Electronic authentication method, electronic authentication apparatus and electronic authentication storage medium

• US 6,954,854 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2000
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Koiso, Ryota, Saito, Yukio, Miura, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US09/591,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 713176-179, 713/193, 713200-202, 713/150, 713/168, 713/171, 713/172, 713182-185, 705/26, 705 50- 59, 380/30, 380/28, 380/44, 380277-279, 709/229, 340/5.1, 340/5.85, 340/5.86, 379/142.05
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption

Abstract

According to the invention, techniques for verifying that data input as a response to presented contents is true input data for a content access. In a representative embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided an electronic authentication method that comprises a variety of steps, such as a step of generating an identifier for contents in a first information processing apparatus and storing the identifier in a storage unit. Transmitting the contents and the identifier to a second information processing apparatus can also be part of the method. Steps of inputting data for the contents in the second information processing apparatus and transmitting the input data and the identifier from the second information apparatus to the first information apparatus can also be included in the method. Further, the method can also include authenticating legitimacy of the input data and invalidating the stored identifier if the received identifier matches the identifier in the storage unit in the first information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An electronic authentication method comprising:

in a first information processing apparatus, receiving a request for contents from a second information processing apparatus;

in response to said request, generating an encryption key and an access number that are associated with said requested contents;

producing enhanced content comprising said requested contents, said encryption key, and said access number;

transmitting said enhanced content to said second information processing apparatus;

presenting said enhanced content to a user at said second information processing apparatus, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

in said second information processing apparatus, accessing said encryption key and said access number from said enhanced content;

receiving data in said second information processing apparatus and in response thereto producing input data from said received data that includes the transmitted access number, wherein at least some of said input data is encrypted with said encryption key; and

transmitting said input data from said second information apparatus to said first information apparatus as received input data,

wherein said first information processing apparatus can authenticate legitimacy of said received input data based on said access number.

2. An electronic authentication method according to claim 1, wherein:

said embedded encryption key is a public key;

said received input data is decrypted using a private key associated with said public key; and

said public key and said private key are generated in said first information processing apparatus.

3. An information processing method comprising:

generating an encryption key and an access number that are associated with contents;

creating an access information record corresponding to said encryption key and said access number;

incorporating said encryption key and said access number into said contents to produce enhanced contents, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

transmitting said enhanced contents to an external apparatus;

receiving received data from said external apparatus, said received data including said access number, at least a portion of said received data being encrypted with said encryption key;

decrypting said received data; and

deleting said access information record based on whether said received data could be decrypted and based on a comparison with said access number and said received data including said access number.

4. An electronic authentication system comprising a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus wherein:

said first information processing apparatus comprises;

a means for generating an encryption key and an access number associated with first contents;

a storage means for storing a record that corresponds to said encryption key and said access number;

a means for transmitting enhanced contents to said second information processing apparatus, said enhanced contents comprising said first contents, said encryption key, and said access number, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

said second information processing apparatus comprises;

a means for inputting the received data, including means for displaying received enhanced contents;

a means for transmitting said received data to said first information processing apparatus as input data, wherein said input data is generated by encrypting said data and includes said access number; and

there is further provided in said first information processing apparatus a processing means for authenticating legitimacy of said input data received by said first information processing apparatus and deleting said record based at least on a comparison of said stored access number and said access number contained in said received input data.

5. An electronic authentication system according to claim 4, wherein said second information processing apparatus further comprises an acquirement means for acquiring said encryption key and said access number from said received enhanced contents.

6. An electronic authentication system according to claim 4, wherein said second portion of said identifier is an encryption key;

and said first information processing apparatus further comprises a reception means for receiving an identifier encrypted by using said encryption key and decrypting said encrypted identifier.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a generation means for generating an identifier for contents, said identifier comprising and encryption key and an access number;

a storage means for storing at least said first part of said identifier as a stored identifier;

a transmission means for transmitting enhanced content comprising said contents and said identifier to an external apparatus, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

a reception means for receiving received data from said external apparatus, said received data comprising a access number and a portion that has been encrypted using said encryption key;

an acquirement means for acquiring said access number from said received data; and

a processing means for deleting said stored identifier if said access number matches said stored access number.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein there is further provided a reception means for decrypting said portion of said received data that has been encrypted.

9. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a contents requesting means for requesting an external information processing apparatus to transmit contents;

a reception means for receiving said requested contents, an identifier comprising an encryption key and an access number being embedded in said requested contents;

a display means for displaying said requested contents to a user, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

an extraction means for extracting said identifier from said requested contents;

an input means for inputting said access number; and

a transmission means for transmitting, as secured data, said access number to said external information processing apparatus, at least of portion of said secured data being encrypted by said encryption key; and

means for said external information processing apparatus to authenticate legitimacy of said received access number.

10. A storage medium for storing information readable by a computer, said medium characterized in that said information includes:

a generation function for generating an encryption key and an access number for first contents;

a storage function for storing a stored identifier corresponding to said encryption key and said access number;

a transmission function for transmitting said contents, said identifier, and said access number to an external apparatus as enhanced content, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

a reception function for receiving received data from said external apparatus, said received data comprising said access number and a portion that is encrypted using said encryption key;

an acquirement function for acquiring said access number from said received data; and

a processing function for authenticating legitimacy of said received data and invalidating said stored identifier if said received access number matches stored access number.

11. A storage medium for storing information readable by a computer according to claim 10, wherein said information further includes a function for decrypting said received data.

12. A storage medium for storing information readable by a computer, said medium characterized in that said information includes:

a contents requesting function for requesting an external information processing apparatus to transmit contents;

a reception function for receiving said requested contents, an identifier being embedded in said contents, said identifier comprising an encryption key and an access number;

a display function for displaying said requested contents to a user said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

an extraction function for extracting said identifier from said contents;

an input function for inputting said access number; and

a transmission function for transmitting, as input data, said access number to said external information processing apparatus, a portion of said input data being encrypted using said encryption key; and

said external information processing apparatus authenticates the legitimacy of said received access number.

13. A storage medium for storing information readable by a computer according to claim 12, wherein said medium characterized in that said information further includes a function for encrypting said user data by using said encryption key.

14. An electronic authentication method comprising:

generating an identifier for contents in a first information processing apparatus, said identifier comprising an encryption key and an access number;

driving said first information processing apparatus to store at least a first portion of said identifier and the present time as a storage time in a storage unit;

transmitting said contents and said identifier to a second information processing apparatus as enhanced content, wherein said identifier is embedded in said contents;

presenting said enhanced content to a user at said second information processing apparatus, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

inputting said access number in said second information processing apparatus;

transmitting, as secured data, said access number contained in said enhanced content from said second information processing apparatus to said first information processing apparatus, a portion of said secured data encrypted by said encryption key contained in said enhanced content; and

invalidating said first portion of said identifier stored in said storage unit if said identifier received by said first information processing apparatus is not stored in said storage unit or a time of a predetermined length has lapsed since said storage time stored in said storage unit.

15. An electronic authentication method, comprising:

generating an encryption key and an access number that are associated with contents in a first information processing apparatus;

embedding said encryption key and said access number into said contents to produce enhanced content, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user;

transmitting said enhanced content to a second information processing apparatus;

displaying said enhanced content in said second information processing apparatus;

inputting said access number in said second information processing apparatus;

obtaining said access number from said enhanced data;

encrypting said access number using said encryption key to produce secured input data, including acquiring said encryption key from said enhanced content;

transmitting said secured input data and said access number from said second information processing apparatus to said first information processing apparatus; and

validating said secured input data based on said access number and by decrypting said secured input data with a decryption key.

16. An authentication method in a system in which a first computer making a request for a service is connected to a second computer rendering services via a network, requested contents being transmitted from the second computer to the first computer, data being transmitted from the first computer to the second computer associated with the contents, said method comprising:

generating at the second computer an encryption key relating to the contents;

generating at the second computer an access number for accessing the contents and cataloging the access number in a storage unit;

embedding the encryption key and the access number in the contents to produce enhanced content, said encryption key and said access number are visually imperceptible to a user, and transmitting the enhanced content to the first computer;

displaying the contents at the first computer;

generating secured data at the first computer by processing the access number fetched from the enhanced content and transmitting the secured data to the second computer, some of the secured data being encrypted with the encryption key fetched from the enhanced content; and

at the second computer authenticating validity of the secured data based on the access number in the secured data and by decrypting the secured data with a decryption key.

17. An authentication method according to claim 16, wherein the encryption key is a public key and the decryption key is a private key.