Patent ID: 8589676
Filing Date: 2013-11-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus which communicates with a client through a network, the image forming apparatus comprising: a storage device which stores a first certificate created in the image forming apparatus, the first certificate created in the image forming apparatus including a public key paired with a private key, the image forming apparatus comprising a certificate creator configured to create the first certificate by signing the first certificate with the private key; and a communication device which transmits the first certificate stored by the storage device to the client for installation; wherein the communication device is configured to transmit a second certificate, which includes path information to the first certificate stored in the image forming apparatus, to the client when a connection for encrypted communication is requested by the client after the first certificate stored in the image forming apparatus is installed in the client, wherein the second certificate transmitted by the communication device to the client when the request for encrypted communication is requested by the client designates the first certificate as a certificate authority at a higher level and is signed with the private key used to sign the first certificate, and wherein the client is configured to, upon receiving the second certificate after requesting the connection for encrypted communication, verify the signature of the second certificate received from the image forming apparatus with the first certificate installed in the client.