INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20160056925A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: MAEGAWA, Tomonori, ITO, Masashi, KANEKO, Yu, MERA, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,985,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/121 Timestamp cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements involving time stamps H04L9/3297
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• 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 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

An information processing apparatus comprises a first circuitry and a second circuitry. The first circuitry first/second demand response requests from first/second communication devices. The second circuitry creates first request content information representing contents of the first demand response request, sends it to a time-stamping authority, and acquires first time certification information containing a time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the first demand response request. The second circuitry stores the first time certification information in a storage device to be associates with the first demand response request; and determine, when the second demand response request is received, whether the second demand response request is retransmission of the first demand response request. When it is the retransmission, the second circuitry causes the first circuitry to send the second demand response request and the first time certification information associated with it in the storage device, to a second communication device.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first circuitry configured to receive a first demand response request from a first communication device, and receive a second demand response request from the first communication device after receiving the first demand response request;

a second circuitry configured to;

create first request content information representing contents of the first demand response request, from the first demand response request;

send the first request content information to a time-stamping authority, and acquire first time certification information that the time-stamping authority sends in response to this sending, the first time certification information containing a time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the first demand response request;

associate the first time certification information with the first demand response request and store the first time certification information in a storage device;

determine, when the second demand response request is received by the first circuitry, whether the second demand response request is retransmission of the first demand response request; and

when the second circuitry determines that the second demand response request is the retransmission of the first demand response request, causes the first circuitry to send the second demand response request and the first time certification information associated with the first demand response request in the storage device, to a second communication device.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second circuitry creates second request content information representing contents of the second demand response request from the second demand response request,

the second circuitry sends the second request content information to the time-stamping authority, and acquires second time certification information that the time-stamping authority sends in response to this sending, the second time certification information containing a time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the second demand response request, and

if the second circuitry determines that the second demand response request is not the retransmission of the first demand response request, the second circuitry causes the first circuitry to send the second time certification information acquired by the second circuitry and the second demand response request, to the second communication device.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first time certification information contains, in addition to the time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the first demand response request, a value of the first request content information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first time certification information is information into which the time-stamping authority encrypts information containing the value of the first request content information and the time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the first demand response request.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second time certification information contains, in addition to the time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the second demand response request, a value of the second request content information.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second time certification information is information into which the time-stamping authority encrypts information containing the value of the second request content information and the time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the second demand response request.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the encryption by the time-stamping authority is encryption using a private key in a public-key cryptosystem.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the storage processor, when the first demand response request is received by the first circuitry, associates the first request content information with the first time certification information, and stores the first request content information and the first time certification information in the storage device,

when the second demand response request is received by the first circuitry, the second circuitry creates second request content information to identify the second demand response request from the second demand response request,

the second circuitry determines whether the second demand response request is the retransmission of the first demand response request by determining whether request content information identical to the second request content information is stored in the storage device, and

if the second circuitry determines that the request content information identical to the second request content information is stored in the storage device, the second circuitry reads the first time certification information corresponding to the request content information identical to the second request content information from the storage device, and causes the first circuitry to send the read first time certification information to the second communication device.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second circuitry, when the first demand response request is received by the first circuitry, sends the first request content information and the first time certification information to the first communication device such that the first communication device associates the first request content information with the first time certification information and causes the storage device to store the first request content information and the first time certification information,

the second circuitry determines whether the second demand response request is the retransmission of the first demand response request by determining whether the first time certification information is added to the second demand response request received by the first circuitry, and

if the first time certification information is added to the second demand response request, the second circuitry causes the first circuitry to send the added first time certification information to the second communication device.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the second circuitry, when the second demand response request is received by the first circuitry, extracts second request content information to identify the second demand response request from the second demand response request, and

further includes a verifier that verifies whether the first time certification information is correct using the added first time certification information and the second request content information.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the verifier decrypts the added first time certification information using a public key distributed from the time-stamping authority, and verifies whether the first time certification information is correct by comparing a decrypted value with the second request content information.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the second demand response request is received by the first circuitry,

the second circuitry extracts the second request content information representing the contents of the second demand response request from the second demand response request,

the second circuitry causes the first circuitry to send a signal containing the second request content information to the time-stamping authority, and acquires from the time-stamping authority third time certification information containing a time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the second demand response request, and

if the second circuitry determines that the second demand response request is the retransmission of the first demand response request, the second circuitry causes the first circuitry to send, in addition to the first time certification information, the third time certification information to the second communication device.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second circuitry includes:

a definition information extractor that extracts first definition information to define the first demand response request, and second definition information to define the second demand response request;

a formatter that formats the first definition information and the second definition information; and

a hash value calculator that calculates a hash value of the formatted first definition information as the first request content information, and calculates a hash value of the formatted second definition information as the second request content information.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the definition information extractor changes information to be extracted according to a protocol of a demand response, and

the formatter changes a formatting method according to the protocol of the demand response.

15. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first circuitry that communicates with a communication device;

a second circuitry configured to;

when a first demand response request is to be sent from the first circuitry to the communication device, create first request content information representing contents of the first demand response request from the first demand response request;

send the first request content information to a time-stamping authority, and acquires first time certification information that the time-stamping authority sends in response to this sending, the first time certification information containing a time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the first demand response request;

associate the first time certification information with the first demand response request and store the first time certification information in a storage device;

determine whether a second demand response request to be send to the communication device subsequent to the first demand response request is retransmission of the first demand response request; and

when the second circuitry determines that the second demand response request is the retransmission of the first demand response request, causes the first circuitry to send the second demand response request and the first time certification information associated with the first demand response request in the storage device, to the communication device.

16. A communication device comprising:

a first circuitry configured to send a demand response request to an information processing apparatus, and acquire from the information processing apparatus time certification information containing time stamp that the time-stamping authority issues for the demand response request in response to this sending;

a second circuitry configured to;

cause a storage device to store the time certification information received by the first circuitry; and

when it is determined to execute retransmission of the demand response request, read the time certification information stored in the storage device, and cause the first circuitry to send the read time certification information to another communication device, together with the demand response request.