Communication device, communication device set, authentication method and method of wireless-connecting terminals

• US 7,085,382 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2000
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Shuuji, Takizawa, Masakatsu, Sakai, Akira, Terao, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chai, Longbit
• Application Number:
  US09/745,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 713200-202, 713/176, 713168-172, 380247-249, 380/268, 380/270, 380/273, 380283-285, 726/3, 726/30, 709216-222, 455410-411, 455/550
• US Class Current: 380/247
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device

Abstract

A communication device which can be freely inserted into and extracted from a slot of a terminal device has its part exposed from the terminal device when inserted into the slot applied a color according to a kind of the communication device and includes a radio unit adapted to a predetermined mobile communication service, applied a color according to a kind of the mobile communication service and storing information necessary for the connection to a specific provider.

Claims

1. A method of conducting authentication between a communication device, which can be freely inserted into and extracted from a slot of a terminal device, and said terminal device, comprising:

(a) inserting a key module storing a same ID and authentication code as an ID and an authentication code stored in the communication device, and storing a cryptographic function paired with an inverse cryptographic function stored in the communication device, into the slot to register the ID, the authentication code and the cryptographic function stored in the key module at the terminal device, and

(b) when the communication device is inserted into the slot, conducting authentication between the communication device and the terminal device, said step (b) including;

(b-1) collating the ID stored in the communication device and the ID registered at the terminal device,

(b-2) when collation of IDs succeeds, generating a random number, sending data obtained by encrypting the random number with the authentication code connected by the cryptographic function from the terminal device to the communication device, and at the communication device, restoring the authentication code and the random number by the inverse cryptographic function to collate the restored authentication code and the stored authentication code, and

(b-3) when collation of authentication codes succeeds, sending data obtained by encrypting said restored random number by the inverse cryptographic function from the communication device to the terminal device and at the terminal device, restoring the random number by the cryptographic function to collate the restored random number with said random number generated by the own terminal device.

2. The authentication method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

when the communication device is extracted from the slot, after authentication between the terminal device and the communication device is obtained, bringing the terminal device to a locked state where no user input is accepted.

3. The authentication method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

when the communication device is extracted from the slot, after authentication between the terminal device and the communication device is obtained, bringing the terminal device to a locked state where no user input is accepted, and

when the communication device is inserted into the slot of the locked terminal device to obtain authentication between the terminal device and the communication device, releasing the terminal device from the locked state.