Communication authentication device and communication system equipped with the same

Abstract

To provide a communication authentication device and a communication system that can easily and safely perform authentication for connecting a communication device to an access point, and can improve the convenience and safety by appropriately controlling communication with the communication device.SOLUTION: A communication authentication device (10) performs authentication for connecting a communication device (20) to a wireless LAN access point (40), and includes: an NFC unit (12) having a function of performing authentication by performing communication using NFC with the communication device (20) by proximity or contact with the communication device (20); and a power supply circuit (13). When the power supply circuit (13) is in a completely power-off state or a power-saving state, in response to start of communication with the communication device (20) in the NFC unit (12). the communication authentication device performs control to start up the power supply circuit (13) from the completely power-off state or the power-saving state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication authentication device that includes a communication unit having a function of performing wireless communication in close proximity and authenticates a communication device using the communication unit, and a communication system that includes the communication authentication device.

[0002] In order to connect a terminal device equipped with a wireless communication function, such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC, to a wireless LAN environment (access point: AP), the security of the wireless LAN environment can be ensured by configuring the wireless LAN environment so that only authenticated specific terminal devices can connect. Conventionally, this authentication procedure is performed by inputting authentication information, such as an ID and a password, into the terminal device to permit connection to a preset access point (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, since the terminal device cannot be connected to the wireless LAN environment unless such an authentication procedure is performed, there is a problem that the terminal device cannot be easily connected to the wireless LAN environment and used in, for example, a restaurant, a retail store, or a hotel room or lobby.

[0003] For example, in a restaurant, it would be convenient if customers could order products or services by operating a wireless device such as a smartphone connected to an access point of the wireless LAN. However, in this case, in order to properly manage the orders of customers, it is necessary to build a system that can properly process orders placed from a smartphone or the like.

[0004] Furthermore, in wireless LAN environments in restaurants, retail stores, and other establishments, as well as in hotel rooms and lobbies, it may be necessary to limit the connection time and number of connections of a terminal device to an access point. There is also a demand for understanding the history of past connections of a particular terminal device to an access point, and changing the content displayed on the display screen of the terminal device in accordance with the history. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to efficiently control the connection of terminal devices to access points. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-345819 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication authentication device and a communication system that can easily and safely perform authentication for connecting a communication device to an access point, and can improve convenience and safety by appropriately controlling communication with the communication device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the communication authentication device of the present invention is a communication authentication device (10) that performs authentication to connect a communication device (20) to an access point (40) of a wireless LAN, and includes an NFC unit (12) having a function of performing authentication to connect the communication device (20) to the access point (40) by performing communication using NFC with the communication device (20) when the communication device (20) is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device (20), a control unit (11, 14) that controls the NFC unit (12), and a power supply circuit (13) that supplies power to a system of the communication authentication device (10) including the NFC unit (12) and the control unit (11, 14), wherein the control unit (11, 14) controls the power supply circuit (13) to start up from a completely powered off state or a power saving state when communication with the communication device (20) is performed by the NFC unit (12) when the power supply circuit (13) is in a completely powered off state or a power saving state.

[0008] The communication authentication device of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration is a communication authentication device equipped with an NFC unit having a function of performing authentication for connecting a communication device, such as a smartphone or a mobile PC, to an access point of a wireless LAN by communicating with the communication device using NFC when the communication device is brought into close proximity or in contact with the communication device, and therefore it is possible to easily and safely perform authentication for connecting the communication device to the access point.

[0009] In addition, in this communication authentication device, when the power circuit is in a completely powered off state or a power-saving state, control is performed to start the power circuit from the completely powered off state or the power-saving state when communication with a communication device is performed via the NFC unit, so that the power circuit of the communication authentication device can be started to supply power only when necessary, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of the communication authentication device. Also, by configuring the power circuit to be started when communication is performed via the NFC unit, it is possible to quickly and reliably authenticate the communication device.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a communication system (100) including a communication device (20) and a communication authentication device (10) that performs authentication for connecting the communication device (20) to a wireless LAN access point (40), wherein the communication device (20) includes a storage unit (25) that stores an application having a function for receiving authentication by the communication authentication device (10), and a display unit (26) that displays information related to the application, and the communication authentication device (10) performs communication using NFC with the communication device (20) by bringing the communication device (20) into close proximity or contact with the communication device (20), thereby authenticating the communication device (20). and an NFC unit (12) having a function of performing authentication for connecting a communication device (20) to the access point (40), the communication authentication device (10) performs authentication for connecting the communication device (20) to the access point (40) by performing communication using NFC with the communication device (20) when the communication device (20) is brought into close proximity or contact with the communication device (20), and the authenticated communication device (20) displays authentication information of the access point (40) to which the communication device (20) is connected or displays image data including the authentication information on the display unit (26). Note that the image data including the authentication information referred to here may be, for example, a barcode or two-dimensional code including the authentication information.

[0011] According to the communication system of the present invention, the display unit of an authenticated communication device is configured to display authentication information of an access point to which the communication device is connected or image data including the authentication information (for example, image data of a two-dimensional code), and this authentication information or the image data including the authentication information can be used to authenticate another communication device to connect to the access point. That is, for example, when authentication information (such as an ID and a password for authentication) is displayed on the display unit of an authenticated communication device, the display of the authentication information can be input to the other communication device to authenticate the other communication device. Also, when image data including the authentication information is displayed on the display unit, the image data can be captured and imported by an imaging means of the other communication device to authenticate the other communication device. Therefore, authentication of the connection of the other communication device to the access point can be safely performed by a simple procedure.

[0012] In this case, the authentication information of the access point (40) itself or image data including the authentication information may be displayed for only a predetermined period of time. In this case, the predetermined period of time may be, for example, about 60 to 120 seconds. By limiting the display period to a predetermined period of time, the authentication information can be protected.

[0013] The present invention also relates to a communication system (100) including a communication device (20) and a communication authentication device (10) that authenticates data transmitted from the communication device (20), wherein the communication authentication device (10) includes a first communication unit (12) having a function of authenticating data transmitted from the communication device (20) by communicating with the communication device (20) using NFC when the communication device (20) is brought into proximity or contact with the communication device, and a second communication unit (18) that performs other wireless communication using a communication method different from that of the first communication unit (12), wherein the first communication unit (12) of the communication authentication device (10) authenticates data transmitted from the communication device (20) by communicating with the communication device (20) using NFC when the communication device (20) is brought into proximity or contact with the communication device, and wherein data transmitted from the communication device (20) that has been authenticated by the communication authentication device (10) is transmitted to another communication device (70) for receiving via the second communication unit (18) of the communication authentication device (10). In this case, the data may be transmitted from the second communication unit (18) to another receiving communication device (70) via a server (50) or the like on the communication network (W), or the data may be transmitted directly from the second communication unit (18) to the other receiving communication device (70) without passing through the server (50).

[0014] According to the communication system of the present invention, the data transmitted from the communication device authenticated by the communication authentication device is transmitted to another communication device for reception via the second communication unit of the communication authentication device, so that only the information permitted by the communication authentication device among the data transmitted from the communication device is transmitted to the other communication device. That is, for example, in a restaurant, a customer inputs information about an order by operating a communication device such as his / her smartphone. In this case, the data about the order can be transmitted to the store operator's computer, which is a receiving communication device in the store, only when the customer brings the communication device close to or into contact with the communication authentication device. Furthermore, the data transmitted from the smartphone at this time is transmitted to the store operator's computer via the communication authentication device, so that if the transmitted data has been tampered with, the transmission of the data can be prevented or the data can be transmitted after appropriate correction. As a result, the customer can safely and reliably place an order from his / her own smartphone, and the store operator can safely and properly receive the order from the customer's smartphone.

[0015] The present invention also relates to a communication system including a communication device (20) and a communication authentication device (10) that authenticates data transmitted from the communication device (20), the communication authentication device (10) including a first communication unit (12) having a function of authenticating data transmitted from the communication device (20) by performing NFC communication with the communication device upon proximity or contact of the communication device (20), and a second communication unit (18) that performs other wireless communication by a communication method different from that of the first communication unit (12), and the first communication unit (12) of the communication authentication device (10) is configured to authenticate data transmitted from the communication device (20) by performing NFC communication with the communication device upon proximity or contact of the communication device (20). The communication device (20) is authenticated by communicating with the communication device (20) using NFC through contact, and the communication device (20) that has been authenticated by the communication authentication device (10) transmits information indicating that it has been authenticated to a server (50) via a communication network (W) to receive key data (85) for a locking device (80) from the server (50), and transmits the received key data (85) to the locking device (80) using communication via the second communication unit (18) to lock / unlock the locking device (80).

[0016] According to the communication system of the present invention having the above-described configuration, a locking device can be locked / unlocked using a communication device that has been authenticated by the communication authentication device. This enables users of a facility such as a store in which the communication authentication device is installed to open and close doors and the like, thereby improving the convenience of the facility such as a store. The reference numerals in parentheses above are shown as an example of the present invention, and are the reference numerals of corresponding components in the embodiment described below. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The communication authentication device of the present invention and the communication system including the same can easily and safely perform authentication for connecting a communication device to an access point, and can improve the convenience and safety of the communication system by appropriately controlling communication with the communication device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a communication system including a communication authentication device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing functional configurations of a communication authentication device and a smartphone (communication device). FIG. [Diagram 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing performed by the communication authentication device on a smartphone of a store manager. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a processing procedure for setting information about a wireless LAN within a store in the communication authentication device. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing a process flow until an initial display screen is displayed by an application preinstalled on a smartphone. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of an authentication procedure performed by a smartphone application. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of an authentication procedure between a communication authentication device and a smartphone (when only the smartphone is authenticated). [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of an authentication procedure between a communication authentication device and a smartphone (when authenticating another communication device after authenticating the smartphone). [Figure 9] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the procedure for touching a smartphone (a smartphone before authentication) to a communication authentication device for authentication, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the procedure for passing authentication information from an authenticated smartphone to another communication device for which authentication has not been completed. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart for explaining a process in which a visitor (customer) of a store uses his / her smartphone to send order information for products or the like to a computer of a store manager. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram for explaining a procedure in which a smartphone acquires key data for a locking device from a server. FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for unlocking a locking device using a smartphone. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in which the smartphone acquires key data for a locking device from a server and unlocks the locking device with the acquired key data. [Figure 14] 11 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for an administrator of the communication authentication device to select and set a function that can be set in the communication authentication device that he or she manages. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a communication system including a communication authentication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a communication system 100 of the present embodiment is configured to include a wireless LAN access point 40 installed in a restaurant 200, for example, a computer (communication device) 70 owned by a store manager in the store 200, a smartphone (communication device) 80 owned by the store manager in the store 200, a communication authentication device 10 arranged in the store 200, and a smartphone 20 or PC 30, which is a communication device owned by a visitor (customer) who visits the store 200. The communication authentication device 10 is a device capable of communicating with a communication device such as the smartphone 20 by an NFC (Near Field Communication) communication method that performs wireless communication in a state of close proximity or contact. In this communication system 100, the communication authentication device 10 is configured to authenticate a customer's communication device such as a smartphone 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as the smartphone 20) via NFC communication, thereby establishing a connection between the smartphone 20 and another communication device such as a PC 30 to an access point 40. That is, in this communication system 100, when an authentication procedure is completed by wireless communication using NFC between the communication authentication device 10 and the smartphone 20, the smartphone 20 or the PC 30 can be connected to the wireless LAN access point 40.

[0020] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the communication authentication device 10 and the smartphone 20. The functional configuration of the communication authentication device 10 and the smartphone 20 included in the communication system 100 will be described with reference to the same figure. Note that, in the following, the configuration of the smartphone 20 of the store visitor will be described as an example, but the smartphone 80 of the store manager has the same configuration.

[0021] The communication authentication device 10 includes a microcomputer module 11, an NFC circuit (first communication unit) 12, and a power supply circuit 13. The microcomputer module 11 further includes a CPU (control unit) 14 that controls each unit constituting the communication authentication device 10, a ROM 15 and a RAM 16 that are storage means for storing data, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication circuit (second communication unit) 17, and a wireless LAN communication circuit 18. The NFC circuit 12 includes a sensor unit 12a for communication with the outside, and is configured to enable wireless communication with a smartphone 20 by NFC via the sensor unit 12a. The Bluetooth communication circuit 17 is configured to enable wireless communication with the smartphone 20 by the Bluetooth communication method. The wireless LAN communication circuit 18 is configured to enable wireless communication with a wireless LAN access point (AP) 40 by a wireless LAN communication method such as the Wi-Fi standard.

[0022] The smartphone 20 includes a CPU (control unit) 21 that controls each unit constituting the smartphone 20, an NFC circuit 22, a Bluetooth communication circuit 23, a wireless LAN communication circuit 24, a storage unit 25 in which various data are stored, a display unit 26 that outputs image information, and an input device 27 such as a touch panel. The NFC circuit 22 includes a sensor unit 22a for communication with the outside, and is configured to enable wireless communication by NFC with the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10 via the sensor unit 22a. The Bluetooth communication circuit 23 is configured to enable wireless communication by the Bluetooth communication method with the Bluetooth communication circuit 17 of the communication authentication device 10. The wireless LAN communication circuit 24 is configured to enable wireless communication by the wireless LAN communication method such as the Wi-Fi standard with the communication authentication device 10 and with the wireless LAN access point 40.

[0023] The smartphone 20 is also installed with application software for performing an authentication procedure with the communication authentication device 10 through wireless communication using NFC and for connecting to a wireless LAN access point based on this authentication. This application software is downloaded and installed from a website or the like stored on a server 50 that provides the application software by connecting the smartphone 20 to the Internet (communication network) W (see FIG. 1) in advance.

[0024] Here, the above-mentioned communication by NFC is a wireless communication technology that allows communication when two devices are in close proximity (a state where the devices are separated by a distance of several centimeters to several tens of centimeters) or in contact with each other (hereinafter, both of these may be simply referred to as "proximity"). Therefore, the NFC circuit 22 of the smartphone 20 is configured to be arranged in close proximity to the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10 so as to be able to perform wireless communication by NFC with the communication authentication device 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the smartphone 20 can be configured to communicate with the communication authentication device 10 by touching (or holding) the main body of the smartphone 20 to the sensor unit 12a of the NFC circuit 12 provided on the surface of the communication authentication device 10 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "NFC touch"). In addition, communication by the wireless LAN communication method and the Bluetooth communication method is a wireless communication technology that is performed when two devices are separated by a distance of several meters to several tens of meters, and compared to communication by NFC, communication is possible even when the two devices are separated by a long distance.

[0025] Here, a procedure for a process of establishing BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication by NFC touch between the communication authentication device 10 and the store manager's smartphone 80 will be described. Note that the process of establishing this BLE communication is mainly performed on the store manager's smartphone 80, which is a terminal for setting (initial settings) the communication authentication device 10, but it can also be performed on other communication devices such as the customer's smartphone 20.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process performed by the communication authentication device 10 on the smartphone 80 of the store manager. As shown in the flowchart, in this process, the process is first performed in a state where the communication authentication device 10 is powered off or in a power-saving mode (ST1-1). Here, a case where the communication authentication device 10 is powered off or in a power-saving mode will be described, but this process is also possible when the communication authentication device 10 is powered on. Next, it is determined whether or not there has been an NFC touch with the smartphone 80 (ST1-2). As a result, if there has been no NFC touch with the smartphone 80 (NO), the process returns to ST1-1, and if there has been an NFC touch with the smartphone 80 (YES), the system (power supply circuit 13) of the communication authentication device 10 is started (ST1-3). In this way, in the communication authentication device 10 of this embodiment, when the power supply circuit 13 is in a completely powered off state or a power-saving state, it is possible to control the power supply circuit 13 to start up from the completely powered off state or the power-saving state when communication with the smartphone 80 is performed by the NFC unit 12.

[0027] After that, the communication authentication device 10 enters a BLE searchable state and transmits a BLE advertisement packet (ST1-4). Here, the BLE advertisement packet includes a unique ID of the NFC chip. Then, the smartphone 80 touched to the communication authentication device 10 performs authentication by responding only to advertisement packets that match the ID of the communication authentication device 10 obtained from the NFC. As a result, it is determined whether or not BLE communication can be established within a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) (ST1-5). As a result, if BLE communication cannot be established within the predetermined time (NO), the process returns to ST1-1, and if BLE communication can be established within the predetermined time (YES), command processing by BLE communication (BLE command processing) is performed (ST1-6). In this BLE command processing, for example, state notification, password authentication, and net transmission and reception processing are performed. In addition, as processing involving password authentication, net connection settings (Wi-Fi information, server settings), rewriting of NFC tags, firmware update processing, and the like are performed. Thereafter, the BLT connection is disconnected and the process returns to step ST1-1. By carrying out the process shown in FIG. 3, the store manager can perform necessary settings on the communication authentication device 10 using a communication device such as a smartphone 80 that the store manager owns.

[0028] Next, a procedure of a process for setting information on a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi, etc.) in a store in the communication authentication device 10 as a preparation for performing an authentication procedure of the smartphone 20 by the communication authentication device 10 will be described. Here, a case where the store manager performs the process using his own smartphone 80 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a screen display of the smartphone 80 when performing this process. Here, a setting and management application is installed in advance in the smartphone 80 of the store manager, and the process is performed using the function of the application. First, a display prompting the activation of an NFC reader (NFC circuit) is displayed on the initial screen of the application shown in FIG. 4(a). When the activation of the NFC reader is instructed according to this display, the NFC reader is activated as shown in FIG. 4(b). In this state, the main body of the smartphone 80 is touched (close to or in contact with) the sensor unit 12a of the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10. As a result, the communication authentication device 10 is detected by the application of the smartphone 80, and a display screen shown in FIG. 4(c) is displayed on the display unit (display screen) of the smartphone 80. On this screen, the user enters information required for setting up the communication authentication device 10 (here, the SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​of the in-store wireless LAN, password, communication method, and information on the setting period). When the input is complete, a message prompting the user to start the NFC reader again appears. When the user instructs the user to start the NFC reader according to this message, the NFC reader starts up, as shown in FIG. 1(d). In this state, the smartphone 80 is touched (brought close to or touched) to the sensor unit 12a of the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10. As a result, the information entered into the smartphone 80 is sent to the communication authentication device 10, as shown in FIG. 1(e), and the setting of the communication authentication device 10 is completed.

[0029] The authentication procedure of the smartphone 20 by the communication authentication device 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process flow until an initial display screen is displayed on the display unit 26 by an application (application software) previously installed on the smartphone 20. First, the smartphone 20 (application) judges whether or not the data of the ID list of the communication authentication device 10 that authenticates the connection has been acquired (ST2-1). As a result, if the data of the ID list has been acquired (YES), it is then judged whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the data of the ID list was acquired (ST2-2). The predetermined time here can be one hour as an example. As a result, if the predetermined time has not passed (NO), the initial screen is displayed (ST2-3). On the other hand, if the data of the ID list has not been acquired in the previous ST2-1 (NO), or if the predetermined time has passed since the data of the ID list was acquired in the previous ST2-2 (YES), it is judged whether or not the smartphone 20 is connected to the Internet W (ST2-4). As a result, if the smartphone 20 is not connected to the Internet W (NO), the initial screen (error display) is displayed (ST2-5). The content (text) of the error display at this time may be, for example, "Initial setup is required. Please connect to the Internet once." On the other hand, if the Internet W is connected in ST2-4 (YES), the ID list data is acquired from the target website via the Internet W (ST2-6). Thereafter, it is determined whether the ID list data acquisition is successful (ST2-7). As a result, if the ID list data acquisition is not successful (NO), the initial screen (error display) is displayed (ST2-5). The content (text) of the error display at this time may be, for example, "Failed to acquire list data. Please restart the app and acquire again." On the other hand, if the ID list data acquisition is successful in ST2-7 (YES), it is next determined whether the ID list data has been saved (stored) in the storage unit 25 of the smartphone 20 (ST2-8). As a result, if the ID list data has not been saved (NO), the initial screen (error display) is displayed (ST2-5). The content (text) of the error display at this time may be, for example, "Failed to save list data.Please restart the app and reacquire the necessary data." On the other hand, if the device ID list data has been saved in ST2-8 (YES), the initial screen is displayed (ST2-3).

[0030] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the authentication procedure of the smartphone 20 by the communication authentication device 10 (processing from pressing the NFC activation button to connecting to a wireless LAN). The flowchart in the figure shows the flow until the smartphone 20 connects to the access point 40 by operating an application installed in advance on the smartphone 20. As shown in FIG. 6, first, the application is started on the smartphone 20, and an NFC tap screen is displayed (ST3-1). Then, it is determined whether or not an NFC tap has been performed (the NFC activation button has been pressed) on the NFC tap screen (ST3-2). As a result, if an NFC tap has not been performed (NO), the NFC tap screen is closed after a predetermined time (for example, about 60 seconds) has elapsed (ST3-3). On the other hand, if an NFC tap has been performed in ST3-2 (YES), it is then determined whether or not the acquisition of NFC data has been successful (ST3-4). As a result, if the acquisition of NFC data has not been successful (NO), an initial screen (error display) is displayed (ST3-5). The content (text) of the error display at this time is, for example, "NFC could not be acquired correctly. Please try again." On the other hand, if it is determined in ST3-4 that the NFC data has been successfully acquired (YES), it is then determined whether the NFC data and the ID of the communication authentication device 10 can be authenticated (ST3-6). Specifically, the authentication here is performed by comparing the acquired NFC data and ID with a list and determining whether the corresponding one is in the list. As a result, if the NFC data and ID cannot be authenticated (NO), an initial screen (error display) is displayed (ST3-5). The content (text) of the error display at this time is, for example, "The used NFC is not compatible with this application." On the other hand, if the NFC data and the device ID can be authenticated in ST3-6 (YES), it is then determined whether the acquired data includes information that can identify Wi-Fi (for example, JSON (JavaScript (registered trademark) Object Notation) of Wi-Fi, etc.) (ST3-8). As a result, if the information that can identify Wi-Fi is not included (NO), an initial screen (error display) is displayed (ST3-5).The content (text) of the error display at this time may be, for example, "Wi-Fi service is not available with this NFC." On the other hand, if information that can identify Wi-Fi is included in ST3-8 (YES), it is then determined whether or not the connection to Wi-Fi was successful (ST3-9). As a result, if it is determined that the connection to Wi-Fi was not successful (NO), the initial screen (error display) is displayed (ST3-5). The content (text) of the error display at this time may be, for example, "Could not connect to available Wi-Fi. Please try again." On the other hand, if it is determined in ST3-9 that the connection to Wi-Fi was successful (YES), the connection is complete.

[0031] Next, FIGS. 7 and 8 are flowcharts showing the flow of an authentication procedure performed between the communication authentication device 10 and the smartphone 20. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow when only the smartphone 20 is connected to the access point 40, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow when, after the smartphone 20 is connected, another communication device, the PC 30, is further connected to the access point 40.

[0032] In the flowchart of Fig. 7, first, the smartphone 20 is touched to the communication authentication device 10 for authentication (ST4-1). Specifically, an NFC tap screen is displayed on the display unit 26 of the smartphone 20, and in this state, the main body of the smartphone 20 is touched (brought into close proximity or into contact) with the sensor unit 12a of the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10. This causes the communication authentication device 10 to authenticate the smartphone 20. Also, at this time, even if the power supply circuit 13 is in a completely powered-off state or a power-saving state, the communication authentication device 10 controls the power supply circuit 13 to start up from the completely powered-off state or the power-saving state when communication with the smartphone 20 is performed by the NFC unit 12.

[0033] Then, when the main body of the smartphone 20 is touched to the sensor unit 12a of the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10, the communication authentication device 10 transmits encrypted data to the smartphone 20 (ST4-2). The smartphone 20 then decrypts the received data and obtains the SSID and password for Wi-Fi from the decrypted data (ST4-3). Then, the smartphone 20 connects to Wi-Fi using the obtained SSID and password (ST4-4). This completes the connection of the smartphone 20 to Wi-Fi.

[0034] 8, first, the smartphone 20 is touched to the communication authentication device 10 for authentication (ST5-1). Specifically, an NFC tap screen is displayed on the display screen of the smartphone 20, and in this state, the main body of the smartphone 20 is touched (brought into close proximity or into contact) with the sensor unit 12a of the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10. This causes the communication authentication device 10 to authenticate the smartphone 20. At this time, even if the power supply circuit 13 is in a completely powered-off state or a power-saving state, the communication authentication device 10 controls the power supply circuit 13 to start up from the completely powered-off state or the power-saving state when communication with the smartphone 20 is performed by the NFC unit 12.

[0035] Then, when the main body of the smartphone 20 is touched to the sensor unit 12a of the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10, encrypted data is transmitted from the communication authentication device 10 to the smartphone 20 (ST5-2). After that, the smartphone 20 decrypts the received data and obtains the SSID and password for Wi-Fi from the decrypted data (ST5-3). Then, a connection to Wi-Fi is made using the obtained SSID and password (ST5-4). This completes the connection of the smartphone to Wi-Fi. Up to this point, the contents are the same as ST4-1 to ST4-4 in FIG. 7.

[0036] After that, the smartphone 20, which is a communication device for which authentication has been completed, passes a Wi-Fi encryption information display for authentication to the PC 30, which is another communication device for which authentication has not been completed (ST5-5). The procedure for passing this encryption information display is specifically performed using the method shown in FIG. 9(b), as described later. After that, the PC 30 decrypts the received data and obtains the SSID and password for Wi-Fi from the data (ST5-6). Then, a connection to Wi-Fi is made using the obtained SSID and password (ST5-7). This completes the connection of the PC to Wi-Fi.

[0037] FIG. 9(a) is a diagram showing a procedure for touching the smartphone 20 (the smartphone 20 before authentication) to the communication authentication device 10 for authentication (steps ST4-1 in FIG. 7 and ST5-1 in FIG. 8), and FIG. 9(b) is a diagram showing a procedure for passing a Wi-Fi encryption information display for authentication from the smartphone 20 for which authentication has been completed to the PC 30 for which authentication has not been completed (step ST5-5 in FIG. 8). In the procedure shown in FIG. 9(a), the smartphone 20 before authentication is authenticated by the communication authentication device 10 by bringing the smartphone 20 before authentication close to the NFC circuit 12 (sensor unit 12a) of the communication authentication device 10. This allows the smartphone 20 to be connected to the access point 40. Also, in the procedure shown in FIG. 9(b)(i), the two-dimensional code 61 displayed on the display unit 26 of the authenticated smartphone 20 is acquired by an imaging means (not shown) such as a camera attached to the PC 30, and the SSID and password are input to the PC 30. 9(b)(ii), the SSID and password 62 displayed on the display unit 26 of the smartphone 20 are manually input (by inputting characters via the input device 27 such as a keyboard) into the PC 30. This allows the PC 30 to recognize the Wi-Fi SSID and password. In this case, it is desirable to limit the time during which the two-dimensional code 61, SSID, and password 62 are displayed on the display unit 26 of the authenticated smartphone 20 to a predetermined time (for example, about 60 to 120 seconds). By limiting the display time to the predetermined time in this way, it is possible to prevent the authentication information from being accidentally leaked as much as possible, and to ensure the security of the wireless LAN.

[0038] As described above, the communication authentication device 10 of the present embodiment includes an NFC circuit (NFC section) 12 having a function of performing authentication for connecting the smartphone 20 to the access point 40 by performing communication using NFC with the smartphone 20 when the smartphone (communication device) 20 is brought into proximity with or in contact with the smartphone 20, a microcomputer module 11 having a CPU 14 that controls the NFC circuit 12, and a power supply circuit 13 that supplies power to the system of the communication authentication device 10 including the NFC circuit 12 and the microcomputer module 11 (CPU 14). When the power supply circuit 13 is in a completely powered-off state or a power-saving state, control is performed to start up the power supply circuit 13 from the completely powered-off state or the power-saving state when communication with the smartphone 20 is performed by the NFC section 12.

[0039] According to the communication authentication device 10 having the above configuration, in the communication authentication device 10 including the NFC circuit 12 having a function of performing authentication for connecting the smartphone 20 to the wireless LAN access point 40 by performing communication using NFC with the smartphone 20 by the proximity or contact of the smartphone 20, when the power supply circuit 13 is in a completely powered off state or a power saving state, the power supply circuit 13 is controlled to be started from the completely powered off state or the power saving state in response to communication with the smartphone 20 by the NFC circuit 12, so that the power supply circuit 13 of the communication authentication device 10 can be started to supply power only when necessary, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of the communication authentication device 10. Also, since the power supply circuit 13 is configured to be started in response to communication by the NFC circuit 12, the authentication of the smartphone 20 can be performed quickly and reliably.

[0040] The communication system 100 of the present embodiment includes a smartphone 20 and a communication authentication device 10 that performs authentication to connect the smartphone 20 to an access point 40 of a wireless LAN. The smartphone 20 includes a storage unit 25 that stores an application having a function for receiving authentication by the communication authentication device 10, and a display unit 26 that displays information related to the application. The communication authentication device 10 includes an NFC circuit 12 that has a function of performing authentication to connect the smartphone 20 to the access point 40 by performing communication using NFC with the smartphone 20 when the smartphone 20 is brought into proximity or contact with the smartphone 20. The communication authentication device 10 performs authentication to connect the smartphone 20 to the access point 40 by performing communication using NFC with the smartphone 20 when the smartphone 20 is brought into proximity or contact with the smartphone 20, and the authenticated smartphone 20 is configured to display authentication information (SSID and password) 62 of the access point 40 to which the smartphone 20 is connected or a two-dimensional code 61 including the authentication information on the display unit 26.

[0041] According to the communication system 100 having the above configuration, the display unit 26 of the authenticated smartphone 20 is configured to display the authentication information 62 of the access point 40 to which the smartphone 20 is connected or the two-dimensional code 61 including the authentication information, and by using the display of the authentication information 62 or the two-dimensional code 61 including the authentication information, it is possible to perform authentication for connecting the PC 30, which is another communication device, to the access point 40. That is, when the authentication information 62 is displayed on the display unit 26 of the authenticated smartphone 20, the display of the authentication information 62 can be manually input to the PC 30 to perform authentication of the PC 30. Also, when the two-dimensional code 61 including the authentication information is displayed on the display unit 26, the two-dimensional code 61 can be captured and imported by the camera (imaging means) of the PC 30 to perform authentication of the PC 30. Therefore, it is possible to perform authentication of the connection of the PC 30 to the access point 40 safely by a simple procedure.

[0042] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description of the second embodiment and the corresponding drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description of those components will be omitted below. In addition, matters other than those described below and those not shown in the drawings are the same as those in the first embodiment. This also applies to the third and subsequent embodiments.

[0043] In this embodiment, when a customer of the store 200 orders a product or the like from his / her smartphone 20, the communication authentication device 10 is configured to authenticate the transmission of order data from the smartphone 20. Therefore, in this embodiment, whether the smartphone 20 is connected to the access point 40 of the wireless LAN environment in the store 200 is not directly relevant, and the connection of the smartphone 20 to the access point 40 of the wireless LAN in the store 200 by authentication of the communication authentication device 10 is not necessarily performed. On the other hand, the communication authentication device 10 is connected to the access point 40 of the wireless LAN by the wireless LAN communication circuit 18, and is connected to a server 50 on the Internet W via the wireless LAN. Therefore, the data exchange between the smartphone 20 and the in-store computer 70 and the data exchange between the communication authentication device 10 and the in-store computer 70 described below are performed via the server 50.

[0044] The process in which a visitor (customer) of the store 200 uses his / her smartphone 20 to send order information for products, etc. to the store manager's computer 70 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of this process. First, when the visitor enters the store 200, authentication is performed by touching the smartphone 20 to the NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10 (NFC touch) (ST6-1). This NFC touch causes the communication authentication device 10 to authenticate the smartphone 20 and put the smartphone 20 into a store-entered state (ST6-2). This also causes NFC data to be transmitted from the communication authentication device 10 to the smartphone 20 (ST6-3). The smartphone 20 receives the transmitted NFC data and checks and approves the received NFC data (ST6-4).

[0045] Furthermore, by performing the above authentication, the communication authentication device 10 and the store operator's computer 70 can transmit content including store information (for example, information on the day's bargain products and services) to the customer's smartphone 20 via the Internet W or the like. Furthermore, the communication authentication device 10 can identify the customer who owns the smartphone 20 from the information obtained from the customer's smartphone 20 at the time of authentication, and based on this, the store operator's computer 70 can grasp the customer's past store visit history and product purchase history, etc. Therefore, the content to be transmitted can be different content (information) for each customer depending on the customer's store visit history and purchase history, etc.

[0046] After that, the customer inputs order information for products, etc., using the authenticated smartphone 20 (places an order) (ST6-5). The input of order information for products, etc., is performed, for example, by selecting a desired product from a list of menus displayed on the display screen of the smartphone 20. Then, it is determined whether or not an NFC touch has been performed on the smartphone 20 to the communication authentication device 10 (ST6-6). As a result, if an NFC touch has not been performed (NO), the process waits until an NFC touch is performed, and proceeds to the next step only if an NFC touch has been performed (YES). After an NFC touch is performed, if the smartphone 20 is not connected to the Internet (communication network) W (NO in ST6-7), the order data is transmitted from the smartphone 20 to the communication authentication device 10 (ST6-8). The data is transmitted and received via the wireless LAN communication circuits 24, 18. The communication authentication device 10, which has received the transmitted order data, checks the transmitted order data and adjusts it to the correct data (if necessary) (ST6-9). The checking and adjustment of the order data here means, for example, checking that the order data sent by the sender has not been inappropriately tampered with (such as tampering with the fee data or the orderer information), and correcting the order data to the correct data if such tampering has been done. The checked and adjusted order data is then sent from the communication authentication device 10 to the store operator's computer 70 via the server 50 on the Internet W (ST6-10). The data transmission by the communication authentication device 10 at this time is performed via the wireless LAN communication circuit 18. On the other hand, if the smartphone 20 is connected to the Internet W in the previous ST6-7 (YES in ST6-7), the order data is sent from the smartphone 20 directly via the Internet W to the store operator's computer 70 via the server 50 (ST6-11). The store operator's computer 70 receives the order data sent via any of the above routes and confirms the order (ST6-12). Thereafter, the store manager's computer 70 transmits a confirmation of receipt of the order to the customer's smartphone 20 via the server 50 (ST6-13).The smartphone 20 that has received the confirmation of receipt of the order confirms that the order has been accepted without any problems (ST6-14). If another order is received, the above-mentioned processes from ST6-5 to ST6-14 are repeated.

[0047] As described above, the communication system 100 of the second embodiment is a communication system 100 including a smartphone 20 and a communication authentication device 10 that authenticates data transmitted from the smartphone 20. The communication authentication device 10 includes an NFC circuit (first communication unit) 12 having a function of authenticating data transmitted from the smartphone 20 by communicating with the smartphone 20 using NFC when the smartphone 20 is brought into proximity or contact with the smartphone 20, and a wireless LAN communication circuit 18 that performs other wireless communication using a communication method different from that of the NFC circuit 12. The NFC circuit 12 of the communication authentication device 10 authenticates data transmitted from the smartphone 20 by communicating with the smartphone 20 using NFC when the smartphone 20 is brought into proximity or contact with the smartphone 20, and data transmitted from the smartphone 20 that has been authenticated by the communication authentication device 10 is transmitted from the wireless LAN communication circuit 18 of the communication authentication device 10 via the access point 40 to a store operator's computer (receiving communication device) 70 via a server 50 on the Internet W.

[0048] According to the communication system 100 of the present embodiment, data transmitted from the smartphone 20 authenticated by the communication authentication device 10 is transmitted from the wireless LAN communication circuit 18 of the communication authentication device 10 via the access point 40 to the store manager's computer 70 via the server 50 on the Internet W. This makes it possible to transmit only information permitted (authenticated) by the communication authentication device 10 among the data transmitted from the smartphone 20 to the store manager's computer 70, which is another communication device. That is, for example, in a restaurant, a visitor (customer) inputs information about an order by operating a communication device such as his / her smartphone 20. In this case, the data about the order can be transmitted to the store manager's computer 70 only when the visitor brings the smartphone 20 close to or into contact (NFC touch) with the communication authentication device 10. Furthermore, the data transmitted from the smartphone 20 at this time is transmitted to the store manager's computer 70 via the communication authentication device 10, so that if the transmitted data has been inappropriately tampered with, the transmission of the data can be blocked or the data can be transmitted after being appropriately modified. This enables customers to safely and reliably place orders from their own smartphones 20, etc., and enables the store operator to safely and properly receive orders from customers' smartphones 20, etc.

[0049] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 are diagrams for explaining the procedure of the third embodiment. In this embodiment, a visitor to a store can use his / her smartphone 20 to unlock a locking device 80 provided on a door 90 or the like of a room in the store. To achieve this, the visitor authenticates his / her smartphone 20 with the communication authentication device 10, and based on the authentication, the smartphone 20 receives (downloads) key data (key as so-called electronic data) 85 required to unlock the locking device 80 from the server 50 via the Internet W, and unlocks the locking device 80 using the received key data 85. Details of this will be described below.

[0050] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of this embodiment. Note that the step numbers shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 correspond to the steps shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13. In the flowchart of FIG. 13, first, a customer of a store touches his / her smartphone 20 to the communication authentication device 10 for authentication (ST7-1). This completes authentication of the smartphone 20 in the communication authentication device 10 (ST7-2). With this authentication completed, a command to set a flag permitting generation of key data 85 (described later) is transmitted from the communication authentication device 10 to the server 50 (ST7-18). This command is transmitted using a value generated when authentication is completed in the previous ST7-2. Then, in the server 50 that receives the command, a generation flag (a flag indicating generation OK) for the key data 85 is set (ST7-19). Note that these ST7-18 and ST7-19 are not essential steps and can be omitted. That is, when a specification is adopted in which the key data 85 is generated without setting the flag in ST7-19, ST7-18 and ST7-19 can be omitted. After that, the communication authentication device 10 transmits the encrypted data to the smartphone 20 (ST7-3). The smartphone 20 receives the encrypted data (ST7-4). Then, the smartphone 20 transmits the received encrypted data to the server 50 via the Internet W to request key data 85 for the locking device 80 (ST7-5). The server 50 that receives the request for the key data 85 generates the key data 85 based on the encrypted data (ST7-6). Here, when the generation flag for the key data 85 is set in the previous step ST7-19 (when the specification for setting the flag is adopted), the key is generated on the condition that the flag is set. Then, the generated key data 85 is transmitted to the smartphone 20 via the Internet W (ST7-7). In this way, the key data 85 is stored (obtained) in the smartphone 20 (ST7-8).

[0051] Thereafter, the customer touches the smartphone 20 to a locking device 80 provided on the door 90 or the like to perform authentication (ST7-9). As a result, authentication of the smartphone 20 is completed by the locking device 80 (ST7-10), and the locking device 80 notifies the smartphone 20 of the completion of authentication (ST7-11). As shown in FIG. 12, the locking device 80 includes an NFC unit 82 and a Bluetooth communication circuit 83. The authentication procedure of the smartphone 20 by the locking device 80 in the above ST7-9 to ST7-11 is performed by wireless communication using NFC by the NFC unit 82. After this authentication is completed, the smartphone 20 subsequently transmits key data 85 to the locking device 80 (ST7-12), and the locking device 80 receives the transmitted key data 85 (ST7-13). The transmission of the key data 85 from the smartphone 20 to the locking device 80 and the reception of the key data 85 by the locking device 85 are performed by wireless communication using the Bluetooth communication method by the Bluetooth communication circuit 83 of the locking device 85. After that, the locking device 85 authenticates the key data 85 (ST7-14). The authentication of the key data 85 by the locking device 80 may be performed between the server 50 and the locking device 85 via the Internet W, or the authentication may be performed using an authentication method built into the locking device 85. If the authentication determines that the key data 85 is correct (YES in ST7-15), the locking device 85 is unlocked (ST7-16), and if the authentication determines that the key data 85 is not correct (NO in ST7-15), the locking device 85 is not unlocked (ST7-17).

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, the door 90 and the like can be unlocked using the smartphone 20 that has been authenticated by touching the communication authentication device 10, so that the convenience of customers at the store can be improved. In the above, the case where the locking device 80 is unlocked using the smartphone 20 that stores the key data 85 has been described, but the smartphone 20 may also be configured to lock the door in addition to the unlocking. In the above embodiment, the unlocking device 80 is attached to the door 90 of a room in the store, but the unlocking device 80 may also be attached to a box (a safe or a storage box) or the like that needs to be locked and unlocked. Alternatively, the key data of this embodiment can be used to start up a computer or device (for example, an amusement device, etc.) in addition to unlocking and locking the locking device. In that case, when a user carrying the smartphone 20 enters a room and locks the door 90 (locking device 80) of the room, the locking device 80 may transmit information about the Wi-Fi in the room to the smartphone 20, so that the smartphone 20 automatically connects to the Wi-Fi in the room.

[0053] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the procedure of the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, a function (service available to users such as the manager of the store using the communication authentication device 10) that can be set by the communication authentication device 10 managed by the manager of the communication authentication device 10 (which may be the owner of the communication authentication device 10 or the manager of the store where the communication authentication device 10 is installed) is selected and set (determined). As an operation for this purpose, data can be set (written) collectively for the multiple communication authentication devices 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.) from a management screen 51 provided on the server 50. In this case, the multiple communication authentication devices 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.) may be installed in different stores or in the same store or in different stores.

[0054] The functions that can be set in the communication authentication device 10 include, for example, the following: Check-in: Whether or not a person has entered a place. Check-out: Whether the person has left the location. Membership management: Who has taken a specific action in the location (such as using the contents of the equipment placed there) Product Order: Purchasing a product from a specific displayed menu. Show URL: The URL information of the touched location. Authentication: Matching the key information of the touched device. Information acquisition: Displaying information about stores, etc. related to the touched smartphone 20.

[0055] That is, the administrator M displays management information of the communication authentication devices 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.) on the management screen 51 of the server 50, and in this state, selects and sets functions that can be set in the communication authentication devices 10 on the management screen 51 (ST8-1). As a result, data of the selected content is set (written) in the ROM 15 or the like via the NFC circuit 12 in the corresponding communication authentication device 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.) (ST8-2).

[0056] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the selection and setting of functions that can be set for the plurality of communication authentication devices 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.) can be performed collectively, which makes it easier to manage the plurality of communication authentication devices 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.) and improves convenience. In addition to the selection and setting of functions that can be set for the communication authentication devices 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.), the present embodiment also makes it possible to collectively update firmware for the communication authentication devices 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.) on the management screen 51 of the server 50 and collectively obtain current information such as detection values ​​of temperature and humidity sensors held by the communication authentication devices 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc.).

[0057] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings.

Claims

1. A communication system including a communication authentication device that authenticates a communication device, the communication authentication device includes a first communication unit that communicates with the communication device when the communication device is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device, the first communication unit of the communication authentication device is capable of authenticating the communication device by communicating with the communication device when the communication device is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device, and transmitting encrypted data to the communication device; the communication device includes a storage unit storing an application having a function for receiving authentication by the communication authentication device, and the application is capable of acquiring ID data including an ID of the communication authentication device from a predetermined ID acquisition server via a communication network in advance of the authentication, and storing the ID data in the storage unit; Only when the ID data is stored in the storage unit of the communication device when the communication device communicates with the first communication unit to receive authentication from the communication authentication device with the communication authentication device as a connection destination, The communication authentication device authenticates the communication device, The communication device can receive data transmitted from the communication authentication device after authentication. A communication system comprising:

2. the communication authentication device transmits encrypted data to the authenticated communication device; The authenticated communication device can decrypt the data received from the communication authentication device.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 .

3. A communication system including a communication authentication device that authenticates a communication device, the communication authentication device includes a first communication unit that communicates with the communication device when the communication device is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device, the first communication unit of the communication authentication device is capable of authenticating the communication device by communicating with the communication device when the communication device is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device, and transmitting encrypted data to the communication device; the communication device includes a storage unit storing an application having a function for receiving authentication by the communication authentication device, and the application is capable of acquiring ID data including an ID of the communication authentication device from a predetermined ID acquisition server via a communication network in advance of the authentication, and storing the ID data in the storage unit; Only if the ID data is stored in the storage unit of the communication device, The communication authentication device authenticates the communication device, the communication authentication device transmits encrypted data to the authenticated communication device; The authenticated communication device transmits the data received from the communication authentication device to a predetermined key acquisition server via a communication network, thereby receiving key data for the locking device from the server. A communication system comprising:

4. A communication system including a communication authentication device that authenticates a communication device, the communication authentication device includes a first communication unit that communicates with the communication device when the communication device is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device, the first communication unit of the communication authentication device is capable of authenticating the communication device by communicating with the communication device when the communication device is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device, and transmitting encrypted data to the communication device; the communication device includes a storage unit storing an application having a function for receiving authentication by the communication authentication device, and the application is capable of acquiring ID data including an ID of the communication authentication device from a predetermined ID acquisition server via a communication network in advance of the authentication, and storing the ID data in the storage unit; Only if the ID data is stored in the storage unit of the communication device, The communication authentication device authenticates the communication device, The authenticated communication device is in a state where it can transmit data related to orders placed at the store where the communication authentication device is installed to a terminal device of the manager of the store. A communication system comprising:

5. A communication system including a communication authentication device that authenticates a communication device, the communication authentication device includes a first communication unit that communicates with the communication device when the communication device is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device, and a second communication unit that communicates by a communication method different from that of the first communication unit; the first communication unit of the communication authentication device is capable of authenticating the communication device by communicating with the communication device when the communication device is in proximity to or in contact with the communication device, and transmitting encrypted data to the communication device; the communication device includes a storage unit storing an application having a function for receiving authentication by the communication authentication device, and the application is capable of acquiring ID data including an ID of the communication authentication device from a predetermined ID acquisition server via a communication network in advance of the authentication, and storing the ID data in the storage unit; Only if the ID data is stored in the storage unit of the communication device, The communication authentication device authenticates the communication device, The authenticated communication device is in a state in which it can transmit other data to the communication authentication device, The other data transmitted from the communication device is transmitted to another communication device via the second communication unit of the communication authentication device. A communication system comprising:

6. the other data is data about orders made at a store in which the communication authentication device is installed, When the data regarding the order is transmitted from the communication device to the communication authentication device, the authenticated communication authentication device checks the data regarding the order.

6. The communication system according to claim 5.

7. When the checked data relating to the order is erroneous, the communication authentication device corrects the data and then transmits the data to the terminal device of the store manager, which is the other communication device, via the second communication unit.

7. The communication system according to claim 6.

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