Information distribution system and information management method

• US 7,197,767 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2000
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kusakabe, Susumu, Yamada, Isao, Nakade, Motoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrón; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Ellen C
• Application Number:
  US09/729,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,304 Days
• Field of Search: 380/23, 380/24, 380/228, 235/384, 235/380, 235/492, 713/201, 713/193, 705/13, 726/9, 726/20
• US Class Current: 726/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

An information distribution system includes a portable electronic device, and an information management apparatus for storing both right information and information which corresponds to the portable electronic device and which indicates to whom a right belongs. By using a code unique to the portable electronic device to encrypt concert information as the right information to be offline-providable form, and providing a ticket code generated by the encryption so that it passes through an offline channel at least once, the distribution to each user of the encrypted information can be simplified.

Claims

1. An access-information distribution method comprising the steps of:

generating access-information and verification information for authenticating the validity of a first portable electronic device when the access-information is stored in said first portable electronic device, the access-information including information which permits admission to a predetermined place;

generating an access-code by encrypting the access-information and the verification information, wherein said access-code is provided to a user offline;

communicating the access-code to said first portable electronic device by wirelessly coupling a second portable electronic device to said first portable electronic device, wherein said second portable electronic device is operable independent of a connection status of said second portable electronic device, the generated access code being represented in at least one of an audible and visible form to input the access code into said first portable electronic device by the user;

decrypting the access-code communicated to said first portable electronic device and using the verification information to authenticate the access-information based on the decrypted access code; and

storing the authenticated access-information in said first portable electronic device,

wherein the first portable electronic device is associated with the user, and the access-information stored on said first portable electronic device is transferable by a the user to other portable electronic devices associated with other users.

2. An access-information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein said first portable electronic device is an integrated circuit card and said second portable electronic device includes an input means.

3. An access-information distribution method according to claim 2, wherein the storing of the access-information is performed when said first portable electronic device and said second portable electronic device are electromagnetically coupled with each other.

4. An access-information distribution method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

inputting a first access code added to the access-information, and an identification number for returning the access-information to a source of the access-information; and

after confirming the input first access code and the input identification number, confirming an offline-providable second access code for returning the access-information to said source of the access-information, and invalidating said first access code.

5. An access-information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein the access-information stored on said first portable electronic device is transferable by the user to a second portable electronic device associated with a second user by generating a second access code by encrypting the access-information and second verification information, wherein the second access code is provided to the second user offline.

6. An access-information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein inputting the access code into said first portable electronic device by the user includes:

the user sensing the access code represented in at least one of the audible and visible form;

the user manually inputting the access code into an input device of the second portable electronic device; and

transmitting the access code to the first portable electronic device from the second portable electronic device.

7. An access-information distribution method for transferring access-information from a first portable electronic device to a second portable electronic device, the access-information distribution method comprising the steps of:

generating the access-information and verification information for authenticating the validity of said first portable electronic device when the access-information is stored in said first portable electronic device, the access-information including information which permits admission to a predetermined place;

generating a first access code by encrypting the access-information and the verification information, wherein said first access code is provided to a user offline;

enabling the user to wirelessly input the first access code and identification number of said second portable electronic device directly into said first portable electronic device independently of a connection status of said second portable electronic device, the generated first access code being represented to the user in at least one of an audible and visible form;

confirming the wireless input of the first access code and the wireless input of the identification number;

invalidating the first access code and generating a second access code, wherein said second access code is provided to the user offline;

enabling the user to input the second access code into said second portable electronic device independently of the connection status of said second portable electronic device, the generated second access code being represented to the user in at least one of an audible and visible form;

decoding the offline-provided second access code inputted into the portable electronic device and authenticating the decoded second access code; and

storing the access-information included in the authenticated second access code in said second portable electronic device,

wherein the first portable electronic device is associated with the user, and the access-information stored on said first portable electronic device is transferable by a the user to other portable electronic devices associated with other users.

8. An information distribution system comprising:

a portable electronic device; and

an information management apparatus configured to store (i) access-information that indicates a predetermined access and (ii) device information corresponding to said portable electronic device that indicates to whom the predetermined access belongs, wherein said information distribution system manages the location of said predetermined access by updating the access-information stored by said information management apparatus and the device information indicating to whom said predetermined access belongs;

said information management apparatus comprising;

information holding means for holding the access-information;

access means for recording the transfer of said predetermined access to said portable electronic device by accessing said information holding means and updating the access-information held by said information holding means;

encryption means for generating encrypted information by using a code unique to said portable electronic device to encrypt the device information indicating to whom said access belongs to be in an offline providable form; and

information providing means for providing said portable electronic device with the encrypted information so that the encrypted information passes through an offline channel at least once; and

said portable electronic device comprises;

power supply;

input means for wirelessly accepting the input of the encrypted information into said portable electronic device independently of a connection status of said portable electronic device, the generated encrypted information represented to a user in at least one of an audible and visible form;

decryption means for decrypting the encrypted information using said unique code and outputting the information indicating to whom said access belongs;

recording means for recording the output information indicating to whom said access belongs; and

information output means for using a predetermined access means to output the recorded information indicating to whom said access belongs,

wherein the first portable electronic device is associated with the user, and the access-information stored on said first portable electronic device is transferable by a the user to other portable electronic devices associated with other users.

9. An information distribution system according to claim 8, wherein said device information indicating to whom said access belongs is information for permitting admission to a predetermined place.

10. An information distribution system according to claim 8, wherein said information management apparatus executes billing in response to the provision of the encrypted information by said information providing means.

11. An information distribution system according to claim 8, wherein said portable electronic device comprises:

information generating means for generating information for requesting the transfer of said access based on the information recorded in said recording means;

means for generating encrypted transfer information by using a code unique to encrypt the information for requesting the transfer of said access so that the encrypted transfer information is provided offline;

control means for controlling the accessing of the information recorded in said recording means in response to the encryption by said encryption means;

output means for outputting the encrypted transfer information so that the encrypted transfer information passes through an offline channel at least once; and

said information management apparatus further comprises a decryption means for decrypting the encrypted transfer information, and updates access-information which corresponds to the output of said decryption means by using said access means to access said information holding means in response to the output of said decryption means.

12. An information distribution system according to claim 11, wherein said information management apparatus executes billing in response to the provision of the encrypted information by the information providing means, and changes the billing in response to the encrypted transfer information.

13. An information distribution system according to claim 11, wherein said portable electronic device comprises:

encryption means for generating second encrypted information based on the information recorded in said recording means by using a code unique to a second portable electronic device so that the second encrypted information is provided off line;

control means for controlling the accessing of the information recorded in said recording means in response to the encryption by said encryption means; and

output means for outputting the second encrypted information so that the second encrypted information is provided to the second portable electronic device after passing through an offline channel at least once; and

the second portable electronic device performs the processing of the second encrypted information, which is identical to the processing of the encrypted information by said portable electronic device.

14. An information management method for updating access-information held by an information management apparatus and for recording in a portable electronic device information indicating to whom said access belongs, managing said access so as to be exercised when said portable electronic device is with a user, wherein said information management method controls said information management apparatus to perform the steps of:

generating encrypted information in an offline providable form using a code unique to said portable electronic device to encrypt the portable electronic device information indicating to whom said access belongs;

providing the encrypted information so that the encrypted information passes through an offline channel at least once; and

enabling the wireless input of said encrypted information into said portable electronic device independently of a connection status of said portable electronic device, the generated encrypted information represented in at least one of an audible and visible form,

wherein the first portable electronic device is associated with the user, and the access-information stored on said first portable electronic device is transferable by a the user to other portable electronic devices associated with other users.

15. An information management method according to claim 14, wherein the billing is performed in response to the provision of the encrypted information.

16. An information management method according to claim 14, wherein said information management method controls said portable electronic device to perform the steps of:

generating encrypted transfer information by using a unique code to encrypt information for requesting the transfer of said access so that the encrypted transfer information is provided offline; and

preventing the information indicating to whom said access belongs from being output, and transmitting the encrypted transfer information to said information management apparatus so that the encrypted transfer information passes through the offline channel at least once.

17. An information management method according to claim 16, wherein said information management method controls said image management apparatus to perform the steps of:

executing a billing process in response to the provision of the encrypted information; and

changing said billing process in response to the encrypted transfer information.

18. An information management method according, to claim 14, wherein said information management method controls said portable electronic device to perform the steps of:

generating second encrypted information based on the information indicating to whom said access belongs by using a code unique to another portable electronic device so that the second encrypted information is provided offline; and

providing the second encrypted information to the other portable electronic device so that the second encrypted information passes through the offline channel at least once; and

outputting the second encrypted information and preventing the information indicating to whom said access belongs from being output.

19. An information management method according to claim 18, wherein said portable electronic device includes a read-write device in electromagnetic communication with an integrated circuit card, wherein the input means are included on the read-write device.

20. An information management method according to claim 18, wherein the information indicating to whom said access belongs is information for allowing said user to enter an event place.

21. A method of distributing information, the method comprising:

providing a first portable device;

generating access-information representative of a user access, the access-information including information which permits admission to a predetermined place;

generating verification information for authenticating the validity of the access-information and the first portable electronic device;

storing the access-information and the verification information on the first portable device;

encrypting the access-information and the verification information to generate a access code;

providing a second portable device, the second portable device configured to wirelessly communicate with the first portable device;

inputting the access code into the second portable device and wirelessly communicating the access code to the first portable electronic;

decrypting the access-information and the verification information based on the access code communicated to the first portable electronic device, and

utilizing the verification information to authenticate the access-information stored on the first portable electronic device; and

storing the authenticated access-information on the first portable electronic device,

wherein the first portable electronic device is associated with the user, and the access-information stored on said first portable electronic device is transferable by a the user to other portable electronic devices associated with other users.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing an indication of the access code to a user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication is an audible indication or a visible indication.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said first portable electronic device is an integrated circuit card and said second portable electronic device includes an input device.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein providing the second portable device includes electromagnetically coupling the second portable device to the first portable device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein electromagnetically coupling the second portable device to the first portable device provides driving power to the second portable device.