Patent ID: 7496752
Filing Date: 2009-02-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication management system comprising: a terminal of a user; an authentication server which is managed by the maker of the terminal and authenticates the terminal; and a management server which is provided separately from the authentication server and manages an IP address which uniquely identifies the terminal on a network, the terminal comprising: a holding unit which holds a device ID which is fixedly assigned to the terminal in such a manner as to uniquely identify the terminal; an authentication request unit which reads the device ID from the holding unit, and sends the device ID to the authentication server to make a request for authentication; a certificate acquisition unit which acquires a certificate, which certifies success in the authentication of the device ID, from the authentication server; and a registration request unit which sends the certificate to the management server, to make a request for registration of the IP address, which is assigned to the own terminal, the authentication server comprising: an authentication reception unit which acquires the device ID from the terminal and receives the request for the authentication; a terminal database which holds a device ID unique to the terminal to be authentication; an authentication unit which authenticates the correctness of the device ID of the terminal by referring to the terminal database; a certificate issue unit which issues a certificate when succeeding in the authentication of the terminal, an ID issue unit which issues an ID for uniquely identifying the terminal when succeeding in authentication of the terminal; and a communication control unit which transmits the certificate issued by the certificate issue unit and the ID issued by the ID issue unit to the terminal, the management server comprising: a database which holds the ID issued by the ID issue unit, and the IP address in a manner that they are associated with each other; a registration reception unit which acquires, from the terminal, the certificate, the ID issued to the terminal by the ID issue unit, and the IP address of the terminal, and receives the request for registration of the IP address of the terminal; a registration unit which verifies the correctness of the certificate, and registers the ID and the IP address of the terminal in the database when the certificate is confirmed to be correct; an inquiry reception unit which receives the request for inquiring the IP address of the terminal; a search unit which searches through the database on the basis of the ID of the terminal as the target of an inquiry, to acquire the IP address of the terminal; an answer unit which answers search result; a user database which stores information related to the user of the terminal; and a matching control unit which controls matching of a communication partner between the terminals, wherein when the inquiry reception unit receives a requirement for the communication partner, the search unit searches through the user database on the basis of the requirement, and the matching control unit determines the communication partner on the basis of search result, and the answer unit answers the communication partner.