Patent ID: 11971973
Assignee: BITKEY INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G

Claim 7:
8. A utilization control method for controlling use of usage target objects by using a use permit issuing device that issues a use permit including use conditions for using one of the usage target objects, a utilization control device and a use permit notification device that are provided for each of the usage target objects, the utilization control device controlling use of the usage target object based on the use permit by locking/unlocking, by access control, or by encrypting/decrypting, and the use permit notification device that notifies the use permit to the utilization control device; and a setting terminal that notifies the use permit to the use permit notification device, wherein:
the use permit issuing device:
stores, for each user, at least one type of authentication data together with an authentication method of the authentication data in question in association with at least one type of identification information, and stores, for each of the usage target objects, key information including a secret key used for signing the use permit;
on receiving from the setting terminal a use permit issue request including user's identification information, designation of a usage target object, specifying information that can identify an authentication method employed by the use permit notification device corresponding to use conditions for using the usage target object,
issues the use permit including the use conditions included in the use permit issue request;
generates a signature on the issued use permit, by using the secret key included in the key information stored in association with the usage target object included in the use permit issue request; and
identifies the authentication data of the authentication method identified by the specifying information included in the use permit issue request, among the authentication data stored in association with the user's identification information included in the use permit issue request to send setting information including the issued use permit, the generated signature, and the identified authentication data to the setting terminal that is the sender of the use permit issue request;

the setting terminal:
acquires the setting information from the use permit issuing device by sending the use permit issue request to the use permit issuing device according to an instruction of an operator to acquire the setting information from the use permit issuing device; and
notifies the acquired setting information to the use permit notification device that is provided correspondingly to the usage target object designated in the use permit issue request;

the use permit notification device:
stores the setting information notified from the setting terminal;
acquires the authentication data from a user according to a predetermined authentication method to search for the setting information that includes the authentication data; and
sends the use permit and the signature included in the retrieved setting information to the utilization control device that is pair to the use permit notification device itself via Near Field Communication; and

the utilization control device:
can communicate only via the Near Field Communication;
stores hole data including a public key used for verification of the use permit; and
verifies the signature received together with the use permit from the use permit notification device by using the public key included in the hole data, and if the verification is established, lifts restriction on use of the usage target object when the use conditions included in the use permit being satisfied.