JP2003283549A - Contents filtering apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contents filtering method in which the number of users handleable for a filtering apparatus is expanded and the contents acquisition waiting time of every user is shortened. <P>SOLUTION: An authentication part 1 authenticates a user and specifies a group to which the user belongs and when the approval of authentication is reported to a user terminal 11, the user terminal 11 sends a contents acquisition request packet to a gateway part 2. Then, the gateway part 2 applies a second user ID of the group to which the user belongs to the packet, a filtering part 2 identifies the second user ID applied to the packet and judges the permission of contents acquisition by applying filtering conditions, the packet is transferred to a contents distribution server 1. Then, the contents distribution server 21 transmits a contents packet in which prescribed contents are packaged to the user terminal 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a content filtering apparatus and method for providing a contract-based content distribution service for each user having the same attribute.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a content filtering apparatus based on the prior art. The content distribution servers 121 and 122 store content and are housed in the filtering unit 103. The authentication unit 101 performs user authentication on the user terminals 111 and 112. This user authentication is performed before the user terminals 111 and 112 perform content acquisition. Also, the authentication unit 101
If each user manages the filtering condition of the content that is permitted or prohibited to be acquired, and the registration of the user is confirmed as a result of the authentication, the filtering unit 10
3 is notified of the filtering condition of the user. The authentication unit 101, the filtering unit 103, the user terminals 111 and 112 are connected to the distribution network 131.

Based on the notified filtering condition, the filtering unit 103 transfers the request packet of the content that the user terminal is permitted to acquire to the content distribution server, and sends the request packet of the content which is not permitted. Discard if any. Further, the filtering unit 103 also performs the discarding process on the packet from the user terminal for which the user authentication has not been performed.

As an example, the content distribution server 121 has content A, and the user terminal 111 has content A.
Is permitted and the operation when the user terminal 111 acquires the content A will be described.

FIG. 3 shows an operation in which the user terminal 111 acquires the content A stored in the content distribution server 121. The user notifies the authentication unit 101 of user information such as a user ID and a password through the user terminal 111 (14
1) Do. The authentication unit 101 manages the filtering condition of the content that is permitted or prohibited to be acquired for each user, and the user terminal 111 is managed to permit the acquisition of the content A. The authentication unit 101 performs an authentication process based on the information notified from the user terminal 111. As a result, if the registration of the user terminal 111 is confirmed, the filtering unit 103 is notified of the filtering condition of the user terminal 111. Notify (142). In addition, the authentication unit 101 notifies the user terminal 111 of the authentication result (143).

When the authentication is permitted, the user terminal 111 sends a content acquisition request packet 151 to the content distribution server 121. The filtering unit 10 located on the way of the content acquisition request packet 151
Upon receiving the content acquisition request packet 151, the third server collates the filtering condition notified from the authentication unit 101 with the content ID and user ID described in the content acquisition request packet 151. Here, the content ID is an ID given to each content, for example, a URL (Universal Resource).
Locator) corresponds to this. When the collation result indicates that the content acquisition is permitted, the filtering unit 103 transfers the content acquisition request packet 152 to the content distribution server 121. Upon receiving the content acquisition request packet 152, the content distribution server 121 transmits a content packet 161 carrying the content A to the user terminal 111 as a response. The content packet 161 is delivered to the user terminal 111 via the filtering unit 103 and the distribution network 131.

[0007] Note that the filtering condition for the user terminal 111 also includes permission to acquire another content B, and if the user terminal 111 acquires the content B after the content A is acquired, the user terminal 111 has already undergone authentication processing once. Therefore, the user terminal 111 can acquire the content B without performing the authentication process in the authentication unit 101 again.

[0008]

In the above-mentioned prior art,
The authentication unit needs to notify the filtering unit of the filtering condition for each user every time the user authentication is performed for each user. This means that when the number of users is large and the amount of information on the filtering condition per user is large, the amount of information transferred by the authentication unit and the filtering unit is large. This causes, for example, a longer setting time when each filtering condition notified from the authentication unit is set in the filtering unit,
As a result, the time required for the user terminal to acquire the content becomes long, and so on.

Further, in the method of managing the filtering condition for each user, the memory for information management in the authentication unit increases as the number of users increases. As an alternative method to the above-described example, there is a method in which the filtering unit manages the filtering condition for each user, but even if this method is used, the increase in the memory for information management occurs as a similar problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a content filtering apparatus and method for expanding the number of users that can be handled by the filtering apparatus and shortening the content acquisition waiting time of the users.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a content filtering device of the present invention manages a filtering condition for content that is permitted or prohibited for each group, and manages users who belong to each group. Means for authenticating the user, means for identifying the group to which the user belongs as a result of the authentication means, and means for managing at least one second user ID determined for each group. If the group to which the user belongs can be identified as a result of the authenticating means, the second user I
The means for giving D, the means for discarding the packet sent from the user terminal when the group to which the user belongs cannot be identified as a result of the authentication means, and the second packet for the packet with the second user ID A group is specified from the user ID, and the packet is matched with the filtering condition. If the result of the matching is that the packet is content acquisition permitted, the packet is sent to the content distribution server. If the packet is content acquisition not permitted, the packet is acquired. It is characterized by comprising means for disposing of.

Further, the content filtering apparatus of the present invention includes means for managing users who belong to each group, means for authenticating users, means for identifying a group to which the user belongs as a result of the authenticating means, and the authentication. When the group to which the user belongs can be identified as a result of the means, the first distribution network for connecting the user terminal, which has means for notifying the user ID of the user and the group ID of the group to the gateway unit, is provided. The connected authentication unit,
At least one second or more determined for each group
Means for managing the user ID and only the packet sent from the user terminal having the user ID obtained by the notification from the authentication unit, belonging to the group having the group ID obtained by the notification from the authentication unit. 2 User I
A first distribution network and a second distribution having means for assigning D to the packet and means for discarding the packet sent from the user terminal when the group to which the user belongs cannot be identified as a result of the authentication means. A gateway unit that connects networks, a unit that manages filtering conditions for content that is permitted or prohibited for each group, and a second user I for the packet to which a second user ID is assigned.
A group is specified from D, and the packet is matched with the filtering condition. As a result of the matching, if the packet is content acquisition permitted, the packet is transmitted to the content distribution server. If the packet is content acquisition not permitted, the packet is acquired. A second content distribution server having means for discarding
And a filtering unit connected to the distribution network of.

According to the present invention, in the content filtering device, the means for managing the filtering condition of the content permitted or not permitted for each group manages the filtering condition of the permitted or not permitted content for each second user ID. It is characterized by doing.

According to the present invention, in the content filtering device, the means for managing filtering conditions of acquisition-permitted or disapproved content for each group is given a content ID to each content.
It is characterized in that content IDs that are permitted or unacquired are managed for each group.

Further, in the present invention, in the content filtering apparatus, the means for managing the filtering condition of the content permitted or not acquired for each group manages the server ID or the port number of the acquisition permitted or the acquisition prohibited for each group. It is characterized by doing.

In the content filtering method of the present invention, the step in which the user terminal notifies the authentication unit of the user information, the authentication unit authenticates the user, specifies the group to which the user belongs, and identifies the user information and the user group. Notifying the gateway unit and notifying the user terminal of the authentication approval, the user terminal sending a content acquisition request packet to the gateway unit, and the gateway unit giving the second user ID of the group to which the user belongs to the packet. A step of adding the packet to the filtering section and sending it to the filtering section; a step of transferring the packet to the content distribution server when the filtering section identifies the second user ID given to the packet and applies the filtering condition to judge the content acquisition permission. , The content distribution server Upon receiving the Tsu preparative characterized more becomes that the step of transmitting a predetermined mounting content packet content to the user terminal.

In the content filtering method of the present invention, the step in which the user terminal notifies the authentication unit of the user information, the authentication unit authenticates the user, specifies the group to which the user belongs, and identifies the user information and the user group. Notifying the gateway unit and notifying the user terminal of the authentication approval, the user terminal sending a content acquisition request packet to the gateway unit, and the gateway unit giving the second user ID of the group to which the user belongs to the packet. The step of adding and transmitting the packet to the filtering section, and the step of discarding the packet when the filtering section identifies the second user ID given to the packet and applies the filtering condition to judge that content acquisition is not permitted Is characterized by.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the content filtering method, as the filtering condition, the filtering condition of the content permitted or not permitted for each second user ID is used.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the content filtering method, as a filtering condition, a content ID for which acquisition is permitted or acquisition is not permitted is used for each group.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the content filtering method, a server ID or a port number for which acquisition is permitted or acquisition is not permitted is used for each group as a filtering condition.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a content filtering device according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, the user terminal 1
1, 12 and the authentication unit 1 are connected to the distribution network 31. The distribution network 31 is connected to the distribution network 32 via the gateway unit 2. Content distribution servers 21 and 22 are connected to the distribution network 32 via the filtering unit 3.

The content distribution servers 21 and 22 store content and are housed in the filtering unit 3.

A group attribute is introduced into the authentication section 1. The authentication unit 1 manages users belonging to each group,
The user is authenticated, and as a result of the authentication, the group to which the user belongs is specified. Further, when the authentication unit 1 can identify the group to which the user belongs as a result of the authentication, the authentication unit 1 notifies the gateway unit 2 of the user ID of the user and the group ID of the group.

The gateway unit 2 manages at least one second user ID determined for each group. Here, the second user ID belonging to each group is not limited to one, and a plurality of second user IDs may be defined. Also, the gateway unit 2 responds to the content acquisition request packet sent from the user terminal having the user ID notified by the authentication unit 1, similarly to the second user ID belonging to the group having the group ID notified by the authentication unit 1. Is added to the packet,
Transfer to the destination content distribution server. Authentication unit 1
When the group to which the user belongs cannot be specified as a result of the authentication in step 1, the content acquisition request packet sent from the user terminal is discarded.

The filtering unit 3 manages filtering conditions for content that is permitted or prohibited for each group. With respect to the content acquisition request packet described above, a group is specified from the second user ID assigned to the packet, the result is compared with the filtering condition, and the result of the comparison is
When the packet is content acquisition permission, the packet is sent to the content distribution server, and when the packet is content acquisition disapproval, the packet is discarded. The means for managing the filtering condition of the content permitted or not permitted for each group may manage the filtering condition of the content permitted or not permitted for each second user ID.
Is assigned, and the content IDs that are permitted or unacquired may be managed for each group, or the server IDs or port numbers that are permitted or unacquired may be managed for each group.

As described above, the information notified by the authentication unit 1 to the gateway unit 2 after user authentication is only the user ID and the group ID.
The amount of information transferred between them can be reduced.

Further, since the filtering unit 3 manages the filtering condition of the content which is permitted or prohibited for each group, when a plurality of users belong to the same filtering condition, these users are treated as one group. The amount of memory for managing the filtering condition can be reduced.

Further, in the gateway unit 2, it is necessary to set and register the user ID and the group ID notified from the authentication unit 1. However, this processing is different from the case where the filtering condition in the prior art has to be set and registered. In comparison, the set time can be shortened, which contributes to shortening the time for the user terminal to acquire the content.

[Embodiment 1] As Embodiment 1 of the present invention, there are two contents A and B in the content distribution server 21, and the filtering condition for the user terminal 11 is that both contents A and B are acquisition permission. To do. The server ID of the content distribution server 21 is 2
1, the user ID of the user terminal 11 is 11, the source address of the packet sent from the user terminal 11 to the content distribution server 21 is 11, and the destination address is 2.
Shall be 1. Content IDs are assigned to the contents A and B, and their respective content IDs
Is defined as the URL of each content, and is www. s
server21. com / server21 / cont
entA, www.entA. server21. com / ser
Ver21 / contentB.

The filtering unit 3 provides a group ID for each group, and as a filtering condition for each group ID, group ID = 71: both contents A and B are permitted to be acquired Group ID = 72: contents A are permitted to be acquired, contents are permitted B is acquisition disapproval group ID = 73: Content A is acquisition disapproval, and content B is acquisition approval group ID = 74: Content A and B are acquisition disapproval. The authentication unit 1 manages the users belonging to each group, and the group ID = 71 is
Although not shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that a plurality of users including the user terminal 11 are registered.

First, the user terminal 11 reads content A
The operation in the case of acquiring is described with reference to FIG. The user notifies the authentication unit 1 of user information such as a user ID and a password through the user terminal 11 (user information notification 41).

Upon receiving the user information notification 41, the authentication unit 1 authenticates the user 11, and further specifies that the user 11 belongs to the group ID = 71. Since the authentication unit 1 can confirm the authentication of the user 11 and specify the group to which the user 11 belongs, the authentication unit 1
User ID = 11 and group ID = 7 of user 11
The notification 42 of 1 is performed.

The user terminal 11 which has received the authentication approval notice 43 from the authentication unit 1 sends a content acquisition request packet 51 to the gateway unit 2. In the content acquisition request packet 51, the source address = 11 and the destination address = 2
1 is given.

The gateway unit 2 has a group ID = 71.
Second user ID = 81 to 85 as the second user ID of
Second user ID = 86 to 90 as second user ID of group ID = 72, second user I of group ID = 73
Second user ID = 91 to 95, group ID = D
As the second user ID of 74, the second user ID = 96 to 1
00 is managed. Therefore, the gateway unit 2
User ID of user terminal 11 = 11 and group ID
===================================================================================================
A process of assigning any of 81 to 85 as the second user ID to the packet having 11 is performed. Here, as a method for selecting one value from the second user ID = 81 to 85, there is a method for selecting an unused young number. In this example, the description will be given assuming that the second user ID = 81 is added to the packet transmitted from the user terminal 11.

When the content acquisition request packet 51 is received, the gateway unit 2 specifies that the packet is from the user terminal 11 because the source address of the packet is 11, and sets the second user ID = 81 as the content. The filtering unit 3 assigns the acquisition request packet 51
Then, the content acquisition request packet 52 is transmitted. Here, if the gateway unit 2 receives a packet from the user terminal 12 that has not been authenticated by the authentication unit 1, the gateway unit 2 sends the user ID from the authentication unit 1.
= 12 is not received, the packet sent from the user terminal 12 is discarded.

The filtering unit 3 also receives the second user I
D = 81 to 85 is group ID = 71, second user ID
= 86 to 90, group ID = 72, second user ID =
91 to 95 are group ID = 73, second user ID = 9
6 to 100 manage the correspondence of group ID = 74. Upon receiving the content acquisition request packet 52, the filtering unit 3 receives the content acquisition request packet 5
The second user ID = 81 assigned to No. 2 is identified, and the filtering condition of group ID = 71 is applied. The content acquisition request packet 52 shows the URL that is the content ID of the content A.
Since D is described in the filtering condition of the group ID = 71 as acquisition permission, it is determined that the content acquisition is permitted, and the filtering unit 3 transfers the content acquisition request packet 53 to the content distribution server 21.

Upon receiving the content acquisition request packet 53, the content distribution server 21 transmits a content packet 61 carrying the content A to the user terminal 11 as a response. The content packet 61 is
It is delivered to the user terminal 11 via the filtering unit 3, the distribution network 32, the gateway unit 2 and the distribution network 31.

The user terminal 11 uses the content A
When the content B is to be acquired next time after the acquisition, the user terminal 1 has already been authenticated once.
In No. 1, the authentication processing in the authentication unit can be omitted again. Further, in the gateway unit 2, the second user ID given to the content acquisition request packet for the content B is the same as the case of the content A, and the second user I
D = 81. Since the filtering condition of the group ID = 71 includes the acquisition permission of the content B,
The user 11 can also acquire the content B.

Next, when the user terminal 12 is permitted to acquire the content A but is not permitted to acquire the content B, that is, the user terminal 12 has the group ID =
In the case of belonging to 72, the acquisition refusal operation of the content B
This will be described with reference to FIG.

The user uses the user terminal 12 and the authentication unit 1
To the user information such as user ID and password (user information notification 241).

Upon receiving the user information notification 241, the authentication unit 1 authenticates the user terminal 12 and further specifies that the user terminal 12 belongs to the group ID = 72. Since the authentication unit 1 can confirm the authentication of the user terminal 12 and specify the group to which the user terminal 12 belongs, the user ID of the user terminal 12 = 12 to the gateway unit 2.
And the notification 242 of the group ID = 72 is performed.

The user terminal 12 that has received the authentication approval notification 243 from the authentication unit 1 sends a content acquisition request packet 251 to the gateway unit 2. A source address = 12 and a destination address = 21 are attached to the content acquisition request packet 251.

The gateway unit 2 informs the user terminal 12 of the user ID = 12 and the group ID = 72 242.
Therefore, for the packet having the source address = 12, a process of assigning any of 86 to 90 as the second user ID to the packet is performed. In this example, the description will be made assuming that the second user ID = 86 is added to the packet transmitted from the user terminal 12.

When the content acquisition request packet 251 is received, the gateway unit 2 specifies that the packet is from the user terminal 12 because the source address of the packet is 12, and the second user ID = 86 is set as the content. It is added to the acquisition request packet 251, and the content acquisition request packet 252 is sent to the filtering unit 3.

Upon receiving the content acquisition request packet 252, the filtering unit 3 identifies the second user ID = 86 assigned to the content acquisition request packet 252 and applies the filtering condition of group ID = 72. The content acquisition request packet 252 shows a URL that is the content ID of the content BA, and this content ID is described as acquisition disapproval in the filtering condition of the group ID = 72. Therefore, it is determined that the content acquisition is disapproved. , Content acquisition request packet 25
Discard 2. This makes it possible to reject an improper acquisition request for the content B from the user terminal 12.

Needless to say, in the present embodiment, the authentication unit 1 and the gateway unit 2 are integrated, and the gateway unit 2 and the filtering unit 3 are integrated.

[Second Embodiment] The second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. Similar to Example 1,
There are two contents A and B in the content distribution server 21, and the filtering condition for the user terminal 11 is that both contents A and B are acquisition permission. The server ID of the content distribution server 21 is 2
1, the user ID of the user terminal 11 is 11, the source address of the packet sent from the user terminal 11 to the content distribution server 21 is 11, and the destination address is 2.
Shall be 1. The destination port number used to acquire the content A is 80, and the destination port number used to acquire the content B is 8080.

The filtering unit 3 provides a group ID for each group, and as a filtering condition for each group ID, group ID = 71: destination port number 8
Acquisition permission group ID = 72: destination port number 8 for both 0 and 8080
0 is acquisition permission, destination port number 8080
Is an acquisition prohibited group ID = 73: destination port number 8
0 is not permitted, destination port number 808
0 is the acquisition permission group ID = 74: Destination port number 8
Acquisition is prohibited for both 0 and 8080. The authentication unit 1 manages users belonging to each group, and it is assumed that a plurality of users, not shown in FIG. 1, including the user terminal 11 are registered in the group ID = 71.

First, the user terminal 11 sets content A
The operation in the case of acquiring is described with reference to FIG. The user notifies the authentication unit 1 of user information such as a user ID and a password through the user terminal 11 (user information notification 41).

Upon receiving the user information notification 41, the authentication unit 1 authenticates the user terminal 11 and further specifies that the user terminal 11 belongs to the group ID = 71. The authentication unit 1 can confirm the authentication of the user terminal 11 and specify the group to which the user terminal 11 belongs, so that the user ID of the user terminal 11 is 11 for the gateway unit 2.
And the notification 42 of group ID = 71 is performed.

Upon receiving the authentication approval notice 43 from the authentication unit 1, the user terminal 11 sends a content acquisition request packet 51 to the gateway unit 2. In the content acquisition request packet 51, the source address = 11 and the destination address = 2
1 is given.

The gateway unit 2 has a group ID = 71.
Second user ID = 81 to 85 as the second user ID of
Second user ID = 86 to 90 as second user ID of group ID = 72, second user I of group ID = 73
Second user ID = 91 to 95, group ID = D
As the second user ID of 74, the second user ID = 96 to 1
00 is managed. Therefore, the gateway unit 2
User ID of user terminal 11 = 11 and group ID
===================================================================================================
A process of assigning any of 81 to 85 as the second user ID to the packet having 11 is performed. Here, as a method for selecting one value from the second user ID = 81 to 85, there is a method for selecting an unused young number. In this example, the description will be given assuming that the second user ID = 81 is added to the packet transmitted from the user terminal 11.

When the content acquisition request packet 51 is received, the gateway unit 2 specifies that the packet is from the user terminal 11 because the source address of the packet is 11, and the second user ID = 81 is set as the content. The filtering unit 3 assigns the acquisition request packet 51
Then, the content acquisition request packet 52 is transmitted. Here, if the gateway unit 2 receives a packet from the user terminal 12 that has not been authenticated by the authentication unit 1, the gateway unit 2 sends the user ID from the authentication unit 1.
= 12 is not received, the packet sent from the user terminal 12 is discarded.

The filtering unit 3 also receives the second user I
D = 81 to 85 is group ID = 71, second user ID
= 86 to 90, group ID = 72, second user ID =
91 to 95 are group ID = 73, second user ID = 9
6 to 100 manage the correspondence of group ID = 74. Upon receiving the content acquisition request packet 52, the filtering unit 3 receives the content acquisition request packet 5
The second user ID = 81 assigned to No. 2 is identified, and the filtering condition of group ID = 71 is applied. 80 is added to the destination port number of the content acquisition request packet 52, and this destination port number is described as acquisition permission in the filtering condition of the group ID = 71. Therefore, the content acquisition request packet 52 is determined to be content acquisition permission, and the filtering unit 3 transfers the content acquisition request packet 53 to the content distribution server 21.

Upon receiving the content acquisition request packet 53, the content distribution server 21 transmits a content packet 61 carrying the content A to the user terminal 11 as a response. The content packet 61 is
It is delivered to the user terminal 11 via the filtering unit 3, the distribution network 32, the gateway unit 2 and the distribution network 31.

The user terminal 11 uses the content A
When the content B is to be acquired next time after the acquisition, the user terminal 1 has already been authenticated once.
In No. 1, the authentication processing in the authentication unit can be omitted again. Also, in the gateway unit 2, the second user ID given to the content acquisition request packet for the content B is the second user =
It becomes 81. Since the filtering condition of the group ID = 71 includes the acquisition permission of the content B, the user 11 can also acquire the content B.

[0057]

As described above, according to the present invention, the information notified by the authentication unit to the gateway unit after the user authentication is only the user ID and the group ID, and the information transferred between the authentication unit and the gateway unit. Small quantity. As a result, the setting time can be shortened in the gateway unit, which contributes to shortening the time required for the user terminal to acquire the content. The setting of the filtering condition is basically based on the advance setting, whereas the above setting performed on the gateway unit after the authentication is performed for each user's request, and thus the setting frequency is high. Therefore, shortening the set time contributes to the improvement of services.

Further, since the filtering unit manages the filtering condition of the content which is permitted or prohibited for each group, when a plurality of users belong to the same filtering condition, these users are treated as one group, The amount of memory for managing filtering conditions can be reduced, and the number of users that can be handled by filtering can be increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram showing a content filtering device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a conventional content filtering device.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an operation of a conventional content filtering device.

FIG. 4 is a sequence showing an operation in which the user terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention acquires the content A.

FIG. 5 is a sequence showing an operation in which the user terminal according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention refuses to acquire the content B.

FIG. 6 is a sequence showing an operation in which the user terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention acquires the content A.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Authentication Department 2 Gateway section 3 Filtering unit 11 user terminal 12 user terminals 21 Content distribution server 22 Content distribution server 31 distribution network 32 distribution network

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Koichi Okada             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Fuji Hitoshi             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Naoto Fujiki             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation F-term (reference) 5B089 GA04 GB01 JB15 KA17 KB06                       KB13 KC47 KC51                 5K030 GA15 HA08 LC18

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A means for managing filtering conditions for content that is permitted or prohibited for each group, a means for managing users who belong to each group, a means for authenticating users, a result of the authentication means, A means for identifying a group to which the user belongs, and at least one second or more second determined for each group
If the group to which the user belongs can be identified as a result of the means for managing the user ID and the authentication means, for the packet sent from the user terminal,
Means for giving the second user ID, means for discarding the packet sent from the user terminal when the group to which the user belongs cannot be identified as a result of the authenticating means, and the packet to which the second user ID is given On the other hand, the second
A group is specified from the user ID, and the packet is matched with the filtering condition. If the result of the matching is that the packet is content acquisition permitted, the packet is sent to the content distribution server. If the packet is content acquisition not permitted, the packet is acquired. A content filtering device comprising means for discarding the content. 2. A means for managing a user belonging to each group, a means for authenticating the user, a means for identifying a group to which the user belongs as a result of the authenticating means, and a result for the user as a result of the authenticating means. When the group to which the user belongs can be specified, the user ID of the user is sent to the gateway unit.
And an authentication unit connected to the first distribution network for connecting the user terminal, and at least one second unit that is determined for each group.
Means for managing the user ID and only the packet sent from the user terminal having the user ID obtained by the notification from the authentication unit, belonging to the group having the group ID obtained by the notification from the authentication unit. 2 User I
A first distribution network and a second distribution having means for assigning D to the packet and means for discarding the packet sent from the user terminal when the group to which the user belongs cannot be identified as a result of the authentication means. A gateway unit that connects networks, a unit that manages content filtering conditions that allow or disallow acquisition for each group, and specify a group from the second user ID for the packet to which the second user ID is assigned, And means for collating with the filtering condition, transmitting the packet to the content distribution server if the packet is content acquisition permitted as a result of the collation, and discarding the packet if the packet is content acquisition not permitted. And a filtering unit that connects the content distribution server to the second distribution network. Filter device. 3. The means for managing the filtering condition of the acquisition permitted or not permitted content for each group manages the filtering condition of the permitted or not permitted content for each second user ID.
Alternatively, the content filtering device according to item 2. 4. A means for managing filtering conditions of acquisition-permitted or disapproved content for each group is assigned a content ID to each content, and manages acquisition-permitted or acquisition-denied content ID for each group. The content filtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content filtering apparatus is a content filtering apparatus. 5. The means for managing the filtering conditions of the content that is permitted or not permitted for each group is characterized by managing the server ID or the port number that is permitted or not permitted for each group.
Alternatively, the content filtering device according to item 2. 6. The step of the user terminal notifying the authenticating unit of the user information, the authenticating unit authenticating the user, specifying the group to which the user belongs, and notifying the user information and the user group to the gateway unit, and A step of notifying the user terminal of authentication approval, a step of transmitting a content acquisition request packet to the gateway section by the user terminal, and a step of adding the second user ID of the group to which the user belongs to the packet to the gateway section and transmitting the packet to the filtering section When the filtering unit identifies the second user ID given to the packet and applies the filtering condition to determine the content acquisition permission, the packet is transferred to the content delivery server, and the content delivery server sends the packet to the packet. Is loaded with predetermined content Content filtering wherein the more becomes that the step of transmitting the content packet to the user terminal. 7. A step in which the user terminal notifies the authentication unit of user information, the authentication unit authenticates the user, specifies a group to which the user belongs, and notifies the user information and the user group to the gateway unit, and A step of notifying the user terminal of authentication approval, a step of transmitting a content acquisition request packet to the gateway section by the user terminal, and a step of adding the second user ID of the group to which the user belongs to the packet to the gateway section and transmitting the packet to the filtering section And a step of discarding the packet when the filtering unit identifies the second user ID given to the packet and applies the filtering condition to determine that the content acquisition is not permitted. . 8. The content filtering method according to claim 6, wherein as the filtering condition, a filtering condition for permitted or not permitted content for each second user ID is used. 9. The content filtering method according to claim 6, wherein a content ID that allows or does not allow acquisition is used for each group as a filtering condition. 10. The content filtering method according to claim 6, wherein a server ID or a port number that permits or does not permit acquisition is used for each group as the filtering condition.