COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20090222659A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sueyoshi, Masahiro, Miyabayashi, Naoki, Yoneda, Yoshihiro, Soma, Isao, Kuroda, Seiji, Ishikawa, Yasuharu, Takada, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A communication device for performing communication by employing first and second communication units, includes: a reception unit for receiving a communication packet including a random number generated for every connection with another communication device, a certificate calculated with the random number, and authentication method information indicating whether or not an authentication method at the second communication unit is compatible with the public key system, through the first communication unit; and a method determining unit for determining whether or not an originator of the communication packet accepts public key encryption based on the authentication method information included in the communication packet; wherein in a case of the method determining unit determining that the originator of the communication packet does not accept the public key system, the random number included in the communication packet is replied to the originator as the identification information of the device itself.

Claims

1. A communication device configured to perform communication by employing first and second communication units, comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive communication data including a random number generated for every connection with another communication device, a certificate calculated by the random number, and authentication method information indicating an authentication method at said second communication unit, through said first communication unit; and

a method determining unit configured to determine, based on the authentication method information included in said communication data, an authentication method which an originator of the communication data accepts;

wherein the random number included in said communication data is employed as identifier information employed for authentication processing at said second communication unit according to the determination result by said method determining unit.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said authentication method information is information indicating whether or not the authentication method at said second communication unit is compatible with the public key system;

and wherein said method determining unit determines, based on the authentication method information included in said communication data, whether or not the originator of the communication data accepts the public key system;

and wherein in a case where said method determining unit has determined that the originator of said communication data does not accept the public key system, information included in said communication data is replied to the originator as the identification information of the device itself.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein said communication data further includes

identification information for identifying said originator, and

time limit information indicating whether or not an expiration date has been set to the identification information;

wherein in a case where said time limit information indicates that there has been set an expiration date, information generated based on setting information included in said communication data is discarded after said expiration date elapses.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display predetermined confirmation information; and

an input unit configured to input information indicating approval as to said confirmation information;

wherein in a case where an approval request for validating identification information included in said communication data is displayed on said display unit, and information indicating approval is input by said input unit, the identification information is validated.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display predetermined confirmation information; and

an input unit configured to input information indicating approval as to said confirmation information;

wherein in a case where an approval request for replying information included in said communication data is displayed on said display unit, and information indicating approval is input by said input unit, communication by said second communication unit is started based on the identification information.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said communication data further includes address information for identifying the originator of said reception data;

and wherein said second communication unit performs communication only with the originator of said reception data identified by said address information.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said communication data further includes configuration information indicating a network configuration which can be formed by said second communication unit;

and wherein the attributes of the device itself within a network are determined from predetermined attributes based on said configuration information.

8. A communication method by a communication device configured to perform communication by employing first and second communication units, comprising the steps of:

receiving communication data including a random number generated for every connection with another communication device, a certificate calculated by the random number, and authentication method information indicating an authentication method at said second communication unit, through said first communication unit;

determining, based on the authentication method information included in said communication data, an authentication method which an originator of the communication data accepts; and

performing authentication processing at said second communication by employing a random number included in said communication data as identification information according to the determination result in said determining.