Password recovery system

• US 20040133812A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Futa, Yuichi, Ohmori, Motoji, Matsuzaki, Natsume
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/43 wireless channels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2131 Lost password, e.g. recovery of lost or forgotten passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

The present invention provides a password recovery system that re-supplies a password to only the legitimate user of the password. The password recovery system includes a memory card with CPU and a mobile phone. When a password needs to be recovered, a phone call is made, to the mobile phone, from a telephone connected to a phone line whose phone number is registered in advance into the memory card with CPU. The mobile phone then obtains the telephone number of the phone line via a caller'"'"'s telephone number notifying service. It is judged whether the obtained telephone number and the registered phone number are the same, and when they are the same, the password stored in the memory card with CPU will be re-supplied so that the user can recover it.

Claims

1. A password recovery system that re-supplies a password to a user who has forgotten the password and includes a communication terminal device and a portable password recording medium having the password recorded thereon and being mounted on the communication terminal device, wherein

(i) the communication terminal device comprises:

a receiving unit operable to receive a first telephone number of a caller via a caller'"'"'s telephone number notifying service; and

an outputting unit operable to output the received first telephone number to the password recording medium, and

(ii) the password recording medium comprises;

a telephone number storing unit that stores therein a second telephone number to be used as a criterion in judgment of whether it is acceptable to re-supply the password;

a password storing unit that stores the password therein;

a reception unit operable to receive the outputted first telephone number; and

a reading unit operable to judge whether the received first telephone number is the same as the second telephone number, and read the password from the password storing unit when the judgment is in the affirmative.

2. The password recovery system of claim 1, wherein

the communication terminal device further comprises:

a number receiving unit operable to receive the second telephone number; and

a number outputting unit operable to output the received second telephone number to the password recording medium, and

the password recording medium further comprises;

a writing unit operable to receive the second telephone number from the communication terminal device and write the second telephone number to the telephone number storing unit.

3. The password recovery system of claim 2, wherein

the number receiving unit further receives a third telephone number that is different from the second telephone number,

the number outputting unit further outputs the third telephone number received by the number receiving unit to the password recording medium,

the communication terminal device further comprises a password receiving unit operable to receive a password from the user and output the password to the password recording medium,

the password recording medium further comprises a password authenticating unit operable to authenticate passwords by judging if the password received by the password receiving unit is the same as the password stored in the password storing unit, and

the writing unit further rewrites the second telephone number stored in the telephone number storing unit with the third telephone number when the password received by the password receiving unit is judged to be the same as the password stored in the password storing unit.

4. A communication terminal device that re-supplies a password to a user who has forgotten the password, comprising:

a receiving unit operable to receive a first telephone number of a caller via a caller'"'"'s telephone number notifying service;

a telephone number storing unit that stores therein a second telephone number to be used as a criterion in judgment of whether it is acceptable to re-supply the password;

a password storing unit that stores the password therein; and

a reading unit operable to judge whether the received first telephone number is the same as the second telephone number, and read the password from the password storing unit when the judgment is in the affirmative.

5. The communication terminal device of claim 4, further comprising:

a number receiving unit operable to receive the second telephone number; and

a writing unit operable to write the received second telephone number to the telephone number storing unit.

6. The communication terminal device of claim 5, wherein

the number receiving unit further receives a third telephone number that is different from the second telephone number,

the communication terminal device further comprises (i) a password receiving unit operable to receive a password from the user and (ii) a password authenticating unit operable to authenticate passwords by judging if the password received by the password receiving unit is the same as the password stored in the password storing unit, and

the writing unit further rewrites the second telephone number stored in the telephone number storing unit with the third telephone number when the password received by the password receiving unit is judged to be the same as the password stored in the password storing unit.

7. The communication terminal device of claim 6, further comprising

a displaying unit operable to display the password read by the reading unit.

8. The communication terminal device of claim 6, further comprising:

an application storing unit that stores therein a piece of application software that corresponds to the password; and

an application executing unit operable to execute the piece of application software, using the password read by the reading unit.

9. The communication terminal device of claim 8, wherein

the password is the second telephone number,

the reading unit judges whether the received first telephone number is the same as the second telephone number, and reads the second telephone number from the password storing unit when the judgment is in the affirmative, and

the piece of application software executed by the application executing unit corresponds to the read second telephone number.

10. A password recording medium that is portable and operable to re-supply a password to a user who has forgotten the password, comprising:

a receiving unit operable to receive, from a communication terminal device on which the password recording medium is mounted, a first telephone number that is of a caller and has been obtained via a caller'"'"'s telephone number notifying service;

a telephone number storing unit that stores therein a second telephone number to be used as a criterion in judgment of whether it is acceptable to re-supply the password;

a password storing unit that stores the password therein; and

a reading unit operable to judge whether the received first telephone number is the same as the second telephone number, and read the password from the password storing unit when the judgment is in the affirmative.

11. The password recording medium of claim 10, further comprising:

a number receiving unit operable to receive the second telephone number from the communication terminal device; and

a writing unit operable to write the received second telephone number to the telephone number storing unit.

12. The password recording medium of claim 11, wherein

the number receiving unit further receives a third telephone number that is different from the second telephone number,

the password recording medium further comprises (i) a password receiving unit operable to receive a password from the communication terminal device and (ii) a password authenticating unit operable to authenticate passwords by judging if the password received by the password receiving unit is the same as the password stored in the password storing unit, and

the writing unit further rewrites the second telephone number stored in the telephone number storing unit with the third telephone number when the password received by the password receiving unit is judged to be the same as the password stored in the password storing unit.

13. The password recording medium of claim 12, further comprising

a password outputting unit operable to output the password read by the reading unit to the communication terminal device.

14. The communication terminal device of claim 12, further comprising:

an application storing unit that stores therein a piece of application software that corresponds to the password; and

an application executing unit operable to execute the piece of application software, using the password read by the reading unit.

15. The password recording medium of claim 14, wherein

the password is the second telephone number,

the reading unit judges whether the received first telephone number is the same as the second telephone number, and reads the second telephone number from the password storing unit when the judgment is in the affirmative, and

the piece of application software executed by the application executing unit corresponds to the read second telephone number.

16. A password recovery method used by a password recording medium that is portable and operable to re-supply a password to a user who has forgotten the password, wherein

(i) the password recording medium comprises:

a telephone number storing unit that stores therein a second telephone number to be used as a criterion in judgment of whether it is acceptable to re-supply the password; and

a password storing unit that stores the password therein, and

(ii) the password recovery method comprises;

a receiving step of receiving, from a communication terminal device on which the password recording medium is mounted, a first telephone number that is of a caller and has been obtained via a caller'"'"'s telephone number notifying service; and

a reading step of judging whether the received first telephone number is the same as the second telephone number and reading the password from the password storing unit when the judgment is in the affirmative.

17. A password recovery program used by a password recording medium that is portable and operable to re-supply a password to a user who has forgotten the password, wherein

(i) the password recording medium comprises:

a telephone number storing unit that stores therein a second telephone number to be used as a criterion in judgment of whether it is acceptable to re-supply the password; and

a password storing unit that stores the password therein, and

(ii) the password recovery program comprises;

a receiving step of receiving, from a communication terminal device on which the password recording medium is mounted, a first telephone number that is of a caller and has been obtained via a caller'"'"'s telephone number notifying service; and

a reading step of judging whether the received first telephone number is the same as the second telephone number and reading the password from the password storing unit when the judgment is in the affirmative.

18. A computer-readable program-recording medium on which a password recovery program is recorded, the password recovery program being used by a password recording medium that is portable and operable to re-supply a password to a user who has forgotten the password, wherein

(i) the password recording medium comprises:

a telephone number storing unit that stores therein a second telephone number to be used as a criterion in judgment of whether it is acceptable to re-supply the password; and

a password storing unit that stores the password therein, and

(ii) the password recovery program comprises;

a receiving step of receiving, from a communication terminal device on which the password recording medium is mounted, a first telephone number that is of a caller and has been obtained via a caller'"'"'s telephone number notifying service; and

a reading step of judging whether the received first telephone number is the same as the second telephone number and reading the password from the password storing unit when the judgment is in the affirmative.