JP4043735B2 - User authentication system based on name information - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an authentication system, an authentication method, and a computer program for authenticating a user on the Web.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the spread of the Internet, so-called Internet auctions have become popular. By the way, in this net auction, money is exchanged between the seller and the buyer, and by collecting a predetermined participation fee from the auction participant, it is possible to suppress unpaid fees and unshipped goods by unauthorized persons. Yes.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, even if such a participation fee is collected, it is still difficult to completely prevent unpaid fees and unshipped products. In addition, there is a problem that collecting participation fees one by one cannot promote the participation of good-willed people. Therefore, it is preferable if it is possible to authenticate whether or not the user is safe and reliable and to allow only this user to participate in the auction.
[0004]
On the other hand, at a virtual store on the Web, when a product is purchased, the user is requested to input a credit card number or the like, and authentication is performed within the own site. However, imposing such authentication on all individual Web sites is often difficult in terms of system cost. In particular, it is a burden for a site with a low operating cost, and for this reason, a technique for authenticating a person easily at low cost is desired.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an authentication system, an authentication method, and a computer program that can perform authentication of a user who accesses a partner site.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the authentication system according to claim 1 stores user authentication information for a user who is connected to a partner site on the Web via a network and is allowed to access the partner site. And a control means for acquiring authentication information input to the partner site, performing authentication processing based on the user information database, and transmitting an authentication result to the partner site.
[0007]
The control means preferably transmits the user name information in association with the authentication result.
[0008]
The control unit preferably issues the user authentication information when a credit card number applied by a user who desires access to the affiliate site is authenticated by a management company of the credit card.
[0009]
The control means preferably records billing information according to the frequency of authentication requests from the affiliated site.
[0010]
The authentication method of the present invention is based on a process of storing authentication information of a user permitted to access the partner site, a process of acquiring authentication information input to the partner site, and the stored authentication information. And a process of performing an authentication process and transmitting an authentication result to the partner site.
[0011]
The computer program of the present invention is based on a process of storing authentication information of a user permitted to access the partner site, a process of acquiring authentication information input to the partner site, and the stored authentication information. The authentication process is performed, and the process of transmitting the authentication result to the partner site is executed by a computer.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing an embodiment of an authentication system (hereinafter referred to as “authentication site” as appropriate) 20 according to the present invention. The control means 2 controls the entire system, and will be described in detail later in a user information database. (Hereinafter referred to as “DB” as appropriate) 4, charging information database 6, and input / output control means 8 for transmitting / receiving information to / from network 90. The control means 2 comprises a predetermined central processing unit (CPU) and the like, and the authentication system 20 constitutes a Web site as a whole.
[0013]
The authentication site 20 is connected to the network 90 and is connected to the user terminal 70 and the affiliate sites 50 to 52 via the network 90. Further, it is connected to the credit card management company 30 via a dedicated line 31. The affiliated sites 50 to 52 are Web sites that allow a predetermined user who has permitted access to browse the content. The affiliated site may further include content that allows a general user to browse without restricting access.
[0014]
Here, the user terminal 70 is a personal computer, a mobile phone, a PHS (Personal Handyphone System: registered trademark), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants: personal information device), or the like, all of which can be connected to the network 90 and are connected to the Web. A browser that can view the page is installed. The credit card management company 30 is a server that issues and manages a user's credit card, and performs an authentication process based on the user's credit card information.
[0015]
As the network 90, a dedicated line, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the like may be used instead of the Internet. Further, when accessing from a portable terminal, it is connected to the network 90 via a mobile communication network.
[0016]
In the authentication site 20, the user information database 4 stores user information including authentication information (ID, password) used in each affiliated site 50 to 52. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a data configuration of user information. In this figure, user information consists of fields of a user name, a credit card number, the authentication information (ID, password), and a nickname (name information), respectively. Here, the user name is the name of the user, and the nickname is for displaying the user on each affiliate site.
[0017]
Next, a processing flow in which the user receives authentication information from the authentication site will be described with reference to FIG. In this figure, first, the user specifies a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) from the user terminal 70 to access the authentication site 20. Then, the user inputs his / her credit card number and requests issuance of authentication information (step S100). At this time, user attribute information (name, address, telephone number, etc.) may also be input. The control means 2 of the authentication site 20 transmits the received credit card number (which may include user attribute information) to the credit card management company 30 (step S200).
[0018]
The credit card management company 30 performs an authentication process to determine whether the received credit card number matches the managed credit card number (step S300), and transmits an authentication result (step S302). In the authentication process, user attribute information in addition to the credit card number may be checked against management data.
[0019]
When the control means 2 receives the result of the authentication establishment, it issues the ID and password to this user and transmits them to the user terminal 70 (steps S202 and S204). When the authentication failure result is received, an ID and password are not issued, and a failure notification is transmitted to the user terminal.
[0020]
Further, the control means 2 requests input of a nickname (step S206). This input request is made by transmitting a predetermined input page to the user terminal. On the other hand, the user inputs and transmits a desired nickname from the user terminal (step S102). The control unit 2 stores the received nickname in the user information DB 4 in association with the ID and password (step S208). In the above processing, in order to prevent leakage of credit card numbers from the network, transmission / reception may be appropriately performed using a predetermined security technique.
[0021]
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a processing flow for a user to access a partner site will be described. In this figure, first, the user designates a predetermined URL from the user terminal 70 to access the affiliated site 50 and inputs the ID and password (step S110). The partner site 50 transmits the received ID and password to the authentication site 20 and requests authentication (step S210). The control means 2 of the authentication site 20 performs authentication processing by comparing the received ID and password with the data recorded in the user information DB 4 (step S310). If the authentication is successful, the control unit 2 reads the user nickname corresponding to the ID and password from the user information DB 4 and transmits the authentication result and the nickname to the affiliated site 50 (step S312). If the authentication is not established, the nickname is not read out, and the fact that the authentication is not established is transmitted to the partner site.
[0022]
When the affiliated site 50 receives the notification that the authentication has been established, the affiliated site 50 performs a process of permitting the user terminal with the function whose access is restricted. Here, the permission of the access restriction function is, for example, to release the prohibition of transmitting a predetermined Web page to the user terminal and the prohibition of accepting an input from the user terminal. The affiliated site 50 appropriately records the received nickname (step S212), and transmits the authentication result and the nickname to the user terminal (step S214). The user transmits a browsing request for a web page with access restriction from the user terminal (step S112), and the affiliated site 50 transmits the web page to the user terminal (step S216). The user browses the Web page via the user terminal (step S114), and inputs a nickname as necessary (step S116). The nickname is input at the time of user display when posting to a BBS (electronic bulletin board system), for example. It should be noted that the function that the affiliated site 50 has restricted access may be allowed based on the reception of the nickname instead of the authentication establishment.
[0023]
The affiliated site 50 collates the received nickname with the nickname recorded in step S212 (step S218), and if the collation is established, performs nickname display processing (step S220). In this way, a name other than the nickname assigned to each user is not used (displayed) on the affiliated site 50, and each user can use his / her nickname uniquely on the site. That is, it is prevented that a non-regular user uses the same nickname. Note that the processing of steps S212 and 218 is not essential, and it is of course possible to immediately display the input nickname.
[0024]
On the other hand, the control means 2 (of the authentication site 20) records the billing information in the billing DB 6 each time an authentication request is received from the partner site 50 in step S210 (step S314). Based on this billing information, the partner site is charged for the authentication fee.
[0025]
Note that when accessing another affiliated site 50 or 52, the user terminal performs the processing subsequent to step S110 again. That is, the authentication process is performed every time the affiliate site is accessed.
[0026]
FIG. 5 shows a transition example of the screen displayed on the user terminal according to the flow of FIG. On the login screen 1000, the user inputs an ID and a password in the text boxes 1000a and 1000b, respectively (FIG. 5 (1), corresponding to step S110). When authentication is established, a screen 1100 to that effect is displayed, and a nickname “Aonori” that can be used by this user is displayed in the display field 1100a (FIG. 5 (2)). When the authentication is established, the user browses the Web page screen 1200 that is allowed to be accessed ((3) in FIG. 5). Further, on the BBS screen 1300, the posting user's nickname and posted content are displayed in the display columns 1300a and 1300b, respectively (FIG. 5 (4)). Here, if the process of step S218 described above is performed, the same nickname is not displayed repeatedly in the display field 1300a, and each user can use the nickname assigned to himself / herself uniquely.
[0027]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the user may be authenticated only by the authentication information at the affiliate site without registering the nickname. The data managed by the credit card management company is appropriately changed according to the validity period of the credit card. Therefore, the credit card number stored in the user information DB may be updated according to the management data. This update may be performed according to an instruction from the credit card management company, or an inquiry may be made to the credit card management company from the authentication site at a predetermined time. In addition, when issuance of a credit card to a user is prohibited, access to the affiliate site can be denied by deleting the user information stored in the user information DB.
[0028]
Further, different authentication information may be issued and stored for each partner site. Then, every time an authentication request from the affiliated site is established, the user name information may be newly generated and transmitted by the authentication system. In this case, the user uses a new nickname every time the partner site is authenticated.
[0029]
The authentication system of the present invention can be realized by a computer, various peripheral devices such as communication devices, and a software program executed by the computer. The software program executed in the system is read by a computer. Distribution is possible via a possible storage medium or communication line.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the user is permitted to access the partner site using the authentication system instead of the partner site, the partner site can reduce the burden of authentication processing.
[0031]
Further, according to the present invention described in claim 2, since the name information of the authenticated user is transmitted to the affiliated site, the user browses the name information on the affiliated site and uses it on the affiliated site as appropriate ( Display). In particular, transmission of personal information such as a user's name may be a problem in terms of safety or law, but there is an advantage that there is no such problem if it is name information. According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the authentication system issues authentication information based on the user's credit card number in advance, only a good and safe user who has been issued a credit card can go to the affiliated site. Access is allowed. Therefore, in the affiliated site, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of illegal acts by an unspecified number of users. According to the present invention as set forth in claim 4, since the authentication request from the affiliated site is charged, it is possible to appropriately charge the affiliated site for the authentication cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an authentication system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data structure of user information.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing flow in which a user receives issuance of authentication information from an authentication site.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing flow for a user to access a partner site.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a transition example of a screen displayed on the user terminal.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Control means 4 User information database (DB)
20 Authentication System 50-52 Partner Site 70 User Terminal 90 Network

Claims (4)

A user authentication system comprising a tie site on Web, an authentication site that will be connected via the affiliated sites and network,
The authentication site is
A user information database that associates and stores authentication information of a user permitted to access the partner site and name information of the user;
The user acquires the authentication information input to the partner sites by the user, performs an authentication process based on the user information database, and transmits an authentication result to the partner sites, when the authentication is established, which is the authentication Control means for reading out the name information from the user information database and transmitting it to the affiliated site ,
The partner site is
Recording means for recording name information of the authenticated user received from the authentication site;
A collation means for collating the inputted name information and the recorded name information when the authenticated user inputs the name information;
Display means for displaying the inputted name information when the collation by the collation means is established;
User authentication system characterized by comprising a. The authentication site is
An authentication information issuing means for performing an authentication process when issuing a request for issuing authentication information from a user who desires access to the partner site, and issuing the authentication information of the user according to the authentication result ;
User information storage means for associating the issued authentication information with the name information received from the user and storing it in the user information database;
The user authentication system according to claim 1, further comprising: The authentication information issuing means issues the user authentication information when a credit card number applied by a user who desires access to the affiliate site is authenticated by the credit card management company.
The user authentication system according to claim 2. A user authentication method using a partner site on the Web and an authentication site connected to the partner site via a network,
The authentication site is
A process of storing in the user information database in association with the authentication information of the user access to the partner sites is allowed, and designation information of the user, and
Obtaining authentication information entered by the user into the affiliate site;
The authentication process is performed based on the stored authentication information, and an authentication result is transmitted to the affiliate site . When authentication is established, the name information of the authenticated user is read from the user information database and the partnership is performed. The process of sending to the site
Run
The partner site is
Recording name information of the authenticated user received from the authentication site;
When the authenticated user inputs the name information, the process of collating the input name information with the recorded name information;
User authentication method, wherein the verification if satisfied, executes a process of displaying a designation information the input.

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