Authentication system in information processing terminal using mobile information processing device

• US 20080127311A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yasaki, Kouichi, Yamada, Isamu, Shibata, Seiki, Shiotsu, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/43 wireless channels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2139 Recurrent verification

Abstract

A mobile information processing device (200) obtains specific information of a user in response to an operation by the user, authenticates the user based on the specific information, establishes the first wireless communication mode, and then transmits authentication information to an information processing terminal. The information processing terminal (100) receives the authentication information from the mobile information processing device in the first wireless communication mode (A), verifies the received authentication information, generates an identification based on the resultant verification, transmits, in the first wireless communication mode, the identification to the mobile information processing device, then changes from the first wireless communication mode into the second wireless communication mode (B), and iteratively performs polling of the mobile information processing device. The mobile information processing device receives the identification from the information processing terminal in the first wireless communication mode, then changes from the first wireless communication mode to the second wireless communication mode, and transmits, in response to the polling from the information processing terminal, a reply containing the identification back to the information processing terminal in the second wireless communication mode. Thus the presence of the mobile information processing device is managed.

Claims

1. An authentication system which manages presence of a user, said authentication system comprising:

a mobile information processing device including;

a first authentication database which pre-stores authentication information for the user,

a first shared identification storage unit which stores a shared identification for presence management, which identification is received from an information processing terminal,

an authentication information input unit which obtains authentication information specific to the user, after a path to the information processing terminal in a first wireless communication mode is established,

a first authentication unit which, when the authentication information input unit obtains the authentication information, verifies as to whether the obtained authentication information is correct by comparing the obtained authentication information with the pre-stored authentication information in said first authentication database, and which stores the shared identification for presence management in said first shared identification storage unit when said first authentication unit receives the shared identification from said information processing terminal,

a first display unit which indicates representation of rejection to the obtained authentication information when the obtained authentication information is verified as incorrect, and

a first communication unit which is capable of wirelessly communicating with said information processing terminal, in the first wireless communication mode for two-way communication or in a second wireless communication mode for near field communication, wherein,

said first communication unit transmits, in response to an operation input by the user, a request for the two-way communication to said information processing terminal, wherein,

said first communication unit transmits, when the authentication information verified by said first authentication unit is correct, the authentication information to said information processing terminal in the first wireless communication mode, then receives the identification for presence management from said information processing terminal in the first wireless communication mode, and then changes from the first wireless communication mode into the second wireless communication mode, and wherein,

said first communication unit transmits, in response to the polling from said information processing terminal, a reply containing the shared identification in the second wireless communication mode back to said information processing terminal,

said authentication system further comprising;

an information processing terminal including;

a second authentication database which pre-stores authentication information for the user,

a second shared identification storage unit which stores an shared identification for presence management,

a second authentication unit which verifies as to whether the authentication information received from said mobile information processing device is correct by looking into said second authentication database, and which unit generates the presence management identification for presence management and stores the presence management identification for presence management in said second shared identification storage unit, when the received authentication information is verified as correct,

a second display unit which indicates representation of rejection to the authentication information when the received authentication information is verified as incorrect, and

a second communication unit which is capable of wirelessly communicating with said mobile information processing device, in the first wireless communication mode for two-way communication or in the second wireless communication mode for near field communication, wherein,

said second communication unit of the first wireless communication mode establishes, in response to a request for two-way communication transmitted by said mobile information processing device, a two-way wireless communication path to said mobile information processing device, wherein

said second communication unit receives, in the first wireless communication mode, the authentication information from said mobile information processing device, wherein,

said second communication unit changes, when the received authentication information is verified as correct, from the first wireless communication mode into the second wireless communication mode, and iteratively performs polling of said mobile information processing device to receive a reply from said mobile information processing device, and wherein,

said second communication unit determines, when no correct shared identification has been received from said mobile information processing device in the second wireless communication mode, whether the number of successive errors transcends a predetermined number or whether the time length of successive errors transcends a predetermined time length, and locks a display screen of said second display unit when the predetermined number or the predetermined time length is transcended.

2. A mobile information processing device which manages presence of a user in cooperative operation with an information processing terminal, said mobile information processing device comprising:

an authentication database which pre-stores authentication information for the user,

a shared identification storage unit which stores an shared identification for presence management, which identification is received from said information processing terminal,

an authentication information input unit which obtains authentication information specific to the user, after a path to said information processing terminal in a first wireless communication mode is established,

an authentication unit which, when said authentication information input unit obtains the authentication information, verifies as to whether the obtained authentication information is correct by comparing the obtained authentication information with the pre-stored authentication information in said first authentication database, and which, when said authentication unit receives an presence management identification from said information processing terminal, stores the shared identification for presence management in said shared identification storage unit,

a display unit which indicates representation of rejection when the obtained authentication information is verified as incorrect, and

a communication unit which is capable of wirelessly communicating with an information processing terminal, in the first wireless communication mode for two-way communication or in a second wireless communication mode for near field communication, wherein,

said communication unit, in response to an operation input by the user, requests the two-way communication to said information processing terminal, wherein,

said communication unit, when the obtained authentication information is verified by said authentication unit as correct, transmits the authentication information in the first wireless communication mode to said information processing terminal, then receives, in the first wireless communication mode, the shared identification from said information processing terminal, and then changes from the first wireless communication mode into the second wireless communication mode, and wherein,

said communication unit transmits, in response to the polling from the information processing terminal, a reply containing the shared identification in the second wireless communication mode back to said information processing terminal.

3. The mobile information processing device according to claim 2, wherein

said communication unit further determines whether to disable the second wireless communication mode by determining whether the number of successive errors transcends a predetermined number for the iterative polling from said information processing terminal, or whether the time length of successive errors transcends a predetermined time length for the iterative polling from said information processing terminal,

said authentication unit further indicates, if said communication unit determines that the second wireless communication mode is to be disabled, a prompt for the user to initiate the authentication again and also a warning of logging-out on said display unit, and then disables said communication unit from the second wireless communication mode.

4. The mobile information processing device according to claim 2, wherein said authentication unit further indicates a logout in said information processing terminal and deletes the shared identification from said shared identification storage unit, when a predetermined period of time has elapsed without additional successful authentication of the user after the second wireless communication mode is disabled.

5. An information processing terminal in use for managing presence of a user in cooperative operation with a mobile information processing device, comprising:

an authentication database which pre-stores authentication information for the user,

a shared identification storage unit which stores a shared identification for presence management,

an authentication unit which verifies as to whether the authentication information received from said mobile information processing device is correct by looking into said second authentication database, and which unit generates an shared identification for presence management and stores the shared identification for presence management in said second shared identification storage unit, when the received authentication information is verified as correct,

a display unit which indicates representation of rejection to the authentication information when the received authentication information is verified as incorrect, and

a communication unit which is capable of wirelessly communicating with said mobile information processing device, in a first wireless communication mode for two-way communication or in a second wireless communication mode for near field communication, wherein,

said second communication unit establishes, in response to a request for two-way communication transmitted by said mobile information processing device, a two-way wireless communication path to said mobile information processing device in the first wireless communication mode, wherein,

said second communication unit receives the authentication information in the first wireless communication mode from said mobile information processing device, wherein,

said second communication unit changes, when the received authentication information is verified as correct, from the first wireless communication mode into the second wireless communication mode, then iteratively performs polling of said mobile information processing device to receive a reply from said mobile information processing device, and wherein,

said second communication unit determines, when no correct shared identification has been received in the second wireless communication mode from said mobile information processing device, whether the number of successive errors transcends a predetermined number, or whether the time length of successive errors transcends a predetermined time length, and locks a display screen of said second display unit when the predetermined number or the predetermined time length is transcended.

6. The information processing terminal according to claim 5, wherein,

said authentication unit further allows, when the received authentication information is verified as correct, the user to log in to said information processing terminal, and wherein,

said authentication unit further deletes the shared identification from said shared information storage unit after the user logs out from said information processing terminal.

7. The information processing terminal according to claim 5, wherein said communication unit further determines whether to disable the second wireless communication mode by determining whether the number of successive errors transcends a predetermined number for the iterative polling, or whether the time length of successive errors transcends a first predetermined time length for the iterative polling, and wherein,

said authentication unit further indicates, if said communication unit determines that the second wireless communication mode is to be disabled, a prompt for the user to initiate the authentication again and also a warning of logging-out on said display unit, and then further changes said communication unit from the second wireless communication mode to the first wireless communication mode.

8. The information processing terminal according to claim 6, wherein said communication unit further determines whether to disable the second wireless communication mode by determining whether the number of successive errors transcends a predetermined number for the iterative polling, or whether the time length of successive errors transcends a first predetermined time length for the iterative polling, and wherein,

said authentication unit further indicates, if said communication unit determines that the second wireless communication mode is to be disabled, a prompt for the user to initiate the authentication again and also a warning of logging-out on said display unit, and then further changes said communication unit from the second wireless communication mode into the first wireless communication mode.

9. The information processing terminal according to claim 5, wherein said authentication unit further allows the user to log in to said information processing terminal on the basis of the resultant verification, and wherein,

after the number of successive reception errors transcending a predetermined number has been detected for the iterative polling of the mobile information processing device, or after successive reception errors occurring for a time period transcending a second predetermined time length have been detected for the iterative polling of the mobile information processing device, said authentication unit further cancels the logging-out process when it receives correct authentication information from said mobile information processing device within the second predetermined time length, while said authentication unit further performs the logging-out process when it receives no correct authentication information from the mobile device within the second predetermined period of time.

10. The information processing terminal according to claim 5, further comprising an authentication environment verifying unit which verifies consistency of both an authentication environment of a first information processing terminal and an authentication environment of a second information processing terminal, wherein said mobile information processing device is used for logging in to said first information processing terminal, while said mobile information processing device is also used for logging in to said second information processing terminal,

when said authentication unit of said first information processing terminal determines that the received authentication information is incorrect for use in said first information processing terminal, said authentication environment verifying unit of said first information processing terminal verifies as to whether an authentication environment and authentication software of said first information processing terminal consist with an authentication environment and authentication software of said second information processing terminal, and

when the authentication information can be authenticated in the second information processing terminal, said communication unit of said first information processing terminal receives a shared identification from said second information processing terminal, and stores the received a shared identification in said information storage unit of said first information processing terminal.

11. A computer-readable medium recording a computer program which causes a computer to execute an authentication that manages presence of a user in cooperative operation with an information processing terminal, said program comprising the steps of:

pre-storing authentication information for the user,

storing a shared identification for presence management, which identification is received from said information processing terminal,

requesting, in response to an operation input by the user, a two-way communication to said information processing terminal to said information processing terminal, in a first wireless communication mode for two-way communication,

obtaining authentication information specific to the user, after a path to said information processing terminal in the first communication mode is established,

verifying as to whether the obtained authentication information is correct by comparing the obtained authentication information with the pre-stored authentication information,

indicating representation of rejection to the authentication information when the obtained authentication information is verified as incorrect,

transmitting the authentication information to said information processing terminal in the first wireless communication mode, when the obtained authentication information is verified as correct,

receiving a shared identification for presence management from said information processing terminal in the first wireless communication mode,

storing the shared identification, when said first authentication unit receives the shared identification,

changing, when said first authentication unit receives the shared identification, from the first wireless communication mode into a second wireless communication mode, and

transmitting, in response to the polling from the information processing terminal, a reply containing the shared identification in the second wireless communication mode back to said information processing terminal.