Patent ID: 8239928

Claim:
An access control system based on hierarchical key, comprising: an access control server which configures access rights and authorization verifier for users and stores related information of user password and information of user access rights; a home gateway which records user access rights and rights key established according to a hierarchical key structure; and a plurality of sensor nodes deployed in a sensing network; wherein when a user logs into said access control server for requesting an access, said user and said home gateway establish an one-time communication key through exchanging a ticket and a token issued by said access control server to allow said user accessing information of said plurality of sensor nodes; wherein said home gateway checks whether a rights key of the highest level exists or not; if existing, verifies whether the authentication key of each sensor node is established or not; if non-existent, establishes said rights key of the highest level and verifies whether an authentication key of each sensor node is established or not; and if said authentication key of each said sensor node is established, terminates establishing key; otherwise, inputs identifier and level of a sensor node to be established authentication key, and computes the authentication key of said sensor node and assigns the authentication key to said sensor node, and then returns to said step of verifying an authentication key of each said sensor node is established or not.