Certification processing hardware, certification processing system and use management hardware

• US 20040098582A1
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mori, Shoji
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• 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 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Certification processing hardware is connected to a game apparatus utilized for connecting with a game server in a network game environment to execute a user certification process. The certification processing hardware includes: a storing unit which stores certification information of the user, e.g., a user ID and a password; a certification information transmitting unit which encrypts the certification information with an encryption key from the game server to transmit it to the game server; a certification result information receiving unit which receives certification result information from the game server; and a certification result decryption processing unit which decrypts the certification result information. Components of the certification information cannot be referred to and copied from outside the certification processing hardware, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the certification information. Security can be remarkably improved compared to a user certification method in which the user inputs the user ID and password by hand.

Claims

1. Certification processing hardware connected to a terminal device capable of communicating with a server device via a network and executing user certification processing of a user of the terminal device by communicating with the server device, the certification processing hardware comprising:

a storing unit which stores certification information of the user;

an encryption key receiving unit which requests a certification process from the server device and receives an encryption key assigned to the certification process hardware from the server device;

an encryption processing unit which encrypts the certification information by using the received encryption key;

a certification information transmitting unit which transmits the encrypted certification information to the server device;

a certification result information receiving unit which receives encrypted certification result information from the server device;

a decryption processing unit which decrypts the encrypted certification result information by using the encryption key; and

an execution permitting unit which gives an execution permission for a process comprising communication from the server device to the terminal device when a decryption of the certification result information by the decryption processing unit succeeds.

2. The certification processing hardware according to claim 1, wherein the decryption processing unit executes a decryption process by using one encryption key only once.

3. The certification processing hardware according to claim 1, further comprising a controller which controls the terminal device based on the decrypted certification result information.

4. A certification processing system comprising:

a server device and a terminal device which can communicate with each other via a network, and hardware which is connected to the terminal device and executes a user certification process in the terminal device by communicating with the server device, wherein the server device comprises;

an encryption key transmitting unit which transmits an encryption key assigned to the hardware which is making a certification request in response to the certification request from the hardware; and

a certification result information transmitting unit which receives and decrypts encrypted certification information from the hardware and encrypts certification result information to transmit an encrypted certification result information to the hardware, and wherein the hardware comprises;

a storing unit which stores certification information of the user;

an encryption key receiving unit which sends the certification request to the server device and receives the encryption key from the server device;

an encryption processing unit which encrypts the certification information by utilizing the received encryption key;

a certification information transmitting unit which transmits the encrypted certification information to the server device;

a certification result information receiving unit which receives the encrypted certification result information from the server device;

a decryption processing unit which decrypts the encrypted certification result information by using the encryption key; and

an execution permitting unit which gives execution permission of a process comprising communication from the server device to the terminal device when decryption of the certification result information by the decryption processing unit succeeds, and wherein the terminal device comprises;

a permission requesting unit which requests the execution permission of the process comprising the communication from the server device to the hardware; and

an executing unit which executes the process after receiving the execution permission from the hardware.

5. Use management hardware which is connected to a terminal device and executes a managing process of availability of the terminal device, the use management hardware comprising:

a storing unit which stores availability information indicating the availability of the terminal device;

a receiving unit which receives an operation request from the terminal device;

a determining unit which determines the availability of the terminal device based on the availability information; and

a controller which enables the terminal device to operate when the determining unit determines that the terminal device is available.

6. A method for performing user certification processing for a user of a terminal device communicating with a server device via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting certification processing hardware to the terminal device;

storing certification information of the user in the certification processing hardware;

requesting a certification process from the server device;

receiving, from the server device, an encryption key assigned to the certification processing hardware;

encrypting the certification information by using the received encryption key;

transmitting the encrypted certification information to the server device;

receiving encrypted certification result information from the server device;

decrypting the encrypted certification result information by using the encryption key; and

giving an execution permission of a process comprising communication from the server device to the terminal device after the decrypting step.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the decrypting step is executed by using one encryption key only once.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of controlling the terminal device based on the decrypted certification result information.

9. A method for performing user certification processing for a user of a terminal device communicating with a server device via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting certification processing hardware to the terminal device;

storing certification information of the user in the certification processing hardware;

sending a certification request from the certification processing hardware to the server device;

transmitting from the server device an encryption key assigned to the certification processing hardware in response to the certification request; and

encrypting the certification information by utilizing the received encryption key;

transmitting the encrypted certification information to the server device;

receiving encrypted certification information from the certification processing hardware;

decrypting the encrypted certification information;

encrypting certification result information;

transmitting the encrypted certification result information to the certification processing hardware;

receiving the encrypted certification result information from the server device;

decrypting the encrypted certification result information by using the encryption key; and

giving execution permission of a process comprising communication from the server device to the terminal device after the decrypting the encrypted certification result information step; and

executing the process after receiving the execution permission from the hardware.

10. A method for performing use management of a terminal device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing availability information indicating the availability of the terminal device;

receiving an operation request from the terminal device;

determining the availability of the terminal device based on the availability information; and

enabling the terminal device to operate when the determining step determines that the terminal device is available.