Authentication method and authentication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016149908-A1
Application number	US-201615012913-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2016
Priority date	Feb 18, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system performs mutual authentication between a controller and a first device, creates a group key, shares the group key, and sets the first device as a reference device. The system performs mutual authentication between the controller and a second device, and shares the group key with the second device. Thereafter, the system, performs mutual authentication between the controller and the first device, updates the group key, and shares the updated group key between the controller and the first device. At a group key update timing when the group key is updated, the system performs mutual authentication between the controller and the second device, and shares the updated group key with the second device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An authentication method performed in an authentication system including a controller, a first device, and a second device, the authentication method comprising:
a first step comprising: performing mutual authentication between the controller and the first device, creating a group key, sharing the group key between the controller and the first device, and setting the first device as a reference device; a second step comprising: performing mutual authentication between the controller and the second device, and sharing the group key with the second device; a third step performed after the second step comprising: performing mutual authentication between the controller and the first device, updating the group key, and sharing the updated group key between the controller and the first device; and a fourth step performed at a group key update timing when the group key is updated comprising: performing mutual authentication between the controller and the second device, and sharing the updated group key with the second device.

2 . The authentication method according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller, the first device, and the second device are connected to one home area network.

3 . The authentication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, when the group key is updated, a group key update notification to the second device, wherein the group key update timing is a timing when the second device receives the group key update notification.

4 . The authentication method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first step further includes setting a first session period between the controller and the first device, the second step further includes setting, between the controller and the second device, a second session period that is based on the first session period and on a period elapsed from a time point of setting the first session period, the third step is started in accordance with the first session period and the period elapsed from the time point of setting the first session period, and the group key update timing is a timing that is based on the second session period and a period elapsed from a time point of setting the second session period.

5 . The authentication method according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller owns a private key and a public key certificate of the controller, the first device owns a private key and a public key certificate of the first device, the authentication method further comprises creating a first shared key and sharing the first shared key between the controller and the first device, the mutual authentication performed in the first step is public key authentication in which mutual authentication is performed by using the public key certificate owned by the controller and the public key certificate owned by the first device in accordance with a public key infrastructure, and the mutual authentication performed in the third step is shared key authentication in which mutual authentication is performed by using the first shared key.

6 . The authentication method according to claim 5 , wherein
in the creating and sharing of the first shared key, the first shared key is shared through a key exchange, and the shared key authentication is challenge-response authentication in which random numbers and the first shared key are used.

7 . The authentication method according to claim 5 , wherein
the second device owns a private key and a public key certificate of the second device, the authentication method further comprises creating a second shared key and sharing the second shared key between the controller and the second device, the mutual authentication performed in the second step is public key authentication in which mutual authentication is performed by using the public key certificate owned by the controller and the public key certificate owned by the second device in accordance with a public key infrastructure, and the mutual authentication performed in the fourth step is shared key authentication in which mutual authentication is performed by using the second shared key.

8 . An authentication system including a controller, a first device, and a second device, the authentication system comprising:
a first mutual authenticator that performs mutual authentication between the controller and the first device, creates a group key, shares the group key between the controller and the first device, and sets the first device as a reference device; a second mutual authenticator that performs mutual authentication between the controller and the second device, and shares the group keywith the second device; a third mutual authenticator that performs mutual authentication between the controller and the first device, updates the group key, and shares the updated group key between the controller and the first device; and a fourth mutual authenticator that, at a group key update timing when the group key is updated, updates the group key, performs mutual authentication between the controller and the second device, and shares the updated group key with the second device.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Unagami Yuji
• Maeda Manabu
• Matsushima Hideki

Classifications

• H04L63/068

  using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088) · CPC title

• H04L63/065

  for group communications (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833) · CPC title

• H04L63/062

  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 title

• H04L9/3273

  for mutual authentication (network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869) · CPC title

• H04L9/3268

  using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL] · CPC title