Authentication system using information on position

• US 6,832,721 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujii, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, STEVEN SANGYUL
• Application Number:
  US09/968,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 235/379, 235/380, 235/382.5, 235/383, 455/405, 455/406, 455/410
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

An authentication system and method uses information on a position of a card as determined, for example, by detecting a position of a user'"'"'s cell phone and the position of a card reader determined from card reader identification data. If the card is used in a card reader located near the user'"'"'s cell phone, and the usual card authorizations are approved, it is determined that the card use is authorized. The position information thus serves as an additional level of security against a lost or stolen card.

Claims

1. An individual authentication system using information on a position, comprising:

a means for detecting a position of a cell phone carried by a subject of authentication, and

an individual card authentication unit,

said individual card authentication unit being composed of;

a means for detecting a position of said individual card authentication unit,

a mean for authentication of a card issued to said subject of authentication, and

a means for judging,

wherein said means for judging determines whether said subject of authentication is a legitimate one or not on a basis of a comparison between said position of said individual card authentication unit detected by said means for detecting said position of said individual card authentication unit and said position of said cell phone carried by said subject of authentication detected by said means for detecting said position of said cell phone carried by said subject of authentication, and

said judgment is confirmed by said means for authentication of said card;

wherein said judging means determines that the subject of authentication is legitimate if the position of said cell phone carried by said subject of authentication is the equal to or near that of the position of said individual card authentication unit; and

wherein a transaction is permitted only if said judging means determines that the subject of authentication is legitimate and if said judgment is positively confirmed by said means for authentication of said card.

2. The individual authentication system as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said system further comprises an unauthorized usage-notification means for notifying said subject of authentication through a voice signal transmitted to the cell phone carried by said subject of authentication that a card of the subject of authentication is being used or has recently been used at a position remote from the position of said subject of authentication or by a person other than the subject of authentication.

3. The individual authentication system as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said system further comprises an unauthorized usage-notification means for notifying said subject of authentication through an electronic mail transmitted to the cell phone of said subject of authentication that a card of said subject of authentication being used or has recently been used at a position remote from the position of the subject of authentication by a person other than the subject of authentication.

4. An authentication system using information on a position and a card, comprising:

a card reader,

a ten key input device for authenticating a user on a basis of a user'"'"'s personal identification number,

card authentication unit of a card company,

a card reader data base storing identification information of said card reader,

a card user data base, and

a position-acquiring unit of an enterprise of a cellular telephone for acquiring a position of a cellular telephone,

wherein said card authentication unit of said card company is provided with a means for obtaining information on a position of said card reader on a basis of said card reader identification information stored in said card reader data base, and a means for searching for a telephone number of said cellular telephone of a card user from said card user data base,

said position-acquiring unit of said enterprise of said cellular telephone is provided with a means for acquiring information on a position of said cellular telephone on a basis of said telephone number of said cellular telephone, and

said card authentication unit of said card company is provided with a means for judging whether said card user is a true owner of said card or not on a basis of a comparison between said position of said card reader and the position of said cellular telephone of said card user

wherein the card authentication unit judges that the card user is a true owner of the card when the position of the card reader is equal to or near that of the position of the cellular telephone of said card user.

5. The authentication system as defined, in claim 4, wherein:

said cellular telephone is provided with a means for rejecting a requirement that said position-acquiring unit is notified of said position of said cellular telephone in accordance with an instruction of said user.

6. The authentication system as defined in claim 4, wherein:

said means for acquiring said information on said position of said cellular telephone is a position-detecting means connected with said cellular telephone.

7. A door lock system using information on a position and a personal identification number, comprising:

a door-locking unit,

a cellular telephone;

a position acquiring unit of an enterprise of said cellular telephone which is operative for obtaining a position of said cellular telephone, and

said door-locking unit comprising;

a first memory domain for storing information on a user,

an external communication means,

a second memory domain for storing information on a position of said door-locking unit,

a means for verifying a personal identification number of said user and said position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user,

a locking means, and

a personal identification number-inputting means,

wherein said door-locking unit acquires information on said position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user derived from said position-acquiring unit of said enterprise of said cellular telephone when said personal identification number is inputted by said user, compares said acquired information on said position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user with said information on said position of said door-locking unit stored in second memory domain, and further compares said personal identification number input by said user through said personal identification number inputting means with that stored in said first memory domain, and judges whether said personal identification number is correct or not, and permits unlocking of a lock of said door locking unit if said personal identification number inputted by said user through said personal identification number inputting means is equal to or near to the position stored in said first memory domain and further only if said acquired information on said position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user is equal to or near that of said information on said position of said door-locking unit stored in second memory.

8. The door lock system as defined in claim 7, wherein:

said cellular telephone is provided with a means for rejecting a requirement that said position-acquiring unit is notified of said position of said cellular telephone in accordance with an instruction of said user.

9. The door lock system as defined in claim 7, wherein:

said means for acquiring said information on said position of said cellular telephone is a position-detecting means connected said cellular telephone.

10. The door lock system as defined in claim 7, wherein:

said means for acquiring said position of said cellular telephone is a means for calculating said position of said cellular telephone on a basis of field intensities of electric waves radiated from one or more base station.

11. An individual authentication system comprising:

a cell phone position detector for determining a position of a cell phone being carried by a subject of authentication, and

an individual authentication unit positioned at a point of sale being used by said subject of authentication or by an unauthorized person,

said individual authentication unit comprising;

an authentication unit position detector for determining a position of said individual authentication unit, and

a communication unit,

an input device,

an authentication device, and

a control device,

wherein said control device determines, in cooperation with said communication unit, said input device and said authentication device, whether said subject of authentication is a legitimate or is an unauthorized person on a basis of

(i) a comparison between said position of said individual authentication unit determined by said authentication unit position detector of said individual authentication unit and said position of said cell phone being carried by said subject of authentication as determined by said cell phone position detector, and

(ii) an authentication result of said authentication device after a user inputs data using said input device of said authentication unit; and

wherein said control device determines that said subject of authentication is legitimate

(iii) if said position of said individual authentication unit determined by said authentication unit position detector of said individual authentication unit is equal to or near that of said position of said cell phone being carried by said subject of authentication as determined by said cell phone position detector and

(iv) said authentication result of said authentication device confirms that said user is a legitimate user.

12. An authentication system using information on a position and a card, comprising:

a card reader,

a key pad for authenticating a user on a basis of a user'"'"'s personal identification number,

an authentication unit,

a card reader data base storing identification information of said card reader,

a card user data base storing a correspondence between card identifying data and telephone numbers of cellular telephones, and

a position-acquiring unit of an enterprise of a cellular telephone for acquiring a position of a cellular telephone carried by said user,

wherein said authentication unit determines information on a position of said card reader on a basis of said card reader identification information stored in said card reader data base, and

determines a telephone number of said cellular telephone carried by said user from said card user data base,

said position-acquiring unit of said enterprise of said cellular telephone determines information on a position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user on a basis of said telephone number of said cellular telephone, and said authentication unit determines that said user is an authorized user of said card only when said position of said card reader is equal to or near that of the position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user.

13. An authentication system using information on a position and a card, comprising:

a card reader,

an input device for authenticating a user on a basis of a user'"'"'s input data,

an authentication unit of a card company,

a card reader data base storing a correspondence between card identification information and telephone numbers of cellular telephones,

a card user data base storing data of said card user, and

a position-acquiring unit of an enterprise of a cellular telephone for determining a position of a cellular telephone carried by said user,

wherein

said authentication unit of said card company determines information on a position of said card reader on a basis of said card reader identification information stored in said card reader data base, and determines a telephone number of said cellular telephone carried by said user from data stored in said card user data base,

said position-acquiring unit of said enterprise of said cellular telephone determines information on a position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user on a basis of said telephone number of said cellular telephone, and

said authentication unit of said card company determines whether said card user is an authorized user of said card or not on a basis of;

(i) a comparison between said position of said card reader and the position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user, and

(ii) a comparison between said user'"'"'s input data and data stored in said card user data base.

14. An individual authentication method comprising the steps of:

determining a position of a cell phone being carried by a subject of authentication, and

determining a position of an individual authentication unit,

authenticating said subject of authentication using the individual authentication unit by using data input by the subject of authentication from at least one of a keypad and a card and comparing said data with stored data,

determining whether said subject of authentication carrying said cell phone is a legitimate one or not on a basis of;

(i) a comparison between said position of said individual authentication unit and said position of said cell phone being carried by said subject of authentication, and

(ii) the result of said authenticating step.

15. A door lock system comprising:

a door-locking unit,

a position acquiring unit of an enterprise of a cellular telephone,

said door-locking unit comprising;

a first memory for storing information on a user,

a second memory for storing information on a position of said door-locking unit,

a verification device for verifying a personal identification number and said position of a cellular telephone being carried by a user,

a locking device, and

a personal identification number-inputting device,

wherein said door-locking unit acquires information on said position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user from said position-acquiring unit of said enterprise of said cellular telephone when said personal identification number is inputted by said user using said personal identification number-inputting device, compares said acquired information on said position of said cellular telephone being carried by said user with said information on said position of said door-locking unit stored in second memory, and further compares said personal identification number input by said user through said personal identification number-inputting device with that stored in said first memory, and judges whether said personal identification number is correct or not, and whether the position of the cellular telephone being carried by said user is the same or near the position of said door-locking unit said door locking unit permitting unlocking of a lock of said door locking unit if said personal identification number-input by said user through said personal, identification number-inputting means matches that stored in said cellular telephone being carried by said user is the same or near that of said information on said position of said door-locking unit stored in second memory.