MOBILE TERMINAL, DATA COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20100325713A1
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FeliCa Networks, Inc (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: FeliCa Networks, Inc (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kurita, Taro, Takemura, Toshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/003 Mutual Authentication Bi-Directional Authentication, Dialogue, Handshake
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3229 Use of the SIM of a M-device as secure element
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4093 Monitoring of device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• 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

A mobile terminal includes a near-field communication device capable of performing near-field wireless communication with an external device, and a controller configured to instruct the external device or the near-field communication device to execute a command. The near-field communication device has a storage unit, a first mutual authentication unit for authenticating the controller and for requesting the controller to authenticate the near-field communication device, a first communication key setting unit for setting a first communication key, a second mutual authentication unit for authenticating the external device and for requesting the external device to authenticate the near-field communication device, and a second communication key setting unit for setting a second communication key. The controller and the near-field communication device perform secure communication using the first communication key, and the near-field communication device and the external device perform secure communication using the second communication key.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a controller; and

a communication device configured to perform wireless communication with an external device, the communication device including an authentication unit configured to authenticate the controller and the external device, wherein;

(a) the communication device and the authenticated controller perform secure communication; and

(b) the communication device and the authenticated external device perform secure communication.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the authentication unit is configured to request the controller or the external device to authenticate the communication device.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the authentication unit is configured to, in response to an authentication request from the controller, authenticate the controller or the external device.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a communication key setting unit configured to, based on a result of the authentication operation performed by the authentication unit, set:

(a) a first communication key used between the communication device and the controller;

or

(b) a second communication key used between the communication device and the external device.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein:

(a) the secure communication performed by the communication device and the authenticated controller uses the first communication key;

or

(b) the secure communication performed by the communication device and the authenticated external device uses the second communication key.

6. A communication device configured to perform wireless communication with an external device, the communication device comprising:

an authentication unit configured to authenticate a controller and the external device, wherein;

(a) the communication device and the authenticated controller perform secure communication; and

(b) the communication device and the authenticated external device, which has authenticated, perform secure communication.

7. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the authentication unit is configured to request the controller or the external device to authenticate the communication device.

8. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the authentication unit is configured to, in response to an authentication request from the controller, authenticate the controller or the external device.

9. The communication device of claim 6, which includes a communication key setting unit configured to, based on a result of the authentication operation performed by the authentication unit, set:

(a) a first communication key used between the communication device and the controller;

or

(b) a second communication key used between the communication device and the external device.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein:

(a) the secure communication performed by the communication device and the authenticated controller uses the first communication key;

or

(b) the secure communication performed by the communication device and the authenticated external device uses the second communication key.

11. A method of operating a mobile terminal including instructions, the method comprising:

(a) causing a processor to execute the instructions to cause a communication device to perform wireless communication with an external device, the communication device including an authentication unit;

(b) causing the processor to execute the instructions to cause the authentication unit to authenticate a controller and the external device;

(c) causing the processor to execute the instructions to cause the communication device and the authenticated controller to perform secure communication; and

(d) causing the processor to execute the instructions to cause the communication device and the authenticated external device to perform secure communication.

12. A method of operating a communication device including instructions, the method comprising:

(a) causing a processor to execute the instructions to cause an authentication unit to authenticate a controller and an external device;

(b) causing the processor to execute the instructions to cause the communication device and the authenticated controller to perform secure communication; and

(c) causing the processor to execute the instructions to cause the communication device and the authenticated external device controller to perform secure communication.