Authentication apparatus, electronic driver's license, and authentication system

An authenticating apparatus, comprising:

• an in-vehicle communicating unit for communicating with an electric license card storing license card information including a driver's identification information;
• an authenticating unit for authenticating said license card information;
• an activating unit for activating at least one of operations of a vehicle;
• and a storing unit for storing functions mounted on said vehicle to be permitted for each of drivers by relating said functions to said license card information,
• characterized by that
• said in-vehicle communicating unit being operative to obtain said license card information from said electric license card, and said activating unit activates functions related to said license card information stored in said storing unit, when said authenticating unit correctly authenticates said license card information.

An authenticating apparatus, comprising:

• a communicating unit for communicating with a on-certificate communicating unit mounted on an electric license card;
• a storing unit for storing a security code and corresponding personal information;
• a security code inputting means for inputting said security code for licensing at least one in-vehicle apparatus;
• an information registering/deleting means for registering said security code and said personal information read out from said electric license card in response to said security code inputted from said security code inputting means in said storing unit, and deleting said security code and said personal information registered in said storing unit;
• a security code transmitting means for sequentially transmitting security codes registered in said storing unit from said communicating unit to said on-certificate communicating unit until said electric license card authenticates one of said transmitted security codes, before starting to communicate with said communicating unit;
• a personal authenticating means for activating at least one of said in-vehicle apparatuses, when personal information received by said in-vehicle communicating unit agrees with personal information registered in said storing unit.

An electric license card, comprising:

• a storing unit of storing license card information including driver identifying information;
• and an internal communicating unit for communicating with a vehicle or in-vehicle apparatuses,
• characterized by that
• said storing means is operative to store function information informing about function of vehicle to be activated, and
• said internal communicating unit is operative to inform said license card information and said function information to said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses.

An authenticating system, comprising:

• an electric license card providing a storing unit of storing license card information including driver identifying information, and an internal communicating unit of communicating with a vehicle or in-vehicle apparatuses;
• and an authenticating device providing an in-vehicle communicating unit of communicating with said internal communicating unit, an authenticating unit of authenticating said license card information, and an activating unit of activating of activating the in-vehicle apparatuses,
• characterized by that
• said storing means stores function information informing about function of vehicle to be activated,
• said internal communicating unit being operative to inform said license card information and said function information to said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses,
• said in-vehicle communicating unit is operative to receive said license card information and said activating information for activating said in-vehicle apparatuses,
• said activating means is operative to activate said in-vehicle apparatuses designated by said function information when said authenticating unit correctly authenticates said license card information.

An authenticating system, comprising:

• an electric license card providing a storing unit included in an electric license card of storing license card information and security code for reading out said license card information, a communicating unit included in the electric license card of communicating with a vehicle or in-vehicle apparatuses;
• and a security code authenticating unit for controlling transmitting by said communicating unit included in said electric license card;
• and
• an authenticating device providing a communicating unit mounted in the authenticating device, a security code inputting unit of inputting security code, a storing unit mounted on said authenticating device of storing said security code inputted from said security code inputting unit a security code, transmitting unit of transmitting said security code stored in said storing unit mounted on said authenticating device to said communicating unit mounted on said authenticating device, and a person authenticating unit of authenticating said license card information, and of activating the in-vehicle apparatuses,
• characterized by
• said storing unit included in said electric license card being operative to store function information informing about function of the vehicle,
• said communicating unit mounted on said authenticating device being operative to transmit said security code transmitted from said security code transmitting unit to said electric license card,
• said security code authenticating unit is operative to determine whether or not said security code transmitted from said authenticating device agrees with security code stored in said storing unit included in said electric license card, and transmits said license card information and the function information when said security code authenticating unit determines said security code transmitted from said authenticating device agrees with security code stored in said storing unit included in said electric license card,
• said communicating unit mounted on said authenticating device is operative to receive said license card information and said activating information informing said function to be activated, and
• said person authenticating unit is operative to activate said in-vehicle apparatuses designated by said function information when said person authenticating unit correctly authenticates said license card information.

An authenticating method of authenticating license card information by communicating between an electric license card storing license card information including driver identifying information, and said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses mounted on said vehicle comprising:

• an authentication requesting step of requesting authentication of license card information from an electric license card to a vehicle or in-vehicle apparatuses mounted on said vehicle;
• an authenticating step of authenticating said license card information in said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses;
• an informing step of informing function information informing of said in-vehicle apparatuses to be activated to said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses;
• and
• an activating step of activating said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses when said license card information is correctly authenticated.

An authenticating method of authenticating license card information by communicating between an electric license card storing license card information including driver identifying information, and said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses mounted on said vehicle comprising:

• an authenticating step of authenticating said license card information in said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses;
• an informing step of informing said license card information and said function information to said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses mounted on said vehicle when said electric license card determines that said security code transmitted from said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses mounted on said vehicle agrees with said security code stored in said electric license card,
• a receiving step of receiving said license card information and function information designating said in-vehicle apparatuses to be activated by said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses mounted on said vehicle,
• an activating step of activating said in-vehicle apparatuses designated by function information when said vehicle or said in-vehicle apparatuses correctly authenticates said license card information.