Terminal device and method

Abstract

A terminal device according to the present disclosure comprises an authentication unit, a communication unit, a detection unit, and a stop processing unit. The authentication unit carries out authentication processing for communicating with an other device. The communication unit communicates with the other device when the authentication is successful. The detection unit detects when the terminal device, that has been inserted into a body, is extracted to the outside of the body. The stop processing unit stops the authentication processing by the authentication unit once the extraction to the outside of the body is detected.

Description

Terminal device and method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal device and method.

[0002] In recent years, technologies have become known in which medical instruments, microchips, etc. are implanted in the body to perform treatment, identify individuals, etc. Furthermore, technologies for performing electronic payments, etc. using RFID tags implanted in the body are becoming more widespread.

[0003] JP 2023-18683 A JP 2014-179105 A

[0004] In electronic payment and personal identification using RFID tags, spoofing is prevented by performing authentication using the identification information stored in the RFID tag.

[0005] The prior art assumes that an RFID tag is inserted into the body of a person for use, and does not take into consideration the case where the RFID tag is removed from the body of the person. It is desirable to prevent unauthorized use of a terminal device (e.g., an RFID tag) that is inserted into the body for use, even if it is removed from the body of the person.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a mechanism that can prevent unauthorized use of a terminal device that is inserted into the body.

[0007] It should be noted that the above problem or object is merely one of multiple problems or objects that can be solved or achieved by multiple embodiments disclosed in this specification.

[0008] The terminal device of the present disclosure includes an authentication unit, a communication unit, a detection unit, and a stop processing unit. The authentication unit executes authentication processing for communicating with another device. The communication unit communicates with the other device if the authentication processing is successful. The detection unit detects removal of the device inserted into the body from the body. The stop processing unit stops the authentication processing by the authentication unit when the removal from the body is detected.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of using a terminal device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a stop process according to the proposed technology of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a restart process according to the proposed technology of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a PPG sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an ECG sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a first processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a personal authentication processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a communication processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a sensing processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a second processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0011] In this specification and drawings, similar components of the embodiments may be distinguished by adding at least one different alphabet and / or number after the same reference numeral. However, if there is no need to particularly distinguish between the similar components, only the same reference numeral will be used.

[0012] One or more embodiments (including examples, modifications, and application examples) described below can be implemented independently. However, at least a portion of the embodiments described below may be implemented in appropriate combination with at least a portion of another embodiment. These embodiments may include novel features that are different from each other. Therefore, these embodiments may contribute to solving different purposes or problems and may produce different effects from each other.

[0013] <<1. Introduction>> <1.1. Issues> As mentioned above, there is technology that uses microchips inserted into the body to perform personal identification, electronic payments, etc. There is a risk that fraud could be committed by removing this microchip from the body of the individual and reinserting it into the body of another person, for example.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to use the terminal device 10a. As shown in the left diagram of Fig. 1, the terminal device 10a is inserted into the body of a user U_A (in Fig. 1, the arm, the back of the hand, etc.). The terminal device 10a communicates with a communication device 20a located outside the body of the user U_A. As a result, the user U_A performs electronic payment, personal identification, etc. using the terminal device 10a.

[0015] Here, as shown in the middle diagram of Fig. 1, it is assumed that the terminal device 10a is removed from the body of the user U_A. The terminal device 10a does not detect that it has been removed. Therefore, even if the terminal device 10a is subsequently inserted into a user U_B different from the user U_A, as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 1, the terminal device 10a can communicate with the communication device 20a.

[0016] In this way, by removing the terminal device 10a from the body and inserting it into the user U_B, the user U_B can pose as the user U_A. It is desirable to prevent such unauthorized use of the terminal device 10a.

[0017] <1.2. Overview of Proposed Technology> Therefore, a terminal device according to the proposed technology of the present disclosure detects when it has been inserted into a body and when it has been removed from the body, and prevents the terminal device from being used when it has been removed from the body. For example, when the terminal device performs authentication processing to communicate with a communication device, the terminal device makes the terminal device unusable by preventing the authentication processing from being performed.

[0018] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a stop process according to the proposed technique of the present disclosure. The stop process is executed by the terminal device 10. The terminal device 10 is, for example, an implantable device that communicates with the communication device 20 while being inserted into the body of a user U_A.

[0019] 2, the terminal device 10 performs wireless communication with the communication device 20. When the terminal device 10 is equipped with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​tag, the communication device 20 has a function such as an IC chip reader or an RFID reader.

[0020] Prior to wireless communication with the communication device 20, the terminal device 10 first performs authentication processing (step S1). For example, the terminal device 10 performs authentication processing based on a public key cryptosystem. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 may perform authentication processing with the communication device 20 using an ID (device identification information) that identifies itself. The ID that identifies itself is, for example, a device-specific ID assigned to each terminal device 10.

[0021] After the authentication process with the communication device 20 is completed, the terminal device 10 executes a communication process with the communication device 20 (step S2). Through this communication process, the terminal device 10 performs processes such as electronic payment, user identification, and sending and receiving of sensing data with the communication device 20, for example.

[0022] 2, it is assumed that the terminal device 10 is removed from the user U_A. In this case, the terminal device 10 detects its own removal (step S3). The terminal device 10 detects the removal based on the sensing result of a sensor mounted on the terminal device 10, for example.

[0023] The terminal device 10 that has detected its own removal executes authentication stop processing (step S4). The authentication stop processing is processing that stops the authentication processing of step S1. For example, the terminal device 10 can disable the authentication processing by stopping the CPU or halting communication processing. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 can disable the authentication processing by destroying the circuitry or the like installed in itself.

[0024] 2, it is assumed that the terminal device 10 is inserted into a user U_B different from the user U_A. In this case, the terminal device 10 inserted into the user U_B is executing the authentication stop process, and therefore cannot execute the authentication process with the communication device 20, and therefore cannot communicate with the communication device 20.

[0025] This allows the terminal device 10 to prevent unauthorized use by the user U_B.

[0026] Here, if the authentication process is stopped so that the authentication process cannot be performed by stopping the CPU or stopping the communication process during the authentication stop process, the terminal device 10 can resume the authentication process by restarting the operation of the CPU or the communication process.

[0027] 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a restart process according to the proposed technique of the present disclosure. The restart process is executed by the terminal device 10 after the stop process is executed. Note that the processes shown in the left and center diagrams of FIG. 3 are the same as the stop process of FIG. 2, and therefore will not be described here.

[0028] 3, the terminal device 10, which has been reinserted into the body, executes an identity authentication process (step S5). For example, the terminal device 10 checks whether the user (here, user U_A) has reinserted the terminal device 10, depending on whether a predetermined operation has been performed.

[0029] Examples of the predetermined operation include password entry by the user U_A and personal authentication using biometric information (fingerprint, pulse, etc.) of the user U_A. Alternatively, for example, the terminal device 10 may resume the authentication process by using a special jig to set the environmental state (electromagnetic field, temperature, pressure, etc.) of the terminal device 10 to a specified state.

[0030] When the personal authentication process confirms that the card has been reinserted by the person in question, the terminal device 10 executes the authentication restart process (step S6), which causes the terminal device 10 to restart the authentication process.

[0031] In this way, when a predetermined operation is performed, the terminal device 10 may determine that the correct user U_A has reinserted the terminal device 10 and resume the authentication process. The authentication stop process that is performed so that the authentication process can be resumed is also referred to as a reversible stop process or a reversible stop process.

[0032] On the other hand, for example, if the authentication process is disabled by destroying a circuit or the like installed in the terminal device 10, the authentication process cannot be resumed by the terminal device 10. In this way, authentication stop processing that makes it impossible to resume the authentication process, that is, that disables the functions of the terminal device 10 once it is removed (one-time nature), is also referred to as non-recoverable stop processing or irreversible stop processing.

[0033] The non-recoverable stop processing includes processing for stopping authentication in a software-based manner and processing for stopping authentication in a hardware-based manner. For example, when stopping authentication in a software-based manner to make it non-recoverable, the terminal device 10 erases programs and data. For example, when stopping authentication in a hardware-based manner to make it non-recoverable, the terminal device 10 destroys at least a part of the circuit, for example, by passing a large current. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 may stop the authentication processing by moving the state of the hardware logic that performs the authentication processing to a state that cannot be transitioned in the state machine.

[0034] The above-described authentication stop process is merely an example. When the terminal device 10 detects that it has been removed from the body, it may operate to disable its own functions. For example, the terminal device 10 may execute the authentication stop process using a one-time PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory) or the like.

[0035] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 may operate by switching between the restorable stop processing and the non-recoverable stop processing. For example, the terminal device 10 may switch between the restorable stop processing and the non-recoverable stop processing according to an instruction from an external device (the user U_A or an administrator of the terminal device 10) or a predetermined condition (for example, the number of uses, the duration of use, the purpose, etc.).

[0036] By performing the non-returnable stop process when the removal is detected, the terminal device 10 can more reliably prevent unauthorized use by impersonating the user U_A. This allows the terminal device 10 to have one-time properties when implanted.

[0037] By performing the restoration enabling stop processing when the removal is detected, the terminal device 10 can resume the function when the terminal device 10 is inserted into the user U_A again.

[0038] <<2. Device Configuration Example>> <2.1. Terminal Device Configuration Example> Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the terminal device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that Fig. 4 conceptually illustrates the functions of the terminal device 10, and various aspects may be taken depending on the embodiment.

[0039] The terminal device 10 in FIG. 4 includes a sensor unit 110 , a communication unit 120 , a battery unit 130 , a power management unit 140 , a storage unit 150 , and a control unit 160 .

[0040] (Sensor Unit 110) The sensor unit 110 senses the state of the surroundings of the terminal device 10. The sensor unit 110 performs sensing in accordance with control from the control unit 160.

[0041] The sensor unit 110 can sense the biometric information of the user U_A, for example, when the terminal device 10 is inserted into the body of the user U_A.

[0042] The sensor unit 110 can include biological information sensors such as a PPG (PhotoPlethysmography) sensor (pulse sensor), an ECG (ElectroCardioGram) sensor, a temperature sensor, a blood glucose sensor, and a blood pressure sensor.

[0043] The terminal device 10 according to this embodiment is inserted into the body. Therefore, the biometric sensor of the sensor unit 110 performs sensing inside the body, which makes it less susceptible to noise and allows for more accurate sensing. The biometric sensor of the sensor unit 110 has high accuracy, i.e., high sensing efficiency, and therefore can keep power consumption low.

[0044] (PPG Sensor) The PPG sensor is a biometric information sensor that detects the pulse wave signal of the user U_A. Here, the pulse wave signal is a waveform caused by the arterial pulsation that appears on the body surface, etc., as blood is sent to the entire body through the arteries due to the contraction of the cardiac muscles at a constant rhythm (pulsation; the number of times the heart beats per unit time is called the heart rate), causing changes in pressure on the inner walls of the arteries.

[0045] To obtain a pulse wave signal, the PPG sensor irradiates light onto the blood vessels in the user's measurement area and detects light scattered by substances moving through the target user's blood vessels and stationary biological tissue.

[0046] Because the irradiated light is absorbed by red blood cells in the blood vessels, the amount of light absorbed is proportional to the amount of blood flowing through the blood vessels at the measurement site. Therefore, a PPG sensor can detect changes in the amount of blood flow by detecting the intensity of scattered light. Furthermore, a PPG sensor can detect the waveform of the pulsation, i.e., a pulse wave signal, from this change in blood flow. This method is called the photoplethysmography (PPG) method.

[0047] 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a PPG sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The PPG sensor includes a light source unit 111 (an example of a first sensor) that irradiates light onto a blood vessel BV, and a light receiving unit 112 (an example of a second sensor) that receives light scattered by the blood vessel. In the example of FIG. 5, the PPG sensor includes a red light source unit 111_R that irradiates red light, and an infrared light source unit 111_I that irradiates infrared light.

[0048] 5, the light source unit 111 is disposed at one end 11 of the terminal device 10. The light receiving unit 112 is disposed at the other end 12 of the terminal device 10. The one end 11 and the other end 12 of the terminal device 10 are end portions that face each other.

[0049] The terminal device 10 is considered to be small because it is used by being inserted into the body, such as under the skin. For example, the terminal device 10 may have a cylindrical or flat shape. As such, the shape of the terminal device 10, which is an implantable device, may be limited.

[0050] In this way, even if the shape of the terminal device 10 is restricted, for example, to a cylindrical or flat shape, by arranging the light source unit 111 and the light receiving unit 112 on both ends of the terminal device 10, the PPG sensor of the sensor unit 110 can suppress crosstalk between the light source unit 111 and the light receiving unit 112. This allows the PPG sensor of the sensor unit 110 to sense biological information with higher accuracy.

[0051] (ECG Sensor) The ECG sensor is a sensor that detects the electrocardiogram of the user U_A. The ECG sensor detects the electrocardiogram of the user U_A via a plurality of electrodes. The ECG sensor detects a signal indicating the heartbeat from the potential difference between the plurality of electrodes.

[0052] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an ECG sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The ECG sensor illustrated in Fig. 6 includes electrodes 113 and 114 (examples of a third sensor and a fourth sensor). Although the ECG sensor in Fig. 6 includes two electrodes 113 and 114, the number of electrodes included in the ECG sensor is not limited to two and may be three or more.

[0053] The electrode 113 is, for example, a potential electrode, and the electrode 114 is a ground (GND) electrode. The ECG sensor detects the electrocardiogram of the user U_A according to the potential difference between the electrodes 113 and 114.

[0054] 6 , the electrode 113 is disposed on the first surface 13 of the terminal device 10. The electrode 114 is disposed on the second surface 14 of the terminal device 10. The first surface 13 and the second surface 14 of the terminal device 10 face each other. The electrodes 113 and 114 are disposed on both ends of the terminal device 10, respectively.

[0055] In this way, by arranging the electrodes 113 and 114 on the opposing first and second surfaces 13 and 14 of the terminal device 10, respectively, the ECG sensor can arrange the electrodes 113 and 114 at a distance from each other. This allows the ECG sensor to further improve the detection accuracy of the electrocardiogram even when the shape of the terminal device 10 is limited, for example, to a cylindrical or flat shape.

[0056] In addition to the above-described biometric information sensor, the sensor unit 110 also includes a detection sensor that detects at least one of insertion and removal of the terminal device 10. Examples of the detection sensor include a capacitance sensor, an impedance sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a strain sensor.

[0057] The sensor unit 110 outputs the sensing results (the sensing results of the biological information sensor and the sensing results of the detection sensor) to the control unit 160.

[0058] (Communication Unit 120) The communication unit 120 is a wireless communication processing unit that communicates with the communication device 20. The communication unit 120 may operate by receiving power from the communication device 20 (passive type), or may operate by receiving power from the battery unit 130 (active type). The communication unit 120 may include a circuit such as a rectifier.

[0059] The communication unit 120 includes an antenna 121. The communication unit 120 can perform short-range wireless communication, such as near field communication (NFC) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). When the communication unit 120 supports multiple wireless access methods, each component of the communication unit 120 may be configured individually for each wireless access method.

[0060] (Battery Unit 130) The battery unit 130 supplies power to each unit of the terminal device 10. The battery unit 130 charges or discharges under the control of the power supply management unit 140. Note that the terminal device 10 only needs to have a power source for driving itself, and may be provided with a capacitor or the like instead of the battery unit 130.

[0061] (Power supply management unit 140) The power supply management unit 140 manages charging to or discharging from the battery unit 130. For example, when the power supply management unit 140 receives a supply of power from an external device (not shown) via the antenna 141, the power supply management unit 140 uses the power to charge the battery unit 130. The power supply management unit 140 also supplies the power of the battery unit 130 to each unit of the terminal device 10.

[0062] Note that, although Figure 4 shows a case where the antenna 121 for communication and the antenna 141 for wireless charging are different, the terminal device 10 may be configured to perform both communication and wireless charging using a single antenna.

[0063] (Storage Unit 150) The storage unit 150 is a data readable / writable storage device such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 150 stores, for example, the sensing results of the sensor unit 110.

[0064] (Control Unit 160) The control unit 160 is a controller that controls each unit of the terminal device 10. The control unit 160 may be realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). In detail, the control unit 160 may be realized by the processor executing various programs stored in a storage device inside the terminal device 10 using RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like as a working area.

[0065] The control unit 160 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 160 may also be realized by a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). A CPU, an MPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, and a GPU can all be considered controllers. The control unit 160 may also be composed of multiple physically separated objects. For example, the control unit 160 may be composed of multiple semiconductor chips.

[0066] The control unit 160 includes a sensor control unit 161 , a detection unit 162 , an ID authentication unit 163 , a communication control unit 164 , a stop processing unit 165 , a personal authentication unit 166 , a restart processing unit 167 , and a management unit 168 .

[0067] Each block (sensor control unit 161 to management unit 168) constituting the control unit 160 is a functional block that indicates a function of the control unit 160. These functional blocks may be software blocks or hardware blocks.

[0068] For example, each of the above-described functional blocks may be a software module implemented by software (including a microprogram), or may be a circuit block on a semiconductor chip (die). Of course, each functional block may be a processor or an integrated circuit. The control unit 160 may be configured with functional units different from the above-described functional blocks. The method of configuring the functional blocks is arbitrary.

[0069] (Sensor control unit 161) The sensor control unit 161 controls the sensor unit 110 to acquire sensing results. For example, when an insertion detection condition is satisfied after the terminal device 10 receives management settings from the communication device 20, the sensor control unit 161 controls, for example, the detection sensor of the sensor unit 110 to acquire sensing results. The sensor control unit 161 outputs the acquired sensing results to the detection unit 162.

[0070] The communication device 20 transmits, for example, a management setting in preparation for inserting the terminal device 10 into the body of the user U_A. Therefore, upon receiving the management setting, the terminal device 10 waits for insertion into the body of the user U_A, assuming that the terminal device 10 will be inserted into the body of the user U_A. Specifically, the sensor control unit 161 controls the sensor unit 110 to perform sensing to detect insertion of the terminal device 10 into the body when an insertion detection condition is satisfied.

[0071] Here, the insertion detection condition may include the time that has passed since the management setting was received, whether or not the terminal device 10 has moved, etc. The sensor control unit 161 controls the sensor unit 110 to perform sensing to detect the insertion of the terminal device 10 into the body after a predetermined time has passed since the management setting was received, or when the terminal device 10 has moved.

[0072] Furthermore, when the terminal device 10 is inserted into the body, the sensor control unit 161 controls the biological information sensor of the sensor unit 110 at a predetermined cycle to acquire sensing results. The sensor control unit 161 stores the acquired sensing results in the storage unit 150.

[0073] Furthermore, when the detection unit 162 detects insertion into the body, the sensor control unit 161 controls the biometric information sensor of the sensor unit 110 to acquire the sensing result. The sensor control unit 161 outputs the acquired sensing result to the personal authentication unit 166.

[0074] (Detection Unit 162) The detection unit 162 detects at least one of insertion into the body and removal out of the body of the terminal device 10 according to the sensing result of the sensor unit 110. For example, when the sensing result of the temperature sensor of the sensor unit 110 is used, the detection unit 162 detects insertion / removal according to a change in the temperature (body temperature / ambient temperature) detected by the temperature sensor. In this way, the detection unit 162 detects insertion / removal according to a change in the sensing result of the sensor unit 110.

[0075] (ID authentication unit 163) The ID authentication unit 163 performs authentication processing with the communication device 20 prior to communication processing using the communication unit 120. The ID authentication unit 163 performs authentication processing with the communication unit 120 using, for example, public key cryptography. Alternatively, the ID authentication unit 163 may perform authentication processing with the communication device 20 using identification information (device ID) of the terminal device 10 stored in advance. An example of the authentication processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 8 .

[0076] The ID authentication unit 163 acquires the result of the authentication process (authentication success / failure) from the communication device 20 and outputs it to the communication control unit 164 .

[0077] (Communication control unit 164) The communication control unit 164 performs wireless communication, for example, by controlling the communication unit 120. For example, when authentication is successful as a result of the authentication process by the ID authentication unit 163, the communication control unit 164 communicates with a communication partner (for example, the communication device 20).

[0078] The communication control unit 164, for example, transmits the sensing result (e.g., biometric information) of the sensor unit 110 to the communication device 20. The communication control unit 164 can also execute electronic payment processing and the like with the communication device 20. The communication control unit 164 also acquires control information such as management settings from the communication device 20.

[0079] (Stop Processing Unit 165) The stop processing unit 165 executes authentication stop processing when the detection unit 162 detects removal of the terminal device 10. As described above, the authentication stop processing includes a restoreable stop processing that can restore the functions of the terminal device 10, and an unrestoreable stop processing that cannot restore the functions of the terminal device 10 (cannot resume authentication).

[0080] (Recovery-enabling stop processing) An example of recovery-enabling stop processing is stopping the operation of the control unit 160. For example, the stop processing unit 165 causes the power management unit 140 to stop the supply of power to the control unit 160. Alternatively, the stop processing unit 165 instructs the control unit 160 to stop operation. Note that the stop processing unit 165 may prevent some functions of the control unit 160 used for recovery (the detection unit 162, the personal authentication unit 166, and the restart processing unit 167, which will be described later) from being stopped.

[0081] Another example of the restorable stop processing is stopping the operation of the communication unit 120 (or the communication control unit 164). For example, the stop processing unit 165 instructs the power management unit 140 to stop the supply of power to the communication unit 120 (or the communication control unit 164). Alternatively, the stop processing unit 165 instructs the communication unit 120 (or the communication control unit 164) to stop operation.

[0082] Another example of the restorable stop processing is a process of prohibiting the reading of programs, data, and the like from the storage unit 150. For example, the stop processing unit 165 prevents the reading of programs that perform authentication processing and identification information of the terminal device 10 from the storage unit 150 that stores these programs and identification information. Alternatively, the stop processing unit 165 may instruct the storage unit 150 to stop reading.

[0083] (Non-recoverable stop processing) An example of non-recoverable stop processing is processing for stopping authentication processing by software. To stop authentication processing by software, the stop processing unit 165 deletes programs that operate the terminal device 10, such as programs related to authentication processing and programs for communication processing. Alternatively, the stop processing unit 165 may delete data used to control the terminal device 10, such as data used for authentication processing, such as identification information of the terminal device 10, and data used for communication processing.

[0084] An example of the non-recoverable stop processing is a process of stopping the authentication processing by hardware. To stop the authentication processing by hardware, the stop processing unit 165 physically destroys, for example, a circuit. The stop processing unit 165 destroys the circuit by applying a high voltage to burn off the wiring of the circuit. Alternatively, the stop processing unit 165 may destroy the insulating film of the circuit by applying a high voltage.

[0085] Furthermore, the stop processing unit 165 can use hardware logic to move the state machine to a state to which transition is not possible, thereby disabling subsequent operations (for example, operations such as authentication processing and communication processing).

[0086] Furthermore, the stop processing unit 165 can stop the authentication process in a hardware manner by writing a Disable flag to the One-Time PROM, thereby preventing the One-Time PROM from being changed thereafter. Methods for writing the Disable flag include, for example, burning off the wiring with a high voltage and destroying the insulating film.

[0087] Alternatively, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), which allows data to be electrically written to a ROM (Read Only Memory), may be used as the storage unit 150. In this case, the stop processing unit 165 stops the authentication process by using a high voltage that is not normally used and clearing the Disable flag.

[0088] In this way, the stop processing unit 165 executes the non-returnable stop processing, so that the terminal device 10 cannot be reused once it is removed from the body. Since the terminal device 10 is inserted into the body for use, the number of times it can be used may be limited to one for hygiene reasons.

[0089] By configuring the housing of the terminal device 10 using a sterilizable material such as glass, the terminal device 10 may be inserted into the body of the user U_A and used again. In such a case, the stop processing unit 165 performs a return-enabled stop process.

[0090] Alternatively, as will be described later, the state of the terminal device 10 may be completely reset so that the terminal device 10 can be inserted and used by a user U_B different from the user U_A. In this way, when the terminal device 10 is reused by a different user U_B, it is required to reliably perform processing for reuse (e.g., sterilization processing, reset processing, etc.), such as by having a specialized processing company or the like perform a dedicated reuse processing on the terminal device 10.

[0091] Furthermore, the stop processing unit 165 prevents personal information about the user U_A stored in the storage unit 150 from being read out from the storage unit 150. Examples of the personal information include sensing results by the sensor unit 110, a communication history with the communication device 20 such as a payment history, and the like.

[0092] In this way, by preventing the stop processing unit 165 from accessing the storage unit 150, it is possible to prevent the unauthorized use of personal information.

[0093] When the removal of the terminal device 10 is detected, the stop processing unit 165 executes an authentication stop process or the like, thereby further strengthening the security of the terminal device 10.

[0094] (Personal authentication unit 166) The personal authentication unit 166 (an example of an attachment authentication unit) executes personal authentication processing to authenticate that the insertion destination of the terminal device 10 is the user U_A. The personal authentication unit 166 executes personal authentication processing when the detection unit 162 detects the insertion of the terminal device 10. Alternatively, the personal authentication unit 166 may execute personal authentication processing when the authentication processing is executed by the ID authentication unit 163.

[0095] The personal authentication unit 166 performs personal authentication processing by comparing identification information for identifying the person (hereinafter also referred to as personal information or personal ID) with the determination information.

[0096] The personal information may be information determined in advance by the user U_A, such as a password, or characteristic information of the user U_A. The characteristic information of the user U_A may include, for example, information regarding a feature extracted from the biometric information of the user U_A. Alternatively, the personal information may be information specifying a specific environmental state.

[0097] The characteristic information of the user U_A may be acquired from the communication device 20 or may be generated by the personal authentication unit 166 based on the sensing results of the sensor unit 110.

[0098] The personal authentication unit 166 acquires determination information for performing the personal authentication process from the communication device 20. Alternatively, the personal authentication unit 166 may acquire the determination information by generating the determination information in accordance with the sensing result by the sensor unit 110.

[0099] For example, if the personal information is a password, the personal authentication unit 166 acquires the password from the communication device 20 as the determination information.

[0100] Assume that the personal information is feature information extracted from biometric information (e.g., fingerprint, iris, face, etc.) using a sensor of the communication device 20. In this case, the personal authentication unit 166 acquires the biometric information of the user U_A or information extracted from this biometric information from the communication device 20 as determination information.

[0101] In this way, when characteristic information is acquired using a sensor or the like of an external device (e.g., the communication device 20), the location where the personal authentication process is performed is limited to a location where an external device capable of acquiring the characteristic information is present, thereby enabling the terminal device 10 to further improve the security of the personal authentication process.

[0102] Assume that the personal information is characteristic information generated by the personal authentication unit 166 based on biological information (pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, etc.) that is the sensing result by the sensor unit 110. In this case, the personal authentication unit 166 acquires the sensing result from the sensor unit 110 and generates determination information (characteristic information) from the sensing result. The pulse rate and heart rate can be acquired from, for example, a PPG or ECG sensor. The blood pressure can be acquired from a pressure sensor or a blood flow rate sensor. The blood glucose can be acquired from a sensor that can check bodily fluids.

[0103] In this way, by generating personal information from the sensor unit 110, the personal authentication unit 166 can perform personal authentication processing without communicating with an external device (e.g., the communication device 20). This allows the personal authentication unit 166 to further prevent information leakage during biometric authentication.

[0104] Note that even if the personal information is generated from biological information such as pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, or blood sugar that can be acquired from the sensing results by the sensor unit 110, the terminal device 10 may acquire the personal information from the communication device 20. In this case, the terminal device 10 acquires, via the communication device 20, the generated information acquired by the communication device 20 or an external device, or feature information extracted from the generated information, as personal information.

[0105] In this way, by acquiring the identity information generated from the biometric information from the communication device 20, the identity authentication unit 166 does not need to generate identity information from the sensing result of the sensor unit 110. Therefore, even when the identity authentication unit 166 cannot generate identity information, such as when the terminal device 10 is inserted into the body for the first time, it is possible to perform identity authentication processing.

[0106] When acquiring at least one of the personal information and the determination information via the communication device 20, communication is performed between the terminal device 10 and the communication device 20. It is desirable that a secure encrypted protocol be used for this communication, which can further improve the security of the personal authentication process.

[0107] Here, the personal authentication unit 166 compares the personal information and the determination information, but this comparison may also be performed by an external device (e.g., the communication device 20). In this case, the communication device 20 stores the personal information in advance and performs the comparison based on the determination information acquired from the user U_A. The personal authentication unit 166 may acquire the comparison result from the communication device 20 and perform personal authentication based on this comparison result. In this way, at least a part of the personal authentication process may be executed by an external device (e.g., the communication device 20).

[0108] Assume that the personal information is information specifying a specific environmental condition (information regarding an electromagnetic field, temperature, pressure, etc.). In this case, the personal authentication unit 166 generates determination information based on the sensing results acquired from the sensor unit 110. Note that the specific environmental condition may be set using a special jig, for example. In this way, the user U_A may perform personal authentication using a dedicated device.

[0109] (Restart processing unit 167) When the detection unit 162 detects the insertion of the terminal device 10 while the authentication process is stopped, the restart processing unit 167 executes an authentication restart process to restart the authentication process depending on the result of the personal authentication by the personal authentication unit 166.

[0110] Alternatively, when the restart processing unit 167 receives an instruction to execute restart processing from the communication device 20 (an example of an external device), it executes an authentication restart processing to resume the authentication processing depending on the result of personal authentication by the personal authentication unit 166.

[0111] In this way, when some of the functions of the terminal device 10 (for example, the ID authentication function) are restricted, the resumption processing unit 167 executes processing to restore the restricted functions.

[0112] If the personal authentication is successful, the restart processing unit 167 determines that the card has been reinserted by the correct user U_A and executes an authentication restart processing to restart the authentication processing. If the personal authentication is unsuccessful, the restart processing unit 167 does not execute the authentication restart processing. Alternatively, if the personal authentication is unsuccessful, the restart processing unit 167 may determine that the card has been inserted by an unauthorized user U_B and request the stop processing unit 165 to execute an unrecoverable stop processing.

[0113] As the authentication restart process, the restart processing unit 167 notifies the power management unit 140 to supply power to the control unit 160 and the communication unit 120, for example. Alternatively, the restart processing unit 167 notifies the storage unit 150 to permit reading.

[0114] (Management Unit 168) The management unit 168 manages the operation of the control unit 160. For example, the management unit 168 switches between restorable stop processing and non-returnable stop processing for the authentication stop processing performed by the stop processing unit 165 in accordance with predetermined conditions. For example, the management unit 168 switches between restorable stop processing and non-returnable stop processing in accordance with an instruction from the communication device 20, the usage time of the terminal device 10, the number of times of use, the purpose, etc.

[0115] The management unit 168 may also execute a reset process to reset the terminal device 10. This reset process may be performed simultaneously with the non-recoverable stop process, or may be performed separately from the non-recoverable stop process. The reset process includes a process to delete the identification information, personal information, and other information of the terminal device 10. Alternatively, the reset process may include a process to delete programs executed by the terminal device 10.

[0116] The management unit 168 executes the reset process in accordance with an instruction from the communication device 20. At this time, the management unit 168 may request the communication device 20 to perform authentication for executing the reset process, such as inputting a password. This password may be a master password of a user with administrator privileges.

[0117] 2.2. Example of the Configuration of the Communication Device The communication device 20 (an example of another device) is an information processing device that communicates with the terminal device 10. The communication device 20 may be an RFID tag reader, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, a PC, or the like.

[0118] Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the communication device 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that Fig. 7 conceptually illustrates the functions of the communication device 20, and various aspects may be adopted depending on the embodiment.

[0119] The communication device 20 in FIG. 7 includes a communication unit 210, a power management unit 220, a storage unit 230, and a control unit 240.

[0120] (Communication Unit 210) The communication unit 210 is a wireless communication processing unit that communicates with the terminal device 10. The communication unit 210 includes an antenna 211. The communication unit 210 can perform short-range wireless communication such as near field communication (NFC) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). When the communication unit 210 supports multiple wireless access methods, each unit constituting the communication unit 210 may be configured individually for each wireless access method.

[0121] (Power Management Unit 220) The power management unit 220 supplies power to the terminal device 10. The power management unit 220 transmits power for charging the battery unit 130 of the terminal device 10 via the antenna 221.

[0122] Note that, although Figure 7 shows a case where the antenna 211 for communication and the antenna 221 for wireless charging are different, the communication device 20 may be configured to perform both communication and wireless charging using a single antenna.

[0123] (Storage Unit 230) The storage unit 230 is a data readable / writable storage device such as a DRAM, an SRAM, a flash memory, a hard disk, etc. The storage unit 230 stores, for example, sensing results acquired from the terminal device 10.

[0124] (Control Unit 240) The control unit 240 is a controller that controls each unit of the communication device 20. The control unit 240 may be realized by a processor such as a CPU or an MPU. In detail, the control unit 240 may be realized by the processor executing various programs stored in a storage device inside the communication device 20 using a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like as a working area.

[0125] The control unit 240 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The control unit 240 may also be realized by a GPU. A CPU, an MPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, and a GPU can all be considered controllers. The control unit 240 may also be composed of multiple physically separated objects. For example, the control unit 240 may be composed of multiple semiconductor chips.

[0126] The control unit 240 includes a management setting unit 241 , an ID authentication unit 242 , a transmission / reception unit 243 , a switching instruction unit 244 , a reset instruction unit 245 , and a restart instruction unit 246 .

[0127] Each block (management setting unit 241 to restart instruction unit 246) constituting the control unit 240 is a functional block that indicates the function of the control unit 240. These functional blocks may be software blocks or hardware blocks.

[0128] For example, each of the above-described functional blocks may be a software module implemented by software (including a microprogram), or may be a circuit block on a semiconductor chip (die). Of course, each functional block may be a processor or an integrated circuit. The control unit 160 may be configured with functional units different from the above-described functional blocks. The method of configuring the functional blocks is arbitrary.

[0129] (Management setting unit 241) The management setting unit 241 sets up the terminal device 10 by transmitting a management setting to the terminal device 10. The management setting unit 241 performs initial settings of the terminal device 10 by transmitting the management setting before the terminal device 10 is inserted into the body of the user U_A. The management setting may include, for example, information for pairing with the terminal device 10 and personal information such as a password.

[0130] As a result, pairing processing is performed between the terminal device 10 and the communication device 20, and personal information is set, as necessary.

[0131] (ID authentication unit 242) The ID authentication unit 242 authenticates whether the terminal device 10 is a valid communication partner prior to communication processing using the communication unit 210. The ID authentication unit 242 executes authentication processing with the terminal device 10 using, for example, identification information (device ID) of the terminal device 10 stored in advance.

[0132] (Transmission / reception unit 243) The transmission / reception unit 243 transmits and receives data to and from the terminal device 10 via the communication unit 210. The transmission / reception unit 243, for example, acquires a sensing result from the sensor unit 110 from the terminal device 10. The transmission / reception unit 243 also acquires data used in processing performed with the terminal device 10, such as information necessary for electronic payment.

[0133] The transmitting / receiving unit 243 can also transmit information regarding the results of processing performed with the terminal device 10, such as balance information and payment history, to the terminal device 10. In this way, the transmitting / receiving unit 243 exchanges data with the terminal device 10.

[0134] (Switching instruction unit 244) The switching instruction unit 244 instructs the terminal device 10 to switch between the restorable stop processing and the non-recoverable stop processing. The switching instruction unit 244 switches between the restorable stop processing and the non-recoverable stop processing depending on an instruction from the administrator or the user U_A, the usage time of the terminal device 10, the number of times of use, the purpose, etc.

[0135] For example, when the usage time exceeds a certain time or the number of times of use exceeds a certain number of times, the switching instruction unit 244 instructs the terminal device 10 to execute the non-recoverable stop processing. Furthermore, the switching instruction unit 244 instructs the terminal device 10 to execute the non-recoverable stop processing in the case of an experiment or trial, and to switch to the non-recoverable stop processing in the case of actual use.

[0136] (Reset instruction unit 245) The reset instruction unit 245 instructs the terminal device 10 to execute a reset process. The reset instruction unit 245 notifies the terminal device 10 of the execution of a reset process in accordance with an instruction from, for example, an administrator or the user U_A.

[0137] (Restart instruction unit 246) The restart instruction unit 246 instructs the terminal device 10 to execute the authentication restart process. The restart instruction unit 246 notifies the terminal device 10 of a request to execute the authentication restart process, for example, in accordance with an instruction from the administrator or the user U_A.

[0138] <<3. Information Processing Example>> <3.1. Authentication Processing Example> This section describes authentication processing that is executed prior to communication between the terminal device 10 and the communication device 20. The authentication processing is executed in order for the terminal device 10 and the communication device 20 to communicate with each other.

[0139] 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of authentication processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, an overview of authentication processing using public key cryptography will be described.

[0140] 8, the communication device 20 generates a random number to be used in the authentication process (step S11), and transmits random number data including the generated random number to the terminal device 10 (step S12).

[0141] Upon receiving the random number data, the terminal device 10 executes a signature process to generate signature data using the random number data and a private key (step S13). The private key is, for example, information related to the identification information (device ID) of the terminal device 10. For example, the terminal device 10 encrypts the random number data using the private key to generate signature data.

[0142] The terminal device 10 transmits the generated signature data to the communication device 20 (step S14). The communication device 20, which has received the signature data, requests the terminal device 10 for a certificate including public key information relating to the public key (step S15).

[0143] In response to the request, the terminal device 10 transmits a certificate including public key information to the communication device 20 (step S16). Upon receiving the certificate, the communication device 20 verifies the signature data (step S17). For example, the communication device 20 decrypts the signature data using the public key information included in the certificate. For example, the communication device 20 verifies whether the terminal device 10 holds the assigned private key based on the decrypted signature data.

[0144] If the terminal device 10 holds the assigned private key, in other words, if it is verified that the terminal device 10 is a valid communication partner, the communication device 20 determines that the authentication is successful. On the other hand, if the terminal device 10 does not hold the assigned private key, in other words, if it is verified that the terminal device 10 is not a valid communication partner, the communication device 20 determines that the authentication is unsuccessful.

[0145] The result of the authentication process is notified, for example, from the communication device 20 to the terminal device 10. After the authentication process, for example, communication (not shown) is performed between the communication device 20 and the terminal device 10.

[0146] <3.2. First Processing Example> A first processing example executed by the terminal device 10 when the authentication suspension processing is the non-recoverable suspension processing will be described.

[0147] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a first processing flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0148] The terminal device 10 receives a management setting from the communication device 20 (step S101). Based on the management setting, the terminal device 10 can perform a pairing process with the communication device 20 and set personal information including a password, characteristic information, and the like.

[0149] Next, the terminal device 10 determines whether or not the insertion detection condition is satisfied (step S102). The insertion detection condition includes the time elapsed since the management configuration was received and the movement of the terminal device 10. That is, the terminal device 10 determines that the insertion detection condition is satisfied when a predetermined time has elapsed since the management configuration was received or when the terminal device 10 has moved by a predetermined value or more.

[0150] If the insertion detection condition is not satisfied (step S102; No), the terminal device 10 returns to step S102.

[0151] On the other hand, if the insertion detection condition is satisfied (step S102; Yes), the terminal device 10 determines whether or not insertion into the body of the user U_A has been detected (step S103). Based on the sensing result of the sensor unit 110, the terminal device 10 determines whether or not the terminal device 10 has been inserted into the user U_A.

[0152] If insertion into the body is not detected (step S103; No), the terminal device 10 returns to step S102. Note that although the terminal device 10 returns to step S102 here, it is also possible to return to step S103. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 may wait for a certain period of time to elapse and then detect insertion into the body again.

[0153] If insertion into the body is detected (step S103; Yes), the terminal device 10 executes an identity authentication process (step S104).

[0154] Here, the personal authentication process will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the personal authentication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0155] The terminal device 10 acquires the determination information from the communication device 20 or from the sensing result of the sensor unit 110 (step S201).

[0156] The terminal device 10 determines whether the acquired determination information matches the personal information stored in advance (or acquired from the communication device 20) (step S202).

[0157] If the determination information and the personal information match (step S202; Yes), the terminal device 10 determines that the card has been inserted by the user U_A (step S203). That is, the terminal device 10 determines that personal authentication has been successful.

[0158] On the other hand, if the determination information and the personal information do not match (step S202; No), the terminal device 10 determines that the card has been inserted by someone other than the user U_A (step S204). That is, the terminal device 10 determines that personal authentication has failed.

[0159] In addition, if the judgment information and personal information include features of biometric information, the terminal device 10 determines whether the judgment information and personal information match depending on whether a predetermined number or more of feature points (or feature amounts) match.

[0160] Returning to FIG. 9, the terminal device 10 determines whether or not the user U_A has inserted the card, based on the result of the personal authentication process (step S105).

[0161] If the personal authentication fails and it is determined that the card is not inserted by user U_A, that is, that the card is inserted by user U_B other than user U_A (step S105; No), the terminal device 10 proceeds to step S110.

[0162] On the other hand, if the personal authentication is successful and it is determined that the user U_A inserted the card (step S105; Yes), the terminal device 10 starts the communication process (step S106) and starts the sensing process (step S107).

[0163] Here, the communication process will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0164] 11 is executed by the terminal device 10 in response to a request from the communication device 20. Alternatively, the communication process may be executed when power is supplied from the communication device 20. Furthermore, the communication process may be executed at regular intervals.

[0165] The terminal device 10 performs ID authentication (step S301). For example, the terminal device 10 performs ID authentication by executing an authentication process using a device ID.

[0166] If the ID authentication is successful, the terminal device 10 communicates with the communication device 20 (step S302).

[0167] The sensing process will now be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of the sensing process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0168] 12 is executed by the terminal device 10 at regular intervals, for example. Alternatively, the sensing process may be executed when requested by the communication device 20.

[0169] The terminal device 10 acquires sensing results from the sensor unit 110 (step S401). The terminal device 10 records the acquired sensing results (step S402). For example, the terminal device 10 stores the acquired sensing results in the storage unit 150. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 may notify the communication device 20 of the acquired sensing results.

[0170] The terminal device 10 executes the sensing process, for example, at a fixed cycle or based on a request from the communication device 20. This allows the terminal device 10 to perform sensing with low power consumption.

[0171] 9 , the terminal device 10 determines whether the removal detection condition is satisfied (step S108). For example, the removal detection condition is the elapsed time since the previous removal detection. For example, if a certain time has elapsed since the previous removal detection, the terminal device 10 determines that the removal detection condition is satisfied.

[0172] If the removal detection condition is not satisfied (Step S108; No), the terminal device 10 returns to Step S108.

[0173] On the other hand, if the detection condition is satisfied (step S108; Yes), the terminal device 10 determines whether or not the terminal device 10 has been extracted from the body based on the sensing result by the sensor unit 110 (step S109).

[0174] If the terminal device 10 does not detect the withdrawal from the body (step S109; No), the terminal device 10 returns to step S108.

[0175] On the other hand, if the terminal device 10 detects that the device has been removed from the body (step S109; Yes), the terminal device 10 stops the authentication function (step S110) and ends the process. Here, the terminal device 10 stops the authentication function by executing the non-returnable stop process.

[0176] The terminal device 10 detects the withdrawal of the blood from the body at regular intervals, for example, which allows the terminal device 10 to further reduce power consumption due to the detection of the withdrawal of the blood from the body.

[0177] <3.3. Second Processing Example> Next, a second processing example executed by the terminal device 10 when the authentication suspension processing is the return-enabled suspension processing will be described.

[0178] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of the second process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that the process up to step S109 is the same as the first process shown in FIG. 12, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0179] When removal from the body is detected in step S109, the terminal device 10 stops the authentication function (step S501). The terminal device 10 stops the authentication function by executing a return-enabling stop process.

[0180] The terminal device 10 determines whether or not a reset instruction has been received from the communication device 20 (step S502).

[0181] If the reset instruction is received (step S502; Yes), the terminal device 10 executes a reset process to reset its own settings (step S503). The terminal device 10 deletes, for example, the device ID, personal information, sensing results, etc. Note that, before executing the reset process, the terminal device 10 may request authentication for executing the reset process (for example, input of a master password, etc.) from the communication device 20.

[0182] On the other hand, if the reset instruction has not been received (step S502; No), the terminal device 10 determines whether the restart condition is satisfied (step S504). For example, when the terminal device 10 detects that the terminal device 10 has been inserted into the body, the terminal device 10 determines that the restart condition is satisfied.

[0183] If the restart condition is not satisfied (step S504; No), the terminal device 10 returns to step S502.

[0184] On the other hand, if the restart condition is satisfied (step S504; Yes), the terminal device 10 executes the personal authentication process (step S505). For example, the terminal device 10 executes the personal authentication process shown in FIG.

[0185] The terminal device 10 determines whether the user U_A has inserted the card according to the result of the personal authentication process (step S506).

[0186] If the personal authentication fails and it is determined that the card is not inserted by the user U_A, that is, that the card is inserted by a user U_B other than the user U_A (step S506; No), the terminal device 10 returns to step S502. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 may execute a non-returnable stop process and end the process.

[0187] On the other hand, if the personal authentication is successful and it is determined that the user U_A inserted the card (step S506; Yes), the terminal device 10 executes the restart process (step S507) and returns to step S106.

[0188] As described above, the terminal device 10 according to this embodiment includes the ID authentication unit 163, the communication control unit 164, the detection unit 162, and the stop processing unit 165. The ID authentication unit 163 performs authentication using identification information (device ID) that identifies the terminal device 10. If authentication by the ID authentication unit 163 is successful, the communication control unit 164 communicates with the communication device 20.

[0189] The detection unit 162 detects removal of the terminal device 10 from the body. The stop processing unit 165 stops authentication by the ID authentication unit 163 when removal from the body is detected.

[0190] This allows the terminal device 10 to prevent unauthorized use by anyone other than the user U_A.

[0191] <<4. Other Embodiments>> The processing according to the above-described embodiment may be implemented in various different forms other than the above embodiment.

[0192] For example, in the above embodiment, the authentication stop process is executed when the terminal device 10 is removed from the body, but the authentication stop process may not be executed even when the terminal device 10 is removed. For example, the terminal device 10 may not execute the authentication stop process when it is removed according to a specified procedure, such as when it receives a predetermined signal from the communication device 20 or when it is removed under a specific environmental condition (electromagnetic field, temperature, pressure, etc.).

[0193] This allows the terminal device 10 to operate outside the body by being extracted in the correct (prescribed) procedure.

[0194] The terminal device 10 may also have a real-time clock. The terminal device 10 may record data such as an operation history in the storage unit 150 along with the time of the real-time clock, and may be configured so that past data cannot be deleted. This can further improve the security of the terminal device 10.

[0195] In the above embodiment, the terminal device 10 periodically senses biometric information (sensing process), but the terminal device 10 may not sense biometric information for purposes other than personal authentication. In this case, the terminal device 10 may be used for processes including interactions with the communication device 20, such as electronic payment and personal identification.

[0196] Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using known methods. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the information shown in the drawings.

[0197] Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are functional concepts and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc. For example, the processing performed by each functional unit (power management unit 220, control unit 240) of the communication device 20 of the present disclosure may be performed by a dedicated device such as a charging device.

[0198] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content.

[0199] Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

[0200] <<5. Supplementary Information>> The present technology may also be configured as follows. (1) A terminal device including: an authentication unit that executes authentication processing for communicating with another device; a communication unit that communicates with the other device when the authentication processing is successful; a detection unit that detects removal of the device inserted into the body from the body; and a stop processing unit that stops the authentication processing by the authentication unit when the removal from the body is detected. (2) The terminal device according to (1), further including a restart processing unit that restarts the authentication processing by the authentication unit after the authentication processing is stopped. (3) The terminal device according to (2), in which the restart processing unit restarts the authentication processing in accordance with an instruction from an external device. (4) The terminal device according to (3), in which the restart processing unit restarts the authentication processing when the instruction from the external device is at least one of inputting a password and satisfying a specific environmental condition. (5) The terminal device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process by stopping at least one of communication by the communication unit and control by the control unit. (6) The terminal device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process so that the authentication process is not resumed. (7) The terminal device according to (6), wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process so that the authentication process is resumed or not resumed according to a predetermined condition. (8) The terminal device according to (7), wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of the usage time, number of uses, purpose, and instruction from the other device of the terminal device. (9) The terminal device according to any one of (6) to (8), wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process by erasing at least one of a program and data. (10) The terminal device according to any one of (6) to (9), wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process by destroying at least a part of a circuit. (11) The terminal device according to any one of (6) to (10), wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process by moving a state of a hardware logic that performs the authentication process to a state that cannot be transitioned in a state machine.(12) The terminal device according to any one of (1) to (11), further comprising a wearing authentication unit that authenticates a wearer wearing the terminal device. (13) The terminal device according to (12), wherein the wearing authentication unit authenticates the wearer using at least one of a password and biometric information of the wearer. (14) The terminal device according to (13), further comprising a sensing unit that senses the biometric information of the wearer, wherein the wearing authentication unit authenticates the wearer using sensing information sensed in advance and the biometric information sensed by the sensing unit. (15) The terminal device according to (13) or (14), wherein the wearing authentication unit authenticates the wearer in at least one of the cases where the detection unit detects the insertion for the first time and where the detection unit detects the insertion after the stop processing unit stops the authentication. (16) The terminal device according to any one of (1) to (15), wherein the detection unit detects the insertion in response to at least one of the passage of a certain period of time after a predetermined operation is performed on the terminal device and the movement of the terminal device. (17) The terminal device according to any one of (1) to (16), further comprising a sensor unit that senses biometric information of a wearer wearing the terminal device, wherein the sensor unit senses the biometric information at a predetermined cycle. (18) The terminal device according to any one of (1) to (17), further comprising a sensor unit that senses biometric information of a wearer wearing the terminal device using a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor is disposed at a first end of the terminal device, and the second sensor is disposed at a second end of the terminal device opposite the first end. (19) The terminal device according to any one of (1) to (18), further comprising a sensor unit that senses biometric information of a wearer wearing the terminal device using a third sensor and a fourth sensor, wherein the third sensor is arranged on a first surface of the terminal device, and the fourth sensor is arranged on a second surface of the terminal device opposite to the first surface.(20) A method including: executing an authentication process for communicating with another device; communicating with the other device if the authentication process is successful; detecting removal of the device inserted into the body; and stopping the authentication process if the removal is detected.

[0201] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Terminal device 20 Communication device 110 Sensor unit 120, 210 Communication unit 121, 141, 211, 221 Antenna 130 Battery unit 140, 220 Power supply management unit 150, 230 Storage unit 160, 240 Control unit 161 Sensor control unit 162 Detection unit 164 Communication control unit 165 Stop processing unit 166 Personal authentication unit 167 Restart processing unit 168 Management unit 241 Management setting unit 243 Transmission / reception unit 244 Switching instruction unit 245 Reset instruction unit 246 Restart instruction unit

Claims

1. A terminal device comprising: an authentication unit that executes an authentication process for communicating with other devices; a communication unit that communicates with the other devices if the authentication process is successful; a detection unit that detects removal of the device inserted into the body from the body; and a stop processing unit that stops the authentication process by the authentication unit when the removal from the body is detected.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a restart processing unit that restarts the authentication process by the authentication unit after the authentication process is stopped.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the restart processing unit restarts the authentication process in accordance with an instruction from an external device.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the restart processing unit restarts the authentication process in response to at least one of the instruction from the external device being that a password has been entered and that a specific environmental condition has been satisfied.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the stop processing section stops the authentication process by stopping at least one of communication by the communication section and control by the control section.

6. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process so that the authentication process is not restarted.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process so that the authentication process is resumed or not resumed according to a predetermined condition.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of the usage time, the number of usages, the purpose of the terminal device, and an instruction from the other device.

9. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the stop processing section stops the authentication process by erasing at least one of a program and data.

10. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process by destroying at least a part of a circuit.

11. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the stop processing unit stops the authentication process by moving a state of a hardware logic that performs the authentication process to a state to which a state machine cannot transition.

12. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a wearing authentication unit that authenticates a wearer who wears the terminal device.

13. The terminal device according to claim 12, wherein the wearing authentication unit performs the authentication of the wearer using at least one of a password and biometric information of the wearer.

14. The terminal device according to claim 13, further comprising a sensing unit that senses the biometric information of the wearer, wherein the wearing authentication unit performs the authentication of the wearer using sensing information sensed in advance and the biometric information sensed by the sensing unit.

15. The terminal device according to claim 13, wherein the wearing authentication unit performs the authentication of the wearer in at least one of the following cases: when the detection unit detects the insertion for the first time, and when the detection unit detects the insertion after the stop processing unit has stopped the authentication.

16. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the insertion in response to at least one of the passage of a certain period of time after a specified operation is performed on the terminal device and the movement of the terminal device.

17. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor unit that senses biometric information of a wearer wearing the terminal device, the sensor unit sensing the biometric information at a predetermined cycle.

18. A terminal device as described in claim 1, further comprising a sensor unit that senses biometric information of a wearer wearing the terminal device using a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor being arranged at a first end of the terminal device, and the second sensor being arranged at a second end of the terminal device opposite the first end.

19. A terminal device as described in claim 1, further comprising a sensor unit that senses biometric information of a wearer wearing the terminal device using a third sensor and a fourth sensor, the third sensor being arranged on a first surface of the terminal device, and the fourth sensor being arranged on a second surface of the terminal device opposite the first surface.

20. A method comprising: executing an authentication process for communicating with another device; communicating with the other device if the authentication process is successful; detecting removal of the device inserted into the body from the body; and stopping the authentication process if the removal from the body is detected.

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