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US 6,584,563 B1Granted
User support system for cryptographic communication in network systems
AssigneeFujitsu Limited
InventorsHiroaki Kikuchi, Yasutsugu Kuroda, Hideyuki Aikawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A user support system for cryptographic communication includes a key storage unit for storing keys used for deciphering, a deciphering unit for deciphering an enciphered communication text into a deciphered communication text using a key, and a controller for starting the deciphering unit. only when an input communication text is the enciphered communication text, and for supplying the keys that is necessary for the deciphering in the deciphering unit, by retrieving the key from the key storage.
Claims24
Terminal equipment for cryptographic communication and comprising one of source and destination terminal equipment, the terminal equipment comprising:
- means for receiving a communication text having a deciphering unit address and comprising one of an enciphered and a deciphered communication text;
- key storage means for storing keys used for deciphering a received, enciphered communication text and associated with one of a user and a group of users;
- deciphering means for deciphering a received, enciphered communication text into a deciphered communication text, using a one of the keys associated with the user;
- and
- control means for starting said deciphering means when the address matches an address of the terminal equipment and only when a received, input communication text is an enciphered communication text and for supplying said key, which is necessary for deciphering the received, enciphered communication text by said deciphering means, by retrieving said key from said key storage means.
2 more elements
Terminal equipment for cryptographic communication in a network system in which a first system and a second system are connected via an external network, said terminal equipment comprising:
- an enciphering unit, provided in the first system, enciphering a communication text which includes an address of said enciphering unit and is to be output to a terminal equipment destination having a deciphering unit address on the external network, said enciphering unit comprising:
- a first receiver receiving the communication text which is made in the first system and is to be transmitted via the external network;
- a first key storage storing keys necessary for a cryptographic communication, the keys each associated with one of a user and a group of users;
- a first key retrieving part retrieving a one of the keys associated with the user from said first key storage based on a destination of the communication text;
- an enciphering part enciphering the communication text into an enciphered communication text using the key retrieved by said key retrieving part;
- and
- a first transmitter transmitting the enciphered communication text from said enciphering part to the terminal equipment destination on the external network;
- and
- wherein said first key storage stores a common key that is used in common within the first system;
- and said enciphering unit automatically enciphers the communication text using the common key.
7 more elements
Terminal equipment for cryptographic communication in a network system in which a first system and a second system are connected via an external network, said terminal equipment comprising:
- an enciphering unit, provided in the first system, enciphering a communication text which includes an address of said enciphering unit and is to be output to a terminal equipment destination having a deciphering unit address on the external network, said enciphering unit comprising:
- a first receiver receiving the communication text which is made in the first system and is to be transmitted via the external network;
- a first key storage storing keys necessary for a cryptographic communication, the keys each associated with one of a user and a group of users;
- a first key retrieving part retrieving a one of the keys associated with the user from said first key storage based on a destination of the communication text;
- an enciphering part enciphering the communication text into an enciphered communication text using the key retrieved by said key retrieving part;
- and
- a first transmitter transmitting the enciphered communication text from said enciphering part to the terminal equipment destination on the external network;
- and
- a deciphering unit, provided in the second system, deciphering the enciphered communication text which includes an address of said deciphering unit and is input via the external network from the first system, said deciphering unit comprising:
- a second receiver receiving a communication text input via the external network;
- a deciphered communication text extracting part determining whether the communication text received by said second receiver is an enciphered communication text or a normal communication text and extracting the enciphered communication text;
- a second key storage storing keys necessary for the cryptographic communication;
- a second key retrieving part retrieving from said second key storage a key that is necessary for deciphering the enciphered communication text when said deciphered communication text extracting part extracts the enciphered communication text;
- a deciphering part deciphering the enciphered communication text into a deciphered communication text using the key retrieved by said second key retrieving part;
- and
- a second transmitter transmitting the deciphered communication text from said deciphering part to a destination of the deciphered communication text within the second system.
13 more elements
Terminal equipment for cryptographic communication in a network system in which first terminal equipment and second terminal equipment are within an external network, said second terminal equipment comprising:
- a deciphering unit, provided in the second terminal equipment and having a deciphering unit address, deciphering an enciphered communication text which includes an address of said deciphering unit and is input via the external network from the first system, said deciphering unit comprising:
- a receiver receiving a communication text input via the external network and having the address, the communication text comprising one of an enciphered communication text and a normal communication text;
- an address determining part determining whether the address is an address of the second terminal equipment;
- a deciphered communication text extracting part determining whether the communication text received by said receiver is an enciphered communication text or a normal communication text and extracting the enciphered communication text;
- a key storage storing keys necessary for the cryptographic communication, the keys each associated with one of a user and a group of users;
- a key retrieving part retrieving from said key storage a one of the keys associated with the user that is necessary for deciphering the enciphered communication text when said deciphered communication text extracting part extracts the enciphered communication text;
- a deciphering part deciphering the enciphered communication text into a deciphered communication text using the key retrieved by said key retrieving part;
- and
- a transmitter transmitting the deciphered communication text from said deciphering part to a destination of the deciphered communication text within the second system.
6 more elements
A cryptographic communication system, comprising:
- a first transmitter preparing and transmitting an enciphered first message having a deciphering unit address and an encipher identifier identifying that the first message is enciphered;
- a second transmitter preparing and transmitting an unenciphered second message having the address and the encipher identifier identifying that the second message is not enciphered;
- a communication network coupled to the first and second transmitters;
- and
- a receiver coupled to said network, having the destination address, receiving the first and second messages, determining whether the address is correct and automatically deciphering the first message responsive to the identifier when the address is correct using a key associated with one of a user and a group of users.
2 more elements
A cryptographic communication method, comprising:
- preparing an enciphered first message having a deciphering unit address and an encipher identifier identifying that the first message is enciphered;
- preparing an unenciphered second message having the destination address and the encipher identifier identifying that the second message is not enciphered;
- transmitting the first and second messages to the destination;
- and
- receiving the first and second messages at the destination, determining whether the address is correct and automatically deciphering the first message responsive to the identifier when the address is correct using a key associated with one of a user and a group of users.
2 more elements
A cryptographic terminal within a communications network, comprising:
- first destination extracting means for determining whether a message received by the terminal includes an address indicating the message is to be enciphered by the terminal;
- and
- an enciphering unit, responsive to said first destination extracting means, enciphering the message which includes the address of said enciphering unit and is to be output to the network using a key associated with one of a user and a group of users.
A cryptographic terminal within a communication network, comprising:
- destination extracting means for determining whether a message received by the terminal from the network includes an address indicating the message is to be deciphered by the terminal;
- and
- a deciphering unit, responsive to said destination extracting means, deciphering the received message which includes the address of said deciphering unit if said received message is enciphered using a key associated with one of a user and a group of users.
A cryptographic terminal within a communications network, comprising:
- an address detector determining whether a message received by the terminal from the network includes an enciphering/deciphering unit address indicating the message is to be deciphered by the terminal;
- and
- a decipherer determining whether the message is an enciphered message, automatically retrieving a key and deciphering the message with the key when the message is enciphered, the key associated with one of a user and a group of users.
A cryptographic terminal within a communications network, comprising:
- an address detector determining whether a message received by the terminal from the network includes an enciphering/deciphering unit address indicating the message is to be deciphered by the terminal;
- and
- a decipherer determining whether the message is an enciphered message, and only automatically retrieving a key and deciphering the message with the key when the message is enciphered, the key associated with one of a user and a group of users.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.