COMMUNICATION APPARATUS CONFIGURED TO PERFORM ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION AND METHOD AND PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20110142241A1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Goto, Fumihide
• Application Number:
  US12/960,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20110142241A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/279
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• 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: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/16 the keys or algorithms being changed during operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

In a communication apparatus, a storage device stores encryption keys for encrypted communication with another communication apparatus on a network. A determination is made based on a storage state of encryption keys stored in the storage device whether to provide first encryption key information and second encryption key information wherein the first encryption key information is for encrypted communication using a common encryption key among all communication apparatuses on a network and the second encryption key information is for encrypted communication using an encryption key different for each communication apparatus on the network. Communication parameters including the first encryption key information and the second encryption key information are provided to an apparatus that request for provision of communication parameters based on the determination.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a storage device configured to store encryption keys used in encrypted communication with another communication apparatus on a network;

a determination device configured to determine whether to provide first encryption key information and second encryption key information based on a storage state of encryption keys stored in the storage device, wherein the first encryption key information is for encrypted communication using a common encryption key among all communication apparatuses on the network and the second encryption key information is for encrypted communication using an encryption key different for each communication apparatus on the network; and

a providing device configured to provide communication parameters including the first encryption key information and the second encryption key information to an apparatus that request for provision of communication parameters based on the determination by the determination device.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the communication parameters including the first encryption key information and the second encryption key information are provided in accordance with the result of the determination by the determination device, encrypted communication based on the second encryption key information is performed between the communication apparatus and the apparatus that request for provision of communication parameters.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification device configured to notify a change to encrypted communication based on the first encryption key information to an apparatus that has already started encrypted communication based on the second encryption key information, in a case where the communication parameters including only the first encryption key information without the second encryption key information are provided in accordance with the result of the determination by the determination device.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a checking device configured to check whether there is another communication apparatus already existing on the network,

wherein in a case where checking performed by the checking device indicates that there is another communication apparatus already existing on the network, the determination device makes the determination based on the storage state of the encryption keys.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in a case where checking performed by the checking device indicates that there is no other communication apparatus already existing on the network, the providing device provides the communication parameters including the first encryption key information and the second encryption key information to the apparatus that request for provision of communication parameters.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination device determines whether to provide the first encryption key information and the second encryption key information, based on the storage state of encryption keys stored in the storage device and a storage state of encryption keys in the apparatus that request for provision of communication parameters.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination device determines whether to provide the first encryption key information and the second encryption key information, based on the storage state of the encryption keys stored in the storage device and a storage state of encryption keys in another communication apparatus already connected to the network.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination device determines the storage state of the encryption keys based on the number of encryption keys allowed to be stored in the storage device.

9. A communication apparatus comprising:

a communication device configured to perform first encrypted communication and second encrypted communication, wherein the first encrypted communication is based on first encryption key information using a common encryption key among all communication apparatuses on a network and the second encrypted communication is based on second encryption key information using an encryption key that is different for each communication apparatus on the network;

a first determination device configured to determine whether at least the communication apparatus is capable of performing the second encrypted communication with a first communication apparatus that is already in a state in which the second encrypted communication is possible and with a second communication apparatus to which communication parameters are to be provided by the communication apparatus; and

a providing device configured to provide the second encryption key information to the second communication apparatus based on the determination by the first determination device.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second determination device configured to determine whether the second communication apparatus is capable of performing the second encrypted communication with the first communication apparatus even in a state in which the communication apparatus performs the second encrypted communication with the second communication apparatus,

wherein depending on the determination by the first determination device and the determination by the second determination device, the providing device provides the second encryption key information to the second communication apparatus.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second determination device configured to determine whether the first communication apparatus is also capable of performing the second encrypted communication with the second communication apparatus even in a state in which the communication apparatus performs the second encrypted communication with the second communication apparatus,

wherein depending on the determination by the first determination device and the determination by the second determination device, the providing device provides the second encryption key information to the second communication apparatus.

12. A method of controlling a communication apparatus including a storage device configured to store encryption keys used in encrypted communication with another communication apparatus on a network, comprising:

determining whether to provide first encryption key information and second encryption key information based on a storage state of encryption keys stored in the storage device, wherein the first encryption key information is for encrypted communication using a common encryption key among all communication apparatuses on the network and the second encryption key information is for encrypted communication using an encryption key different for each communication apparatus on the network; and

providing communication parameters including the first encryption key information and the second encryption key information to an apparatus that request for provision of communication parameters based on the determination.

13. A method of controlling a communication apparatus configured to perform first encrypted communication and second encrypted communication, wherein the first encrypted communication is based on first encryption key information using a common encryption key among all communication apparatuses on a network and the second encrypted communication is based on second encryption key information using an encryption key that is different for each communication apparatus on the network, the method comprising:

in a case where the communication apparatus is capable of performing the second encrypted communication with a first communication apparatus, determining whether the communication apparatus is capable of performing the second encrypted communication to a second communication apparatus to which communication parameters are to be provided by the communication apparatus; and

depending on the determination, providing the second encryption key information to the second communication apparatus.

14. A storage medium storing a program configured to control a communication apparatus including a storage device to store encryption keys used in encrypted communication with another communication apparatus on a network, the program comprising:

determining whether to provide first encryption key information and second encryption key information based on a storage state of encryption keys stored in the storage device, wherein the first encryption key information is for encrypted communication using a common encryption key among all communication apparatuses on the network and the second encryption key information is for encrypted communication using an encryption key different for each communication apparatus on the network; and

providing communication parameters including the first encryption key information and the second encryption key information to an apparatus that request for provision of communication parameters based on the determination.

15. A storage medium storing a program configured to control a communication apparatus configured to perform first encrypted communication and second encrypted communication, wherein the first encrypted communication is based on first encryption key information using a common encryption key among all communication apparatuses on a network and the second encrypted communication is based on second encryption key information using an encryption key that is different for each communication apparatus on the network, the program comprising:

in a case where the communication apparatus is capable of performing the second encrypted communication with a first communication apparatus, determining whether the communication apparatus is capable of performing the second encrypted communication to a second communication apparatus to which communication parameters are to be provided by the communication apparatus; and

depending on the determination, providing the second encryption key information to the second communication apparatus.