JP2005244483A - Information terminal and information exchange method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology whereby an information terminal can easily and automatically carry out an authentication procedure with a connected apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The information terminal selects secrecy information used for authentication from either of secrecy information stored in advance in the terminal and secrecy information newly entered on the basis of a discrimination result of a communication system, and carries out the authentication on the basis of the stored secrecy information. The information terminal discriminates whether the communication system is a wired system or a wireless system and when the discrimination indicates that the communication system is the wired system, the information terminal uses the secrecy information stored in advance to carry out the authentication and when the discrimination indicates that the communication system is the wireless system, the information terminal uses the secrecy information newly entered to carry out the authentication. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information terminal device, and more particularly to a technique of authentication performed prior to information exchange.

Currently, information terminal devices such as mobile phones and PDAs are widely used that have not only a telephone call function but also a telephone book and schedule data management function. Some of such information terminal devices have a function of transmitting / receiving (exchanging objects) a telephone directory and schedule data managed by a mobile phone and other information terminal devices.
In the information terminal device having an object exchange function, there is conventionally one that authenticates whether or not data transfer is possible.For example, prior to data transfer, authentication is performed by inputting the same number to both terminals (hereinafter referred to as `` data transfer ''). This authentication is called device authentication). For example, when one information terminal device makes a data transfer request using wireless communication such as infrared communication and a plurality of information terminal devices accepts the request, the communication partner is identified by performing device authentication, One-to-one data transfer is performed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-51162 (Patent Document 1) discloses a password registered and stored in a non-volatile memory as a mobile phone device that can call a password of a connection target device reliably, quickly and easily. Is described in which authentication is performed by transmitting a message to a personal computer via a communication means.

JP 2002-51162 A

In the above prior art, authentication is performed by inputting the same authentication number on both the mobile phone device and the personal computer prior to data transfer. Therefore, the password or numerical value input operation is required twice. It is necessary to input the password directly or by searching.
Even when two terminals that perform data communication are connected by wire such as a universal serial bus (USB) cable and data communication is performed with a specific partner, the user must connect the two terminals that exchange information with the cable. In addition, it is necessary to authenticate that it is a specific communication partner by device authentication, and a double operation is performed to specify the communication partner.
In addition, when exchanging information between a car navigation system (hereinafter referred to as a car navigation system) and a mobile phone, the environment in which the user uses the information terminal device is in the vehicle, which complicates the user operation and is also safe. It is not preferable.
The problem of the present invention is that, in view of the situation of the above-described prior art, as an information terminal device, a specific communication can be performed by a simple operation or automatically without performing a double operation for authentication of a connected device as a communication partner. It is to be able to authenticate that it is a connected device of the other party.
An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of solving the above-described problems.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, as an information terminal device that performs authentication prior to information exchange with a connected device, a communication method for information exchange is determined, and the confidentiality used for authentication is determined based on the determination result. Information is selected from secret information held in advance in the apparatus or newly input secret information, and authentication is performed using the selected secret information. In the determination of the communication method, it is determined whether it is a wired method or a wireless method. If the result of the determination is that the wired method is used, an authentication operation is performed using the previously stored confidential information. The authentication operation is performed using the newly input confidential information. Thereby, the user can easily input confidential information.

  According to the present invention, the user can acquire information simply by performing an instruction operation for starting information exchange in the information terminal device, and the convenience of the information terminal device is improved.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1-5 is explanatory drawing of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 1 is a configuration example diagram of a data communication system configured using an information terminal device as a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration of an information terminal device as a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of the information terminal device of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a radio protocol sequence of a communication protocol used in the information terminal device of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is an information terminal device of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the wired system sequence of the communication protocol used in FIG.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 802 denotes a car navigation as an information terminal device of the present invention, and reference numeral 801 denotes a mobile phone as a device (connected device) connected to the car navigation 802. In this data communication system, each of the mobile phone 801 and the car navigation system 802 transmits telephone book data, schedule data, etc. as its own data wirelessly (infrared communication / Bluetooth, etc.) or wired (USB / IEEE1394 / LAN, etc.) In addition, data received wirelessly or by wire is written into its own internal memory.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the information terminal device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 2, 101 is an information terminal device, 102 is an input unit as input means for inputting confidential information such as a password for authentication, and 103 is communication as communication method recognition means for determining a communication method for information exchange. The method recognizing unit 104, based on the determination result of the communication method, stores secret information such as a password used for the authentication in the secret information previously stored in the memory or the like or the secret information newly input from the input unit 102. A communication processing unit serving as a communication processing unit that selects any one of the selected confidential information and authenticates the selected confidential information; 105 a storage unit serving as a storage unit such as a memory that stores the confidential information; 106 a password serving as the confidential information; Reference numeral 107 denotes a communication unit as a communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving exchange information with a connected device by a plurality of communication methods (wired method and wireless method). 8 is a wireless unit that transmits and receives the exchange information by a wireless method in the communication unit 107, 109 is a wired unit that transmits and receives the exchange information by a wired method in the communication unit 107, and 110 is an authentication operation in the communication processing unit 104. It is an expression part that expresses the result of the above by display or voice announcement. The information terminal device 101 may be the car navigation system 802 in the data communication system of FIG. When the car navigation system 802 is an information terminal device, the mobile phone 801 is a connected device, and when the mobile phone 801 is an information terminal device, the car navigation device 802 is positioned as a connected device.

  The input unit 102 includes a keyboard, a touch panel, a microphone that receives voice input, and the like, and receives user operations. The communication method recognition unit 103 is configured by an arithmetic device such as a CPU, operates according to a program included in the storage unit 105, reads a communication method (wireless method or wired method) used by the communication unit 107, and performs a communication processing unit 104. If read from, the result is notified. The communication processing unit 104 includes an arithmetic device such as a CPU, and operates according to a program included in the storage unit 105. Note that the CPUs constituting the communication method recognition unit 103 and the communication processing unit 104 may be the same. The storage unit 105 includes a memory such as a RAM and a ROM, a hard disk drive, and the like, and stores telephone directory data, schedule data, other various data, programs, passwords as confidential information, and the like. The password 106 used for the authentication operation may be, for example, a four-digit number, or may be changed to a number other than four digits, an alphanumeric mixed code, or the like according to a change in the system. The wireless unit 108 is a device that wirelessly transmits information, and may be a device such as a wireless LAN according to infrared communication, Bluetooth, IEEE802.11b standard, or narrow area communication. The wired unit 109 is a device that transmits information by wire, and may be a device such as a universal serial bus (USB), RS232C, IEEE1394, or a wired LAN. The expression unit 110 includes a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, a head-mounted display, a speaker that transmits information audibly, a vibration generator that transmits information hapticly, and the like. There may be a single device or a plurality of devices.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the information terminal device as the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. In the information terminal device according to the first embodiment, by recognizing the communication method, when the communication method is a wired method, the device automatically authenticates the connected device, and when the communication method is a wireless method, Then, authentication of the connected device is performed with a user input operation.
Hereinafter, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 2 are used for the components of the information terminal apparatus in FIGS. 1 to 2 used in FIGS.

In FIG.
(1) The user instructs the input unit 102 of the information terminal device 101 (for example, the car navigation system 802) to acquire data, and starts an operation for authentication (step S301).
(2) When the user receives the above instruction, the communication processing unit 104 of the information terminal device 101 transmits an authentication request to the connected device (for example, the mobile phone 801) via the communication unit 107 (step S302).
(3) The communication unit 107 of the information terminal device 101 receives a device authentication request from the connected device (for example, the mobile phone 801) (step S303).
Here, the steps S301 to S303 are referred to as step S101.
(4) The communication method recognition unit 103 determines the communication method with the connected device (for example, the mobile phone 801) (step S304).
(5) The communication processing unit 104 determines the necessity of authentication (step S305).

(6) If the connected device is connected in a wired manner, the password 106 as confidential information is automatically read from the storage unit 105 (step S306).
(7) The communication processing unit 104 generates an authentication response code based on the device authentication request received in step S303 and the password 106 read in step S306 (step S308).
(8) The communication processing unit 104 transmits the generated authentication response code to the connected device side via the communication unit 107 (step S309).
Here, the steps from step S304 to step S309 are referred to as step S102.
(9) The communication unit 107 receives a response from the connected device (step S310).
(10) The communication processing unit 104 determines received data (step S311).

(11) If the authentication with the connected device is successful as a result of the determination in step S311, the communication processing unit 104 acquires data (step S312).
(12) After completing the data acquisition, the communication processing unit 104 disconnects the communication with the connected device (step S313) and ends the operation.
(13) If the authentication with the connected device fails as a result of the determination in step S311, the communication processing unit 104 ends the operation without performing data acquisition.
Here, the steps S310 to S313 are referred to as step S102.
As a result of the determination of the communication method in step S304, if the connected device is connected by a wireless method,
(14) If it is determined that authentication is necessary in the authentication necessity determination (step S305) by the communication processing unit 104, the expression unit 110 prompts the user to input a password by display or voice announcement.
(15) When the user inputs a password to the input unit 102 (step S307), the communication processing unit 104 generates an authentication response code (step S308).
Subsequent data acquisition processing is performed in the same manner as in the wired system.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a sequence according to a conventional scheme, and is an explanatory diagram of a radio protocol sequence of a communication protocol used in the information terminal apparatus of FIG. 1 is used as an information terminal device, and the cellular phone 801 in FIG. 1 is used as a connected device, and data such as a phone book held in the cellular phone 801 is read out wirelessly in the car navigation 802. It is a sequence.

In FIG.
(1) First, a connection request for reading data is transmitted from the car navigation system 802 to the mobile phone 801 in a state where communication with each other can be performed using a wired system or a wireless system (step S901).
(2) The mobile phone 801 issues a terminal device authentication request to the user A (step S904).
(3) User A inputs, for example, a 4-digit number from the input unit 102 (step S905).
(4) The mobile phone 801 creates authentication request information based on the connection request transmitted from the car navigation system 802 and the password input by the user A and transmits it to the car navigation system 802 side (step S906).
(5) Upon receiving the authentication request, the car navigation system 802 requests device authentication from the user B (step S907).

(6) User B transmits the same value as the 4-digit number input to mobile phone 801 as the password to car navigation system 802 (step S908).
(7) The car navigation system creates authentication response information using the received input value and transmits it to the mobile phone 801 (step S909).
(8) The mobile phone 801 compares the authentication response information received from the car navigation 802 with the authentication response information input and created by the user B, and sends the comparison result to the car navigation 802 as an authentication result response (step S910).
(9) The car navigation system 802 receives the authentication result response, and in the case of an authentication completion notification (OK), starts reading data (steps S911 and S912).
(10) Thereafter, the data read request (step S911) and the data read response (step S912) are alternately repeated as many times as necessary for data transfer, and when the data read is completed, the car navigation system 802 transmits a disconnection request to the mobile phone 801. To do.
(11) The mobile phone 801 receives the disconnection request and transmits a disconnection response to the car navigation system 802 (step S913).
(12) The car navigation system 802 receives the disconnection response and ends (step S914).

  Note that the user A and the user B may be the same user.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a wired protocol sequence of a communication protocol used in the information terminal device of FIG. 1 is used as the information terminal device and the mobile phone 801 in FIG. 1 is used as the connected device, and the data stored in the mobile phone 801 is read out by the car navigation system 802 in a wired manner. In FIG. 5, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 4 are given to sequences that perform the same operations as those in FIG. 4.

In FIG.
(1) A connection request for reading data is transmitted from the car navigation system 802 to the mobile phone 801 (step S901).
(2) The mobile phone 801 issues a device authentication request to the communication processing unit 104 of the mobile phone 801 (step S201).
(3) In the mobile phone 801, the communication processing unit 104 reads the communication method from the communication method recognition unit 103 and determines whether authentication is necessary. The communication method recognition unit 103 reads and holds the communication method from the communication unit 107 in advance when communication is started. In the case of a wired system such as USB communication, it is determined that authentication is unnecessary, the password 106 is read from the storage unit 105, and this is used as an authentication response (step S202).
(4) The mobile phone 801 converts the authentication response read by the communication processing unit 104 into an authentication request, and transmits it to the car navigation system 802 (step S906).
(5) The car navigation system 802 receives the device authentication request, performs the same processing as the processing in the mobile phone 801, generates an authentication response (step S203, step S204), and transmits the authentication response to the mobile phone 801 ( Step S909).
(6) Thereafter, a series of processing from an authentication result response (step S910) to a disconnection request (step S914) is performed as in a normal data exchange sequence.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, authentication by password input is automated in synchronization with the data exchange protocol, and when the communication method is wired, the user's troublesome operation is omitted and the convenience of the user is reduced. To improve. When the information terminal device is an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation system, the reduction in the number of operations in the vehicle leads to an improvement in safety. Note that the protocol used for data exchange targets object exchange protocols (OBEX) such as IrOBEX and IrMC that are used for transmitting and receiving phone book information between PDAs and PCs by infrared communication. To do.

  According to the first embodiment, when it is determined that the connection is wired, device authentication is automatically performed using a password recorded in advance in the storage units of both terminals. Thereby, the user can omit the password input to the terminal, and the convenience can be improved.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of the information terminal device of the present invention. The second embodiment is an example in the case where the authentication procedure is performed again using the password input by the user when the first authentication fails. Hereinafter, the constituent elements of the information terminal apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the step elements shown in FIG. 3 used in FIG. 6 are used with the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. To do.

In FIG.
(1) As in the case of the first embodiment, each operation from the start of authentication to reception of an authentication request is performed (step S101).
(2) An operation for transmitting an authentication response generated from the authentication password is performed (step S102).
(3) The communication unit 107 receives an authentication response (step S401).
(4) The communication processing unit 104 determines the received authentication response (step S402).
(5) If the authentication fails as a result of the determination, the communication processing unit 104 performs the authentication procedure again without any instruction from the user (step S101).

(6) The user inputs a password to the input unit 102 (step S403).
(7) The communication processing unit 104 generates an authentication response (step S404).
(8) The communication processing unit 104 transmits the generated authentication response (step S405).
(9) Thereafter, as in the case of the wired system, the communication processing unit 104 acquires data if the authentication result is OK (authentication success), and ends if the authentication result is NO (authentication failure) (step S103).

  According to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the initial authentication fails, the authentication procedure can be retried continuously, the number of operations by the user can be reduced, and the convenience of the information terminal device Can be improved.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a third embodiment of the information terminal device of the present invention. The third embodiment is an example in which the authentication procedure is performed again using the automatically generated password when the first authentication fails. Hereinafter, in the case of FIG. 7 as well, the components of the information terminal apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 2 and the step elements of FIG. 3 used in the description are the same as those of FIGS. Suppose that it uses a code | symbol.

In FIG.
(1) In the car navigation system 802, the communication system with the mobile phone 801 as the connected device is a wired system, and the password stored in advance by the mobile phone 801 is used for authentication, and the password is stored in the car navigation system 802. If it is different from the password being used, each operation from the start of authentication to reception of the authentication request is performed as in the case of the first embodiment (step S101).
(2) The communication processing unit 104 transmits an authentication response generated from the authentication password (step S102).
(3) The communication unit 107 receives the authentication response (step S501), and the communication processing unit 104 determines the authentication response (step S502).
(4) If the result of the determination is that the authentication has failed, the communication processing unit 104 automatically performs the authentication procedure again without a user instruction (step S101).
(5) The communication processing unit 104 newly generates a password (step S503).

(6) The communication processing unit 104 generates an authentication response using the generated password (step S504).
(7) The generated authentication response is transmitted from the communication unit 107 (step S505).
(8) The communication unit 107 receives the response (step S506), and the communication processing unit 104 determines the authentication result (step S507).
(9) If authentication is successful, data is acquired (step S508), communication is disconnected (step S509), and the operation is terminated.
(10) If authentication fails, repeat from authentication procedure (step S101) again. A series of authentication procedures with password generation repeated again is set as step S104.
When the password generated by the communication processing unit 104 is a four-digit number, the number from 0000 to 9999 is generated one by one, and is repeated until the authentication is successful.

  According to the third embodiment of the present invention, when the communication method recognition unit determines that the communication method is a wired method and the first authentication using the password 106 in the storage unit 105 fails, a new password is automatically generated. Then, the authentication procedure is repeated until the authentication is successful (until it matches the password of the storage unit of the mobile phone 801). As a result, the user can acquire information simply by giving an initial information exchange instruction, and convenience can be improved.

8 and 9 are explanatory diagrams of a fourth embodiment of the information terminal device of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the information terminal device, and FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory diagram of the information terminal device of FIG.
In FIG. 8, reference numeral 601 denotes an information terminal device having a data transmission / reception function for exchanging information such as a telephone directory, and reference numeral 602 denotes a communication unit that controls wired communication. Other components that perform the same operations as those of the information terminal device (first embodiment) in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG.

FIG. 9 shows the information terminal device 601 shown in FIG. 8 having a wired communication device, and authenticates using a password stored in advance. If the authentication fails, the password is automatically generated and the authentication operation is performed again. It is an example in the case of performing.
In FIG.
(1) First, after starting connection, an authentication request is received (step S101).
(2) The communication processing unit 104 reads the password 106 as confidential information for authentication from the storage unit 105 (step S701).
(3) The communication processing unit 104 generates an authentication response (step S702).
(4) The communication unit 602 transmits the generated authentication response code including the authentication response code (step S703).
(5) A response is received (step S704).
(6) The communication processing unit 104 determines the authentication result (step S705).
(7) If the result of the determination is that authentication is successful, the communication processing unit 104 acquires data (step S705), disconnects communication (step S706), and ends the operation.
(8) If the result of the determination is that the authentication has failed, as in the third embodiment, a new password is automatically generated, and an authentication operation using the generated password is performed ( Step S104).

  According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention described above, in the case of an information terminal device having only a wired communication means in the communication unit 602, the user can obtain information simply by performing an initial information exchange instruction. The convenience of the information terminal device can be improved.

  Note that the information terminal device according to the present invention only needs to have a data communication function for exchanging information such as a telephone directory, and the communication means corresponding to the communication method of the communication unit is not limited to a specific one. In addition, including the case of each of the embodiments described above, the information terminal device according to the present invention may be configured such that the function of automatically authenticating can be canceled by changing the setting of the information terminal device by a user operation.

It is a structural example figure of the data communication system by the information terminal device of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a structural example figure of the information terminal device as the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the information terminal device of FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a wireless protocol sequence of a communication protocol used in the information terminal device of FIG. 2 while showing a conventional sequence. It is explanatory drawing of the wired system sequence of the communication protocol used with the information terminal device of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of 2nd Embodiment of the information terminal device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of 3rd Embodiment of the information terminal device of this invention. It is a structural example figure of the information terminal device of the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the information terminal device of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

101, 601 ... information terminal device,
102 ... input section,
103 ... communication system recognition unit,
104 ... communication processing unit,
105. Storage unit,
106 ... Password,
107, 602 ... communication section,
108: Radio section,
109 ... wired section,
110 ... expression part,
111 ... connected equipment,
801: mobile phone,
802 ... Car navigation system.

Claims (7)

An information terminal device that performs authentication prior to information exchange with a connected device,
A communication method recognition means for determining the communication method of the information exchange;
Based on the result of the determination, communication processing means for selecting either secret information stored in advance or newly input confidential information, and performing authentication using the selected confidential information;
An information terminal device characterized by comprising: An information terminal device that performs authentication prior to information exchange with a connected device,
A communication means capable of transmitting and receiving exchange information with the connection device by a plurality of communication methods;
A communication method recognition means for determining a communication method used for transmission / reception among the plurality of communication methods;
Storage means for holding the authentication confidential information;
An input means for newly inputting the confidential information for authentication;
Based on the determination result by the communication method recognizing means, the communication processing means for selecting either the held confidential information or the inputted confidential information and authenticating with the selected confidential information;
With
Prior to information exchange with the connected device, an information terminal device is configured to perform an authentication operation using confidential information selected based on a result of discrimination of the communication method. The communication means includes a wired means for performing communication by a wired system and a wireless means for performing communication by a wireless system,
The communication processing means performs the authentication operation based on the held confidential information when the communication method recognizing means determines that the communication method used for transmission / reception is the wired method, and the communication method recognition The information terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the means determines that the communication method used for transmission / reception is the wireless method, the authentication operation is performed based on the newly input confidential information. apparatus.   3. The information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the communication processing unit is configured to perform authentication again using the newly input confidential information when authentication fails in the authentication operation.   The communication processing unit generates confidential information when the communication method recognizing unit fails in the authentication operation based on the stored confidential information, and performs the authentication operation again using the generated confidential information. The information terminal device according to claim 3, which is configured. An information exchange method for an information terminal device for exchanging information after performing authentication with a connected device,
A first step of sending an authentication request;
A second step of receiving a device authentication request from the connected device;
A third step of determining a communication method used for transmission / reception with the connection device;
Read the first confidential information for authentication held in the storage means in advance, and select either the first confidential information or the newly input second confidential information based on the determination result And the steps
A fifth step of performing an authentication operation with the selected confidential information;
A sixth step for starting information exchange with the connected device based on the authentication result;
Information exchange method of information terminal device characterized by performing information exchange via   As a result of the determination in the third step, if the communication method with the connected device is a wired method, the first secret information is selected in the fourth step, and the communication method is selected in the fifth step. When the authentication operation based on the first confidential information is performed and, as a result of the determination in the third step, the communication method with the connection device is a wireless method, the second step in the fourth step. 7. The information exchange method for an information terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the secret information is selected and an authentication operation based on the second secret information is performed in the fifth step.

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