Certification system, certification apparatus, and certification method

• US 7,079,922 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2003
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Komai, Shinsui
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/341,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/237, 700/241, 705/16, 705/17, 705/18, 455/410, 455/411, 455/420
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/206 comprising security or operator identification provisions, e.g. password entry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1025 Identification of user by a PIN code

Abstract

A certification apparatus stores personal information certified to a user to register the user. When a user presented password sent from a portable telephone coincides with a password stored as a part of the personal information and the user who is operating the portable telephone is specified to be the same person as the registered user, adult certification data certifying the user being an adult on the basis of the personal information is sent to the portable telephone. Consequently, it becomes possible to make a portable terminal acquire certification information certifying personal information, and to prevent unfair use of the certification information by a third party almost surely. Thereby, a certification system capable of preventing unfair use by the third party almost surely can be achieved.

Claims

1. A certification system including a certification apparatus, a portable terminal apparatus, and a commodity vending apparatus,

wherein said certification apparatus comprises:

registration means for registering personal information certified to a user;

storage means for storing personal identification information inherent to said user;

request reception means for receiving presented personal identification information sent from said portable terminal apparatus, and a personal information certification request requesting certification of said personal information of said user;

judgment means for judging whether said personal identification information coincides wit said presented personal identification information; and

information sending means for sending certification information certifying said personal information of said user in response to said personal information certification request to said portable terminal apparatus when said personal identification information coincides with said presented personal identification information as a result of a judgment of said judgment means,

wherein said portable terminal apparatus is a portable telephone which comprises;

a display operable to display information thereon;

input means for entering said presented personal identification information;

request sending means for sending said presented personal identification information and said personal information certification request to said certification apparatus;

information reception means for receiving said certification information sent from said certification apparatus as a result of sending said presented personal identification information and said personal information certification request to said certification apparatus;

certification information transmitting means for transmitting said certification information to said commodity vending apparatus;

means for causing the received certification information to be displayed on said display;

means for erasing said certification information and the presented personal identification information and a password after completion of a purchase; and

wherein said commodity vending apparatus comprises;

certification information receiving means for receiving said certification information from said portable terminal apparatus; and

purchase permission judgment means for judging whether purchase of a prescribed commodity is permitted on a basis of said certification information.

2. The certification system according to claim 1,

wherein said certification apparatus further comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating a classification to which said personal information of said user in response to said personal information certification request belongs when said personal identification information coincides with said presented personal identification information as a result of a judgment of said judgment means; and

wherein said information sending means sends said certification information certifying said classification discriminated by said discrimination means to said portable terminal apparatus when said personal identification information coincides with said presented personal identification information as a result of a judgment of said judgment means.

3. A portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a display operable to display information thereon;

input means for entering presented personal identification information;

request sending means for sending said presented personal identification information and a personal information certification request requesting certification of personal information of a user to a certification apparatus which registers said personal information certified to said user and stores personal identification information inherent to said user;

information reception means for receiving certification information sent from said certification apparatus at a time when said personal identification information coincides with said presented personal identification information as a result of a comparison of said personal identification information with said presented personal identification information, said certification information certifying said personal information of said user in response to said personal information certification to enable the user to complete a transaction;

certification information transmitting means for transmitting said certification information to a commodity vending apparatus;

means for causing the received certification information to be displayed on said display; and

means for erasing said certification information and the presented personal identification information and a password after completion of said transaction.

4. The portable terminal apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said information reception means receives said certification information sent from said certification apparatus at the time when said personal identification information coincides with said presented personal identification information, said certification information certifying a classification to which said personal information of said user in response to said personal information certification request belongs.

5. The portable terminal apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said information reception means receives said certification information sent from said certification apparatus, said certification information being a standard in order to acquire permission of purchasing a commodity from a prescribed commodity vending apparatus.

6. A commodity vending apparatus comprising:

certification information reception means for receiving certification information certifying personal information of a user in response to a personal information certification request sent from a portable terminal apparatus after acquirement of said personal information certification request from a certification apparatus by said portable terminal apparatus when personal identification information coincides with presented personal identification information, said portable terminal apparatus registering said personal information certified to said user and having sent said presented personal identification information and said personal information certification request requesting certification of said personal information of said user to said certification apparatus storing said personal identification information inherent to said user; and

purchase permission judgment means for judging whether said commodity vending apparatus permits purchase of a prescribed commodity or not on a basis of said certification information,

wherein said portable terminal apparatus is a portable telephone having

a display operable to display information thereon, certification information transmitting means for transmitting said certification information to said commodity vending apparatus, means for causing the received certification information to be displayed on said display, and means for erasing said received certification information and the presented personal identification information and a password after completion of said purchase.

7. A commodity vending method comprising:

a certification information recption step of receiving certification information certifying personal information of a user in response to a personal information certification request sent from a portable terminal apparatus after acquirement of said personal information certification request from a certification apparatus by said portable terminal apparatus when personal identification information coincides with presented personal identification information, said portable terminal apparatus registering said personal information certified to said user and having sent said presented personal identification information and said personal information certification request requesting certification of said personal information of said user to said certification apparatus storing said personal identification information inherent to said user; and

a purchase permission judgment step of judging whether said commodity vending apparatus permits purchase of a prescribed commodity or not on a basis of said certification information,

wherein said portable terminal apparatus is a portable telephone having a display operable to display information thereon, a certification information transmitting step for transmitting said certification information to said commodity vending apparatus, a step for causing the received certification information to be displayed on said display, and further comprising the step of erasing said certification information and the presented personal identification information and a password after completion of said purchase.

8. A commodity vending program for making a commodity vending apparatus execute, said commodity vending program comprising:

a certification information reception step of receiving certification information certifying personal information of a user in response to a personal information certification request sent from a portable terminal apparatus after acquirement of said personal information certification request from a certification apparatus by said portable terminal apparatus when personal identification information coincides with presented personal identification information, said portable terminal apparatus registering said personal information certified to said user and having sent said presented personal identification information and said personal information certification request requesting certification of said personal information of said user to said certification apparatus storing said personal identification information inherent to said user; and

a purchase permission judgment step of judging whether said commodity vending apparatus permits purchase of a prescribed commodity or not on a basis of said certification information,

wherein said portable terminal apparatus is a portable telephone having

a display operable to display information thereon, a certification information transmitting step for transmitting said certification information to said commodity vending apparatus, a step for causing the received certification information to be displayed on said display, and further comprising the step of erasing said certification information and the presented personal identification information and a password completion of said purchase.

9. A commodity vending program storage medium for making a commodity vending program execute, said commodity vending program comprising:

a certification information reception step of receiving certification information certifying personal information of a user in response to a personal information certification request sent from a portable terminal apparatus after acquirement of said personal information certification request from a certification apparatus by said portable terminal apparatus when personal identification information coincides with presented personal identification information, said portable terminal apparatus registering said personal information certified to said user and having sent said presented personal identification information and said personal information certification request requesting certification of said personal information of said user to said certification apparatus storing said personal identification information inherent to said user; and

a purchase permission judgment step of judging whether said commodity vending apparatus permits purchase of a prescribed commodity or not on a basis of said certification information,

wherein said portable terminal apparatus is a portable telephone having

a display operable to display information thereon, a certification information transmitting step for transmitting said certification information to said commodity vending apparatus, a step for causing the received certification information to be displayed on said display, and further comprising the step of erasing said certification information and the presented personal identification and a password after completion of said purchase.