Communication network system, gateway, data communication method and program providing medium

Abstract

This invention relates to provide a communication network system, a gateway, and a data communication method, in which the gateway has an advanced functionality. A person who issues an access request can retrieve a desired access destination easily by the following configuration: functions of routing information providing and authentication processing are added to a gateway that performs protocol conversion between two different communication networks; when an access request is issued from a public communication network such as Internet to a terminal in a local (private) communication network connected to the gateway, a request terminal is authenticated to enable prevention of unauthorized data writing and reading; and an access request user who succeeded in the authentication is provided with an active terminal list comprising accessible terminal information, or with a user condition table.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A gateway, comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to
 instruct a user interface to communicate with two communication networks, 
 instruct a storage device to accumulate, from a terminal connected to one of the two communication networks, program data executed at the terminal, 
 receive device identification information and a license number of the program data, in response to requesting transmission of the license number, and 
 determine whether or not the received device identification information and the received license number are allowed to receive the program data, based on previously stored device identification information of the terminal and license number of the program data, wherein 
 a first of the two communication networks is a private communication network that enables only terminals within a specific communication area to communicate, 
 a second of the two communication network is a public communication network that enables an indefinite number of users to communicate, 
 the terminal is connected to the first of the two communication networks that is the private communication network, and 
 the program data controls a function of the terminal. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The gateway of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to instruct the storage device to accumulate backup data of data stored locally at the terminal. 
     
     
       3. A method comprising:
 instructing a storage device to accumulate, from a terminal connected to one of two communication networks, program data executed at the terminal, a first of the two communication networks being a private communication network that enables only terminals within a specific communication area to communicate, a second of the two communication network being a public communication network that enables an indefinite number of users to communicate, and the terminal being connected to the first of the two communication networks that is the private communication network; 
 receiving device identification information and a license number of the program data, in response to requesting transmission of the license number, the program data controlling a function of the terminal; and 
 determining whether or not the received device identification information and the received license number are allowed to receive the program data, based on previously stored device identification information of the terminal and license number of the program data. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 instructing the storage device to accumulate backup data of data stored locally at the terminal.