JP2017085323A - Gateway device, communication control method, communication control system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to automatically set in a gateway device a setting related to communication via the gateway device by a communication device.SOLUTION: The gateway device connected to a communication device includes: a communication setting determination section for determining communication setting for the communication device on the basis of predetermined information corresponding to a type of the communication device; and a communication control unit that controls communication by the communication device via a gateway device according to the determined communication setting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a gateway device, a communication control method, a communication control system, and a program, and more particularly to a gateway device, a communication control method, a communication control system, and a program that control communication by a communication device.

  In a home, communication devices such as personal computers (PCs), printers, game machines and the like are connected to each other via a local area network (LAN), or these communication devices are connected to a wide area communication network. When connecting to an external server or the like via (WAN: Wide Area Network), communication is performed via a gateway device such as a home router. At this time, the user needs to manually set the communication settings for each communication device after confirming the functions of the individual communication devices.

  As a related technique, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for performing communication settings (default router or the like) suitable for a network to which an information processing apparatus belongs, based on setting information transmitted from the server.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 describes a technique for performing setting of each field device via a network by registering setting information of a large number of field devices in a supply server.

  Furthermore, Patent Literature 3 describes a technique in which network device receives communication setting information for performing communication setting of the network device from the setting terminal, and performs communication setting in accordance therewith.

  Patent Document 4 describes a gateway device that automatically analyzes a radio wave transmitted by a device and automatically acquires a device identifier for allowing the device to participate in a network.

JP 2012-199838 A JP 2009-284183 A JP 2007-306239 A JP 2014-007668 A

  The entire disclosure of the above patent document is incorporated herein by reference. The following analysis was made by the present inventors.

  As described above, when the user manually sets the communication setting for each communication device for the gateway device, it is necessary to investigate the information about each communication device with reference to the manual and set the gateway device. There is. Such work takes time and effort, and may cause inappropriate settings.

  In addition, all of the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 described above automatically perform communication settings for the communication device (information processing apparatus, field device, network device) itself, and disclose a technique related to communication settings for the gateway apparatus. Not what you want.

  Moreover, in the technique described in Patent Document 4, it is necessary to analyze the radio wave transmitted by the communication device in order to acquire the device identifier for the communication device. Therefore, a radio wave analyzer such as a packet analyzer or sniffer must be installed separately. According to such a configuration, the device configuration becomes redundant and complicated. Also, when radio wave analysis fails, the device identifier cannot be acquired, and the communication device cannot be connected to a network or other equipment.

  Therefore, it becomes a problem to be able to automatically set the settings related to communication via the gateway device by the communication device in the gateway device. An object of the present invention is to provide a gateway device, a communication control method, a communication control system, and a program that contribute to solving such a problem.

  The gateway device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a gateway device connected to a communication device, and determines communication settings for the communication device based on predetermined information according to the type of the communication device. A setting determination unit; and a communication control unit that controls communication by the communication device via the gateway device according to the determined communication setting.

  In the communication control method according to the second aspect of the present invention, the gateway device determines a communication setting for the communication device based on predetermined information corresponding to a type of the communication device, and the communication apparatus determines the communication setting according to the determined communication setting. Controlling communication via the gateway device by a communication device.

  A communication control system according to a third aspect of the present invention is connected to a database server that holds an identifier of a communication device and predetermined information according to the type of the communication device in association with each other, the communication device, and the database server. A gateway setting unit configured to determine a communication setting for the communication device based on the predetermined information, and through the gateway device by the communication device according to the determined communication setting. A communication control unit for controlling the communication performed.

  A program according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes a process for determining a communication setting for a communication device based on predetermined information corresponding to a type of the communication device for a computer provided in the gateway device; And processing for controlling communication by the communication device via the gateway device according to the communication setting. The program can also be provided as a program product recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

  According to the gateway device, the communication control method, the communication control system, and the program according to the present invention, settings related to communication through the gateway device by the communication device can be automatically set in the gateway device.

It is a block diagram which illustrates the composition of the gateway device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which illustrates the structure of the communication control system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which illustrates the composition of the gateway device in a 1st embodiment. It is a table | surface which illustrates the information which the database of the gateway apparatus in 1st Embodiment hold | maintains. It is a block diagram which illustrates the composition of the database server in a 1st embodiment. It is a table | surface which illustrates the information which the information database of the database server in 1st Embodiment hold | maintains. It is a sequence diagram which illustrates operation | movement of the communication control system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates the structure of the communication control system which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a table | surface which illustrates the information which the information database of the database server in 2nd Embodiment hold | maintains. It is a sequence diagram which illustrates operation | movement of the communication control system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

  First, an outline of an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the reference numerals of the drawings attached to this summary are merely examples for facilitating understanding, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the illustrated embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a gateway device 4 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication control system including the gateway device 4. Referring to FIG. 1, the gateway device 4 includes a communication setting determination unit 22 and a communication control unit 24, and is connected to communication devices (for example, devices 2A to 2C in FIG. 2).

  The communication setting determination unit 22 has predetermined information (for example, the product category, usage, and communication shown in FIG. 6) according to the type of communication device (for example, PC (Personal Computer), home appliance, game machine, surveillance camera, etc.). Function, security function / performance, (product) related information, recommended communication settings, etc.) communication settings for communication devices (for example, network separation, QoS (Quality of Service), effective as shown in FIG. 4) Port, effective address, cryptographic processing, access restriction / notification to user, etc.). Further, the communication control unit 24 communicates with the communication device via the gateway device 4 according to the determined communication setting (for example, communication within the LAN (Local Area Network) 8 of FIG. 2, WAN (Wide Area Network) 10 side). Communication).

  According to the gateway device 4, it is possible to automatically set the settings related to communication via the gateway device by the communication device in the gateway device. This is because the communication settings for the communication device (that is, network separation, QoS, effective port, effective address, encryption processing, access restriction, notification to the user, etc.) are classified into the communication device type (PC, home appliance, game machine, surveillance camera). This is because it is automatically determined by the gateway device 4 based on predetermined information (product category, application, communication function, security function / performance, related information, recommended communication setting, etc.) according to .

<Embodiment 1>
Next, a communication control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Constitution)
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a connection configuration of the communication control system according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, the communication control system includes a gateway device 4 and a database server 6. The gateway device 4 and the database server 6 are connected via a WAN (Wide Area Network) 10. Communication devices 2A to 2C are connected to the gateway device 4 via a LAN (Local Area Network) 8 such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity). The communication devices 2A to 2C are, for example, surveillance cameras, game machines, home appliances (TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators, etc.), PCs (Personal Computers), and the like. Hereinafter, the communication devices 2A to 2C are collectively referred to as the communication device 2 as appropriate.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the gateway device 4. Referring to FIG. 3, the gateway device 4 includes a communication unit 12, an information request transmission unit 14, a database 16, a database search unit 18, a response information reception unit 20, a communication setting determination unit 22, a communication control unit 24, and an unauthorized communication report unit. 26, an alarm generation unit 28, and a report database 30.

  The communication unit 12 sends the information received from the unit included in the gateway device 4 to the communication device 2 and the database server 6, and the information received from the communication device 2 and the database server 6 is included in the gateway device 4. Transfer to the unit to be

  When the communication unit 12 receives a communication request including the identifier (for example, MAC (Media Access Control) address) of the communication device 2 from the communication device 2, the database search unit 18 refers to the database 16 and corresponds to the communication device 2. It is confirmed whether or not the “predetermined information” to be held is associated with the MAC address.

  FIG. 4 is a table illustrating information held in the database 16 of the gateway device 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the database 16 holds communication device identifiers, “predetermined information”, and communication settings determined by a communication setting determination unit 22 described later in association with each other. Here, the “predetermined information” is, as shown in FIG. 4, “communication device 2“ product category ”,“ use ”,“ communication function ”,“ security function, performance ”,“ related information ”, and Includes "Recommended communication settings". In addition, “Recommended Communication Settings” is recommended for at least one of “Product Category”, “Usage”, “Communication Function”, “Security Function / Performance”, and “Related Information” (up to 5). Communication settings to be included. The recommended communication setting may be, for example, a communication setting recommended by a vendor of the communication device 2 or a vendor of an application operating on the communication device 2. Furthermore, “recommended communication settings” regarding “related information” may include “designation / limitation of transmission IP address and reception IP address”. Such communication settings are used, for example, to allow the communication device 2 to access a server used for service provision or a server for performing firmware update (these servers have specific IP addresses). be able to.

  When the database 16 does not hold “predetermined information” corresponding to the communication device 2, the information request transmission unit 14 uses all or part of the MAC address of the communication device 2 received from the communication device 2. The database server 6 is inquired (information request) about “predetermined information” regarding the communication device 2.

  The response information receiving unit 20 receives “predetermined information” regarding the communication device 2 from the database server 6 via the communication unit 12. The response information receiving unit 20 stores the received “predetermined information” in the database 16 in association with the MAC address of the communication device 2.

  Based on the “predetermined information” received from the database server 6 or the “predetermined information” stored in the database 16, the communication setting determination unit 22 sets communication settings for the communication device 2 (for example, network separation, QoS, Security measures, communication rejection, etc.). The communication setting determination unit 22 performs communication settings for separating a network accessible by the communication device 2 from other networks according to the “product category” included in the “predetermined information”. Further, the communication setting determination unit 22 performs communication settings related to the bandwidth and priority of communication by the communication device in accordance with the “use” included in the “predetermined information”. Furthermore, the communication setting determination unit 22 performs communication settings related to an effective port for communication by the communication device 2 according to the “communication function” included in the “predetermined information”. In addition, the communication setting determination unit 22 performs encryption processing (encryption processing, decryption processing, etc.) for the communication device 2 by the gateway device 4 according to the “security function / performance” included in the “predetermined information”. Configure communication settings to substitute. Further, the communication setting determination unit 22 blocks access to at least some ports and addresses by the communication device 2 according to “related information” included in the “predetermined information”, or performs communication by the communication device 2. The communication setting which refuses is performed, or related information is notified to the user. Further, when the communication setting is completed, the communication setting determination unit 22 registers the determined communication setting in the database 16 in association with the identifier of the communication device. Furthermore, the communication setting determination unit 22 displays the communication setting determined by the communication setting determination unit 22 on the setting screen of the gateway device 4 together with the acquired MAC address of the communication device 2.

  The communication control unit 24 controls communication by the communication device 2 according to the communication setting determined by the communication setting determination unit 22. Further, the communication control unit 24 notifies the unauthorized communication reporting unit 26 of information related to unauthorized communication when communication (illegal communication) that violates the product category, usage, or the like is detected.

  The unauthorized communication report unit 26 feeds back information related to unauthorized communication to the user and the database server 6. Specifically, the unauthorized communication report unit 26 uses the alarm generation unit 28 to notify the user of the occurrence of unauthorized communication. Further, the unauthorized communication report unit 26 accumulates information related to unauthorized communication in the report database 30. Further, the unauthorized communication report unit 26 reports information related to unauthorized communication to the database server 6 via the communication unit 12.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the database server 6. Referring to FIG. 5, the database server 6 includes a communication unit 32, an information request receiving unit 34, an information database 36, a database searching unit 38, a response information transmitting unit 40, a report receiving unit 42, and a report database 44. .

  The communication unit 32 sends the information received from the unit included in the database server 6 to the gateway device 4 and transfers the information received from the gateway device 4 to the corresponding unit included in the database server.

  The information request receiving unit 34 receives the information request from the gateway device 4 via the communication unit 32 and transfers it to the database search unit 38.

  Upon receiving the information request, the database search unit 38 refers to the information database 36 registered in advance and searches for “predetermined information” regarding the product corresponding to the MAC address inquired (information request) from the gateway device 4. To do.

  FIG. 6 is a table illustrating information held in the information database 36 of the database server 6. Referring to FIG. 6, the information database 36 holds the identifier of the communication device 2 and “predetermined information” in association with each other. Here, the “predetermined information” is, as shown in FIG. 6, “communication device 2“ product category ”,“ use ”,“ communication function ”,“ security function, performance ”,“ related information ”, and Includes "Recommended communication settings". The “recommended communication settings” are related to at least one of “product category”, “use”, “communication function”, “security function / performance”, and “related information” (up to five) ( For example, it includes recommended communication settings (by the vendor of the communication device 2 or the vendor of the application running on the communication device 2).

  The response information transmission unit 40 transmits the searched “predetermined information” to the gateway device 4 via the communication unit 32.

  When receiving information related to unauthorized communication from the gateway device 4 via the communication unit 32, the report receiving unit 42 stores the information in the report database 44.

(Operation)
Next, the operation of the communication control system according to the present embodiment will be described using the configuration of the communication device 2, the gateway device 4 directly connected to the communication device 2, and the database server 6 on the cloud that manages device information. To do. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the communication control system.

(1) Automatic Acquisition of Device Information Referring to FIG. 7, the communication device 2 transmits a communication request including the identifier of the communication device 2 to the gateway device 4 (step A1). Here, as an identifier of a device exchanged when the communication device 2 starts communication, for example, there is a MAC (Media Access Control) address. Here, in principle, the MAC address is individually assigned to each device and is information unique to the device. In the present embodiment, a case where the identifier of the communication device is a MAC address will be described. However, the identifier of the communication device in the present invention is not limited to the MAC address, and can uniquely identify the communication device (or product type) Can be specified).

  The communication unit 12 of the gateway device 4 receives the communication request including the MAC address transmitted from the communication device 2. Then, the database search unit 18 of the gateway device 4 refers to the database 16 (FIG. 4) and confirms whether or not the information corresponding to the communication device 2 is held in association with the MAC address. When the information is held, the process proceeds to Step A7 described later. On the other hand, when the information is not held, the information request transmission unit 14 uses the information of all or part of the MAC address of the communication device 2 received from the communication device 2 to the database server 6 to communicate with the communication device 2. Inquiry (information request) about the information is performed (step A3).

  The information request receiving unit 34 of the database server 6 accepts the information request from the gateway device 4 via the communication unit 32 and transfers it to the database search unit 38. The database search unit 38 refers to the information database 36 (FIG. 6) registered in advance in response to the information request, and “predetermined the product corresponding to the MAC address inquired (information request) from the gateway device 4. Information "is searched (step A4). Further, the response information transmitting unit 40 transmits the searched “predetermined information” to the gateway device 4 via the communication unit 32 (step A5).

  Here, “predetermined information” means “product category”, “use”, “communication function”, “security function, performance”, “related information”, and “recommended communication setting” of the communication device 2. is there. In addition, “Recommended Communication Settings” is recommended for at least one of “Product Category”, “Usage”, “Communication Function”, “Security Function / Performance”, and “Related Information” (up to 5). Communication settings to be included.

  The response information receiving unit 20 of the gateway device 4 receives “predetermined information” regarding the communication device 2 from the database server 6 via the communication unit 12. Further, the response information receiving unit 20 stores the received “predetermined information” in the database 16 (FIG. 4) in association with the MAC address of the communication device 2 (step A6). The database 16 in the gateway device 4 is updated regularly.

(2) Automatic setting of communication connection Next, the communication setting determination unit 22 of the gateway device 4 is based on “predetermined information” received from the database server 6 or “predetermined information” stored in the database 16. Then, communication settings for the communication device 2 (for example, network separation, QoS, encryption processing, communication rejection, etc.) are performed (step A7). The communication setting performed by the communication setting determination unit 22 may include the following settings (2.1) to (2.5), for example.

(2.1) “Network Separation” Setting According to “Product Category” The communication setting determination unit 22 matches the “product category” with the category of home appliances, OA (Office Automation) devices, etc. Perform network separation (for example, access restriction). For example, when the “product category” of the communication device 2 is “game machine”, the communication setting determination unit 22 unconditionally disables connection to the LAN. At this time, even if a Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) SSID (Service Set Identifier) and a password are set, the communication device 2 corresponding to the game machine cannot be connected to the LAN 8. As another example, the communication setting determination unit 22 can disable communication with the WAN 10 when the “product category” of the communication device 2 is “home appliance”. These “policies” (for example, “game machine is not connectable”, “home appliances are only connected to home”, etc.) are set by the user for the gateway device 4. The policies related to these communication settings are merely examples, and the policies used by the communication setting determination unit 22 in the present invention are not limited to these.

(2.2) “QoS” Setting According to “Usage” The communication setting determination unit 22 performs settings related to QoS of communication (for example, traffic limit or priority setting) in accordance with “use”. For example, the communication setting determination unit 22 can give high priority to communication with real-time requestability and give low priority to other communication. As an example, the communication device 2 is a monitoring camera and transfers an image captured by the monitoring camera to an external storage device via the gateway device 4 or remotely monitors the image of the monitoring camera in real time. Sometimes, real-time property is required as an “use” of communication performed by the communication device 2. In such a case, the communication setting determination unit 22 can set the priority of communication by the communication device 2 to a high priority.

(2.3) “Effective Port” Setting According to “Communication Function (Protocol)” The communication setting determination unit 22 performs effective port setting according to the “communication function (protocol to be used)”. Generally, since a port to be used is determined in advance according to the type of communication device, the communication setting determination unit 22 blocks inappropriate communication by discarding (dropping) a packet addressed to a port that is not used.

(2.4) “Security Function Substitution” Setting According to “Security Function / Performance” The communication setting determination unit 22 performs encryption processing (encryption / decryption) on the network according to “security function / performance”. Support). Some communication devices do not have a cryptographic processing function (or do not have sufficient processing capability). In such a case, the communication setting determination unit 22 substitutes for processing related to a security function (for example, communication encryption) on the gateway device 4 side.

(2.5) “Access restriction, user notification” setting according to “(Product) related information” The communication setting determining unit 22 determines at least some ports by the communication device 2 according to “(Product) related information”. The communication setting for blocking access to the address or refusing the communication by the communication device 2 is performed, or related information is notified to the user. Here, “(product) related information” is information about a product and indicates information that is updated as needed. For example, for a communication device 2 in which “vulnerability information” exists as “related information”, the communication setting determination unit 22 performs settings such as blocking access to some ports and addresses, or performing full communication rejection. Further, alarm information is notified to the user as necessary. The alarm information notification method is not particularly limited. For example, a mail including alarm information is transmitted to a user terminal connected to the gateway device 2 or a warning LED (on the gateway device 2) Light Emitting Diode) may be turned on or blinked. On the other hand, as for “related information”, for the communication device 2 in which information of low urgency such as “firmware update information” and “notification” exists, the communication setting determination unit 22 notifies the user terminal by mail. You may do it.

  When the communication setting (step A7) is completed, the communication setting determination unit 22 registers the determined communication setting in the database 16. In addition, the communication setting determination unit 22 displays the MAC address of the communication device 2 on the setting screen of the gateway device 4 (for example, the setting screen on the display of the user terminal (PC or the like) connected to the gateway device 4). The communication setting determined by the communication setting determination unit 22 is displayed. For example, the communication setting determination unit 22 may display information such as the device name, model number, and network distinction of the communication device 2 on the setting screen of the gateway device 4 along with the MAC address based on the acquired information. Good. Thereby, the user can confirm whether or not the communication setting intended by the user is made by referring to the communication setting automatically set by the gateway device 4.

(3) Report of Unauthorized Communication The communication control unit 24 of the gateway device 4 controls communication by the communication device 2 in accordance with the communication setting determined in step A7 (steps A8 and A9). In addition, when communication (illegal communication) that violates the product category, usage, or the like is detected, the communication control unit 24 includes information regarding unauthorized communication (for example, the identifier of the communication device 2 that performed unauthorized communication, the content of unauthorized communication, Etc.) to the unauthorized communication report unit 26. The unauthorized communication report unit 26 feeds back information related to unauthorized communication to the user and the database server 6. Specifically, the alarm generation unit 28 notifies the user of the occurrence of unauthorized communication. The notification method is not particularly limited, and for example, a method such as lighting or blinking of a lamp, generation of an alarm sound, or mailing to a user terminal can be used. In addition, the unauthorized communication report unit 26 accumulates information related to unauthorized communication in the report database 30 so that it can be referred to from the user terminal. Furthermore, the unauthorized communication reporting unit 26 reports information related to unauthorized communication to the database server 6 via the communication unit 12 (step A10). When the report receiving unit 42 of the database server 6 receives information related to unauthorized communication via the communication unit 32, the report receiving unit 42 accumulates it in the report database 44 (step A11).

  Furthermore, between the database 16 of the gateway apparatus 4 and the base 36 obtained from the information data of the database server 6, the information held is updated or synchronized as appropriate (step A12).

(effect)
According to the gateway device of this embodiment, the gateway device has predetermined information (product category, usage, communication function, security function / performance) according to the type of the communication device 2 (PC, home appliance, game machine, surveillance camera, etc.). , Related information, recommended communication settings, etc.) automatically from the database server, and based on the acquired information, communication settings for the communication device (network separation, QoS, effective port, effective address, security function substitution) , Access restrictions, user notifications, etc.) automatically. Therefore, according to the communication control system according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically set the settings related to the communication via the gateway device by the communication device in the gateway device.

  Also, according to the present embodiment, communication is appropriately controlled by the gateway device without the user himself investigating and setting information on the communication device. Therefore, the user only needs to set the policy related to communication and the update frequency of the internal database on the gateway device. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the communication device does not need to notify the gateway device of information related to its own product, the communication control system of the present embodiment is applied to many communication devices including existing communication devices. Can do.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a communication control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the first embodiment, the communication settings determined by the gateway device are stored in the gateway device database. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the communication settings determined by the gateway device are also accumulated in the database server so that the communication settings can be shared among a plurality of gateway devices.

(Constitution)
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication control system according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 8, the communication control system includes gateway devices 4P and 4Q and a database server 6. The gateway devices 4P and 4Q and the database server 6 are connected via the WAN 10. Communication devices 2A to 2C are connected to the gateway device 4P via a LAN 8P such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. Similarly, the communication device 2 (for example, the communication device 2C) is connected to the gateway device 4Q via the LAN 8Q.

  As a case where communication settings are shared among a plurality of gateway devices 4P, 4Q, for example, it is conceivable to share communication settings between a gateway device 4P at home and a gateway device 4Q in a separate house (villa, etc.). Moreover, when replacing old and new gateway devices, it is conceivable that the communication settings of the gateway device 4P before replacement are transferred to the gateway device 4Q after replacement. Furthermore, a case where communication settings are collectively performed (synchronized) for a plurality of access points (gateway devices) provided on each of a plurality of floors of an office building can be considered. Note that these use cases are merely examples, and cases to which the present embodiment is applied are not limited thereto. Further, the connection configuration shown in FIG. 8 and the number of gateway devices 4 and communication devices 2 are merely examples. Hereinafter, the gateway devices 4P and 4Q are collectively referred to as the gateway device 4 as appropriate.

  Hereinafter, the communication control system of the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment. The gateway devices 4P and 4Q in the present embodiment also have the same configuration as that of the gateway device 4 (FIG. 3) in the first embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, the communication setting determining unit 22 of the gateway device 4 also sends the determined communication setting to the database server 6.

  The database server 6 of this embodiment also has the same configuration as the database server 6 (FIG. 5) in the first embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, the information database 36 of the database server 6 also holds the communication settings sent from the gateway device 4. Here, as an example, the information database 36 holds the communication settings acquired from the gateway device 4, but the database server 6 may hold the acquired communication settings as a separate database.

  FIG. 9 is a table illustrating information held in the information database 36 of the database server 6 in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 9, the information database 36 holds the identifier of the gateway device 4, the identifier of the communication device 2, “predetermined information”, and the “communication setting” determined by the gateway device 4. If there is no need to identify the gateway device 4 that has determined the communication setting, the identifier of the gateway device in FIG. 9 may be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, when the database search unit 38 receives an information request from the gateway device 4, the database search unit 38 refers to the information database 36 in response to the information request and corresponds to the MAC address inquired from the gateway device 4. Search for “predetermined information” and “communication settings” for the product. The response information transmitting unit 40 transmits the searched “predetermined information” and “communication setting” to the gateway device 4. On the other hand, when the “communication setting” for the product corresponding to the MAC address included in the communication request is not registered in the information database 36, the response information transmission unit 40 transmits only “predetermined information” to the gateway device 4. .

(Operation)
FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the communication control system according to this embodiment. Here, when the communication settings for the communication devices 2A and 2C determined by the gateway device 4P have been registered in the information database 36 (FIG. 9) of the database server 6, the communication device 2A or 2B is connected to the gateway device 4Q. The operation when connected to will be described.

  In the sequence diagram of FIG. 10, the operation in which the communication device 2A or 2B sends a communication request to the gateway device 4Q (step B1) and the operation in which the gateway device 4Q confirms its own database 16 (step B2) This is the same as steps A1 and A2 in the embodiment (FIG. 7).

  In the present embodiment, the information request receiving unit 34 of the database server 6 receives the information request from the gateway device 4 via the communication unit 32 and transfers it to the database search unit 38. The database search unit 38 refers to the information database 36 in response to the information request, and searches for “predetermined information” and “communication setting” regarding the communication device corresponding to the MAC address inquired (information request) from the gateway device 4. (Step B4). When the “communication setting” corresponding to the MAC address exists (that is, when the communication device 2A accesses the gateway device 4Q), the response information transmission unit 40 displays the searched “predetermined information” and “communication setting”. Then, the data is transmitted to the gateway device 4 via the communication unit 32 (step B5). On the other hand, when the “communication setting” corresponding to the MAC address does not exist (that is, when the communication device 2B accesses the gateway device 4Q), the response information transmission unit 40 transmits the searched “predetermined information” to the communication unit. The data is transmitted to the gateway device 4 via 32 (step B5). The database server 6 may also perform processing such as user authentication if necessary when sharing communication settings among a plurality of gateway devices (for example, the gateway devices 4P and 4Q). .

  When only “predetermined information” is received from the database server 6, the information registration operation (step B6) and the communication setting operation (step B7) performed by the gateway device 4Q are the same as step A6 in the first embodiment (FIG. 7), The same as A7. On the other hand, when both “predetermined information” and “communication setting” are received from the database server 6, the response information receiving unit 20 of the gateway device 4 </ b> Q transmits the received “predetermined information” and “communication setting” to the communication device 2. And stored in the database 16 (step B6). The communication setting determination unit 22 uses the “communication setting” received from the database server 6 as the communication setting for the communication device (step B7).

(effect)
The communication control system of this embodiment has the following effects in addition to the effects brought about by the communication control system of the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the communication settings determined by the gateway device are shared among the plurality of gateway devices via the database server. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the user can enjoy the same communication settings for the same communication device regardless of the gateway device of the connection destination (that is, regardless of the LAN to be accessed). Further, according to the present embodiment, the user only needs to set a policy for any one of the plurality of gateway devices, and from the complexity of setting and managing the policy for each of the plurality of gateway devices. To be released. Therefore, when a plurality of gateway devices are used in a home and a separate home, when new and old gateway devices are replaced, or when gateway devices are installed on each of a plurality of floors, management of the gateway devices is facilitated.

<Modification>
In the first and second embodiments, the case where the MAC address is used as the identifier of the communication device 2 has been described. Here, a modified example when the MAC address “AB: CD: EF: ab: 12: 34” is given to the communication device 2 will be described as an example. Here, the “AB: CD: EF” portion of the MAC address can be used as information representing the manufacturer. The assignment of the product / individual number varies depending on the manufacturer, but here, as an example, it is assumed that “ab” is information representing a product (model number) and “12:34” is individual information.

  At this time, the MAC address “AB: CD: EF: ab: 12: 34” can be used as the identifier of the communication device in the database 16 (FIG. 4) of the gateway device 4. On the other hand, unlike the gateway device 4, the identifier managed by the information database 36 (FIG. 6) of the database server 6 only needs to identify the product (model number) of the communication device 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to hold the “predetermined information” shown in FIG. 6 for each communication device identifier. That is, in the information database 36 (FIG. 6) of the database server 6, “predetermined information” for the product in association with the identifier “AB: CD: EF: ab: **: **” (* is a wild card). Should be held. At this time, the amount of data to be held in the information database 36 can be greatly reduced. However, when the gateway apparatus holds the communication settings determined for each communication device as in the information database 36 (FIG. 9) in the database server 6 of the second embodiment, the communication device is uniquely identified as the communication device identifier. It is necessary to use an identifier to identify (for example, MAC address “AB: CD: EF: ab: 12: 34”).

In the present invention, the following modes are possible.
[Form 1]
As in the gateway device according to the first aspect.
[Form 2]
The predetermined information includes at least one of a product category, usage, communication function, security function / performance, related information, and recommended communication setting.
The gateway device according to aspect 1.
[Form 3]
The recommended communication setting is a communication setting recommended for at least one of product category, application, communication function, security function / performance, and related information,
The communication setting determination unit determines communication settings for the communication device according to the recommended communication settings.
The gateway device according to mode 2.
[Form 4]
The communication setting determining unit, when the predetermined information includes a product category, according to the product category, performs a communication setting to separate a network accessible by the communication device and other networks;
4. The gateway device according to mode 2 or 3.
[Form 5]
The communication setting determination unit, when the predetermined information includes a use, performs communication settings related to a bandwidth and priority of communication by the communication device according to the use.
The gateway apparatus as described in any one of form 2 thru | or 4.
[Form 6]
The communication setting determining unit, when the predetermined information includes a communication function, performs communication settings related to an effective port of communication by the communication device according to the communication function;
The gateway device according to any one of Forms 2 to 5.
[Form 7]
The communication setting determination unit, when the predetermined information includes a security function / performance, according to the security function / performance, performs communication settings to replace the encryption processing by the communication device by the gateway device,
The gateway device according to any one of Forms 2 to 6.
[Form 8]
The communication setting determination unit performs communication setting to block access to at least some ports and addresses by the communication device or to refuse communication by the communication device when the predetermined information includes related information. Or notify the user of the related information,
The gateway apparatus as described in any one of form 2 thru | or 7.
[Form 9]
A database that stores the identifier of the communication device and the predetermined information in association with each other;
A communication unit that receives a communication request including an identifier of the communication device from the communication device,
The communication setting determining unit refers to the database and determines a communication setting for the communication device based on the predetermined information associated with an identifier included in the communication request;
The gateway apparatus as described in any one of form 1 thru | or 8.
[Mode 10]
When the identifier of the communication device included in the communication request is associated with the predetermined information and is not held in the database, an information request transmission unit that inquires the database server for the predetermined information using the identifier;
A response information receiving unit that acquires the predetermined information from the database server in response to the inquiry and stores the predetermined information in the database in association with the identifier;
The gateway device according to embodiment 9.
[Form 11]
The communication setting determination unit stores the determined communication setting for the communication device in the database in association with the identifier of the communication device and the predetermined information.
The gateway device according to Form 10.
[Form 12]
The communication control method according to the second aspect is as described above.
[Form 13]
The predetermined information includes at least one of a product category, usage, communication function, security function / performance, related information, and recommended communication setting.
The communication control method according to mode 12.
[Form 14]
The recommended communication setting is a communication setting recommended for at least one of product category, application, communication function, security function / performance, and related information,
The gateway device determines communication settings for the communication device according to the recommended communication settings;
The communication control method according to the thirteenth aspect.
[Form 15]
When the predetermined information includes a product category, the gateway device performs communication setting for separating a network accessible by the communication device and a network other than the network according to the product category.
The communication control method according to Form 13 or 14.
[Form 16]
When the predetermined information includes a use, the gateway device performs communication settings related to the bandwidth and priority of communication by the communication device according to the use.
The communication control method according to any one of forms 13 to 15.
[Form 17]
When the predetermined information includes a communication function, the gateway device performs communication setting related to an effective port of communication by the communication device according to the communication function.
The communication control method according to any one of forms 13 to 16.
[Form 18]
When the predetermined information includes a security function / performance, the gateway device performs communication setting so that encryption processing by the communication device is replaced by the gateway device according to the security function / performance.
The communication control method according to any one of forms 13 to 17.
[Form 19]
The gateway device, when the predetermined information includes related information, performs a communication setting to block access to at least some ports and addresses by the communication device, or to refuse communication by the communication device, or , Notifying the user of the related information,
The communication control method according to any one of forms 13 to 18.
[Mode 20]
The gateway device associating the identifier of the communication device and the predetermined information in a database,
Receiving a communication request including an identifier of the communication device from the communication device; and
The determination of the communication setting for the communication device is performed based on the predetermined information associated with the identifier included in the communication request with reference to the database.
The communication control method according to the thirteenth aspect.
[Form 21]
When the identifier of the communication device included in the communication request and the predetermined information are not associated with each other and stored in the database, the gateway device inquires the database server for the predetermined information using the identifier; ,
Obtaining the predetermined information from the database server in response to the inquiry and storing it in the database in association with the identifier.
The communication control method according to mode 20.
[Form 22]
The gateway device includes storing the determined communication setting for the communication device in the database in association with the identifier of the communication device and the predetermined information.
The communication control method according to Form 21.
[Form 23]
The communication control system according to the third aspect is as described above.
[Form 24]
The communication setting determination unit notifies the database server of the communication device identifier and the communication setting determined for the communication device,
The database server stores the identifier of the gateway device, the identifier of the communication device, and the communication setting determined for the communication device in association with each other, and inquires the predetermined information from the other gateway device to the communication device. In response to the communication setting determined by the gateway device,
The communication control system according to Form 23.
[Form 25]
A program according to the fourth aspect.

  It should be noted that the entire disclosure of the above patent document is incorporated herein by reference. Within the scope of the entire disclosure (including claims) of the present invention, the embodiment can be changed and adjusted based on the basic technical concept. Further, various combinations or selections of various disclosed elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible within the framework of the entire disclosure of the present invention. is there. That is, the present invention of course includes various variations and modifications that could be made by those skilled in the art according to the entire disclosure including the claims and the technical idea. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or small range included in the range should be construed as being specifically described even if there is no specific description.

2, 2A to 2C Communication device 4, 4P, 4Q Gateway device 6 Database server 8, 8P, 8Q LAN
10 WAN
12 communication unit 14 information request transmission unit 16 database 18 database search unit 20 response information reception unit 22 communication setting determination unit 24 communication control unit 26 unauthorized communication report unit 28 alarm generation unit 30 report database 32 communication unit 34 information request reception unit 36 information Database 38 Database search unit 40 Response information transmission unit 42 Report reception unit 44 Report database

Claims (17)

A gateway device connected to a communication device,
A communication setting determining unit that determines communication settings for the communication device based on predetermined information according to a type of the communication device;
A communication control unit for controlling communication via the gateway device by the communication device according to the determined communication setting,
A gateway device characterized by that. The predetermined information includes at least one of a product category, usage, communication function, security function / performance, related information, and recommended communication setting.
The gateway device according to claim 1. The recommended communication setting is a communication setting recommended for at least one of product category, application, communication function, security function / performance, and related information,
The communication setting determination unit determines communication settings for the communication device according to the recommended communication settings.
The gateway device according to claim 2. The communication setting determining unit, when the predetermined information includes a product category, according to the product category, performs a communication setting to separate a network accessible by the communication device and other networks;
The gateway device according to claim 2 or 3. The communication setting determination unit, when the predetermined information includes a use, performs communication settings related to a bandwidth and priority of communication by the communication device according to the use.
The gateway device according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The communication setting determining unit, when the predetermined information includes a communication function, performs communication settings related to an effective port of communication by the communication device according to the communication function;
The gateway device according to any one of claims 2 to 5. The communication setting determination unit, when the predetermined information includes a security function / performance, according to the security function / performance, performs communication settings to replace the encryption processing by the communication device by the gateway device,
The gateway device according to any one of claims 2 to 6. The communication setting determination unit performs communication setting to block access to at least some ports and addresses by the communication device or to refuse communication by the communication device when the predetermined information includes related information. Or notify the user of the related information,
The gateway device according to any one of claims 2 to 7. A database that stores the identifier of the communication device and the predetermined information in association with each other;
A communication unit that receives a communication request including an identifier of the communication device from the communication device,
The communication setting determining unit refers to the database and determines a communication setting for the communication device based on the predetermined information associated with an identifier included in the communication request;
The gateway device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. When the identifier of the communication device included in the communication request is associated with the predetermined information and is not held in the database, an information request transmission unit that inquires the database server for the predetermined information using the identifier;
A response information receiving unit that acquires the predetermined information from the database server in response to the inquiry and stores the predetermined information in the database in association with the identifier;
The gateway device according to claim 9. The communication setting determination unit stores the determined communication setting for the communication device in the database in association with the identifier of the communication device and the predetermined information.
The gateway device according to claim 10. The gateway device determining communication settings for the communication device based on predetermined information according to a type of the communication device; and
Controlling communication via the gateway device by the communication device in accordance with the determined communication settings.
A communication control method characterized by the above. The predetermined information includes at least one of a product category, usage, communication function, security function / performance, related information, and recommended communication setting.
The communication control method according to claim 12. The recommended communication setting is a communication setting recommended for at least one of product category, application, communication function, security function / performance, and related information,
The gateway device determines communication settings for the communication device according to the recommended communication settings;
The communication control method according to claim 13. A database server that associates and holds an identifier of a communication device and predetermined information corresponding to the type of the communication device;
A gateway device connected to the communication device and the database server,
The gateway device determines a communication setting for the communication device based on the predetermined information;
A communication control unit for controlling communication via the gateway device by the communication device according to the determined communication setting,
A communication control system characterized by that. The communication setting determination unit notifies the database server of the communication device identifier and the communication setting determined for the communication device,
The database server stores the identifier of the gateway device, the identifier of the communication device, and the communication setting determined for the communication device in association with each other, and inquires the predetermined information from the other gateway device to the communication device. In response to the communication setting determined by the gateway device,
The communication control system according to claim 15. For the computer installed in the gateway device,
Processing for determining communication settings for the communication device based on predetermined information according to the type of the communication device;
Processing to control communication through the gateway device by the communication device according to the determined communication setting,
A program characterized by that.

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