Authentication method, authentication system, semiconductor circuit and authentication module

• US 7,131,002 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis-Jacques, Jacques
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tongoc
• Application Number:
  US09/948,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: 713/155, 713/161, 713/184, 713/185, 713/168, 713/169, 713200-201, 380/232, 380/2, 380/201, 380/28, 380/247, 235/492, 235/380, 705/39, 705/57, 705/67
• US Class Current: 713/168
• 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 method of authentication capable of avoiding an easy copying of a module used for personal authentication of an IC card or the like and thereby raising the reliability of the personal authentication, comprising having an electronic circuit having a hardware configuration corresponding to a predetermined authentication processing provided in an IC of an IC card carry out authentication processing using a PIN and data generated at an authentication apparatus at random and having the authentication apparatus similarly carry out the authentication processing, compare the processing result received from the IC card and the processing result obtained by itself, and, when they coincide, authenticating the user of the IC card as the legitimate user.

Claims

1. An authentication method for authenticating a legitimacy of a user of a first module by using a portable first module and a second module capable of communicating with said first module, comprising the steps of:

carrying out authentication processing by using first data input to said first module at an electronic circuit having a hardware configuration corresponding to predetermined authentication processing provided in said first module;

carrying out said authentication processing by using second data corresponding to said first module having said second module;

comparing a result of said processing of said first module with the result of said processing of said second module to authenticate the legitimacy of the user of said first module, wherein the electronic circuit performs a calculation in carrying out said authentication processing, is realized by hardware, rather than software, and has a unique circuit configuration provided for each said first module;

generating third data by one module between said first module and said second module;

transmitting said generated third data from said one module to the other module;

carrying out said authentication processing by using said first data and said third data by said first module; and

carrying out said authentication processing by using said second data and said third data by said second module,

wherein the calculation performed by the electronic circuit in carrying out said authentication processing comprises a function that defines a logistic mapping based upon said first data and said third data.

2. The authentication method of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a multiplier circuit and an adder circuit that calculate results of the function that defines the logistic mapping based upon the first data and the third data.

3. An authentication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when said first data and said second data coincide, the result of said processing of said first module and the result of said processing of said second module coincide to authenticate the legitimacy of the user of the first module.

4. An authentication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said third data is generated at random.

5. An authentication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second module carries out said authentication processing by running a software programmed with the process of said authentication processing.

6. An authentication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said authentication processing is processing difficult to analyze in real time by using software.

7. An authentication method as set forth in claim 1, which authenticates the legitimacy of the user of said first module by comparing the result of said processing of said first module and the result of said processing of said module.

8. An authentication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first data and said second data are PINs of the user of said first module.

9. An authentication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first module is an IC card.

10. An authentication system for authenticating a legitimacy of a user of a first module by using a portable first module and second module capable of communicating with said first module, wherein

said first module has an electronic circuit having a hardware configuration corresponding to predetermined authentication processing and carries out said authentication processing by using first data imput to the first module at the electronic circuit,

said second module carries out said authentication processing of second data corresponding to said first module and compares the result of said processing of said first module and the result of said processing of said second module to authenticate the legitimacy of the user of said first module, wherein the electronic circuit performs a calculation in carrying out said authentication processing, is realized by hardware, rather than software, and a unique circuit configuration provided for each said first module,

one module between said first module and said second module generates third data and transmits the generated third data from said one module to the other module,

said first module carries out said authentication processing by using said first data and said third data, and

said second module carries out said authentication processing by using said second data and said third data,

wherein the calculation performed by the electronic circuit in carrying out said authentication processing comprises a function that defines a logistic mapping based upon said first data and said third data.

11. The authentication system of claim 10, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a multiplier circuit and an adder circuit that calculate results of the function that defines the logistic mapping based upon the first data and the third data.

12. An authentication system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said second module authenticates that the result of said processing of said first module and the result of said processing of said second module coincide and the user of said first module is a legitimate person when said first data and said second data coincide.

13. An authentication system as set forth in claim 10, which generates said third data at random.

14. An authentication system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said first data and said second data are PINs of the user of said first module.

15. A semiconductor circuit built into a portable module and used for authenticating the legitimacy of a user of said module, comprising:

an inputting/outputting means for inputting an authentication data from a user, inputting an input parameter received from an authentication apparatus, and outputting an authentication processing result; and

an authentication processing circuit having an electronic circuit having a hardware configuration corresponding to predetermined authentication processing and carrying out said authentication processing at the electronic circuit by using said authentication data to generate said authentication processing result, wherein the electronic circuit performs a calculation in carrying out said authentication processing, is realized by hardware, rather than software, and has a unique circuit configuration provided for each said first module,

wherein the calculation performed by the electronic circuit in carrying out said authentication processing comprises a function that defines a logistic mapping based upon said authentication data and said input parameter received from the authentication apparatus.

16. The semiconductor circuit of claim 15, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a multiplier circuit and an adder circuit that calculate results of the function that defines the logistic mapping based upon the first data and the third data.

17. A semiconductor circuit as set forth in claim 15, wherein said inputting/outputting means inputs a PIN of the user of the module as said authentication data.

18. A portable authentication module built in with a semiconductor circuit used for authenticating the legitimacy of a user, wherein

said semiconductor circuit has at least an inputting/outputting means for inputting an authentication data from a user, inputting an input parameter received from an authentication apparatus, and outputting an authentication processing result;

and

an authentication processing circuit having an electronic circuit having a hardware configuration corresponding to predetermined authentication processing and carrying out said authentication processing at the electronic circuit by using said authentication data to generate said authentication processing result, wherein the electronic circuit performs a calculation in carrying out said authentication processing, is realized by hardware, rather than software, and has a unique circuit configuration provided for each said first module,

wherein the calculation performed by the electronic circuit in carrying out said authentication processing comprises a function that defines a logistic mapping based upon said authentication data and said input parameter received from the authentication apparatus.

19. The portable authentication module of claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a multiplier circuit and an adder circuit that calculate results of the function that defines the logistic mapping based upon the first data and the third data.

20. An authentication method for authenticating a legitimacy of a user of a first module by using a portable first module and a second module capable of communicating with said first module, comprising the steps of:

carrying out authentication processing by using first data input to said first module at an electronic circuit having a hardware configuration corresponding to predetermined authentication processing provided in said first module, wherein the electronic circuit performs a calculation in carrying out said authentication processing and has a unique circuit configuration provided for each said first module;

carrying out said authentication processing by using second data corresponding to said first module having said second module; and

comparing a result of said processing of said first module with the result of said processing of said second module to authenticate the legitimacy of the user of said first module, and further comprising the steps of;

generating third data by one module between said first module and said second module;

transmitting said generated third data from said one module to the other module;

carrying out said authentication processing by using said first data and said third data by said first module; and

carrying out said authentication processing by using said second data and said third data by said second module,

wherein the calculation performed by the electronic circuit in carrying out said authentication processing comprises a function that defines a logistic mapping based upon said first data and said third data.

21. The authentication method of claim 20, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a multiplier circuit and an adder circuit that calculate results of the function that defines the logistic mapping based upon the first data and the third data.

22. An authentication method as set forth in claim 20, wherein said third data is generated at random.

23. An authentication method as set forth in claim 20, wherein said third data is generated at random.

24. A portable first module and a second module capable of communicating with said first module, wherein

said first module has an electronic circuit having a hardware configuration corresponding to predetermined authentication processing and carries out said authentication processing by using first data input to the first module at the electronic circuit, and

said second module carries out said authentication processing by using second data corresponding to said first module and compares the result of said processing of said first module and the result of said processing of said second module to authenticate the legitimacy of the user of said first module, wherein;

one module between said first module and said second module generates third data and transmits the generated third data from said one module to the other module,

said first module carries out said authentication processing by using said first data and said third data,

said second module carries out said authentication processing by using said second data and said third data, and

said electronic circuit performs a calculation in carrying out said authentication processing and has a unique circuit configuration provided for each said first module,

wherein the calculation performed by the electronic circuit in carrying out said authentication processing comprises a function that defines a logistic mapping based upon said first data and said third data.