JP2004266448A - Remote control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote control system which controls a plurality of devices to be remotely controlled through relay nodes by communicating with a plurality of relay nodes with the first authentication. <P>SOLUTION: A management node returns authentication information to a remote terminal, the remote terminal adds the authentication information to a remote control request and transmits the remote control request to a relay node, the management node returns a certificate to the relay node, the relay node adds the certificate to a remote control instruction to a device to be remotely controlled, and the device to be remotely controlled checks that the remote control instruction is a remote control instruction transmitted from a legal relay node based on a request from the operator of a legal remote terminal on the basis of the certificate and subsequently performs processing based on the remote control instruction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a remote control system for controlling a plurality of remote control devices via a relay node from a remote terminal connected to a data communication network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In order to remotely control a remote control device via a relay node from a terminal connected to a data communication network, for example, the Internet, it is confirmed by authentication that an operator making a remote control request is a valid operator. There is a need.
Conventionally, when this authentication is performed, personal information such as an operator ID and a password is directly transmitted to a relay node in which a remote terminal transmits and receives control information, and a controlled device to which the relay node transmits control information. Done.
[0003]
Also, in a relay node interposed type in which the remote terminal does not directly make a request to the target node but the relay node once receives the user's request and makes a request to the target node on behalf of the remote terminal, it becomes a proxy for the relay node. It is necessary for the relay node to authenticate the user of the remote terminal and to authenticate that the relay node itself is valid at the remote terminal or the access destination of the relay node.
Patent Literature 1 is disclosed as a method for enabling the authentication of the relay node. In the proxy authentication method disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the remote terminal confirms the legitimacy of the relay node acting as a proxy for the remote terminal, and transmits a message to which the secret information is added to the relay node. The relay node 保持 holds the secret information of the message received by the request means, performs authentication with the non-remote control device or the gateway device using the secret information, and the relay node performs the non-remote control instead of the remote terminal. An access request is issued to the device and the gateway device.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-1996-335208
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional method, in a system having a plurality of relay nodes, the remote terminal is required to be authenticated for each remote control request to each relay node, and personal information such as an operator ID and a password is stored each time. There is a danger of flowing.
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to communicate with a plurality of relay nodes with one authentication in a network environment in which a remote terminal controls a remote control terminal via a relay node. It is another object of the present invention to provide a remote control system that can perform control of a plurality of remote controlled devices via a relay node.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 1 is configured such that a remote terminal connected to a data communication network is connected to the data communication network via a relay node connected to the data communication network. In the remote control system controlling the remote controlled device, the authentication of the operator of the remote terminal is a valid operator and the authentication of the relay node is a valid relay node, the relay node When issuing a remote control instruction to the remote controlled device based on a remote control request from the remote terminal, the remote control instruction is issued from a legitimate relay node based on a request from a legitimate remote terminal operator. Characterized in that a management node having means for proving that the remote control device is A control system.
[0007]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the remote control system according to the first aspect, a remote control instruction from the relay node is received instead of the remote controlled device, and a remote control instruction is received based on the remote control instruction. A gateway device having means for specifying a remote control device to be controlled and transmitting the remote control instruction to the remote control device is newly provided between the data communication network and the remote control device group. I do.
[0008]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the remote control system according to the first aspect, the management node receives the operator information of the remote terminal from the remote terminal, and determines that the operator of the remote control terminal is valid. Authenticated operator, and if the user is a valid operator, returns authentication information indicating that the user is a valid operator to the remote terminal. When transmitting the remote control request to the relay node, the authentication information received from the management node is added to the remote control request and transmitted, and the relay node transmits the authentication information to the management node, The node authenticates that the remote control request is a request from a valid operator and that the relay node is a valid relay node based on the authentication information, and A certificate certifying to the remote control device that the control request is a remote control request from a legitimate relay node based on a request from a legitimate remote terminal operator is returned to the relay node. The node adds the certificate to a remote control instruction to the remote controlled device, and the remote controlled device is based on the certificate and the remote control instruction is based on a request from an operator of a valid remote terminal. After checking that the instruction is a remote control instruction from a legitimate relay node, processing based on the remote control instruction is performed.
[0009]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the remote control system according to the first or second aspect, the gateway device is configured so that, based on the certificate, the operator of the remote terminal whose remote control instruction is valid is based on the certificate. After checking that the instruction is a remote control instruction from a legitimate relay node based on the request, based on the remote control instruction, a remote controlled device to be remotely controlled is specified, and the remote control instruction is transmitted to the remote control device. Transmitting, and the remote control device performs processing based on the remote control instruction.
[0010]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote control system according to the third or fourth aspect, wherein the authentication information, the certificate, or both of the authentication information and the certificate have an expiration date or usage. It is characterized in that a use condition such as the number of times is provided, and a means for newly checking at the time of checking the authentication information or the certificate that the use condition is met is additionally provided.
[0011]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the remote control system according to any one of the first to second aspects, the management node sends an instruction to an operator of the remote terminal based on a remote control request from the remote terminal. It is characterized by comprising means for performing charge management.
[0012]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the remote control system according to the third or fourth aspect, the remote terminal transmits a remote control request to a plurality of remote controlled devices to different relay nodes. Holding the authentication information obtained from the management node in the remote terminal for a certain period of time, and adding the authentication information to each of the remote control requests to the plurality of relay nodes, whereby the operator information of the remote terminal to the management node The transmission is performed only once.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the remote control system according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a terminal that performs remote control (hereinafter, referred to as a remote terminal), and is configured by a personal computer, a portable terminal, or the like. 2 is a data communication network, for example, the Internet. Reference numeral 4 denotes a relay node that issues a remote control request to a remote control device on behalf of the remote terminal 1.
[0014]
Reference numeral 3 denotes a management node that is connected to the data communication network and authenticates an operator at the remote terminal 1 and authenticates that the relay node is a valid relay node. In the management node 3, reference numeral 31 denotes an operator information management unit that stores an operator ID and password required for an authentication request from the remote terminal 1 and authentication information paid out to the operator during authentication. Reference numeral 32 denotes an operator authentication unit that compares the received operator ID and password with data of the operator information management unit 31 in an authentication request from the remote terminal. Reference numeral 33 denotes an authentication information issuing unit that transmits authentication information indicating successful authentication to the remote terminal when authentication is successful in the operator authentication unit 32. The paid out authentication information is registered and managed in the operator management unit 31. Reference numeral 34 denotes a relay node management unit that manages information about the relay node 4, such as a node name and an address. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator), an IP (Internet Protocol) address, or the like is used as the address of the relay node.
[0015]
Reference numeral 35 denotes a relay node check unit that checks the received relay node name and address against data of the relay node management unit 34 in response to an authentication information confirmation request from the relay node 4, and determines whether the relay node is valid. . Also, at the time of the authentication information confirmation request from the relay node 4, the authentication information of the remote terminal 1 received from the relay node 4 is compared with the authentication information registered in the operator information management unit 2, and the validity is checked. This is an authentication information check unit to be checked. Reference numeral 37 denotes an authentication information check unit 36 that, when the authentication information is valid, a certificate for certifying to the remote control device that the relay node 4 is a valid relay node. This is a certificate issuing unit for sending to the server. Reference numeral 38 denotes a charging unit for charging the operator.
[0016]
Reference numeral 5 denotes a remote control device to be remotely controlled. In the remote control device 5, reference numeral 51 denotes a certificate check unit that checks a certificate received from the relay node 4. Reference numeral 52 denotes a control unit that performs remote control according to a remote control instruction received from the relay node 4.
[0017]
FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating examples of the operator information management table stored in the operator information management unit 31 and the relay node management table stored in the relay node management unit 34, respectively. The operator information management table in FIG. 2 includes “operator ID”, “password”, “authentication information” issued to the operator after operator authentication, “authentication information expiration date”, and “secret key for remote control device”. , "Address of remote control device", "charging information", and the like. The authentication request using the operator ID and password transmitted from the remote terminal 1 and the validity confirmation of the authentication information from the relay node 4 are provided. Used for
[0018]
The relay node management table in FIG. 3 has fields of “relay node name”, “relay node address”, and “relay node secret key”. It is used to determine whether the node is a relay node and to confirm the validity of the encrypted authentication information received from the relay node.
[0019]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a series of processes in the remote control system.
First, the remote terminal 1 transmits operator information including an operator ID and a password to the management node 3 via the data communication network 2. The management node 3 that has received the operator information compares the operator ID and the password with the information stored in the operator information management unit 31 by the operator authentication unit 32, and performs authentication. If the password is correct, the management node 3 issues authentication information by the authentication information issuing unit 33 and transmits the same to the remote terminal 1.
[0020]
The remote terminal 1 that has received the authentication information transmits a remote control request to which the authentication information has been added to the relay node 4. The relay node 4 confirms that the authentication information is included in the remote control request, and transmits the authentication information to the secret key of the relay node 4 in order to access the remote controlled device 5 to be remotely controlled. And transmits it to the management node 3 together with the information on the remote control device to which the remote control is requested and the relay node name.
[0021]
The management node 3 having received the authentication information checks the relay node name and the relay node management unit 34 included in the received data with the relay node 4 in order to check whether the requesting relay node 4 is a registered relay node in advance. The relay node checking unit 35 checks the information managed by the relay node, and if they match, accepts the communication as a legitimate relay node, decrypts the received authentication information with the secret key of the relay node registered in advance, and performs authentication. The information check unit 36 checks the expiration date and contents of the authentication information. If the authentication information is valid, a certificate including the operator ID of the operator who issued the authentication information is issued in the certificate issuing unit 37, and the certificate is encrypted with the secret key of the remote control device 5. And sends it to the relay node 4 together with the address of the target remote control device.
[0022]
In the case where the operator is charged by performing the remote control, at this stage or at the stage when the remote control is terminated, the charging process for the operator is performed by the charging unit 38 and managed by the operator information management unit 31. Upon receiving the certificate, the relay node 4 issues a remote control request to the remote control device 5 based on the received remote control device address. When the remote control device 5 receives the remote control instruction, the remote control device 5 decrypts the certificate with its own private key, and the certificate check unit 51 confirms the expiration date of the certificate and the operator ID. If the certificate is valid, the remote control device 5 interprets the control information by the control unit 52 and controls the remote terminal.
[0023]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the remote control system according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 3, steps 1 to 4 are the same as in FIG. Reference numeral 6 denotes a gateway device that receives a remote control request transmitted from a specific operator and controls the remote control device. Reference numeral 61 denotes a certificate check unit that checks a certificate received from the relay node 4. Reference numeral 62 denotes a control unit that controls the target remote control device according to the remote control instruction received from the relay node 4. Reference numeral 7 denotes a remote control device under the control of the gateway device.
[0024]
FIG. 6 shows an example of the operator information management table stored in the user information management unit 31. An example of the relay node management table stored in the relay node management unit 34 is the same as that in FIG. The operator management table in FIG. 6 includes “operator ID”, “password”, “authentication information” issued to the operator after operator authentication, “authentication information expiration date”, “secret key for gateway device”, “gateway”. It has fields such as "apparatus address" and "charging unit", and is used for an authentication request using the operator ID and password from the remote terminal 1, and for confirming the validity of the authentication information from the relay node 4.
[0025]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing a series of processes in the remote control system.
First, the remote terminal 1 transmits operator information including an operator ID and a password to the management node 3 via the data communication network 2. The management node 3 that has received the operator information compares the operator ID and the password with the information stored in the operator information management unit 31 by the operator authentication unit 32, and performs authentication. If the password is correct, the management node 3 issues authentication information by the authentication information issuing unit 33 and transmits the same to the remote terminal 1.
[0026]
The remote terminal 1 having received the authentication information transmits a remote control request to which the authentication information has been added to the relay node 4. The relay node 4 confirms that the authentication information is included in the remote control request, and converts the authentication information using the secret key of the relay node 4 in order to access the gateway device 6 to be controlled. The encrypted information is transmitted to the management node 3 together with the gateway device information and the relay node name of the remote control request destination. The management node 3 having received the authentication information checks the relay node name and the relay node management unit 34 included in the received data with the relay node 4 in order to check whether the requesting relay node 4 is a registered relay node in advance. The relay node check unit 35 checks the information managed by the relay node, and if they match, accepts the communication as a legitimate relay node, decrypts the received authentication information with the secret key of the relay node registered in advance, The validity period and contents of the authentication information are confirmed by the check unit 36. If the authentication information is valid, a certificate including the operator ID of the operator who issued the authentication information is issued in the certificate issuing unit 37, encrypted with the secret key of the gateway device 6, and To the relay node 4 together with the address of the gateway device.
[0027]
When charging the operator by performing the remote control, at this stage or at the stage where the remote control is terminated, the charging process for the operator is performed by the charging unit 38 and managed by the operator information management unit 31. Upon receiving the certificate, the relay node 4 makes a remote control request to the gateway device 6 based on the received gateway device address. Upon receiving the remote control instruction, the gateway device 6 decrypts the certificate with its own private key, and the certificate checking unit 61 confirms the expiration date of the certificate and the operator ID. If the certificate is valid, the gateway device 6 controls the corresponding remote terminal 7 according to a remote control instruction from the control unit 62.
[0028]
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and includes a design and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the management node 3 certifies that the relay node 4 is a legitimate relay node with respect to the remote control device 5 and the gateway device 6, and authenticates the operator. Since the management of the gateway device 4 and the like is performed in a unified manner, the relay node does not need to manage the operator, reducing the management items by the relay node, increasing the efficiency by consolidating common tasks to the management node, and operating When a user communicates with a plurality of relay nodes, it is possible to reduce the number of operations by performing authentication only once for the operator.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an example of an operator management table stored in an operator information management unit 31;
3 is an example of a relay node management table stored in a relay node management unit 34. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating a series of processes according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment.
FIG. 6 shows an operator management table stored in an operator information management unit 31 according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating a series of processes according to the second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Remote terminal 2 Data communication network (Internet)
3 Authentication Node 31 Operator Information Management Unit 32 Operator Authentication Unit 33 Authentication Information Delivery Unit 34 Relay Node Management Unit 35 Relay Node Check Unit 36 Authentication Information Check Unit 37 Certificate Issuing Unit 38 Billing Unit 4 Relay Node 5 Remote Controlled Device 51 Certificate Checking Unit 52 Control Unit 6 Gateway Device 61 Certificate Checking Unit 62 Control Unit 7 Remote Controlled Device

Claims (7)

A remote control system for controlling a remote control device connected to the data communication network from a remote terminal connected to the data communication network via a relay node connected to the data communication network,
The remote node authenticates that the operator of the remote terminal is a legitimate operator and authenticates that the relay node is a legitimate relay node, and the relay node performs the authentication based on a remote control request from the remote terminal. When issuing a remote control instruction to the remote control device, prove to the remote control device that the remote control instruction is a remote control instruction from a valid relay node based on a request from a valid remote terminal operator. A remote control system characterized by newly providing a management node having means. Receiving a remote control instruction from the relay node in place of the remote control device, identifying a remote control device to be remotely controlled based on the remote control instruction, and transmitting the remote control instruction to the remote control device 2. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein a gateway device having means for performing the operation is newly provided between the data communication network and the group of remote control devices. The management node receives the operator information of the remote terminal from the remote terminal, authenticates that the operator of the remote control terminal is a valid operator, and when the operator is a valid operator, Replying to the remote terminal authentication information indicating that the operator,
The remote terminal, when transmitting a remote control request to the remote control device to the relay node, transmitting the authentication information received from a management node to the remote control request and transmitting,
The relay node transmits the authentication information to a management node,
The management node authenticates that the remote control request is a request from a valid operator based on the authentication information and that the relay node is a valid relay node, and that the remote control request is a valid remote terminal. Reply to the relay node a certificate certifying to the remote controlled device that it is a remote control request from a legitimate relay node based on a request from the operator,
The relay node adds the certificate to a remote control instruction to the remote control device,
The remote control device checks that the remote control instruction is a remote control instruction from a valid relay node based on a request from a valid remote terminal operator based on the certificate, and then executes the remote control The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the remote control system performs a process based on the instruction. The gateway device, based on the certificate, after checking that the remote control instruction is a remote control instruction from a legitimate relay node based on a request from a valid remote terminal operator, A remote control device to be remotely controlled is specified based on the remote control device, the remote control instruction is transmitted to the remote control device, and the remote control device performs a process based on the remote control instruction. The remote control system according to claim 2 or claim 3. The authentication information, or the certificate, or both the authentication information and the certificate are provided with usage conditions such as an expiration date and the number of times of use, and when the authentication information is checked or the certificate is checked, 5. The remote control system according to claim 3, further comprising a means for newly checking whether they match. 3. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the management node includes a unit that performs charge management for an operator of the remote terminal based on a remote control request from the remote terminal. 4. When the remote terminal transmits a remote control request to a plurality of remote controlled devices to different relay nodes, holding the authentication information obtained from the management node in the remote terminal for a certain period of time, The transmission of the operator information of the remote terminal to the management node is limited to one time by adding the authentication information to each remote control request. Remote control system.

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