JP3685528B2 - Two-way communication system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bidirectional communication system in which information can be transmitted and received between a center device and a terminal device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a two-way CATV system, a password is given to a subscriber who uses the system in order to prevent a situation where a person other than the subscriber enjoys the service without a contract by creating a terminal device without permission. Like to do. That is, when the user inputs the assigned password to the terminal device, the password is transmitted to the center device (hereinafter simply referred to as the center), and the center verifies the password against the registered content. Otherwise, the service will not be allowed. In addition, there is also known a terminal device that is provided with an ID code in hardware so that the terminal device can be confirmed (whether it has been copied or the like). Furthermore, it is also conceivable to perform both terminal device confirmation and user confirmation by a combination of the ID code and password.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, if the password is leaked, it is possible for a person other than the contractor to access the center using another person's password, so it is difficult to prevent unauthorized use of the service or leakage of information. It becomes. In addition, security can be enhanced by periodically changing the password. For this purpose, it is necessary to contact the user every time the password is changed. Further, when the terminal device is provided with an ID code in hardware, there is a disadvantage that the internal structure of the terminal device is complicated or expensive, and that the device cannot be handled if it is stolen. Further, even if the ID code and the password are combined, it is impossible to cope with the case where the terminal device is stolen and the password is leaked.
[0004]
An object of this invention is to provide the bidirectional | two-way communication system which can reinforce security of a CATV system etc. easily in view of said situation.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The bidirectional communication system of the present invention is a bidirectional communication system in which information can be transmitted and received between a center device that distributes information and a terminal device connected to the center device. The center apparatus is connected to the terminal apparatus through a communication line different from the path of the communication path, and the center apparatus transmits a predetermined signal to the terminal apparatus or a telephone or a facsimile apparatus through the communication line. It is configured to check whether or not the user is an authorized user based on whether or not a signal based on the predetermined signal has been returned through the route for distributing the information .
[0006]
Thus, by connecting the center device and the terminal device through a communication line different from the route for distributing information, the center device and the terminal device are connected on the route for distribution by the communication line. It is possible to exchange predetermined information different from the above information. Therefore, even if the other person's terminal device is stolen and the other person's password is entered to use the terminal device, the predetermined information cannot be exchanged unless the communication line is connected. It can be difficult, and security can be strengthened more than before.
[0007]
As the communication line, it is possible to use a line such as a general telephone line or a high-speed line (ISDN) provided with an exchange and capable of specifying a destination by a station number. Then, using such a telephone line or the like, it becomes possible for the center apparatus to call the authorized user's telephone number entered in the CATV service subscription form and send predetermined information only to the authorized user's terminal apparatus. . As a result, even if another person's terminal device is stolen, another person's password is entered, and a communication line is further connected to use the terminal device, as long as the terminal device is not installed at a location corresponding to the station number, Since the terminal device can be disabled, security can be further enhanced.
[0008]
Here, for example, the center device sends predetermined information to the terminal device through the telephone line, and only when the terminal device receives the predetermined information, the ID device is allowed to output the ID code, thereby making it more secure than before. It can be strengthened. However, even with such a configuration, there is a possibility that output of the ID code may be permitted by an unauthorized operation.
[0009]
Therefore, in this invention, prior Symbol center apparatus transmits a predetermined signal to the terminal device via the communication line, is sent back a signal based on a prior SL predetermined signal through path for delivery of the terminal device Information From As described above, the center device simply sends a predetermined signal to the terminal device to allow the ID code to be output by confirming whether or not the user is an authorized user. than even the amount that condition is imposed that a predetermined signal to the center device based on the signal received, Ru Hakare strengthening security.
[0010]
As the signal based on the predetermined signal, for example, a predetermined signal sent from the center device is used as an upper word, and a user input password is used as a lower word to connect them, or sent from the center device. Alternatively, a signal or the like in which a predetermined signal and a user input password are alternately combined word by word can be used. Further, the predetermined signal can be changed according to the contents of the service, or can be changed at every transmission.
[0011]
In addition, the center device may be connected to a telephone or a facsimile machine at a user's home that holds the terminal device by a communication line different from the route for distributing the information. That is, the user may be able to process the terminal device instead of the terminal device. For example, a voiced password or an imaged password is sent from the center device to the telephone or facsimile machine at the user's home. The user may listen to or look at the password and input the password to the terminal device after the user password, for example. Alternatively, the sound signal from the telephone handset may be read by a modem provided in the terminal device.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 1 shows an outline of a bidirectional CATV system in which information can be transmitted and received between a center apparatus 1 that distributes various services and a terminal apparatus 2 connected to the center apparatus 1 via a CATV line 3. It is the block diagram which showed the structure. The center device 1 is connected to a bank or the like 7, and the user can receive online services such as home banking by operating the terminal device 2 with the remote controller 6.
[0014]
The center device 1 and the terminal device 2 are connected to a general telephone line 4 provided with an exchange 4a separately from the CATV line 3 and capable of specifying a destination by a station number. The terminal device 2 is connected to the telephone line 4 when an incoming call is received, and can switch the connection to the telephone 5 when it is determined that the terminal device 2 is not the center device 1 based on a transmission signal from the other party. For example, in a facsimile apparatus, as is well known, an identification signal (CNG signal) is sent to a called party at the time of a call in order to distinguish it from a normal telephone. By sending 1 to the terminal device 2, the terminal device 2 can determine whether it is a normal telephone call or communication from the center device 1.
[0015]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of the terminal device 2. In order to determine whether the above-described normal telephone or communication from the center device 1 is performed, a line switching device 11 is provided. This line switching device switches the line to the telephone (or facsimile apparatus) when it is determined in the above determination that it is a normal telephone (or facsimile communication), and when it is determined that the communication is from the center apparatus 1. Is configured to switch the line to the receiving device 12. The terminal device 2 may incorporate the telephone or the facsimile device.
[0016]
The receiving device 12 receives a password signal sent from the center device 1 through the telephone line 4. The password is extracted, and the password is sent to the memory 13 and a signal indicating that the password has been received is sent to the CPU 14. The memory 13 stores the password. Further, the CPU 14 reads a password from the memory 13, generates a password to be transmitted to the center apparatus 1 from the password and a password input from the remote controller 6 by the user, for example, and transmits the CATV line via the transmission / reception apparatus 15. 3 to the center device 1. In this embodiment, the password to be transmitted is generated by combining the password input by the user as the lower word and the password from the center apparatus 1 as the upper word.
[0017]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing contents at the time of a specific service request in the terminal device 2. First, it is determined whether or not the user has selected a service that requires input of a password (step 1). If the user has not selected a service that requires password entry, the process returns to the main routine. On the other hand, when the user selects a service that requires input of a password, the center device 1 is requested for the selected service (step 2). Then, it is determined whether or not a password as a higher word has been sent from the center apparatus 1 through the telephone line 4 (step 3).
[0018]
If the password is not received, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has been exceeded (step 4). If the time has not been exceeded, the process proceeds to step 3 again. On the other hand, if the time has been exceeded, it is determined whether or not a predetermined number of retries has been exceeded (step 5). If the retry is not over, the process proceeds to step 3 again. If the retry is over, error processing is performed (step 8), and the process returns to the main routine.
[0019]
When the password that is the upper word is received from the center apparatus 1, it is determined whether or not the password that is the lower word is input by the user (step 6). If the password has not been input by the user, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has been exceeded (step 7). If the time has not been exceeded, the process proceeds to step 6 again. On the other hand, if the time is exceeded, error processing is performed (step 8), and the process returns to the main routine.
[0020]
If a password has been entered, a password to be transmitted is generated by combining this password and the password from the center device 1 (step 9), and the password is transmitted to the center device 1 (step 10). Return to the main routine.
[0021]
Based on the password returned from the terminal device 2, the center device 1 can determine whether or not the terminal device 2 is a terminal device owned by an authorized user.
[0022]
As described above, when the center device 1 and the terminal device 2 are connected by the telephone line 4 different from the CATV line 3, the CATV line is transmitted from the center device 1 to the terminal device 2 through the telephone line 4. The predetermined information different from the information according to 3 can be sent. Then, the terminal device 2 generates a password to be transmitted by combining the password input by the user and the password that is the predetermined information transmitted from the center device 1, and the password to be transmitted is transmitted to the center via the CATV line 4. The data is sent to the device 1. Since the password to be transmitted can only be generated by a legitimate user, that is, a user who has installed the terminal device in the place indicated by the telephone number entered at the time of the contract for CATV, the other terminal device is stolen. Even if the password of another person is entered, the terminal device cannot be used. This will further enhance security.
[0023]
Further, the terminal device 2 includes a line switching device 11 and the like, and determines whether it is a normal telephone, facsimile or center device 1 and automatically processes a password sent from the center device 1. ing. As a result, the user only enters a normal password, and no other additional operations are required, so that the user-friendliness is not deteriorated.
[0024]
On the other hand, the terminal device 2 may include a telephone or a facsimile device without providing the line switching device 11 or the like. With this configuration, the usability is somewhat worse, but the cost can be reduced by not providing the line switching device 11 or the like. In the case of this manual operation, for example, a voiced password or an imaged password is sent from the center apparatus 1 to a telephone or a facsimile machine. The user may manually input the password to the terminal device 2 following the user password, for example, and send both passwords to the center device 1.
[0025]
Further, in this embodiment, since an existing telephone line is used as a line that is equipped with an exchange and that can specify a destination by a station number, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to newly lay a line. As such a line, in addition to the telephone line, ISDN or the like can be used.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily enhance the security of the bidirectional communication system.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bidirectional communication system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a terminal device in the bidirectional communication system of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing contents at the time of a specific service request by a terminal device in the bidirectional communication system of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Center device 2 Terminal device 3 CATV line 4 Telephone line 5 Telephone 6 Remote controller 11 Line switching device 12 Receiver 13 Memory 14 CPU
15 Transceiver

Claims (3)

In a bidirectional communication system in which information can be transmitted and received between a center device that distributes information and a terminal device that is connected to the center device, a communication line that is different from a route for distributing the information The center device is connected to the terminal device, the center device transmits a predetermined signal to the terminal device through the communication line, and the predetermined signal is transmitted from the terminal device through a route for distributing the information. A bidirectional communication system configured to check whether or not the user is a legitimate user based on whether or not a signal based on the information is returned . In a bidirectional communication system in which information can be transmitted and received between a center device that distributes information and a terminal device that is connected to the center device, a communication line that is different from a route for distributing the information The center device is connected to a telephone or a facsimile machine at a user's home that holds the terminal device , the center device transmits a predetermined signal to the telephone or facsimile device through the communication line, and the information from the terminal device A bidirectional communication system configured to confirm whether or not the user is a legitimate user based on whether or not a signal based on the predetermined signal has been returned through a distribution route .   3. The two-way communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication line is a line that includes an exchange such as a telephone line or a high-speed line and can specify a destination by a station number.

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