JP6946066B2 - Gateway device, usage management system, usage control method and usage control program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system for managing the usage history of a communication network by a terminal.

Conventionally, a blockchain, which is a distributed database, has been proposed as a data recording method that is difficult to falsify, and is used in various systems (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 to 3).

Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin: A peer-to-peer electronic cash system, 2008. Somplinsky, Y. et al. , Zohar, A. : Accelerating bitcoin's transaction processing. Fast tree grows on trees, not chains. IACR Cryptography ePrint Archive 2013 (2013) 881. Lewenberg, Y. et al. , Somplinsky, Y. et al. , Zohar, A. : INCLUSIVE block chain protocols. In: Financial Cryptography and Data Security-19th International Convention, FC2015, San Juan, Puerto Rico, January 26-30, 2015, Revised Select Pa. (2015) 528-547.

By the way, each business operator that provides a connection service to a communication network independently performs user authentication and billing processing. The cost of data management related to these authentication and billing for each service, access control, etc. was high.
In addition, when using a plurality of services, the user is also obliged to independently authenticate and pay based on the usage contract for each service, which poses a problem in convenience.

An object of the present invention is to provide a communication network usage management system capable of collectively managing user authentication and billing information in a plurality of connection services.

The gateway device according to the present invention is a device that controls the use of a communication network by a terminal, and the identification information of the terminal and the above-mentioned identification information of the terminal are obtained when the terminal starts and ends the use of the communication network. After verifying the receiving unit that receives the usage data including the identification information of the communication network and the electronic signature by the private key of the terminal, and the public key certificate corresponding to the electronic signature, each of the usage data is started to be used. The registration unit to be registered in the management device as information or use end information, and the use of the communication network to the terminal is started in response to the completion of registration of the use start information or the use end information in the management device. Alternatively, it is provided with a utilization control unit for terminating.

The registration unit collates the usage data with the usage conditions described in the public key certificate, and when the usage conditions are satisfied, the registration unit registers the usage data in the management device and does not satisfy the usage conditions. In some cases, it is not necessary to register the usage data.

After starting the use of the communication network for the terminal, the registration unit generates the usage end information on behalf of the terminal when the communication from the terminal is lost for a predetermined period, and causes the management device to generate the usage end information. You may register.

The registration unit may measure the communication amount of the terminal using the communication network, include the communication amount in the usage end information, and register the communication amount in the management device.

The usage management system according to the present invention is a system having a terminal, a gateway device for controlling the use of the communication network by the terminal, and a management device for managing the usage history of the communication network, and the terminal is the communication network. The usage data including the identification information of the terminal, the identification information of the communication network, and the electronic signature by the private key of the terminal is transmitted to the gateway device at the time of starting and ending the use of the terminal. After verifying the public key certificate corresponding to the electronic signature, the gateway device transfers each of the usage data to the management device as usage start information or usage end information, and the management device notifies the registration completion. In response to the reception, the terminal starts or ends the use of the communication network, the management device registers the use start information and the use end information in the blockchain, and sends the registration completion notification to the blockchain. Send to the gateway device.

The management device may be effective when the reliability of the consensus based on the reliability of each of the plurality of participants is equal to or higher than the threshold value in the consensus protocol of the blockchain.

The management device may increase the confidence of the participants in favor if the consensus is valid.

The usage control method according to the present invention is a method of controlling the use of a communication network by a terminal, and the identification information of the terminal is used when the terminal starts and ends the use of the communication network. After verifying the reception step of receiving the usage data including the identification information of the communication network and the electronic signature by the private key of the terminal and the public key certificate corresponding to the electronic signature, each of the usage data is used. In response to the registration step of registering the start information or the use end information in the management device and the completion of the registration of the use start information or the use end information in the management device, the terminal is used to use the communication network. The computer executes a usage control step to start or end.

The usage control program according to the present invention is a program for controlling the use of a communication network by a terminal, and identifies the terminal when the terminal starts and ends the use of the communication network. After verifying the reception step of receiving the information, the identification information of the communication network, and the usage data including the electronic signature by the private key of the terminal, and the public key certificate corresponding to the electronic signature, each of the usage data is obtained. In response to the registration step of registering the usage start information or the usage end information in the management device and the registration of the usage start information or the usage end information in the management device, the communication network of the communication network to the terminal. This is for causing the computer to execute a usage control step for starting or ending the usage.

According to the present invention, user authentication and billing information in a plurality of connection services can be collectively managed.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the utilization management system which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the gateway device which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the data composition which is closed in a block in the blockchain which concerns on embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the utilization control method which concerns on embodiment.

Hereinafter, an example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a usage management system 1 according to the present embodiment.
The usage management system 1 has a plurality of communication networks 200 that provide a connection service to the Internet 100, and each communication network 200 is connected to the Internet 100 by a gateway device 10.

The gateway device 10 controls whether or not the Internet 100 can be used by the mobile terminal 20 via the communication network 200, and receives usage data as billing information from the mobile terminal 20 at the start and end of the use, and the management device 30. Register with.
At this time, the gateway device 10 verifies the legitimacy of the user by confirming the public key certificate corresponding to the electronic signature of the mobile terminal 20, and permits the use of the communication network 200.

The mobile terminal 20 creates a pair of a private key and a public key, and stores the private key in its own terminal. Further, the mobile terminal 20 registers the public key with a billing business operator designated by the user and receives the issuance of the public key certificate.
The public key certificate guarantees the user's ability to pay by the billing company, thereby allowing the mobile terminal 20 to use the plurality of communication networks 200. The public key certificate may include a usage upper limit, an expiration date, and the like, and these usage conditions are confirmed by the gateway device 10.

Here, the billing operator does not have to be the same as the communication operator that provides the communication network 200. For example, a financial institution such as a bank becomes a billing carrier, and the telecommunications carrier receives the service provision fee via the billing carrier.

At least when the mobile terminal 20 starts and ends the use of the communication network 200, the mobile terminal 20 registers the usage data including the electronic signature by the stored private key in the management device 30 via the gateway device 10.

When the management device 30 manages the blockchain and receives usage data from the mobile terminal 20 via the gateway device 10, it registers these in the block and notifies the gateway device 10 of the completion of registration.
Here, the blockchain is operated and managed by a telecommunications carrier, a billing carrier, or both, and the block is closed based on the consensus of the participants.

If the gateway device 10 to be connected is changed due to the movement of the mobile terminal 20 while using the communication network 200, if the communication network 200 in use is not changed, the usage start information is already in the blockchain. It is registered. Therefore, if the gateway device 10 can search the usage start information from the blockchain, the registration of new usage start information may be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the gateway device 10 according to the present embodiment.
The gateway device 10 is an information processing device (computer) including a control unit 11 and a storage unit 12, and the control unit 11 receives by reading and executing software (utilization control program) stored in the storage unit 12. It functions as a unit 111, a registration unit 112, and a usage control unit 113.

The receiving unit 111 receives the identification information of the mobile terminal 20, the identification information of the communication network 200, the date and time information, and the mobile phone for the information, respectively, when the mobile terminal 20 starts and ends the use of the communication network 200. Receive the usage data including the electronic signature by the private key of the terminal 20.

After verifying the public key certificate corresponding to the electronic signature included in the usage data, the registration unit 112 transfers each of the usage data to the management device 30 as usage start information or usage end information, and registers the usage data in the blockchain. Let me.

At this time, the registration unit 112 collates the received usage data with the usage conditions such as the expiration date and the upper limit of the communication volume described in the public key certificate, and if the usage conditions are satisfied, the usage data is put into the blockchain. Register and do not register usage data if the usage conditions are not met.
For example, the gateway device 10 stores the upper limit of the communication amount, which is a usage condition, and the registration unit 112 permits the mobile terminal 20 to communicate while the communication amount using the communication network 200 does not exceed the upper limit, and ends the use. Occasionally, the total traffic may be included in the end-of-use information and registered in the blockchain.

Further, the registration unit 112 generates usage end information on behalf of the mobile terminal 20 when the communication from the mobile terminal 20 is interrupted after the mobile terminal 20 starts using the communication network 200 and a predetermined time elapses. Then, it may be registered in the blockchain.
At this time, the registration unit 112 adds an electronic signature with its own private key held by the gateway device 10 to register the end-of-use information.

The usage control unit 113 starts using the communication network 200 for the mobile terminal 20 or receives a registration completion notification from the management device after the registration of the usage start information or the usage end information is completed in the blockchain. To finish.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data configuration closed by a block in the blockchain according to the present embodiment.
In this example, the target data (transaction) Tx to be registered in the blockchain is used as a leaf node, a Markle Hash Tree having a hash value in the upper layer is configured, and the root hash value is stored in the block header together with the hash value of the immediately preceding block. Will be done.

By using such a hash tree, when verifying the stored data (for example, Tx3), if only the target data (for example, Tx3) is disclosed, the hash values of other data (for example, Hash2 and Hash01) are disclosed. ) Can be verified, which is advantageous from the viewpoint of privacy.

When a new block is added to this blockchain, the block is closed by the consensus protocol of a plurality of participants (telecommunications carrier or billing carrier). That is, each of the plurality of participants decides whether or not to close the block, and the block is closed by a majority vote.
At this time, the block is given the electronic signature of all the operators who participated in the consensus protocol. This signature value is calculated for the vote "Hash value of block | (Yes or No)" at the time of majority vote, Yes if you agree to approve and close the block, yes if you disagree. Is No.

Further, in order to ensure the reliability of the consensus, each vote may be aggregated based on the reliability set for each participant. For example, if each business operator with a reliability of 5, 3 or 2 votes Yes and a business operator with a reliability of 4 votes No, the reliability of the consensus is 5 + 3 + 2-4 = 6, and this reliability If the degree is above the threshold, it is valid and the block is closed.
The closed block is broadcast to all participants, and each participant saves the block data. In the consensus protocol, the management device 30 may increase the reliability of the participants who agree (for example, +1) and set the reliability of the business operator who has participated for a long period of time to be high.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a usage control method of the communication network 200 in the usage management system 1 according to the present embodiment.

In step S1, the mobile terminal 20 uses the communication service usage data including the identification information (ID) of the own terminal, the identification information of the communication network 200 to start using, the date and time information (time stamp), and the electronic signature for these information. To generate.
In step S2, the mobile terminal 20 transmits the communication service usage data to the gateway device 10.

In step S3, the gateway device 10 verifies the validity of the usage data by electronic signature and confirms that the usage conditions described in the public key certificate are satisfied.
In step S4, the gateway device 10 transfers the usage data to the management device 30.

In step S5, the management device 30 registers the received usage data in the blockchain as usage start information of the communication network 200.
In step S6, the management device 30 transmits a registration completion notification to the gateway device 10.
In step S7, the gateway device 10 permits the mobile terminal 20 to use the communication network 200.

In step S8, the mobile terminal 20 generates communication service usage data including identification information of the own terminal, identification information of the communication network 200 to be terminated, time information, and an electronic signature for these information.
In step S9, the mobile terminal 20 transmits the communication service usage data to the gateway device 10.

In step S10, the gateway device 10 verifies the validity of the usage data by electronic signature.
In step S11, the gateway device 10 transfers the usage data to the management device 30.

In step S12, the management device 30 registers the received usage data in the blockchain as usage end information of the communication network 200.
In step S13, the management device 30 transmits a registration completion notification to the gateway device 10.
In step S14, the gateway device 10 transmits a service end notification to the mobile terminal 20.

According to the usage control method of the present embodiment, billing information for users of the communication network 200 is registered in the blockchain.
The billing unit can be appropriately set such as the number of times of use, the time of use, and the period of use. Further, when the gateway device 10 observes the communication amount and registers it in the blockchain as usage data, it is possible to charge based on the usage amount.

According to the present embodiment, the usage management system 1 registers the usage history of the communication network 200 by the mobile terminal 20 in the blockchain. This usage history is verified by the electronic signature of the user whose public key certificate is issued by the billing company.
Therefore, a model has been constructed in which the billing company whose payment is guaranteed by the public key certificate distributes the usage amount collected from the user based on the usage history to each communication company that provides the communication service by the communication network 200. NS. As a result, the usage management system 1 can collectively manage user authentication and billing information in the connection service to the plurality of communication networks 200.

As a result, the telecommunications carrier and the billing carrier are separated, and the authentication and billing framework is simplified, so that the operating cost is reduced and the user can seamlessly connect multiple communication systems (networks). It can be used properly, improving convenience.

Further, when the communication network 200 is started to be used, the access control of the mobile terminal 20 can be made more efficient by confirming the usage conditions described in the public key certificate in the gateway device 10.

The usage management system 1 is terminated by generating usage termination information registered in the blockchain by the gateway device 10 when the communication by the mobile terminal 20 is lost for a predetermined period, that is, when it is determined that the communication is disconnected. It is possible to avoid the situation where the timing is not registered.

Further, the gateway device 10 can easily handle pay-as-you-go billing by measuring the amount of communication by the mobile terminal 20 and registering it in the blockchain.

The usage management system 1 determines whether or not to close the block by aggregating the reliability of each participant in the blockchain consensus protocol, so that the reliability of the blockchain jointly operated by a plurality of businesses is determined. That is, the reliability of the registered usage history can be improved.
Further, the usage management system 1 can increase the reliability of the business operator who has been involved for a long time and improve the reliability of the blockchain by increasing the reliability of the business operator who agrees when the consensus becomes effective. ..

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Further, the effects described in the present embodiment merely list the most preferable effects arising from the present invention, and the effects according to the present invention are not limited to those described in the present embodiment.

The private blockchain in this embodiment can be shared between telecommunications carriers or billing carriers, and each block is closed by a consensus protocol. On the other hand, the blockchain used in this embodiment may be composed of a public chain. For example, it may be a model in which a billing company pays a certain amount of consideration to a miner who closes a block. In this case, the blockchain construction and operation costs are separated from the communication infrastructure costs.

The usage control method by the usage management system 1 is realized by software. When realized by software, the programs that make up this software are installed in the information processing device (computer). Further, these programs may be recorded on a removable medium such as a CD-ROM and distributed to the user, or may be distributed by being downloaded to the user's computer via a network. Further, these programs may be provided to the user's computer as a Web service via a network without being downloaded.

1 Usage management system 10 Gateway device 11 Control unit 12 Storage unit 20 Mobile terminal 30 Management device 100 Internet 111 Reception unit 112 Registration unit 113 Usage control unit 200 Communication network

Claims (9)

A gateway device that controls the use of communication networks by terminals.
When the terminal starts and ends the use of the communication network, it receives usage data including the identification information of the terminal, the identification information of the communication network, and the electronic signature by the private key of the terminal. With the receiver
After verifying the validity of the usage data by the electronic signature guaranteed by the public key certificate issued by the billing business operator to the public key of the terminal, each of the usage data that becomes the billing information is used. As start information or use end information, a registration unit that causes the communication network operator and the billing operator to register in a shared management device, and
Use of the communication network identified by the identification information of the communication network included in the usage data for the terminal in response to the completion of registration of the usage start information or the usage end information in the management device. A gateway device including a utilization control unit for starting or ending the above. The registration unit collates the usage data with the usage conditions described in the public key certificate, and when the usage conditions are satisfied, the registration unit registers the usage data in the management device and does not satisfy the usage conditions. The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein the usage data is not registered in the case. After starting the use of the communication network for the terminal, the registration unit generates the usage end information on behalf of the terminal when the communication from the terminal is lost for a predetermined period, and causes the management device to use the communication network. The gateway device according to claim 1 or 2, which is to be registered. The registration unit measures the amount of communication by the terminal using the communication network, and includes the communication amount in the usage end information and registers it in the management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Gateway device. A usage management system having a terminal, a gateway device that controls the use of the communication network by the terminal, and a management device that manages the usage history of the communication network.
The terminal receives usage data including identification information of the terminal, identification information of the communication network, and an electronic signature by the private key of the terminal at the time of starting and ending the use of the communication network, respectively. Send to the gateway device
After verifying the validity of the usage data by the electronic signature guaranteed by the public key certificate of each billing company, the gateway device uses each of the usage data, which is the billing information, as usage start information or usage. As the end information, the information is transferred to the management device shared by the communication network operator and the billing operator, and in response to receiving the registration completion notification from the management device, the usage data is sent to the terminal. Start or end the use of the communication network identified by the included communication network identification information,
The management device is a usage management system that registers the usage start information and the usage end information in the blockchain and transmits the registration completion notification to the gateway device. The usage management system according to claim 5, wherein the management device is effective when the reliability of the consensus based on the reliability of each of a plurality of participants is equal to or higher than a threshold value in the consensus protocol of the blockchain. The usage management system according to claim 6, wherein the management device increases the reliability of the participants who agree with the consensus when the consensus is valid. It is a usage control method that controls the usage of the communication network by the terminal.
When the terminal starts and ends the use of the communication network, it receives usage data including the identification information of the terminal, the identification information of the communication network, and the electronic signature by the private key of the terminal. Receive step and
After verifying the validity of the usage data by the electronic signature guaranteed by the public key certificate issued by the billing business operator to the public key of the terminal, each of the usage data that becomes the billing information is used. As start information or use end information, a registration step of having the communication network operator and the billing operator register in a shared management device, and
Use of the communication network identified by the identification information of the communication network included in the usage data for the terminal in response to the completion of registration of the usage start information or the usage end information in the management device. A usage control step in which a computer executes a usage control step for starting or ending. A usage control program for controlling the use of communication networks by terminals.
When the terminal starts and ends the use of the communication network, it receives usage data including the identification information of the terminal, the identification information of the communication network, and the electronic signature by the private key of the terminal. Receive step and
After verifying the validity of the usage data by the electronic signature guaranteed by the public key certificate issued by the billing business operator to the public key of the terminal, each of the usage data that becomes the billing information is used. As start information or use end information, a registration step of having the communication network operator and the billing operator register in a shared management device, and
Use of the communication network identified by the identification information of the communication network included in the usage data for the terminal in response to the completion of registration of the usage start information or the usage end information in the management device. A usage control program for causing a computer to execute a usage control step for starting or ending.

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