first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring said second normal certificate to said communications counterpart.

8. An apparatus for transferring digital certificates for transferring a digital certificate to a communications apparatus to be a communications counterpart, comprising:

first transferring means for using a common certificate being a digital certificate without apparatus-identifying information so as to authenticate said communications counterpart, and transferring a normal certificate being a digital certificate with information identifying said communications counterpart to the communications counterpart when the authenticating succeeds; and

second transferring means for receiving a first normal certificate from said communications counterpart, and when, based on said received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with the information identifying the communications counterpart, and being different from said first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring said second normal certificate to said communications counterpart.

10. The apparatus for transferring digital certificate as claimed in claim 8:

wherein whether to transfer said second normal certificate in said second transferring procedure based on information described in the received first normal certificate is determined.

11. The apparatus for transferring digital certificate as claimed in claim 8,

wherein whether to transfer said second normal certificate in said second transferring procedure based on an address at which said first normal certificate is received is determined.

12. The apparatus for transferring digital certificate as claimed in claim 8,

wherein a certification key for use in confirming the validity of said first normal certificate and a certification key for use in confirming the validity of said second normal certificate are different.

13. The apparatus for transferring digital certificate as claimed in claim 8, further comprising in each of said first certificate-transferring means and second certificate-transferring means:

means for, requesting said first certificate-transferring means and said second certificate-transferring means, when transferring said each one of said first normal certificate and said second normal certificate, for setting the digital certificate in the communications apparatus to which the digital certificate is transferred.

9. An apparatus for transferring digital certificates for transferring a digital certificate to a communications apparatus to be a communications counterpart, comprising:

means for using two types of digital certificates having set different validity periods so as to authenticate the communications counterpart when communicating;

first transferring means for using a long-term certificate having a longer validity period set out of said two types of digital certificates so as to authenticate said communications counterpart, and transferring a normal certificate having a shorter validity period set out of said two types of digital certificates to the communications counterpart when the authenticating succeeds during the validity period of said long-term certificate; and

second transferring means for receiving a first normal certificate from said communications counterpart, and when, based on said received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with a validity period shorter relative to said long-term certificate, and being different from said first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring said second normal certificate to said communications counterpart.

14. A system for transferring digital certificates, comprising:

a digital-certificate transferring apparatus for transferring a digital certificate to a communications apparatus; and

the communications apparatus to be a communications counterpart of the digital-certificate transferring apparatus,

the digital-certificate transferring apparatus further comprising;

first transferring means for using a common certificate being a digital certificate without apparatus-identifying information so as to authenticate said communications counterpart, and transferring a normal certificate being a digital certificate with information identifying said communications apparatus to the communications apparatus when the authenticating succeeds; and

second transferring means for receiving a first normal certificate from said communications apparatus, and when, based on said received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with the information identifying the communications apparatus, and being different from said first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring said second normal certificate to said communications apparatus; and

,

the communications apparatus further comprising;

means for receiving each one of said first normal certificate and said second normal certificate from said certificate-transferring means so as to store the received certificate.

15. A system for transferring digital certificates, comprising:

a digital-certificate transferring apparatus for transferring a digital certificate to a communications apparatus; and

the communications apparatus to be a communications counterpart of the digital-certificate transferring apparatus,

the digital-certificate transferring apparatus further comprising;

means for using two types of digital certificates having set different validity periods so as to authenticate the communications apparatus when communicating;

first transferring means for using a long-term certificate having a longer validity period set out of said two types of digital certificates so as to authenticate said communications apparatus, and transferring a normal certificate having a shorter validity period set out of said two types of digital certificates to the communications apparatus when the authenticating succeeds during the validity period of said long-term certificate; and

second transferring means for receiving a first normal certificate from said communications apparatus, and when, based on said received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with a validity period shorter relative to said long-term certificate, and being different from said first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring said second normal certificate to said communications apparatus; and

,

the communications apparatus further comprising;

means for receiving said each one of said first normal certificate and said second normal certificate from said certificate-transferring means so as to store said received certificate.

16. A program for causing a computer to function as a digital-certificate transferring apparatus for transferring a digital certificate to a communications apparatus to be a communications counterpart, comprising the step of causing said computer to function as:

first transferring means for using a common certificate being a digital certificate without apparatus-identifying information so as to authenticate said communications counterpart, and transferring a normal certificate being a digital certificate with information identifying said communications counterpart to the communications counterpart when the authenticating succeeds; and

second transferring means for receiving a first normal certificate from said communications counterpart, and when, based on said received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with the information identifying the communications counterpart, and being different from said first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring said second normal certificate to said communications counterpart.

18. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded a program as claimed in claim 16.

17. A program for causing a computer to function as a digital-certificate transferring apparatus for transferring a digital certificate to a communications apparatus to be a communications counterpart, comprising the step of causing said computer to function as:

means for using two types of digital certificates having set different validity periods so as to authenticate the communications counterpart when communicating;

first transferring means for using a long-term certificate having a longer validity period set out of said two types of digital certificates so as to authenticate said communications counterpart, and transferring a normal certificate having a shorter validity period set out of said two types of digital certificates to the communications counterpart when the authenticating succeeds during the validity period of said long-term certificate; and

second transferring means for receiving a first normal certificate from said communications counterpart, and when, based on said received first normal certificate, transferring a second normal certificate, with a validity period shorter relative to said long-term certificate, and being different from said first normal certificate, is determined to be necessary, transferring said second normal certificate to said communications counterpart.