NFC Intermediary Authentication for Terminals Without Proximity Readers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Information terminals without short-range wireless communication functions, such as NFC, cannot perform authentication of contactless IC cards, limiting their functionality in authentication processes.
Innovation Solution
A system where a portable terminal with NFC capabilities communicates with an information storage medium and an information processing apparatus to facilitate authentication, using terminal information to enable authentication processes even without direct NFC communication between the terminal and the IC card, through a network-connected information processing apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an information terminal without short-range wireless communication function is used, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but authentication capability for contactless IC cards is lost
Solution Approach 1:
A portable terminal with NFC capability acts as an intermediary between the information terminal without NFC and the contactless IC card. The portable terminal performs NFC authentication with the IC card and transmits the authentication result to the information terminal via network communication, enabling authentication functionality without requiring the information terminal to have NFC hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct NFC mechanical/electromagnetic communication between the information terminal and IC card with a substituted communication path: the information terminal communicates with the portable terminal via network protocols, which then handles the NFC interaction with the IC card. This substitution allows terminals without NFC to perform authentication
2Adaptability or versatility
If a portable terminal with NFC is used to perform authentication, then authentication capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to requiring additional communication protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The portable terminal is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as an NFC communication device for direct authentication with IC cards and as a network communication node that can assist information terminals without NFC. This universal design allows a single device to support multiple authentication scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The portable terminal functions as a mediator that bridges between different communication systems (NFC and network protocols). It receives authentication requests from information terminals via network, performs NFC authentication with IC cards, and returns results through the network, thereby enabling protocol translation and system integration
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables authentication of contactless IC cards by using a portable terminal with NFC to communicate with the IC card and an information processing apparatus, allowing terminals without NFC to authenticate IC cards, thus expanding their functionality in authentication processes.
Implementation Method 1
a reading out process or a writing process is performed by proximity wireless communication (NFC: Near Field Communication)
Data Source
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AI summary
A portable terminal 30 issues an authentication process request for an information storage medium 20 to an information processing apparatus 50 by using terminal information indicative of an information terminal 40, which performs authentication of the information storage medium 20 without performing short-range wireless communication with the information storage medium 20. The information processing apparatus 50 has the portable terminal 30 output an authentication information request to the information storage medium 20 by short-range wireless communication, performs authentication of the information storage medium 20 on the basis of an authentication information answer, and outputs, to the portable terminal 30, approval information to be used when the information terminal 40 is to acquire a result of authentication of the information storage medium 20 from the information processing apparatus 50. The portable terminal 30 performs display based on the approval information. The information terminal 40 can acquire an authentication result relating to a user of the information storage medium 20 from the information processing apparatus 50, by using the displayed permission information. Accordingly, authentication of an information storage medium for which reading out and writing of information can be performed by proximity wireless communication can be performed by an information terminal that does not have a proximity wireless communication function.