Patent ID: 8065524

Claim:
An authentication processing apparatus comprising: an authenticator having a circuit that performs authentication phases included in processing for authenticating an external device; a command holder operable to hold a first command that indicates whether or not each of the authentication phases is performed by said authenticator; an authentication controller operable to cause said authenticator to perform the authentication phases that are indicated, by the first command, to be performed by said authenticator; and a central processing unit (CPU) operable to perform software processing of the authentication phases that are indicated, by the first command held in said command holder, not to be performed by said authenticator, wherein the first command includes a plurality of bits, each corresponding to one of the authentication phases, wherein each of the bits included in the first command indicates whether or not the corresponding authentication phase is to be performed by the authenticator, and wherein said authentication controller is operable to cause said authenticator to perform the authentication phase that is indicated, by the corresponding bit included in the first command held in said command holder, to be performed by said authenticator.