Mutual authentication system between user and system

• US 7,552,330 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mnemonic Security Limited
• Original Assignee: Mnemonic Security Limited
• Inventors: Kokumai, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LaForgia; Christian
• Application Number:
  US10/569,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 713/169
• US Class Current: 713/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs

Abstract

An effective means for system authentication by a user.

A system is characterized by connecting an electronic apparatus on the system management side to a terminal on the user side via a communication line including the internet and, using system authentication information recorded on a recording medium included in the electronic apparatus on the system side and personal authentication information entered through a personal input operation on a user-operated terminal, for mutual authentication between the user and the electronic apparatus on the system management side that is accessed.

In the mutual authentication system between the user and the system, two sets of authentication data are registered: one set is personal authentication data indicating the personal authentication information on the user and other set is server authentication date indicating the system authentication information.

The system is characterized in that server side authentication using the server authentication date and user side authentication using authentication data of the user are performed alternatively.

Claims

1. A multi-step mutual authentication system between a user and a system in which an electronic apparatus at a system management side and a terminal device at the user side are connected via a communication path and mutually authenticate a user and the electronic apparatus at the system management side as a target of access by using the system authentication information from a recording medium that is incorporated in the electronic apparatus at the system side and the personal authentication information from a personal input operation of the terminal device operated by the user,

wherein two sets of a plurality of data for authentication are registered on the server, said two sets of a plurality of data consist of images, one of the sets being plural images for personal authentication indicating personal authentication information of the user, and the other set being plural images for server authentication indicating system authentication information, and

the authentication at the server side using the plural images for the server authentication is performed one by one of said plural images for server authentication and then the authentication at the user side using the plural images for the personal authentication of the user is performed one by one of said plural images for personal authentication after each one of said plural images for server authentication is performed.

2. A multi-step mutual authentication system between a user and a system in which an electronic apparatus at a system management side and a terminal device at the user side are connected via a communication path and mutually authenticate a user and the electronic apparatus at the system management side as a target of access by using the system authentication information from a recording medium that is incorporated in the electronic apparatus at the system side and the personal authentication information from a personal input operation of the terminal device operated by the user,

wherein two sets of plural reference symbols are registered on the system, respectively, for the mutual authentication, one of the sets being plural reference symbols for the personal authentication indicating the personal authentication information of the user, and the other set being data for the system authentication indicating the system authentication information;

and

the authentication at the system side using the plural reference symbols for system authentication is performed one by one and then the authentication at the user side using the data for personal authentication of the user is performed.

3. The multi-step mutual authentication system between a user and a system according to claim 2,

wherein the plural reference symbols for the user authentication is configured by a user authentication symbol and the plural reference symbols for the system authentication is configured by a system authentication symbol.

4. The multi-step mutual authentication system between a user and a system according to claim 2,

wherein the two sets of reference symbols have the same number of reference symbols for the personal authentication as the reference symbols for the system authentication.

5. The multi-step mutual authentication system between a user and a system according to claim 2,

wherein, in the two sets of reference symbols, at least the plural reference symbols for the personal authentication is made into an image using type reference symbol.

6. The multi-step mutual authentication system between a user and a system according to claim 2,

wherein, the plural reference symbols for the personal authentication is constituted from an image using sets of reference symbols, each selected as a normal symbol image from the group consisting of plural normal symbol images and plural decoy symbol images;

the personal authentication is a memory selection depending on an individual experience; and

the selection order of and authentication of each one of the plural normal symbol images is in chronological order of the individual user life experiences.

7. The multi-step mutual authentication system according to claim 2, wherein the communication path comprises Internet.