User authentication apparatus, electronic equipment, and a storage medium embodying a user authentication program

An electronic equipment comprising:

• a unit detecting user's biometric authentication information;
• a unit communicating with a user authentication apparatus which is used in user authentication;
• a unit obtaining, from the user authentication apparatus, store location definition information which defines store locations of various information;
• a unit requesting the user authentication apparatus to provide information while designating a store location which is defined in the store location definition information;
• and
• an information reading unit obtaining as the result of the request, from the user authentication apparatus, the information and identification information which indicates an information type,
• wherein the information reading unit obtains, as one of the information, authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information that has previously been obtained is stored, along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information, and the information reading unit reads the biometric authentication information out of the user authentication apparatus in accordance with the authentication information store location information.

An electronic equipment comprising:

• a unit detecting user's biometric authentication information;
• a unit communicating with a user authentication apparatus which is used in user authentication;
• a unit obtaining, from the user authentication apparatus, store location definition information which defines store locations of various information;
• a unit requesting the user authentication apparatus to provide information while designating a store location which is defined in the store location definition information;
• an information reading unit obtaining, as the result of the request, from the user authentication apparatus, the information and identification information which indicates an information type;
• and
• a requesting unit when obtaining, as one of the information, authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information that has previously been obtained is stored, along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information, designating the location where the biometric authentication information is stored in accordance with the authentication information store location information, and requesting the user authentication apparatus to check the biometric authentication information detected against biometric authentication information stored in the designated location.

A user authentication method comprising:

• a step storing biometric authentication information;
• a step sending, in response to a first inquiry from an electronic equipment which authenticates user's biometric authentication information, store location definition information which defines store locations of various output information;
• and
• an output step sending, in response to a read request sent from the electronic equipment which designates a store location defined by the store location definition information, the output information along with identification information which indicates the type of the output information,
• wherein the output step includes a step outputting, authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information that has previously been obtained is stored, as one of the output information to the electronic equipment along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information.

A user authentication method comprising:

• a step detecting user's biometric authentication information;
• a step obtaining, from a user authentication apparatus which is used for user authentication, store location definition information which defines store locations of various information;
• a step requesting the user authentication apparatus to provide information while designating a store location that is defined in the store location definition information;
• and
• an information reading step obtaining, as the result of the request, the information along with identification information which indicates the type of the information,
• wherein the information reading step includes a step obtaining, as one of the information, authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information is stored, along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information, and a step reading the biometric authentication information out of the user authentication apparatus in accordance with the authentication information store location information.

A user authentication method comprising:

• a step detecting user's biometric authentication information;
• a step obtaining, from a user authentication apparatus which is used in user authentication, store location definition information which defines store locations of various information;
• a step requesting the user authentication apparatus to provide information while designating a store location which is defined in the store location definition information;
• an information reading step obtaining, as the result of the request, from the user authentication apparatus, the information and identification information which indicates an information type;
• and
• a requesting step, when obtaining, as one of the information, authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information that has previously been obtained is stored, along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information, designating the location where the biometric authentication information is stored in accordance with the authentication information store location information, and requesting the user authentication apparatus to check the biometric authentication information detected against biometric authentication information stored in the designated location.

A storage medium readable by a machine, tangible embodying a user authentication program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps comprising:

• a step storing biometric authentication information;
• a step sending, in response to a first inquiry from an electronic equipment which authenticates user's biometric authentication information, store location definition information which defines store locations of various output information;
• and
• an output step outputting, in response to a read request sent from the electronic equipment which designates a store location defined by the store location definition information, the output information along with identification information which indicates the type of the output information,
• wherein the output step includes a step outputting authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information that has previously been obtained is stored, as one of the output information to the electronic equipment along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information.

A storage medium readable by a machine, tangible embodying a user authentication program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps comprising:

• a step detecting user's biometric authentication information;
• a step obtaining, from a user authentication apparatus which is used in user authentication, store location definition information which defines store locations of various information;
• a step requesting the user authentication apparatus to provide information while designating a store location which is defined in the store location definition information;
• and
• an information reading step obtaining, as the result of the request, from the user authentication apparatus, the information and identification information which indicates an information type,
• wherein the information reading step includes a step obtaining, as one of the information, authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information that has previously been obtained is stored, along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information, and a step reading the biometric authentication information out of the user authentication apparatus in accordance with the authentication information store location information.

A storage medium readable by a machine, tangible embodying a user authentication program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps comprising:

• a step detecting user's biometric authentication information;
• a step obtaining, from a user authentication apparatus which is used for user authentication, store location definition information which defines store locations of various information;
• a step requesting the user authentication apparatus to provide information while designating a store location that is defined in the store location definition information;
• an information reading step obtaining, as the result of the request, the information along with identification information which indicates the type of the information;
• and
• a requesting step, when obtaining, as one of the information, authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information that has previously been obtained is stored, along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information, designating the location where the biometric authentication information is stored in accordance with the authentication information store location information, and requesting the user authentication apparatus to check the biometric authentication information detected against biometric authentication information stored in the designated location.

An IC card comprising:

• a storing unit for storing biometric authentication information;
• a unit communicating with an electronic equipment which checks the validity of user's biometric authentication information;
• a unit sending, in response to a first inquiry from the electronic equipment, store location definition information which defines store locations of various output information;
• and
• an output unit outputting, in response to a read request which designates a store location defined by the store location definition information, the output information along with identification information which indicates the type of the output information,
• wherein the output unit outputs, to the electronic equipment as one of the output information, authentication information store location information which describes in a given format where authentication information including the biometric authentication information is stored, along with identification information indicating the authentication information store location information.