JP2000057278A - Card system and reader-writer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a card system for data communication high in security. SOLUTION: This system includes a card 1 which has a password code written and specifies the bearer and the reader-writer 2 which writes and reads information to and out of the card 1 and the reader-writer 2 is provided with a security function. In the reader-writer 2, a code is stored and the adequacy of the reader-writer 2 is judged from the code. The stored code is a time-series code which changes with time. The access states of the card 1 and a terminal computer 3 are recorded in the reader-writer 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card system for performing data communication between, for example, a terminal computer and a host computer using a card for specifying an owner.
In particular, the present invention relates to the security of a reader / writer that writes / reads information to / from a card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a general configuration of a card system. In the figure, 31 is a card owned by the user, 32 is a reader / writer (R / W) for writing / reading information to / from the card 31, 33 is a terminal computer located near the user, 34 is a terminal computer 33 and a LAN. It is a connected host computer. The personal identification code is stored in the card 31 in advance, and when the user uses the card 31, the personal identification code is read by the reader / writer 32 and is read by the terminal computer 3.
3 and confirms whether or not the card 31 has been officially issued based on the read password encryption. Then, when the data is confirmed to be formal, a data communication line between the terminal computer 33 and the host computer 34 is opened, and information can be exchanged.

[0003] In such a card system, it is necessary to enhance the security of data communication, that is, to accurately determine that the user is a legitimate user.
This is realized by storing a password in a card. Further, in order to further improve security, an attempt has been made to incorporate a CPU into the card so as to perform its own arithmetic function, and to obtain higher legitimacy by using various arithmetic processing using the CPU. ing.

[0004]

In recent years, a non-contact type card capable of writing and reading information in a non-contact manner for the purpose of preventing a reading error caused by a poor contact with a card reader or an electrostatic pickup. Is widely used, and in this case, a reader / writer is indispensable. In addition, as shown in the postage stamp issuing system (postage withdrawal system), a reader / writer lending system is also being implemented.

Therefore, it has been necessary to prove the validity of the reader / writer, but there is a problem that the conventional card system cannot cope with this point. Further, it is impossible to realize a card with perfect security, and measures for other than cards to further improve security in a card system are desired.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a card system capable of realizing higher security as a whole by adding a security function to a reader / writer, and using the card system. The purpose is to provide a reader / writer.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card system comprising: a card on which specific information for specifying an owner is written; a card reader for reading information from the card; A card system that includes a computer that performs processing, and that allows access to the computer by reading the specific information from the card with the card reader, wherein the card reader and the computer store a predetermined code. Each having a storage unit, when reading the specific information of the card with the card reader and accessing the computer, reads the encryption stored in the storage unit of the card reader to the computer and stores it in the storage unit of the computer The card reader is provided with a security function so that it can be compared with the stored code. And said that you are.

The card system according to a second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the card reader further includes a recording unit that records information on the card in use and the computer to be accessed.

The card system according to a third aspect is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, a cipher read from the card reader to the computer changes over time.

[0010] In a card system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the storage unit of the card reader stores a plurality of codes,
It is characterized by further comprising a clock unit for measuring the date and time, and a selecting unit for selecting one cipher read out to the computer from the plurality of ciphers based on the measurement result of the clock unit.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a reader / writer for reading out specific information written on a card in order to specify an owner to a computer and writing information from the computer on the card is provided by a reader / writer. A storage unit for storing a cipher, and an output unit for outputting the cipher stored in the storage unit to the computer when the specific information is read from the card.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the reader / writer according to the fifth aspect, when performing information communication between the card and the computer, transmits information on the card to be written / read and the computer to be accessed. It is characterized by further comprising a recording unit for recording.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the cipher output to the computer changes over time.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the storage unit stores a plurality of ciphers, and includes a timer unit for measuring date and time, and a timer based on the measurement result of the timer unit. A selection unit that selects one cipher output to the computer from the plurality of ciphers.

According to the present invention, a cipher for certifying the validity is stored in the reader / writer in advance. And
When accessing a predetermined computer using a card, not only the information identifying the owner stored in the card, but also the encryption stored in the reader / writer is read out to the computer to be accessed, and the card and It is determined whether the reader / writer is legitimate. Thus, since the security function is also provided to the reader / writer, the security of the entire card system is improved.

Further, in the present invention, every time the reader / writer is used, the status of the card being used and the computer to be accessed are recorded in the reader / writer. Therefore, when any fraud occurs in the card system, the cause of the fraud can be easily and accurately identified.

In the present invention, a time-series encryption that changes over time is used as the encryption stored in the reader / writer. Therefore, even if the encryption is stolen, the encryption cannot be used the next time, so that high security is maintained.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the card system of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a card, 2 is a reader / writer (R / W), 3 is a terminal computer, and 4 is a host computer. The card 1 is issued for each user who is the owner, and each user owns his own card 1.
The card 1 is a non-contact type card capable of non-contact writing / reading processing, and a unique personal identification code as specific information for specifying an owner is written at the time of issuance. The reader / writer 2 performs a process of writing and reading information to and from the card 1.
A unique time-series encryption described later is written. The card 1 and the reader / writer 2 are optically coupled. The reader / writer 2 and the terminal computer 3 are optically coupled so that information can be transmitted and received optically. Further, the terminal computer 3 and the host computer 4 are, for example, L
They are connected via an AN (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the card 1. The card 1 includes a storage element 11 for storing a password,
It has a recording element 12 for recording the use state of the reader / writer 2 and the terminal computer 3, an interface 13 for transmitting and receiving information to and from the reader / writer 2, and a CPU 14 for controlling the operation of each of these functional elements.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the reader / writer 2. The reader / writer 2 includes a storage element 21 for storing a time-series cipher to be described later, a recording element 22 for recording the use state of the card 1 and the terminal computer 3, and a clock element 2
3, a card interface 24 for transmitting and receiving information to and from the card 1, an interface 25 for transmitting and receiving information to and from the terminal computer 3, and a CPU 26 for controlling the operation of each of these functional elements. In addition, this reader
When the writer 2 is illegally disassembled, the time-series encryption stored in the storage element 21 is automatically deleted. However, also in this case, the recording data in the recording element 22 does not disappear.

In such a reader / writer 2, at the time of issuance, a time-series cipher consisting of a plurality of cipher groups is written into the storage element 21, and the clock element 23 is reset. The date and time of issue of the reader / writer 2 (date and time of reset of the clock element 23) is stored in the terminal computer 3.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing this time-series encryption. When the reader / writer 2 is issued, all ciphers AZ
Is stored in the reader / writer 2, and after the issuance, the cipher to be used changes over time.

The concept of using the time-series encryption in the present invention will be described. Storage element 21 of reader / writer 2
And a cipher to be used is automatically selected from the plurality of ciphers based on the date and time ticked by the internal clock element 23. On the other hand, the terminal computer 3 is provided with a mechanism for selecting the cipher to be used by the same algorithm as that of the reader / writer 2, and the date and time when the reader / writer 2 is issued (when the clock element 23 is reset) is set. To record. Therefore, reader / writer 2
The terminal computer 3 can specify the same encryption as that used by the terminal computer 3. Therefore, by comparing and verifying the encryption output from the reader / writer 2 with the encryption specified by the terminal computer 3, the validity of the reader / writer 2 can be confirmed.

Next, the operation of the card system of the present invention will be described. First, a user who is a user of the terminal computer 3 using the database of the host computer 4 is issued the card 1 on which a unique password is written. In addition, readers with unique time-series encryption
Writer 2 is issued. And this reader / writer 2
Is issued, the internal clock element 23 is reset,
The timing process is started from that point. In addition, this reader
Information on the issue date and time of the writer 2 is recorded in the terminal computer 3.

The user inserts the card 1 into the reader / writer 2 to use the database of the host computer 4.
In this case, the reader / writer 2 reads the personal identification code stored in the card 1 in a non-contact manner and outputs it to the terminal computer 3. In addition, one cipher is selected from a plurality of time-series ciphers in accordance with the timing result of the clock element 23 at that time, and the selected cipher is also output to the terminal computer 3.

The terminal computer 3 checks whether or not the input personal identification code matches the registered one, and checks whether the input one time-series encryption code matches the encryption specified by the terminal computer 3. Check whether or not. If both match, a data communication line between the terminal computer 3 and the host computer 4 is opened, and information can be exchanged between the two. If at least one of them does not match, the data communication line is not opened and information cannot be exchanged.

When such processing is performed, the status information of the accessed card 1 and the terminal computer 3 is recorded in the recording element 22 of the reader / writer 2 each time. Similarly, the recording element 12 of the card 1 records the status information of the accessed reader / writer 2 and terminal computer 3. Further, the terminal computer 3 records the status information of the accessed card 1 and reader / writer 2.

As described above, in the card system of the present invention, not only the card 1 but also the reader / writer 2 are provided with a security function, so that a higher security can be realized as a whole. Further, since the encryption used by the reader / writer 2 changes with time, even if the encryption is eavesdropped, the encryption cannot be used next time, and as a result, the eavesdropping of the encryption itself is meaningless. It is possible to significantly improve the security of data communication.

Also, since each of the card 1, reader / writer 2, and terminal computer 3 records the access state of the other two members at the time of access, if any illegality occurs, recording is performed. By examining these status data, it is possible to easily know the exact content and cause of the fraud.

In the case where the reader / writer 2 is to be illegally disassembled, the time-series encryption in the storage element 21 is automatically deleted, so that it is possible to prevent a third party from knowing the time-series encryption.

Next, a specific example utilizing the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of this specific example. Here, it is assumed that the user purchases a railway ticket or searches for a vacant seat at a nearby station stand provided with the reader / writer 2 and the terminal computer 3.

First, the card 1 and the reader / writer 2 are manufactured at a factory. Of course, at this stage of production,
No secret code or time-series code is written in the reader / writer 2. The manufactured reader / writer 2 is delivered to a railway company which is a reader / writer issuing authority. This reader
In the writer issuing station, the time series code is written in the reader / writer 2 and the internal clock element is reset.
The reader / writer 2 issued in this way is delivered to a station shop. On the other hand, the manufactured card 1 is delivered to a card company which is a card issuing authority. At this card issuing station, the personal identification code is written on the card 1. The card 1 thus issued is delivered to the user. The station stand is provided with a terminal computer 3 connected to a host computer (not shown) storing railway information.

When such preparation is completed, the user can use his / her card 1 to access the host computer at the station counter, buy a railway ticket, and check the vacancy status. Double security is provided by the card 1 held by the user and the reader / writer 2 provided at the station stand, so that confidentiality of data communication can be maintained by rejecting the intervention of a third party.

In this example, the reader / writer issuing bureau and the card issuing bureau are different companies, but they may be the same company. Although the card 1 and the reader / writer 2 are manufactured in the same factory, it is needless to say that the factories may be different.

In the above example, the time-series encryption itself is stored in the reader / writer 2, but a time-series calculation formula for calculating the time-series encryption may be stored.

Further, between the card 1 and the reader / writer 2 and between the reader / writer 2 and the terminal computer 3,
Although data transmission / reception is performed in a non-contact state using optical coupling, electromagnetic coupling, magnetic coupling, sound wave coupling, or the like may be used. Further, these may be connected by a data line.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, the security function is added to the reader / writer, so that a higher security can be realized as a whole. In addition, since the access state of the card and the computer is recorded in the reader / writer for each access, when an illegal operation occurs, the cause can be easily investigated. Further, since the time-series encryption is stored in the reader / writer, eavesdropping of the encryption can be a meaningless act.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a card system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the card.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a reader / writer.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating time-series encryption.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a general configuration diagram of a card system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Card 2 Reader / Writer 3 Terminal Computer 4 Host Computer 21 Storage Element 22 Recording Element 23 Clock Element 24 Card Interface 25 Interface 26 CPU

Claims (8)

[Claims] An information processing apparatus comprising: a card on which specific information for identifying an owner is written; a card reader for reading information from the card; and a computer for performing predetermined processing. In a card system that enables access to the computer by reading the specific information from the card, the card reader and the computer each have a storage unit that stores a predetermined encryption, and the specific information of the card is When reading the card reader with the card reader and accessing the computer, the card reader reads the code stored in the storage unit of the card reader and checks it against the code stored in the storage unit of the computer. A card system having a security function. 2. The card system according to claim 1, wherein the card reader further includes a recording unit that records information on the card being used and the computer to be accessed. 3. The card system according to claim 1, wherein the encryption read from the card reader to the computer changes over time. 4. The storage unit of the card reader stores a plurality of codes, and the card reader is read by the computer based on a time measurement unit that measures date and time and a measurement result of the time measurement unit. 3. The card system according to claim 1, further comprising a selecting unit that selects one cipher from the plurality of ciphers. 4. 5. A reader / writer for reading specific information written on a card to identify an owner to a computer and writing information from the computer to the card, a storage unit for storing a predetermined code, An output unit for outputting the encryption stored in the storage unit to the computer when reading the specific information from the card. 6. The reader according to claim 5, further comprising a recording unit for recording information on the card to be written and read and the computer to be accessed when information communication is performed between the card and the computer. ·lighter. 7. The encryption output to the computer,
7. The reader / writer according to claim 5, wherein the reader / writer changes with time. 8. The storage unit stores a plurality of ciphers, and includes a clock unit for measuring date and time, and one cipher output to the computer based on a measurement result of the clock unit. And a selecting unit for selecting from the following.
Or the reader / writer according to 6.