Person identification certificate link system, information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program providing medium

An information processing apparatus for authenticating a person by comparing a template corresponding to person identification data acquired from sampling information input by a user, said information processing apparatus comprising an entity which encrypts and stores template information including the template;

• which obtains the encrypted template from a person identification certificate generated by a first certificate authority which is a third-party agency;
• which specifies a public key certificate generated by a second certificate authority which is a third-party agency in accordance with link information stored in the person identification certificate;
• which specifies a cryptographic key to the template based on the specified public key certificate;
• and which encrypts or decrypts the template;
• wherein the person identification certificate stores, as data, an identifier of a different certificate which is linked thereto, wherein said data includes a validity period for the respective certificates, and a group validity period is set to be equal to the shortest validity period of those of the certificates related to each other.

An information processing method for authenticating a person by comparing a template corresponding to person identification data acquired from sampling information input by a user, said information processing method comprising the steps of:

• encrypting and storing template information including the template;
• obtaining the encrypted template from a person identification certificate generated by a first certificate authority which is a third-party agency;
• specifying a public key certificate generated by a second certificate authority which is a third-party agency in accordance with link information stored in the person identification certificate, wherein the person identification certificate stores, as data, an identifier of a different certificate which is linked thereto, wherein said data includes a validity period for the respective certificates, and a group validity period is set to be equal to the shortest validity period of those of the certificates related to each other;
• specifying a cryptographic key to the template based on the specified public key certificate;
• and
• encrypting or decrypting the template.

An information processing method for authenticating a person by comparing a template corresponding to person identification data acquired from sampling information input by a user, said information processing method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining an encrypted template from a person identification certificate generated by a first certificate authority which is a third-party agency;
• authenticating the person based on the template;
• specifying a public key certificate generated by a second certificate authority which is a third-party agency in accordance with link information stored in the person identification certificate, wherein the person identification certificate stores, as data, an identifier of a different certificate which is linked thereto, wherein said data includes a validity period for the respective certificates, and a group validity period is set to be equal to the shortest validity period of those of the certificates related to each other;
• and performing mutual authentication or encrypted data communication with a data communication partner based on the specified public key certificate.

A program providing medium for providing a computer program that causes a computer system to authenticate a person by comparing a template corresponding to person identification data acquired from sampling information input by a user, said computer program performing the steps of:

• encrypting and storing template information including the template;
• and
• obtaining the encrypted template from a person identification certificate generated by a first certificate authority which is a third-party agency;
• specifying a public key certificate generated by a second certificate authority which is a third-party agency in accordance with link information stored in the person identification certificate, wherein the person identification certificate stores, as data, an identifier of a different certificate which is linked thereto, wherein said data includes a validity period for the respective certificates, and a group validity period is set to be equal to the shortest validity period of those of the certificates related to each other;
• specifying a cryptographic key to the template based on the specified public key certificate;
• and
• encrypting or decrypting the template.

A program providing medium for providing a computer program that causes a computer system to authenticate a person by comparing a template corresponding to person identification data acquired from sampling information input by a user, said computer program performing the steps of:

• obtaining an encrypted template from a person identification certificate generated by a first certificate authority which is a third-party agency;
• authenticating the person based on the template;
• specifying a public key certificate generated by a second certificate authority which is a third-party agency in accordance with link information stored in the person identification certificate, wherein the person identification certificate stores, as data, an identifier of a different certificate which is linked thereto, wherein said data includes a validity period for the respective certificates, and a group validity period is set to be equal to the shortest validity period of those of the certificates related to each other;
• and
• performing mutual authentication or encrypted data communication with a data communication partner based on the specified public key certificate.