User authentication apparatus, method thereof and computer readable recording medium

• US 8,863,261 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Pil-seung
• Primary Examiner(s): Yalew, Fikremariam A
• Application Number:
  US13/770,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

A user authentication apparatus, a user authentication method, and a computer readable recording medium are provided. The user authentication apparatus includes: an information collection unit which collects authentication information on a plurality of portable devices of a user through a communication network; and a control unit which identifies whether each of the plurality of portable devices is registered for the user or not based on the collected authentication information, determines whether an amount of information collected from the plurality of portable devices that are identified is greater than a threshold value, and authenticates the user.

Claims

1. A user authentication apparatus comprising:

an information collection unit which collects authentication information on a plurality of portable devices of a user via a communication network; and

a control unit which identifies whether each of the plurality of portable devices is registered for the user based on the collected authentication information, and determines whether an amount of information collected from the plurality of portable devices that are identified is greater than a predetermined amount of information and whether the plurality of portable devices include a portable device predetermined to be indispensable for user authentication,

wherein the control unit authenticates the user if it is determined that the amount of information collected from the plurality of portable devices that are identified is greater than the predetermined amount of information, and the plurality of portable devices include the portable device predetermined to be indispensable for user authentication.

2. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information collection unit accesses at least one of a wired communication network and a wireless communication network and collects the authentication information.

3. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information collection unit accesses a cable network or an internet as the wired communication network, and collects the authentication information,

wherein the information collection unit accesses one of a CDMA network, an WCDMA network, a GSM network, an EPC network, an LTE network, and a Wi-bro network as the wireless communication network, and collects the user information.

4. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wired communication network and the wireless communication network comprise an access point to perform a short distance communication.

5. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collected authentication information comprises user information and apparatus identification information,

wherein the user information comprises at least one of a name, a resident registration number, an employee identification number, and a cell phone number of the user.

6. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the user information is the same user information that is commonly owned by the plurality of portable devices or user information that is individually owned by the plurality of portable devices in relation to the user.

7. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit gives a weighting to an amount of user information according to a characteristic of an apparatus that has collected the user information.

8. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a user interface unit which, if the amount of collected user information is less than the predetermined amount of information, requests additional user information.

9. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a storage unit which stores user authentication information indicating whether a user is authorized or not,

wherein the control unit identifies the stored user authentication information corresponding to the user and authenticates the user.

10. The user authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amount of information comprises a number of the plurality of portable devices.

11. A user authentication method comprising:

collecting authentication information on a plurality of portable devices of a user via a communication network;

identifying whether each of the plurality of portable devices is registered for the user based on the collected authentication information and determining whether an amount of information collected from the plurality of portable devices that are identified is greater than a predetermined amount of information and whether the plurality of portable devices include a portable device predetermined to be indispensable for user authentication; and

authenticating the user if it is determined that the amount of information collected from the plurality of portable devices that are identified is greater than the predetermined amount of information, and the plurality of portable devices include the portable device predetermined to be indispensable for user authentication.

12. The user authentication method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the collected authentication information comprises user information and apparatus identification information,

wherein the user information comprises at least one of a name, a resident registration number, an employee identification number, and a cell phone number of the user.

13. The user authentication method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the user information is the same user information that is commonly owned by the plurality of portable devices or user information that is individually owned by the plurality of portable devices in relation to the user.

14. The user authentication method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the authenticating the user comprises giving a weighting to an amount of user information according to a characteristic of an apparatus that has collected the user information.

15. The user authentication method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising, if the amount of collected user information is less than the predetermined amount of information, requesting additional user information.

16. The user authentication method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising storing user authentication information indicating whether a user is authorized,

wherein the authenticating the user comprises authenticating the user by identifying the stored user authentication information corresponding to the user.

17. The user authentication method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the amount of information comprises a number of the plurality of portable devices.

18. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium which stores a program for executing a user authentication method, the user authentication method comprising:

collecting authentication information on a plurality of portable devices of a user via a communication network;

identifying whether each of the plurality of portable devices is registered for the user based on the collected authentication information and determining whether an amount of information collected from the plurality of portable devices that are identified is greater than a predetermined amount of information and whether the plurality of portable devices include a portable device predetermined to be indispensable for user authentication; and

authenticating the user if it is determined that the amount of information collected from the plurality of portable devices that are identified is greater than the predetermined amount of information, and the plurality of portable devices include the portable device predetermined to be indispensable for user authentication.