Authentication system

Abstract

To provide an authentication system that can help deter theft.SOLUTION: An authentication system is configured to perform authentication between a battery device and a product main body. The battery device includes a housing in which an IC tag that holds battery identification information is embedded, and a battery disposed in the housing. The product main body includes a switching unit that is configured to be able to turn on and off an electrical connection with the battery device, a driving source, a reading unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The control unit executes determination processing of determining whether battery identification information read from the IC tag by the reading unit matches battery authentication information stored in the storage unit when the battery device is attached to the product main body, and power supply processing of controlling the switching unit to supply power from the battery device to the driving source when it is determined in the determination processing that the battery identification information matches the battery authentication information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an authentication system. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric bicycle configured to be able to travel by supplying power from a battery device detachably mounted on a bicycle frame to a motor of the bicycle, thereby generating driving force by the motor, in addition to or without human-powered driving force. [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-101112 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In an electric bicycle, as power is supplied from the battery device to the motor, the charge amount of the battery device decreases, so it is necessary to charge the battery device appropriately. For this reason, battery devices are generally configured to be easily detachable from the bicycle frame. Normally, when parking an electric bicycle, the wheels of the bicycle are often locked, and combined with the ease of detachment, there has been concern about the risk of theft of the battery device. Similar concerns exist not only for electric bicycles, but also for various products configured to supply power to a power source using a detachable battery device.

[0005] Accordingly, the present disclosure describes an authentication system capable of contributing to deterrence of theft. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] One example of an authentication system is an authentication system configured to perform authentication between a battery device and a product body powered by power supplied from the battery device. The battery device includes a housing in which an IC tag holding battery identification information is embedded, and a battery placed inside the housing. The product body includes a switching unit configured to switch the electrical connection with the battery on and off, a power source that operates by power supplied from the battery, a reading unit configured to read the battery identification information stored in the IC tag, a storage unit that holds battery authentication information, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to perform a determination process when the battery device is attached to the product body, which determines whether the battery identification information read from the IC tag by the reading unit matches the battery authentication information stored in the storage unit, and a power supply process which controls the switching unit to supply power from the battery to the power source if the determination process determines that the battery identification information and the battery authentication information match. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The authentication system described in this disclosure can contribute to deterring theft. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a side view showing an electric bicycle. [Figure 2] Figure 2(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a battery device, and Figure 2(b) is a diagram showing an example of information held in the IC tag of the battery device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of an authentication system. [Figure 4] Figure 4 schematically illustrates the feasibility of using a single battery device in common with multiple electric appliances. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows another example of an authentication system (a method for determining the authenticity of a battery device). [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows another example of an authentication system (a method for registering owner information). [Figure 7]Figure 7 shows another example of an authentication system (a method for verifying the ownership of a battery device). [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows another example of an authentication system (a method for determining the authenticity of an ink tank). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] In the following descriptions, the same reference numeral will be used for identical elements or elements with the same function, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, in this specification, when referring to the top, bottom, right, and left of a figure, the direction of the reference numeral in the figure will be used as the reference.

[0010] [Authentication system configuration] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, an example of applying the authentication system 100 to an electric-powered bicycle 1 (vehicle) will be explained. The electric-powered bicycle 1 may be, for example, an electric bicycle (a vehicle that can be driven by the power of a motor without the rider pedaling) or an electric assist bicycle (a vehicle that can be driven by the motor assisting the rider's pedaling force). As illustrated in Figure 1, the electric-powered bicycle 1 includes a battery device 10 and a vehicle body 20 (product body).

[0011] The battery device 10 includes a housing 11, a battery 12, and an IC tag 13, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2(a).

[0012] The housing 11 may be formed, for example, by molding using resin. The battery 12 is located inside the housing 11 and is configured to supply power to the motor 21 (described later) of the vehicle body 20. The IC tag 13 is embedded inside the housing 11. Therefore, the IC tag 13 is not exposed on the surface of the housing 11 and cannot be easily removed from the housing 11 by a person.

[0013] The IC tag 13 may hold various types of information. As illustrated in Figure 2(b), the IC tag 13 may hold a unique ID, which is information unique to each individual IC tag 13, and an identification ID (battery identification information) in association with it. The identification ID may be, for example, information indicating the manufacturer or distributor of the electric bicycle 1. In the example shown in Figure 2(b), one IC tag 13a holds "ABC001" as its unique ID and "XXX" as its identification ID in association. Another IC tag 13b holds "ABC002" as its unique ID and "XXX" as its identification ID in association. Yet another IC tag 13c holds "ABC003" as its unique ID and "YYY" as its identification ID in association.

[0014] As illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the vehicle body 20 includes a motor 21 (drive source), connection terminals 22, switching unit 23, reading unit 24, storage unit 25, and control unit 26.

[0015] The motor 21 is configured to operate based on a control signal from the control unit 16 when power is supplied from the battery device 10 (battery 12), thereby providing driving force to the vehicle body 20. The motor 21 may also be configured to provide rotational force to, for example, the axle of the vehicle body 20 or the drive shaft connected to the pedals. The connection terminal 22 is a connector for making an electrical connection with the battery device 10 when the battery device 10 is attached to the vehicle body 20.

[0016] The switching unit 23 is a so-called ON / OFF switch, configured to switch between ON and OFF based on a control signal from the control unit 26. When the switching unit 23 is ON, power can be supplied from the battery device 10 connected to the connection terminal 22 to the motor 21. When the switching unit 23 is OFF, even if the battery device 10 is connected to the connection terminal 22, power will not be supplied from the battery device 10 to the motor 21.

[0017] The reading unit 24 is configured to read information held in the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10 and transmit the information to the control unit 26. For example, the reading unit 24 may read the information held in the IC tag 13 when the battery device 10 is attached to the vehicle body 20 (when the battery device 10 is connected to the connection terminal 22).

[0018] The storage unit 25 stores an authentication ID (battery authentication information) for authenticating the battery device 10. The authentication ID may be, for example, an identification ID of the battery device 10 that has been authenticated and registered in the vehicle body 20. Here, "authentication registration" may be, for example, a pre-process in which before the battery device 10 is used in the vehicle body 20, the reading unit 24 reads the identification ID held in the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10 ("XXX" in the case of the IC tag 13a) and stores the read identification ID in the storage unit 25 as the authentication ID.

[0019] The control unit 26 is configured to control each part of the vehicle body 20 (for example, the motor 21, the switching unit 23, etc.). The control unit 26 may be configured, for example, to determine whether or not the identification ID read from the IC tag 13 by the reading unit 24 matches the authentication ID stored in the storage unit 25. For example, when the identification ID read from the IC tag 13 by the reading unit 24 matches the authentication ID stored in the storage unit 25, the control unit 26 may control the switching unit 23 to turn it into an ON state, thereby causing power to be supplied from the battery device 10 (the battery 12) to the motor 21.

[0020] [Authentication Method by Authentication System] Next, an authentication method by the authentication system 100 will be described with reference to the examples of FIGS. 1 to 3. It is assumed here that "XXX" is pre-authenticated and registered as an authentication ID in the storage unit 25 of the vehicle body 20.

[0021] First, the user of the electric bicycle 1 attaches the battery unit 10 to the vehicle body 20. Specifically, the battery unit 10 is connected to the connection terminal 22 of the vehicle body 20. At this time, the reading unit 24 of the vehicle body 20 reads the identification ID held in the IC tag 13 of the battery unit 10 and transmits it to the control unit 26. As illustrated in Figure 2(b), if the battery unit 10 is equipped with IC tags 13a and 13b, the reading unit 24 reads "XXX" as the identification ID. On the other hand, if the battery unit 10 is equipped with IC tag 13c, the reading unit 24 reads "YYY" as the identification ID.

[0022] Next, the control unit 26 determines whether the identification ID read from the IC tag 13 matches the authentication ID stored in the storage unit 25 (determination process). If the control unit 26 determines that they match (for example, if both the authentication ID and identification ID are "XXX"), it controls the switching unit 23 to the ON state. As a result, power is supplied from the battery device 10 (battery 12) to the motor 21, and the motor 21 becomes drivable. On the other hand, if the control unit 26 determines that they do not match (for example, if the authentication ID is "XXX" and the identification ID is "YYY"), the switching unit 23 is not controlled and remains in the OFF state. As a result, power is not supplied from the battery device 10 (battery 12) to the motor 21, and the motor 21 becomes drivable.

[0023] [Effect] As shown in the above example, power is not supplied from the battery 12 to the motor 21 simply by attaching the battery device 10 to the vehicle body 20. Power is supplied from the battery 12 to the motor 21 only when the identification ID held in the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10 matches the authentication ID held in the storage unit 25 of the vehicle body 20. In other words, even if the battery device 10 is attached to the vehicle body 20, if authentication fails, power cannot be supplied from the battery device 10 to the motor 21. Therefore, the incentive to steal the battery device 10 and attach it to another vehicle body 20, or to resell the stolen battery device 10 to a third party, is greatly reduced. Thus, it is possible to contribute to deterring the theft of the battery device 10.

[0024] [Differentiation] The disclosures herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. Various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to the above examples without departing from the claims and the gist thereof.

[0025] (1) In the above example, as authentication registration, the identification ID held in the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10 was read by the reading unit 24 and stored in the storage unit 25 as the authentication ID, but authentication registration is not limited to this. For example, authentication registration may be a pre-processing step in which, when the battery device 10 is attached to the vehicle body 20, the authentication ID (for example, "XXX") stored in the storage unit 25 of the vehicle body 20 is written to the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10 as the identification ID. In this case, by authenticating and registering multiple battery devices 10 for one vehicle body 20, a user who possesses multiple battery devices 10 can selectively use any of the battery devices 10 for the vehicle body 20. Also, in this case, for example, when a new battery device 10 is connected to the vehicle body 20 for the first time, the information of the vehicle body 20 is written to the battery's IC tag, thereby linking the new battery device 10 with the vehicle body 20. As a result, even if the battery device 10 is installed on a vehicle body 20 other than the vehicle body 20 to which it was initially registered, power will not be supplied to the other vehicle body 20. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the unauthorized use of a stolen battery device 10. In addition, when the battery device 10 is installed on a vehicle body 20 other than the vehicle body 20 to which it was initially registered, the battery device 10 and / or the vehicle body 20 may emit an error alarm sound or voice alert.

[0026] (2) The authentication system 100 may be configured to perform authentication between one battery device 10 and multiple product bodies. For example, as illustrated in Figure 4, one battery device 10 may be configured to be interchangeable with multiple product bodies 30. Each product body 30 may include a motor (drive source), connection terminals, a switching unit, a reading unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, similar to the vehicle body 20 (none of which are shown).

[0027] Each product body 30 may be an electric farming tool, a power tool, or a home appliance. As illustrated in Figure 4, multiple product bodies 30 may include product bodies 31 to 33. Product body 31 (the first product body) may be an electric screwdriver drill. Product body 32 (the second product body) may be a cordless vacuum cleaner. Product body 33 may be a blower.

[0028] As illustrated in Figure 4, if the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10 stores "XXX" as the identification ID, and the memory units of the product bodies 31 and 32 hold "XXX" as the authentication ID, power is supplied from the battery device 10 to the motors of the product bodies 31 and 32. On the other hand, if the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10 stores "XXX" as the identification ID, and the memory unit of the product body 33 holds "YYY" as the authentication ID, power is not supplied from the battery device 10 to the motors of the product body 33.

[0029] As shown in the example in Figure 4, a user who owns multiple product bodies 30 can use each product body 30 by swapping one battery device 10 between them, as long as the identification ID of one battery device 10 is authenticated and registered with the product body 30. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to prepare a different battery device 10 for each product body 30. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the battery device 10 and improve user convenience.

[0030] (3) As illustrated in Figure 5, the authentication system 100 may further include a reading terminal 200 and a database server 300 (storage device). The reading terminal 200 may be configured to read information (e.g., a unique ID (battery identification information)) held in the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10. As a method for the reading terminal 200 to read information from the IC tag 13, for example, contactless wireless communication technology (NFC, wireless LAN, Bluetooth®, etc.) may be employed. The reading terminal 200 may be a general-purpose mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone, or it may be a dedicated terminal for reading and writing information to the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10. As illustrated in Figure 5, the reading terminal 200 may include a display (image input / output unit) configured to perform various input operations and various information displays.

[0031] The database server 300 is configured to store management data that includes the unique ID of the battery device 10 and the genuine product information (correspondence information) associated with that unique ID. In the example in Figure 5, the unique IDs "ABC001" and "ABC002" are associated with the genuine product information "Genuine Product," but the unique ID "ABC003" is not associated with the genuine product information.

[0032] The database server 300 may be configured to communicate with the reading terminal 200 via a network, for example, or it may be configured to communicate with the reading terminal 200 via a wired connection. The database server 300 may be configured, for example, by a cloud computing device or group of devices.

[0033] Next, we will explain how to determine the authenticity of a battery device 10 using the authentication system 100 illustrated in Figure 5. Note that the database server 300 already stores the unique IDs of genuine battery devices 10, associated with genuine product information, but does not store the unique IDs of counterfeit battery devices 10.

[0034] First, the reading terminal 200 reads the unique ID stored in the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10. Figure 5 shows an example where "ABC001" is read as the unique ID. The read unique ID may also be displayed on the display of the reading terminal 200.

[0035] Next, the reading terminal 200 establishes a communication connection with the database server 300, and the computer in the database server 300 searches (determines) whether the read unique ID exists in the database server 300. If the computer determines that the read unique ID (in the example in Figure 5, "ABC001") exists in the database server 300, it sends the genuine product information corresponding to that unique ID, "Genuine Product," to the reading terminal 200. Upon receiving the genuine product information from the database server 300, the reading terminal 200 displays "Genuine Product" on its display as the determination result.

[0036] On the other hand, if the computer determines that the read unique ID does not exist in the database server 300 (for example, if the read unique ID is "ABC003"), it sends the information "non-genuine product" to the reading terminal 200 because genuine product information does not exist in the database server 300. When the reading terminal 200 receives the information "non-genuine product" from the database server 300, it displays "non-genuine product" as the result of the determination.

[0037] According to the authentication system 100 illustrated in Figure 5, by storing information indicating the authenticity of the battery device 10 as corresponding information to the unique ID of the battery device 10 in the database server 300, it becomes easy to identify counterfeit battery devices 10. Therefore, by linking and managing the unique ID with genuine product information, it becomes possible to properly distribute the battery device 10 in the market.

[0038] (4) In the example in Figure 5, the authenticity of the battery device 10 was determined using the authentication system 100. However, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the authentication system 100 may also be used to register the owner information of the battery device 10 or to verify the owner of the battery device 10.

[0039] Specifically, as illustrated in Figure 6, the reading terminal 200 reads the unique ID held in the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10. Figure 6 shows an example where "ABC001" is read as the unique ID. The read unique ID may also be displayed on the display of the reading terminal 200.

[0040] Next, the user operates the reading terminal 200 to input the owner's information of the battery device 10. The owner information may be personal information such as the owner's name, address, and telephone number. Figure 6 shows an example where the owner's name, "Taro Toppan," is entered into the reading terminal 200 as owner information.

[0041] Next, the reading terminal 200 communicates with the database server 300 and stores the entered owner information in the database server 300, associating it with the unique ID. In other words, in the example in Figure 6, the corresponding information for the unique ID is the owner information. With this, the registration of the owner information in the database server 300 is completed.

[0042] On the other hand, when verifying the ownership of the battery device 10, the reading terminal 200 reads the unique ID held in the IC tag 13 of the battery device 10, as illustrated in Figure 7. Figure 7 shows an example where "ABC001" is read as the unique ID. The read unique ID may also be displayed on the display of the reading terminal 200.

[0043] Next, the reading terminal 200 establishes a communication connection with the database server 300, and the computer in the database server 300 searches (determines) whether the read unique ID exists in the database server 300. If the computer determines that the read unique ID (in the example in Figure 7, "ABC001") exists in the database server 300, it sends the owner information corresponding to that unique ID, "Taro Toppan," to the reading terminal 200. Upon receiving the owner information from the database server 300, the reading terminal 200 displays "Taro Toppan" on its display as the determination result.

[0044] On the other hand, if the computer determines that the read unique ID does not exist in the database server 300 (for example, if the read unique ID is "ABC003"), it sends the information "No owner information" to the reading terminal 200 because the owner information does not exist in the database server 300. When the reading terminal 200 receives the information "No owner information" from the database server 300, it displays "No owner information" on its display as the result of the determination.

[0045] According to the authentication system 100 illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, by storing information indicating the owner of the battery device 10 as corresponding information in the database server 300, it becomes easy to track users who have failed to recycle the battery device 10. Therefore, by linking and managing the unique ID with the owner information, it becomes possible to ensure that the battery device 10 is properly distributed in the market.

[0046] In the examples shown in Figures 5 to 7, genuine product information and owner information are explained as examples of correspondence information, but the correspondence information is not limited to these.

[0047] (5) Figures 1 to 3 illustrate an example in which the authentication system 100 is applied to an electric motor bicycle 1 equipped with a battery device 10 and a vehicle body 20, but the authentication system 100 may also be applied to other products. That is, the authentication system 100 may be configured to perform authentication between an article including a housing in which an IC tag holding article identification information is embedded, and a product body to which the article is attached and which functions as a product.

[0048] The authentication system 100 may be configured to perform authentication between an ink tank 40 (item) including a housing with an IC tag 41 embedded inside, and a printer body 50 (product body) to which the ink tank 40 is attached and which functions as a printer device 2 (product), as illustrated in Figure 8. In this case as well, similar to the examples in Figures 1 to 3, ink is not supplied from the ink tank 40 to the printer body 50 simply by attaching the ink tank 40 to the printer body 50. Instead, ink may be supplied from the ink tank 40 to the printer body 50 only when the identification ID held in the IC tag 41 of the ink tank 40 matches the authentication ID held in the storage unit of the printer body 50. In other words, even if the ink tank 40 is attached to the printer body 50, if authentication fails, it is not necessary to supply ink from the ink tank 40 to the printer body 50. Therefore, the incentive to steal the ink tank 40 and attach it to another printer body 50, or to resell the stolen ink tank 40 to a third party, is greatly reduced. In addition, the circulation of counterfeit ink tanks 40 into the market is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to deterring the theft of ink tanks 40 and preventing the distribution of counterfeit products.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in the example in Figure 5, the authentication system 100 may also be used to determine the authenticity of the ink tank 40 in the example in Figure 8. That is, by storing information indicating the authenticity of the ink tank 40 as corresponding information to the unique ID of the ink tank 40 in the database server 300, it becomes easy to identify counterfeit ink tanks 40. Therefore, by linking and managing the unique ID with genuine product information, it becomes possible to properly distribute the ink tank 40 in the market.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in the examples in Figures 6 and 8, the owner of the ink tank 40 may also be verified using the authentication system 100 in the example in Figure 8. In this case as well, by linking and managing the unique ID with the owner information, it becomes possible to properly distribute the ink tank 40 in the market. Although Figure 8 shows an example of applying the authentication system 100 to the printer device 2, the authentication system 100 may also be applied to other products. Examples of products that include an item with an IC tag embedded inside and the product body to which the item is attached, and to which authentication is performed, include the following. [Table 1]

[0051] [Other examples] Example 1. An example of an authentication system is an authentication system configured to perform authentication between a battery device and a product body powered by power supplied from the battery device. The battery device includes a housing in which an IC tag holding battery identification information is embedded, and a battery placed inside the housing. The product body includes a switching unit configured to switch the electrical connection with the battery on and off, a power source that operates by power supplied from the battery, a reading unit configured to read the battery identification information stored in the IC tag, a storage unit that holds battery authentication information, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to perform a determination process when the battery device is attached to the product body, which determines whether the battery identification information read from the IC tag by the reading unit matches the battery authentication information stored in the storage unit, and a power supply process which controls the switching unit to supply power from the battery to the power source if it is determined in the determination process that the battery identification information and the battery authentication information match. In this case, power is not supplied from the battery to the power source simply by attaching the battery device to the main body of the product. Power is supplied from the battery to the power source only when the battery identification information held in the IC tag of the battery device matches the battery authentication information held in the memory of the main body of the product. In other words, even if the battery device is attached to the main body of the product, if authentication fails, power cannot be supplied from the battery device to the power source. Therefore, the incentive to steal the battery device and attach it to another product body, or to resell the stolen battery device to a third party, is greatly reduced. Thus, it can contribute to deterring the theft of battery devices.

[0052] Example 2. In the authentication system of Example 1, the product itself may be a mobile body that can be driven by a power source.

[0053] Example 3. In the authentication system of Example 1, the product body includes a first product body and a second product body, and the determination process may include determining whether the battery identification information read from the IC tag by the reader unit matches the battery authentication information held in the storage unit of the first product body or the battery authentication information held in the storage unit of the second product body when the battery device is attached to the first product body or the second product body. In this case, a user who owns multiple product bodies can use each product body by swapping the battery device of one battery device into each product body, as long as the battery identification information of one battery device matches the battery authentication information of the product body. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to prepare a different battery device for each product body. Consequently, it becomes possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the battery device and improve user convenience.

[0054] Example 4. In the authentication system of Example 3, the product itself may be an electric farming tool, a power tool, or a home appliance.

[0055] Example 5. The authentication system of any of Examples 1 to 4 further comprises a reading terminal configured to read battery identification information stored in an IC tag, and a storage device that stores management data including battery identification information and corresponding information associated with the battery identification information. The reading terminal may be configured to perform a reading process to read the battery identification information stored in the IC tag, an acquisition process to acquire corresponding information if the battery identification information read in the reading process exists in the management data, and an output process to output the corresponding information acquired in the acquisition process. In this case, by storing information indicating the authenticity of the battery device as corresponding information in the storage device, it becomes easy to identify counterfeit battery devices. Also, by storing information indicating the owner of the battery device as corresponding information in the storage device, it becomes easy to track users who have neglected to recycle their battery devices. In this way, by linking and managing battery identification information with predetermined corresponding information, it becomes possible to properly distribute battery devices in the market.

[0056] Example 6. Another example of an authentication system is an authentication system configured to authenticate between an item, which includes a housing in which an IC tag holding item identification information is embedded, and a product body to which the item is attached and functions as a product. The authentication system comprises a reader terminal configured to read the item identification information stored in the IC tag, and a storage device that stores management data including the item identification information and correspondence information associated with the item identification information. The reader terminal is configured to perform a reading process to read the item identification information stored in the IC tag, an acquisition process to acquire correspondence information corresponding to the item identification information if the item identification information read in the reading process exists in the management data, and an output process to output the correspondence information acquired in the acquisition process. In this case, by storing information indicating the authenticity of a part pin, for example, in the storage device as correspondence information, it is possible to easily identify counterfeit items. Also, by storing information indicating the owner of the item, for example, in the storage device as correspondence information, it is possible to easily track users who have neglected to recycle items. In this way, by linking and managing item identification information with predetermined correspondence information, it becomes possible to properly distribute items in the market. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1...Electric bicycle (vehicle), 2...Printer device (product), 10...Battery device, 11...Housing, 12...Battery, 13...IC tag, 20...Vehicle body (product body), 21...Motor (drive source), 22...Connection terminal, 23...Switching unit, 24...Reading unit, 25...Storage unit, 26...Control unit, 30...Product body, 31...Product body (first product body), 32...Product body (second product body), 33...Product body, 40...Ink tank (item), 50...Printer body (product body), 100...Authentication system, 200...Reading terminal, 300...Database server (storage device).

Claims

1. An authentication system configured to perform authentication between a battery device and a product body powered by the battery device, The aforementioned battery device A housing with an IC tag embedded inside, The casing includes a battery disposed within the aforementioned housing, The aforementioned product body is A switching unit configured to enable and disable the electrical connection with the aforementioned battery, A power source that operates by being powered by the aforementioned battery, A reading unit configured to read the information stored in the IC tag, A memory unit that holds battery authentication information, Includes a control unit, The control unit, When the battery device is attached to the product body, if battery identification information has not been written to the IC tag, a preprocessing step is performed in which the battery authentication information held in the storage unit of the product body is written to the IC tag as the battery identification information. When the battery device is attached to the product body, if the battery identification information has been written to the IC tag by the pre-processing, a reading process is performed in which the battery identification information written to the IC tag is read from the IC tag by the reading unit. A determination process to determine whether the battery identification information read by the reading process matches the battery authentication information held in the storage unit, An authentication system configured to control the switching unit and perform a power supply process to supply power from the battery to the drive source when it is determined in the determination process that the battery identification information and the battery authentication information match.

2. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the product body is a mobile body that can be driven by the drive source.

3. The aforementioned product body includes a first product body and a second product body. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the determination process includes determining whether the battery identification information read from the IC tag by the reading process matches the battery authentication information held in the storage unit of the first product body or the battery authentication information held in the storage unit of the second product body when the battery device is attached to the first product body or the second product body.

4. The authentication system according to claim 3, wherein the product body is an electric farming tool, an electric power tool, or a home appliance.

5. A reading terminal configured to read the battery identification information stored in the IC tag, The device further comprises a storage device that stores management data including the battery identification information and correspondence information associated with the battery identification information, The aforementioned reading terminal is, Another reading process for reading the battery identification information stored in the IC tag, If the battery identification information read in the aforementioned separate reading process is present in the management data, an acquisition process is performed to acquire the corresponding information corresponding to the battery identification information, The authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, configured to perform an output process that outputs the correspondence information acquired in the acquisition process.

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