US 7,443,983 B2Granted

Communication apparatus and method

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

InventorsYoshimichi Tanizawa, Masataka Goto, Yoshihiko Kashio, Masahiro Takagi, Naohisa Shibuya

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Abstract

A communication apparatus which is connected to networks including first network of first security level which is lowest security level and second network of second security level, and is wirelessly connected to terminal receiving terminal identifier and password which designates one of networks, from terminal, selecting one of first security level and second security level based on an authentication result of terminal, terminal identifier, and password, forwarding, when second security level is selected, data item which is transmitted from terminal and is encrypted using cryptographic algorithm and cryptographic key to second network, and forwarding, to terminal, data item which is transmitted from second network and addressed to terminal, and forwarding, when first security level is selected, data item transmitted from terminal to first network, and forwarding, to terminal, data item which is transmitted from first network and addressed to terminal.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A communication apparatus which is wirelessly connected to a first terminal and is connected to a plurality of networks corresponding to different security levels and including a first network of a first security level which is a lowest security level of the security levels and a second network of a second security level of the security levels, the communication apparatus comprising:

a wireless LAN control unit configured to connect to the first terminal and communicate with the first terminal;
and
an authentication unit configured to (a) authenticate the first terminal, to (b) select one of the first security level and the second security level based on an authentication result of the first terminal, a first terminal identifier and a first password corresponding to one of the networks, the first terminal identifier and the first password being transmitted from the first terminal and received by the wireless LAN control unit, and to (c) generate, when the second security level is selected, a cryptographic key used in a first cryptographic algorithm corresponding to the second security level, wherein
the wireless LAN control unit (a) transmits when the second security level is selected, the cryptographic key and an identifier of the first cryptographic algorithm to the first terminal, (b) transfers, when the second security level is selected, a first data item to the second network and a second data item to the first terminal, the first data item obtained by being encrypted by the first terminal using the first cryptographic algorithm and the cryptographic key, and received from the first terminal, and the second data item addressed to the first terminal and received from the second network;
and
(c) transfers, when the first security level is selected, a third data item to the first network and a fourth data item to the first terminal, the third data item received from the first terminal, and the fourth data item addressed to the first terminal and received from the first network.

3 more elements

A communicating method for communicating between a first terminal and one of a plurality of networks corresponding to different security levels and including a first network of a first security level which is a lowest security level of the security levels and a second network of a second security level of the security levels, the communicating method comprising:

(a) storing a first cryptographic algorithm corresponding to the second security level and an identifier of the first cryptographic algorithm in a memory device;
(b) authenticating the first terminal to obtain an authentication result of the first terminal;
(c) selecting one of the first security level and the second security level based on the authentication result of the first terminal, a first terminal identifier, and a first password corresponding to one of the networks, the first terminal identifier and the first password being transmitted by the first terminal;
(d) generating, when the second security level is selected, a cryptographic key used in the first cryptographic algorithm;
(e) transmitting, when the second security level is selected, the cryptographic key and the identifier of the first cryptographic algorithm to the first terminal;
(f) transferring, when the second security level is selected, a first data item to the second network and a second data item to the first terminal, the first data item obtained by being encrypted by the first terminal using the first cryptographic algorithm and the cryptographic key, and is transmitted by the first terminal, and the second data item addressed to the first terminal and transmitted from the second network;
and
(g) transferring, when the first security level is selected, a third data item to the first network and a fourth data item to the first terminal, the third data item transmitted by the first terminal, and the fourth data item addressed to the first terminal and transmitted from the first network.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/973,472Filed 27 Oct 2004
Priority: JP 2003-42239519 Dec 2003
Published: US 2005/0135625 A123 Jun 2005
Granted: 28 Oct 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04L 63/0428
For providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks: wherein the data content is protected, e.g.…
H04L 63/08
Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security: for authentication of entities
H04L 63/083
For authentication of entities: using passwords
H04L 63/105
For controlling access to devices or network resources: multiple levels of security