US 7,797,537 B2Granted

Mobile terminal, data communication method, and computer program

AssigneeSony Corporation

InventorsTaro Kurita, Toshiharu Takemura

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Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a near-field communication device capable of performing near-field wireless communication with an external device, and a controller configured to instruct the external device or the near-field communication device to execute a command. The near-field communication device has a storage unit, a first mutual authentication unit for authenticating the controller and for requesting the controller to authenticate the near-field communication device, a first communication key setting unit for setting a first communication key, a second mutual authentication unit for authenticating the external device and for requesting the external device to authenticate the near-field communication device, and a second communication key setting unit for setting a second communication key. The controller and the near-field communication device perform secure communication using the first communication key, and the near-field communication device and the external device perform secure communication using the second communication key.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A mobile terminal comprising:

a near-field communication device configure to perform near-field wireless communication with an external reader/writer device;
and
a controller configured to instruct:
(a) the external reader/writer device to execute a first command;
and
(b) the near-field communication device to execute a second command;
the near-field communication device including:
(a) a storage unit including:
(i) a controller authentication key storage area for storing a controller authentication key used for mutual authentication with the controller;
and
(ii) an external reader/writer device access key storage area for storing an external reader/writer device access key used for accessing the external reader/writer device;
(b) a first mutual authentication unit configured to:
(i) in response to a mutual authentication request given by the controller, authenticate the controller as being valid based on the controller authentication key;
and
(ii) request the controller to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;
(c) a first communication key setting unit configured to set a first communication key used between the controller and the near-field communication device based on a result of the authentication operation performed by the first mutual authentication unit;
(d) a second mutual authentication unit configured to:
(i) in response to a mutual authentication request applied between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device given by the controller, authenticate the external reader/writer device as being valid based on the external reader/writer device access key;
and
(ii) request the external reader/writer device to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;
and
(e) a second communication key setting unit configured to set a second communication key used between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device based on a result of the authentication operation performed by the second mutual authentication unit;
and
wherein:
(a) the controller and the near-field communication device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the first communication key;
and
(b) the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the second communication key.

24 more elements

A method of operating a mobile terminal having:

(a) a near-field communication device configured to perform near-field wireless communication with an external reader/write device;
and (b) a controller configured to instruct:
(i) the external reader/write device to execute a first command;
and (ii) the near-field communication device to execute a second command, the method comprising:
allocating a controller authentication key storage area for storing a controller authentication key used for mutual authentication with the controller in a storage unit, said storage unit being included in said near-field communication device;
allocating an external reader/write device access key storage area for storing an external reader/write device access key used for accessing the external reader/write device in the storage unit included in the near-field communication device;
in response to a mutual authentication request given by the controller, causing a first mutual authentication unit to:
(a) authenticate the controller as being valid based on the controller authentication key;
and
(b) request the controller to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;
causing a first communication key setting unit to set a first communication key used between the controller and the near-field communication device based on a result of the authentication operation performed by the first mutual authentication unit;
causing a second mutual authentication unit to:
(a) in response to a mutual authentication request applied between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device given by the controller, authenticate the external reader/writer device as being valid based on the external reader/writer device access key;
and
(b) request the external reader/writer device to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;
and
causing a second communication key setting unit to set a second communication key used between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device based on a result of the authentication operation performed at the second mutual authentication step;
and
wherein:
(a) the controller and the near-field communication device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the first communication key;
and
(b) the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the second communication key.

19 more elements

A non-transient computer recordable medium storing instructions structured to cause a mobile terminal having:

(a) a near-field communication device configured to perform near-field wireless communication with an external reader/writer device;
and (b) a controller configured to instruct:
(i) the external reader/writer device to execute a first command;
and (ii) the near-field communication device to execute a second command to:
(a) allocate a controller authentication key storage area for storing a controller authentication key used for mutual authentication with the controller in a storage unit, said storage unit being included in the near-field communication device;
(b) allocate an external reader/writer device access key storage area for storing an external reader/writer device access key used for accessing the external reader/writer device in said storage unit included in the near-field communication device;
(c) in response to a mutual authentication request given by the controller, authenticate the controller as being valid based on the controller authentication key;
(d) request the controller to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;
(e) set a first communication key used between the controller and the near-field communication device based on a result of the authentication operation performed at the first mutual authentication step;
(f) in response to a mutual authentication request applied between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device given by the controller, authenticate the external reader/writer device as being valid based on the external reader/writer device access key;
(g) request the external reader/writer device to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;
and
(h) set a second communication key used between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device based on a result of the authentication operation performed at the second mutual authentication step, wherein:
the controller and the near-field communication device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the first communication key;
and
(ii) the near-field communication device and the reader/writer external device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the second communication key.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/560,656Filed 16 Nov 2006
Priority: JP P2005-33405218 Nov 2005
Published: US 2007/0116292 A124 May 2007
Granted: 14 Sep 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H04L 9/3273
Using challenge-response: for mutual authentication
G06F 21/34
User authentication: involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
G06F 21/35
Involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards: communicating wirelessly
G06F 21/45
Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals: structures or tools for the administration of authentication