LAN Authentication via Response Time Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in determining whether a communication partner is connected to the same Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN) for copyright-protected content transmission, especially when Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are used, leading to potential copyright infringement.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves generating authentication data based on shared data, transmitting a command to request a response from the receiving apparatus, measuring the response time, and judging whether data transmission is allowed based on the authentication result and response time, to determine if the communication partner is within the same LAN.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If IP address checking or Hop Count is used to determine network connection, then it is simple to implement, but it cannot properly detect connections through VPN which appear as same subnet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism that uses shared secret data and cryptographic authentication to verify the true network relationship between devices. This intermediary layer reveals the actual connection path through VPN routers, exposing that devices are on different subnets even when they appear to be on the same network segment.
2Productivity
If authentication is performed without response time measurement, then the process is faster, but unauthorized devices can be authenticated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by measuring the response time from the authentication command to the authentication response. This time measurement provides critical feedback about the network path - responses from devices on different subnets (connected via VPN) take longer due to additional routing hops. The system uses this feedback to reject authentication attempts that exceed the threshold, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining fast authentication for legitimate same-subnet devices.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus allowing proper communication with a communication partner in accordance with a communication time of the communication partner. A reception control unit receives a random challenge (RC) from a transmission terminal and supplies it to a generation unit. The reception control unit transmits an RC reception message indicating an RC reception to a transmission side. The generation unit executes a Hash process relative to RC and supplies resultant authentication data to a generation unit. A transmission control unit controls the generation unit at a timing before a response request command from the transmission side is received, to make the generation unit generate a response message containing authentication data corresponding to the response request command, and when the response request command is received, transmits the response message to a transmission destination terminal. The apparatus is applicable to a content providing system.