Patent ID: 7243238

Claim:
A person authentication method for executing person authentication by comparing a template which is person identification data acquired beforehand with sampling information input by a user, said method comprising the steps of: acquiring an encrypted template from a person identification certificate including said template and generated by a third-party agency serving as a person identification certificate authority; receiving said encrypted template from said person identification certificate authority and an encrypted sampling information from said user; decrypting said encrypted template and said encrypted sampling information; comparing said decrypted template with said decrypted sampling information, and executing person authentication on the basis of the acquired template; wherein, said encrypted sampling information is generated using a public key certificate generated by a certificate authority; and when transmitting said person identification certificate to a person authentication system, said person identification certificate authority (a) retrieves a stored encrypted template, (b) decrypts the stored encrypted template using a private key of the person identification certificate authority, (c) re-encrypts the decrypted template using a public key of said person authentication system to which said person identification certificate is to be transmitted, and (d) stores the re-encrypted template in said person identification certificate.