JP2005063151A - Method and system of user authentication using identification code - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of user authentication for accessing a URL specified by an identification code and carrying out a series of operation until user authentication without putting a burden of inputting operation etc. on a user by using a terminal device such as a cellular phone capable of reading the identification code such as a two-dimensional code. <P>SOLUTION: The URL of a file for carrying out authentication operation and identification information for authenticating the user are specified with the identification code distributed to the user. Thus, by only reading the identification code, the file is accessed and the authentication operation using the identification information is automatically carried out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a user authentication method and a user authentication system using a terminal device such as a mobile phone capable of reading an identification code such as a two-dimensional code.

  With the general provision of information via the Internet, if a company wants to communicate information about its products to consumers, it will provide a web page for product introductions, and the web page will be included in some advertisements and products. A method of requesting access by posting a URL is used. The terminal for connecting to the Web page may be any terminal as long as it can connect to the Internet, but a mobile phone is often used as a simple connection means.

  As a method for requesting access to a Web page, a method of posting a URL in a part of an advertisement or a product and allowing a user to input the URL to a terminal is common. In addition, when selecting information that the user wants to acquire, for example, information related to a certain product, a method of posting the product number in an advertisement or the like and requesting the input of the product number after the user accesses the Web page is generally used. Is.

  However, particularly when a mobile phone is used as the terminal, there is a problem that the input operation of the URL and the product number is troublesome. In order to solve such a problem, a bar code capable of specifying a URL or a product number is displayed on an advertisement or a product, and the user captures and recognizes the barcode with a digital camera or the like, and performs an input operation. An invention for reducing labor is used (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-314701 A

  In particular, the mobile phone with a camera has become widespread, and a model equipped with a barcode or two-dimensional code reading function has appeared. However, although the above invention can reduce the trouble of inputting the URL and the product number, it does not save a series of operations necessary for the user.

  For example, when providing campaign information from a website for a customer who has purchased a certain product, the URL input operation can be made unnecessary by specifying the URL of the website by an identification code such as a two-dimensional code. . However, in providing such campaign information, it is generally required to enter a unique password given to each sold product in order to authenticate whether the person who accessed it is a customer who has truly purchased the product. Is. If an identification code is used for a password in order to reduce the burden of entering the password, there will be a problem that multiple identification codes are written and it is easy to cause an erroneous operation, and the customer is not required to follow a series of operation procedures. The problem of not being able to escape remains.

  The present invention has been made in order to cope with such a problem, and places a burden on the user such as an input operation using a terminal device such as a mobile phone capable of reading an identification code such as a two-dimensional code. An object of the present invention is to provide a user authentication method and a user authentication system that execute a series of operations from accessing a URL specified by an identification code to performing user authentication.

  The present invention for solving such a problem is a user authentication method using a terminal device capable of reading an identification code, in which the terminal device reads the identification code and stores a Web server and an authentication program. Specifying a URL for designating the address of the file and identification information for identifying the user, and the terminal device sends an access request to the file and the identification information to the Web server designated by the URL. Transmitting, the Web server receiving the access request and the identification information, the Web server calling the file according to the access request, and the Web server storing the authentication stored in the file. Activating a program and authenticating a user using the identification information And the authentication program authenticates the user in contrast to an identification information registration unit that registers the identification information of the user permitted by the authentication. It is an authentication method. The identification code is a two-dimensional code, and the terminal device reads the identification code using image data of the two-dimensional code photographed by an image photographing device provided in the terminal device. You can also. The identification information may be a password assigned to each of the users.

  In the present invention, the identification code distributed to the user identifies the URL of the file for executing the authentication operation and the identification information for authenticating the user. If the identification code is read, the file is accessed. An authentication operation using the identification information can be automatically executed.

  Here, the terminal device may be any terminal device as long as it can accept the image data obtained by photographing the identification code and can be connected to the Internet. For example, the terminal device has a camera equipped with a function for reading the identification code. A mobile phone can be used. As the identification code, a code capable of specifying information such as a barcode is used, but it is preferable to use a two-dimensional code capable of handling a large amount of information. For the identification information, a password, an ID number, or the like assigned to each user for certifying that the access is legitimate is used.

  Moreover, this invention can be comprised as a user authentication system for performing the user authentication method concerning this invention.

  According to the present invention, a user who operates a terminal device simply reads a identification code such as a two-dimensional code, automatically accesses a URL where necessary information exists, and automatically executes a series of operations up to authority authentication. Therefore, it is possible to reduce time and effort required for a series of operations such as input.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, an example in which a user accesses campaign information using a camera-equipped mobile phone will be mainly described, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a user authentication system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user authentication system according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of a conventional user authentication method. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the user authentication method according to the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a user authentication system according to the present invention, which includes a Web server 10 and an ID management table 20, which can be accessed from a portable terminal 30 through the Internet. The mobile terminal 30 is a camera-equipped mobile phone and has a function of photographing and reading a two-dimensional code.

  A company that sells a product issues an application guide describing how to access a special site for participating in the campaign to a customer who has purchased the product. The application guide may be written on a product package or the like, or a dedicated paper for application guide may be inserted into the package. The application guide includes a URL for accessing the site and a password for authenticating that the customer has purchased the product. A two-dimensional code is displayed together with these pieces of information.

  The two-dimensional code can define information by a monochrome pattern etc. arranged in a matrix, and multiple types of standards are provided by the code shape and information definition, but the codes used individually Any standard may be used. Although a one-dimensional bar code may be used, it is more preferable to use a two-dimensional code because more information can be provided in a small space. The two-dimensional code shown in FIG. 1 normally has a URL that must be input and specified on the portable terminal 30 and password information assigned to the application guide. As for the latter, since a different password is attached to each application guide, the two-dimensional code is also unique for each application guide.

  In a normal procedure, the customer looks at the application guide and first inputs the URL specified for the portable terminal 30. The portable terminal 30 accesses the Web server 10 and displays a password input screen, and then the customer inputs the password specified in the application guide. The password is transmitted to the Web server 10, and the Web server 10 refers to the ID management table to determine whether the received password is authentic, and authenticates the authority.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, the customer photographs the two-dimensional code displayed in the application guide with the mobile terminal 30 with the camera, and the mobile terminal 30 recognizes the image data and the URL included in the two-dimensional code. Identify the password. The portable terminal 30 accesses the Web server 10 specified by the URL read from the two-dimensional code, but also requests the Web server 10 to connect to a file defined in the two-dimensional code. The file stores a CGI program that performs password authentication. The password received by the mobile server 30 from the two-dimensional code and received by the Web server 10 is compared with the regular password stored in the ID management table 20. And authenticate the authority to the site.

  As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the information included in the two-dimensional code is replaced with a URL describing the address of the CGI program that issues a connection request, and the browser provided in the mobile terminal 30 connects to the address. Execute the process that issues the request. When a connection request is made, a password used for authentication is also transmitted to the CGI program.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing in more detail the configuration of the user authentication system according to the present invention. The Web server 10 includes a reception unit 11, a transmission unit 12, a control unit 13, and a program storage unit 14, and can collate data with the ID management table 20. The portable terminal 30 includes a code reading unit 31, a transmission unit 32, and a reception unit 33, and can be connected to the Web server 10 through the Internet.

  When the mobile terminal 30 captures a two-dimensional code displayed on an advertisement or a product, the code reading unit 31 identifies the two-dimensional code from the captured image data, and the two-dimensional code registered in the mobile terminal 30 in advance. According to the decryption rule, the URL and password included in the two-dimensional code are read. The transmission unit 32 transmits an access request to the URL specified by the code reading unit 31 and the specified password to the Web server 10.

  The receiving unit 11 of the Web server 10 accepts a URL access request and password. The URL designates the address of the program storage unit 14 that stores the CGI program that executes password authentication, and the control unit 13 calls the CGI program from the program storage unit 14 and executes password authentication processing. . Password authentication is determined by comparing the password received by the receiving unit 11 with the password registered in the ID management table 20, and determining whether the received password is authorized.

  When password authentication is performed and it is determined that the user who transmitted the password is not authorized, display data for error display is transmitted from the transmission unit 12. If it is determined to be authorized, the transmission unit 12 provides information given to the authorized person such as the purchaser of the product, and input screen display data for proceeding to the next step such as acceptance of an application. Etc. are transmitted.

  Next, differences between the flow of the conventional user authentication method and the flow of the user authentication method according to the present invention will be described using the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4. These flowcharts show the flow on the Web server side.

  First, in the conventional user authentication method of FIG. 3, the user inputs a URL for requesting access to the portable terminal. When the access is accepted on the Web server side (S01), a request for inputting an ID such as a password is transmitted to the terminal (S02). When the mobile terminal accepts the ID since the input, the user inputs an ID such as a password according to the displayed input form and transmits it to the Web server.

  When the Web server accepts the ID input to the mobile terminal (S03), it refers to the ID management table in which IDs having application authority are registered in advance (S04), and confirms whether or not the corresponding ID is registered. (S05). If there is a corresponding ID, the process proceeds directly to the application acceptance process. If there is no ID, an error display is transmitted to the portable terminal as having no authority (S06), and the process is terminated.

  As described above, in the conventional user authentication method, the user needs to input the URL and the ID twice, and also receives the ID input request and transmits the input ID until the authentication from the Web server. It is necessary to perform several operations according to the instructions.

  On the other hand, in the user authentication method according to the present invention shown in FIG. 4, when a user photographs a two-dimensional code with a portable terminal, the portable terminal reads the two-dimensional code and automatically goes to a predetermined URL. The ID read from the access request and the two-dimensional code is transmitted. When the access is accepted on the Web server side (S11), the file storing the CGI program designated by the URL is called (S12).

  When the CGI program is started, an ID management table in which IDs having application authority are registered in advance is referred to (S13), and it is confirmed whether or not the ID accepted by the Web server is registered (S14). If there is a corresponding ID, the process proceeds directly to the application acceptance process. If there is no ID, an error display is transmitted to the portable terminal as having no authority (S15), and the process is terminated.

  As described above, in the user authentication method according to the present invention, the user can automatically access a predetermined Web server and perform authorization authentication only by photographing the two-dimensional code. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the trouble of inputting the URL and ID and the trouble of the operation necessary for executing the authentication process.

It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the user authentication system concerning this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the user authentication system concerning this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the conventional user authentication method. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the user authentication method concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Web server 11 Receiving part 12 Transmitting part 13 Control part 14 Program storage part 20 ID management table 30 Portable terminal 31 Code reading part 32 Transmitting part 33 Receiving part

Claims (6)

A user authentication method using a terminal device capable of reading an identification code,
The terminal device reads an identification code, specifies a URL for specifying an address of a file in which a Web server and an authentication program are stored, and identification information for identifying the user;
The terminal device transmitting an access request to the file and the identification information to a Web server specified by the URL;
The Web server accepting the access request and the identification information;
The web server calling the file according to the access request;
The Web server starting an authentication program stored in the file and authenticating a user using the identification information; and
The user authentication method, wherein the authentication program performs user authentication against an identification information registration unit that registers identification information of a user permitted by authentication. The identification code is a two-dimensional code,
The user authentication method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device reads the identification code using image data of the two-dimensional code photographed by an image photographing device provided in the terminal device. 3. The user authentication method according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is a password given to each of the users. A user authentication system using a terminal device capable of reading an identification code,
Receiving means for receiving an address of a file storing an authentication program specified by the terminal device by reading an identification code and identification information for identifying the user;
An authentication unit that invokes the authentication program by calling the file and authenticates a user using the identification information; and
The user authentication system, wherein the authentication program performs user authentication against an identification information registration unit that registers identification information of a user permitted by authentication. The identification code is a two-dimensional code,
5. The user authentication system according to claim 4, wherein the terminal device reads the identification code using image data of the two-dimensional code photographed by an image photographing device provided in the terminal device. 6. The user authentication system according to claim 4, wherein the identification information is a password attached to each of the users.