Patent ID: 8601568
Filing Date: 2013-12-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication system comprising: a first relaying apparatus that relays communication from a terminal device connected via a first network to a second network, wherein the terminal device corresponds to a first authentication protocol and does not correspond to a second authentication protocol; a second relaying apparatus that relays communication to a first authentication apparatus that is connected to the first relaying apparatus via a second network and authenticates the terminal device according to the first authentication protocol; and a second authentication apparatus that is connected to the first relaying apparatus via the second network and performs access authentication for the first relaying apparatus with respect to the second network according to the second authentication protocol, wherein the first relaying apparatus includes: an identification-information storage unit that can store identification information for identifying communication for the first relaying apparatus to access the second network; a request transmitting unit that transmits a first request message to the second authentication apparatus, the first request message requesting access authentication for the first relaying apparatus to access the second network; a result receiving unit that receives a determination result of whether to approve an access of the first relaying apparatus to the second network, which is a response to the first request message, from the second authentication apparatus; a communication establishing unit that establishes communication from the first relaying apparatus to the second network, and stores the identification information of the established communication in the identification-information storage unit, when the determination result indicating approval of the access of the first relaying apparatus to the second network is received; a first request receiving unit that receives a second request message from the terminal device, the second request message requesting access authentication for the terminal device to access the second network; and a transfer unit that obtains the identification information from the identification-information storage unit and transfers the second request message added with the obtained identification information to the second relaying apparatus, when the second request message is received, the second relaying apparatus includes: a relay unit that receives the second request message added with the obtained identification information from the first relaying apparatus and relays the received second request message to the first authentication apparatus; and a notifying unit that notifies the second authentication apparatus of address information of the authenticated terminal device associated with the identification information added to the second request message, when the terminal device as a sender of the second request message is authenticated by the first authentication apparatus, and the second authentication apparatus includes: a second request receiving unit that receives a first request message from the first relaying apparatus; a determining unit that determines whether to approve an access of the first relaying apparatus to the second network based on the received first request message and confirms an access method preset for each first relaying apparatus, with respect to the first relaying apparatus whose access has been approved; a result transmitting unit that transmits a determination result by the determining unit to the first relaying apparatus; an address receiving unit that receives the address information associated with the identification information from the second relaying apparatus; and an approval unit that approves an access of the terminal device in the received address information to the second network by the access method confirmed for the first relaying apparatus, which has established communication identified by the identification information associated with the received address information.