Person authentication system, person authentication method , information processing apparatus, and program providing medium

• US 20020026574A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishibashi, Yoshihito, Watanabe, Hideaki, Matsuyama, Shinako, Futamura, Ichiro, Kon, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869

Abstract

Disclosed are a person authentication system, a person authentication method, and an information processing apparatus which allow person authentication to be performed in an easy fashion in various devices by comparing a template serving as person identification data with sampling information input by a user. A service provider (SP) or user device (UD) executes person authentication by acquiring a template from a person identification certificate (IDC) generated by a third-party agency serving as a person identification certificate authority (IDA). The IDA acquires a template serving as identification data after verifying a person requesting an IDC to be issued, and generates the IDC storing template information. The IDA distributes the IDC having a digital signature of the IDA added thereto to the SP and the UD.

Claims

1. A person authentication system for executing person authentication by comparing a template which is person identification data acquired beforehand with sampling information input by a user, said system comprising an entity for executing person authentication, wherein said entity acquires a template from a person identification certificate storing temperature information including said template and generated by a third-party agency serving as a person identification certificate authority, and executes person authentication on the basis of the acquired template.

2. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the person identification certificate issued by said person identification certificate authority includes a digital signature written by said person identification certificate authority.

3. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said person identification certificate authority verifies the identification of a person requesting a person identification certificate to be issued, acquires a template serving as person identification data of said person requesting the person identification certificate to be issued, and generates a person identification certificate storing template information including said template.

4. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein, in the process of acquiring the person identification certificate from said person identification certificate authority, said entity performs mutual authentication between said entity and said person identification certificate authority, and said person identification certificate authority transmits the person identification certificate, provided that said mutual authentication is successfully completed.

5. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said person identification certificate authority stores said template in said person identification certificate after encrypting said template.

6. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said entity is any one of a service provider which makes a deal with a user identified by said person identification certificate, a user device accessed by a user identified by said person identification certificate, and said person identification certificate authority.

7. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein, when transmitting said person identification certificate to said entity, said person identification certificate authority transmits a template which is stored in said person identification certificate, as an encrypted template which is decryptable only by said entity to which said person identification certificate is to be transmitted.

8. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said entity is a service provider which makes a deal with a user identified by said person identification certificate, and

wherein said service provider compares a template, which is acquirable from the person identification certificate acquired from said person identification certificate authority, with sampling information provided by the user and starts making a deal with the user, provided that said template and said sampling information match with each other.

9. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said entity is a user device serving as a data processing apparatus including data accessible by a user identified by said person identification certificate, and

wherein said user device compares a template, which is acquirable from the person identification certificate acquired from said person identification certificate authority, with sampling information provided by the user, and said user device allows the user to start accessing said user device, provided that said template and said sampling information match with each other.

10. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said template is composed any one of biometric information of a person such as fingerprint information, retina pattern information, iris pattern information, voice print information, and handwriting information;

non-biometric information such as a seal, a passport, a driver'"'"'s license, and a card;

any combination of two or more of said biometric information and said non-biometric information; and

a combination of any of said information and a password.

11. A person authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said entity and said person identification certificate authority have an encryption processing unit, respectively, and

wherein, when data is transmitted therebetween, mutual authentication is performed between said entity and said person identification certificate authority, a data-transmitting party generates a digital signature and adds it to data to be transmitted, and a data-receiving party verifies the digital signature.

13. A person authentication system according to claim 12, wherein the verification certificate issued by said person identification certificate authority includes a digital signature written by said person identification certificate authority.

14. A person authentication system according to claim 12, wherein said person identification certificate authority verifies the identification of a person requesting a person identification certificate to be issued, acquires a template serving as person identification data of said person requesting the person identification certificate to be issued, and generates a person identification certificate storing template information including said template.

15. A person authentication system according to claim 12, wherein, in the process of acquiring the verification certificate from said person identification certificate authority, said entity performs mutual authentication between said entity and said person identification certificate authority, and said person identification certificate authority transmits the verification certificate, provided that said mutual authentication is successfully completed.

16. A person authentication system according to claim 12, wherein said entity acquiring the verification certificate is one of a service provider which makes a deal with a user identified by said person identification certificate, and a user device accessed by a user identified by said person identification certificate.

17. A person authentication system according to claim 12, wherein said entity acquiring the verification certificate is a service provider which makes a deal with an user, and

wherein said service provider starts making a deal with the user, provided that the verification certificate is successfully acquired from said person identification certificate authority.

18. A person authentication system according to claim 12, wherein said entity acquiring the verification certificate is a user device serving as a data processing apparatus including data accessible by an user, and

wherein said user device allows the user to start accessing said user device, provided that the verification certificate is successfully acquired from said person identification certificate authority.

19. A person authentication system according to claim 12, wherein said entity acquiring the verification certificate verifies the signature of said verification certificate acquired from said person identification certificate authority and deletes said verification certificate after confirming that said verification of the signature indicates the validity of said verification certificate.

20. A person authentication system according to claim 12, wherein said template is composed of any one of biometric information of a person such as fingerprint information, retina pattern information, iris pattern information, voice print information, and handwriting information;

non-biometric information such as a seal, a passport, a driver'"'"'s license, and a card;

any combination of two or more of said biometric information and said non-biometric information; and

a combination of any of said information and a password.

12. A person authentication system for executing person authentication by comparing a template which is person identification data acquired beforehand with sampling information input by said person, said system comprising a person identification certificate authority which acquires a template from a person identification certificate storing template information including said template, executes person authentication on the basis of said acquired template, and issues a verification certificate, provided that said person authentication is successfully passed.

21. A person authentication method for executing person authentication by comparing a template which is person identification data acquired beforehand with sampling information input by a user, wherein an entity for executing person authentication acquires a template from a person identification certificate storing template information including said template and generated by a third-party agency serving as a person identification certificate authority, and executes person authentication on the basis of the acquired template.

22. A person authentication method according to claim 21, wherein said person identification certificate authority writes a digital signature on the person identification certificate issued by said person identification certificate authority.

23. A person authentication method according to claim 21, wherein said person identification certificate authority verifies the identification of a person requesting a person identification certificate to be issued, acquires a template serving as person identification data of said person requesting the person identification certificate to be issued, and generates a person identification certificate storing template information including said template.

24. A person authentication method according to claim 21, wherein, in the process of acquiring the person identification certificate from said person identification certificate authority, said entity performs mutual authentication between said entity and said person identification certificate authority, and said person identification certificate authority transmits the person identification certificate, provided that said mutual authentication is successfully completed.

25. A person authentication method according to claim 21, wherein said person identification certificate authority stores said template in said person identification certificate after encrypting said template.

26. A person authentication method according to claim 21, wherein, when transmitting said person identification certificate to said entity, said person identification certificate authority transmits a template which is stored in said person identification certificate, as an encrypted template which is decryptable only by said entity to which said person identification certificate is to be transmitted.

27. A person authentication method according to claim 21, wherein said entity is a service provider which makes a deal with a user identified by said person identification certificate, and

wherein said service provider compares a template, which is acquirable from a person identification certificate acquired from said person identification certificate authority, with sampling information provided by the user, and starts making a deal with the user, provided that said template and said sampling information match with each other.

28. A person authentication method according to claim 21, wherein said entity is a user device serving as a data processing apparatus including data accessible by a user identified by said person identification certificate, and

wherein said user device compares a template, which is acquirable from a person identification certificate acquired from said person identification certificate authority, with sampling information provided by the user, and said user device allows the user to start accessing said user device, provided that said template and said sampling information match with each other.

30. A person authentication method according to claim 29, wherein said person identification certificate authority writes a digital signature on the verification certificate issued by said person identification certificate authority.

31. A person authentication method according to claim 29, wherein said person identification certificate authority verifies the identification of a person requesting a person identification certificate to be issued, acquires a template serving as person identification data of said person requesting the person identification certificate to be issued, and generates a person identification certificate storing template information including said template.

32. A person authentication method according to claim 29, wherein, in the process of acquiring said verification certificate from said person identification certificate authority, said entity performs mutual authentication between said entity and said person identification certificate authority, and said person identification certificate authority transmits the verification certificate, provided that said mutual authentication is successfully completed.

33. A person authentication method according to claim 29, wherein said entity acquiring the verification certificate is a service provider which makes a deal with an user, and

wherein said service provider starts making a deal with the user, provided that the verification certificate is successfully acquired from said person identification certificate authority.

34. A person authentication method according to claim 29, wherein said entity acquiring the verification certificate is a user device serving as a data processing apparatus including data accessible by an user, and

wherein said user device allows the user to start accessing said user device, provided that the verification certificate is successfully acquired from said person identification certificate authority.

35. A person authentication method according to claim 29, wherein said entity verifies the signature of said verification certificate acquired from said person identification certificate authority and deletes said verification certificate after confirming that said verification of the signature indicates the validity of said verification certificate.

37. An information processing apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the person identification certificate issued by said person identification certificate authority includes a digital signature written by said person identification certificate authority, and said information processing apparatus verifies the digital signature to check whether or not data has been tampered with.

38. An information processing apparatus according to claim 36, wherein, in the process of acquiring a person identification certificate from said person identification certificate authority, said information processing apparatus performs mutual authentication between said information processing apparatus and said person identification certificate authority, and said information processing apparatus receives the person identification certificate, provided that said mutual authentication is successfully completed.

39. An information processing apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said information processing apparatus compares a template, which is acquirable from the person identification certificate acquired from said person identification certificate authority, with sampling information provided by the user, and said information processing apparatus starts performing a process requested by the user, provided that said template and said sampling information match with each other.

29. A person authentication method for executing person authentication by comparing a template which is a person identification data acquired beforehand with sampling information input by a user, wherein, at a person identification certificate authority which acquires a template from a person identification certificate storing template information including said template and executes person authentication on the basis of said acquired template, a verification certificate is issued provided that said person authentication is successfully passed.

36. An information processing apparatus for executing person authentication by comparing a template which is person identification data acquired beforehand with sampling information input by a user, wherein a template is acquired from a person identification certificate generated by a third-party agency serving as a person identification certificate authority and storing template information including said template, and person authentication is executed on the basis of the acquired template.

40. A program providing medium for providing a computer program which executes, on a computer system, a person authentication process for executing person authentication by comparing a template which is person identification data acquired beforehand with sampling information input by a user, said computer program comprising the steps of:

acquiring a template from a person identification certificate generated by a third-party agency serving as a person identification certificate authority and storing template information including said template; and

executing person authentication on the basis of said acquired template.