Method and system for electronic authentification

• US 6,952,775 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2000
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Miura, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Ellen C
• Application Number:
  US09/644,065
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 280/70, 283/77, 340/825, 380/23, 380/25, 380/43, 380/262, 382/115, 382/118, 902/3, 902/29, 705/51, 713/162, 713/167, 713/168, 713/185, 713/193, 713/201, 713/182, 713/186
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards

Abstract

An electronic authentication method for identifying a user who is going to use a recording medium into which the information for making use of any kind of computerized service has been stored, comprising a step to carry out authentication by comparing the authentication information input by the user who is going to use the recording medium into which the information for making use of any kind of computerized service has been stored with the authentication information recorded on the recording medium and a step to carry out authentication by comparing the authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on the recording medium with the registered authentication information existing in the hub of the networking to provide the service.

Claims

1. An electronic authentication method of identifying a user who is going to use a recording medium having stored therein information for making use of any kind of computerized service, said electronic authentication method comprising:

a step of comparing authentication information input by the user with authentication information recorded on the recording medium;

a step of judging, based on the authentication information input by the user and an authentication level table, having a plurality of entries each relating authentication information and an authentication level, whether to continue carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with registered authentication information existing in a hub of a network to provide the service to be used; and

a step of if it is judged to continue carrying out authentication, carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with said registered authentication information existing in the hub of the network to provide the service.

3. The electronic authentication method according to claim 1, wherein said authentication information is image information for identifying the user.

2. An electronic authentication method of identifying a user who is going to use a recording medium having stored therein information for making use of any kind of computerized service, said electronic authentication method comprising:

a step of judging, based on authentication information input by the user and an authentication level table, having a plurality of entries each relating authentication information and an authentication level, whether to continue carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or authentication information recorded on said recording medium with registered authentication information existing in a hub of a network to provide the service to be used

a step of if it is judged to continue carrying out authentication, comparing the authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on the recording medium with registered authentication information existing in a hub of a network to provide the service to be used;

a step of recording an authentication acceptance number generated upon acceptance of an authentication request, an authentication request number generated upon issue of an authentication request, or a value of an authentication counter to count properly completed authentication into central storage in the hub of the network to provide the service to be used; and

a step to carry out authentication of comparing the authentication acceptance number, authentication request number, or authentication counter value recorded on said recording medium with the authentication acceptance number, authentication request number, or authentication counter value recorded in said central storage.

4. The electronic authentication method according to claim 2, wherein said authentication information is image information for identifying the user.

5. An electronic authentication system for identifying a user who is going to use a recording medium having stored therein information for making use of any kind of computerized service, said electronic authentication system including:

a primary authentication handling section that executes authentication by comparing authentication information input by the user with authentication information recorded on said recording medium and judging, based on the authentication information input by the user and an authentication level table, having a plurality of entries each relating authentication information and an authentication level, whether to continue carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with registered authentication information existing in a hub of a network to provide the service to be used; and

a secondary authentication handling section that executes authentication by if it is judged to continue carrying out authentication, comparing said authentication information input by the user or authentication information recorded on said recording medium with registered authentication information existing in a hub of a network to provide the service to be used.

6. A central electronic authentication equipment for identifying a user who is going to use a recording medium having stored therein information for making use of any kind of computerized service, said central electronic authentication equipment comprising:

an authentication request acceptance handling section that receives authentication information input by the user or authentication information recorded on the recording medium, accepts an authentication request from a client-end electronic authentication equipment, and in reply to the request, sends a result of authentication executed by said central electronic authentication equipment to the client-end electronic authentication equipment; and

a secondary authentication handling section that executes authentication by judging, based on the authentication information input by the user, or authentication information recorded on the recording medium, and an authentication level table having a plurality of entries each relating authentication information and an authentication level, whether to continue carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with a registered authentication information existing in said central electronic authentication equipment, and if it is judged to continue carrying out authentication, carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with said registered authentication information existing in the hub of the network to provide the service.

7. A client-end electronic authentication equipment for identifying a user who is going to use a recording medium having stored therein information for making use of any kind of computerized service, said client-end electronic authentication equipment comprising:

a primary authentication handling section that executes authentication by comparing authentication information input by a user with authentication information recorded on said recording medium;

an authentication request handling section that sends said authentication information input by the user or authentication information recorded on said recording medium to central electronic authentication equipment, thus issuing an authentication request thereto, and receives a result of authentication executed by the central electronic authentication equipment; and

an authentication result output handling section that judges whether the central electronic authentication equipment has identified the user from said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium, according to a result of authentication received from the central electronic authentication equipment and outputs a result of authentication,

wherein said central electronic authentication equipment receives authentication information input by the user or authentication information recorded on the recording medium, accepts an authentication request from a client-end electronic authentication equipment, sends a result of authentication executed by said central electronic authentication equipment to the client-end electronic authentication equipment, executes authentication by judging, based on the authentication information input by the user, or authentication information recorded on the recording medium, and an authentication level table having a plurality of entries each relating authentication information and an authentication level, whether to continue carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with a registered authentication information existing in said central electronic authentication equipment, and if it is judged to continue carrying out authentication, carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with said registered authentication information existing in the hub of the network to provide the service.

8. A computer-readable storage medium on which a program is stored for causing at least two computers in combination to operate as electronic authentication system for identifying a user who is going to use a recording medium having stored therein information for making use of any kind of computerized service, said program when executed causes said at least two computers to perform the steps of:

causing one of said at least two computers to operate as a primary authentication handling section that executes authentication by comparing authentication information input by the user with authentication information recorded on said recording medium; and

causing the other of said at least two computers to operate as a secondary authentication handling section that executes authentication by judging, based on the authentication information input by the user and an authentication level table, having a plurality of entries each relating authentication information and an authentication level, whether to continue carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with the registered authentication information existing in a hub of a network to provide the service to be used, and if it is judged to continue carrying out authentication, carrying out authentication of the user by comparing said authentication information input by the user or the authentication information recorded on said recording medium with said registered authentication information existing in the hub of the network to provide the service.