Patent ID: 8238555

Claim:
An encrypted communication management server for managing encrypted communications among a plurality of communication apparatuses, the server comprising: a processor; and a memory device storing a program, the processor executing the program to perform functions of: receiving encrypted communication-purpose setting information from each of the communication apparatuses, the encrypted communication-purpose setting information including a plurality of setting items required for determining setting values in order to produce encryption keys which are used by the communication apparatuses, candidates for the setting values having been included in the plurality of setting items; receiving from any one of the communication apparatuses, which constitutes a communication source apparatus, a connection request for performing an encrypted communication with a communication destination apparatus, the connection request containing information for specifying any other one of the communication apparatuses as the communication destination apparatus; judging whether or not a setting value which is commonly used by the communication source apparatus and the communication destination apparatus for producing an encryption key is present in each of the plurality of setting items as to first encrypted communication-purpose setting information received from the communication source apparatus, and second encrypted communication-purpose setting information received from the communication destination apparatus, the first and second encrypted communication-purpose setting information being contained in previously-received encrypted communication-purpose setting information; and when the setting value which is commonly used by the communication source apparatus and the communication destination apparatus for producing an encryption key is present in each of the plurality of setting items as to the first encrypted communication-purpose setting information and the second encrypted communication-purpose setting information, transmitting both the encryption key produced based upon the present setting value, and encrypted communication-purpose setting information constructed of the setting value for producing the encryption key to both the communication source apparatus and the communication destination apparatus.