Cryptography – Video cryptography – Video electric signal modification
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-27
2003-07-22
Smithers, Matthew (Department: 2154)
Cryptography
Video cryptography
Video electric signal modification
C705S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06597790
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus that is employed for a multi-media network, etc., and in particular to a communication apparatus that performs the accounting for a communication service for encrypted secret information; and to a communication system that employs such a communication apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Recently, in consonance with the preparation of optical fiber networks for trunk communication networks, the spread of cable television'systems, the practical use of satellite communications, and the spread of local area networks, there has been an expansion of the so-called information service industry that provides various information, across a communication network, such as images, sounds, and computer data, and charges service fees in consonance with the contents and the amount of the information that is provided. It is important that such services have means to properly account for provided information.
However, in many cases conventional accounting systems are monthly systems, such as those for cable television systems or broadcast satellite systems, that are not concerned with the frequency of service, or accounting systems, such as for computer services, that count only the service frequency (or service time) and that are not concerned with the types or quality of provided information.
It is vitally important that information transmission across a communication network be secure, and various systems for enciphering information and transmitting the enciphered information have been proposed as secure transmission means.
When an information service uses a conventional enciphering system to keep information secret, however, the conventional enciphering system will not be able to cope with the various types of information and services as they continue to expand in the future.
It is assumed that generally an information providing center can provide not only one type of information, but that it can provide an assortment of different types of information. The various types of information differ in their worth, however, and accordingly, conditions wherein the information providing center calculates a charge should be different. From the view of the amount of information that is to be provided, since the quantity of data that is required for an animated image is considerably greater than the data that is required for text information, with an accounting system according to which charges are based on the quantity of information dispensed, a user that received animated image information would have to pay a fee that was a multiple times of the service fee charged for text information. Such an accounting system would be unrealistic.
The conventional accounting system for an information service has the above described problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To resolve these problems, it is one object of the present invention to provide an accounting system that can calculates a charge while taking into consideration the types and quality of information and service.
To achieve the object, according to one embodiment of the present invention, provided are encipher transmission means for enciphering data and transmitting enciphered data; counting means for obtaining a count of quantity of data to be enciphered; and accounting means for charging a user for the enciphered data in consonance with a count value held by the counting means.
According to another embodiment, provided are encipher transmission means for enciphering data as units of a block each and for transmitting the enciphered data; counting means for obtaining a count of the blocks to be enciphered; and accounting means for charging a user for the enciphered data in. consonance with a count value held by the counting means.
According to an additional embodiment, provided are encipher transmission means for enciphering data and transmitting enciphered data; counting means for obtaining a count of cryptographic keys that are employed for enciphering; and accounting means for charging a user of the enciphered data in consonance with a count value held by the counting means.
According to a further embodiment, provided are encipher transmission means for enciphering data and transmitting enciphered data while updating a cryptographic key; counting means for obtaining a count of feedback calculations that are performed for updating the cryptographic key; and accounting means for charging a user of the enciphered data in consonance with a count value held by the counting means.
According to still another embodiment, provided is a communication system comprising: a transmission terminal, including encipher transmission means for enciphering data and transmitting enciphered data; and a reception terminal, including encipher reception means for receiving and deciphering enciphered data, the transmission terminal charging the reception terminal a fee that corresponds to an operation of the encipher transmission means.
According to the above described embodiments, the number of calculations that are performed for enciphering, i e., information, such as the quantity of data, the number of cryptographic keys and the number of feedback calculations, is employed to acquire accounting information, so that the information providing center can determine in advance a unit fee in consonance with information type and quality. Therefore, a user can be charged a fair information service fee by the information providing center in consonance with the type, quality and quantity of the provided information.
Further, an information provider can determine a charge for information service in consonance with the quality of information that is provided. Also, since the accounting is performed by the unit, when the provided information differs from the desired information, a user can cancel the request for that information so as to minimize any loss that may be incurred.
A conventional system is not designed to provide a variable enciphering rate for a block signal. As for data in a large quantity, such as image data, for which high speed real-time is required, the conventional system can not provide high-speed cryptographic communication by increasing the enciphering rate for block cryptography even though the security for enciphering is reduced. As for non-real time data in a small quantity, such as text data, the conventional system can not provide secure cryptographic communication by reducing an enciphering rate for block cryptography to increase security.
In addition, a conventional system is not designed to provide a variable key generation rate. Therefore, as for data of high secret for example, the conventional system can not provide high-security cryptographic communication by increasing the key generation rate.
The conventional encipher communication means has the above described problems.
To resolve these problems, it is another object of the present invention to provide an encipher communication apparatus that can vary an enciphering rate, and to provide an enciphering device.
To achieve the above object, according to one embodiment, provided are cryptographic communication means for enciphering transmission data and deciphering received enciphered data and for performing communication; and changing means fort changing a rate that is applied for enciphering/deciphering data.
According to another embodiment, provided are enciphering means for enciphering and deciphering a predetermined algorithm; and changing means for changing a rate for the encipher means without changing the predetermined algorithm.
According to an additional embodiment, provided are enciphering means capable of changing an encipher power relative to transmission data; and changing means for changing the encipher power of the enciphering means in consonance with a deciphering capability of a transmission destination.
According to a further embodiment, provided are enciphering means capable of changing an encipher power relative to transmission data; and changing means for changing
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Smithers Matthew
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