System of authentication, apparatus, program and method

1. A system of authentication in which first and second authentication devices authenticate each other, the first authentication device comprising:

first management means for managing experience information of a low experience rank, which is unidirectionally generated from experience information of a high experience rank, and for, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than the managed set of experience rank and experience information is delivered in accordance with an experience, managing the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

first certification means for, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the second authentication device, transmitting corresponding experience information in the first management means to the second authentication device; and

first verification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the second authentication device, verifying experience information obtained from the second authentication device on the basis of the experience information in the first management means, and the second authentication device comprising:

second management means for managing experience information of a low experience rank, which is unidirectionally generated from experience information of a high experience rank, and for, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than the managed set of experience rank and experience information is delivered in accordance with an experience, managing the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

second certification means for, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the first authentication device, transmitting corresponding experience information in the second management means to the first authentication device; and

second verification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the first authentication device, verifying experience information obtained from the first authentication device on the basis of the experience information in the second management means.

2. A system of authentication in which first and second authentication devices authenticate each other, the first authentication device comprising:

first management means for managing experience information of a low experience rank, which is unidirectionally generated from experience information of a high experience rank, and for, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than the managed set of experience rank and experience information are delivered in accordance with an experience, managing the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

first certification means for, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the second authentication device, transmitting verification information associated with corresponding experience information in the first management means to the second authentication device; and

first verification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the second authentication device, verifying verification information obtained from the second authentication device on the basis of the experience information in the first management means, and the second authentication device comprising:

second management means for managing experience information of a low experience rank, which is unidirectionally generated from experience information of a high experience rank, and for, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than the managed set of experience rank and experience information are delivered in accordance with an experience, managing the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

second certification means for, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the first authentication device, transmitting verification information associated with corresponding experience information in the second management means to the first authentication device; and

second verification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the first authentication device, verifying verification information obtained from the first authentication device on the basis of the experience information in the second management means.

3. A management device for managing a plurality of authentication devices, comprising:

generation means for unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

management means for managing sets of experience information and experience ranks generated by the generation means together with identification information of each authentication device; and

delivery means for delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each of the authentication devices with reference to the management means in accordance with an experience of that authentication device.

4. An authentication device which can authenticate another authentication device, comprising:

generation means for unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

management means for, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than a managed set of experience rank and experience information is delivered in accordance with an experience, managing the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

certification means for, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the other authentication device, transmitting corresponding experience information in the management means to the authentication device as a request source; and

verification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the other authentication device, verifying experience information obtained from the other authentication device on the basis of the experience information in the management means using the generation means.

5. An authentication device according to claim 4 , wherein the verification means verifies by confirming if a set of experience rank and experience information of the other authentication device match a set of experience rank and experience information of the self device when the two experience ranks are equal to each other.

6. An authentication device which can authenticate another authentication device, comprising:

generation means for unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

management means for, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than a managed set of experience rank and experience information are delivered in accordance with an experience, managing the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

certification means for, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the other authentication device, transmitting verification information associated with corresponding experience information in the management means to the authentication device as a request source; and

verification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the other authentication device, verifying verification information obtained from the other authentication device on the basis of the experience information in the management means using the generation means.

7. A verification device comprising:

generation means for unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

management means for managing sets of experience information and experience ranks generated by the generation means together with identification information of each certification device;

delivery means for delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each certification device with reference to the management means in accordance with an experience of that certification device; and verification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to a given certification device, verifying experience information obtained from that certification device with reference to the management means.

8. A verification device according to claim 7 , wherein the verification means verifies by confirming if a set of experience rank and experience information of another certification device matches a set of experience rank and experience information of the self device when the two experience ranks are equal to each other.

9. A verification device comprising:

generation means for unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

management means for managing sets of experience information and experience ranks generated by the generation means together with identification information of each certification device;

delivery means for delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each certification device with reference to the management means in accordance with an experience of that certification device; and

verification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to a given certification device, verifying “verification information associated with experience information” obtained from that certification device with reference to the management means.

10. A certification device comprising:

management means for managing a set of experience rank and experience information of a verification device, which is delivered from the verification device; and

certification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is received from the verification device, transmitting the experience information in the management means to the verification device.

11. A certification device comprising:

management means for managing a set of experience rank and experience information of a verification device, which are delivered from the verification device; and

certification means for, when a certification request of an experience rank is received from the verification device, transmitting verification information associated with the experience information in the management means to the verification device.

12. A computer program stored in a computer readable storage medium which is used in a management device for managing a plurality of authentication devices, comprising:

a first program code of making a computer execute a generation process of unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

a second program code of making the computer execute a management process of managing sets of experience information and experience ranks generated by the generation process together with identification information of each authentication device; and

a third program code of making the computer execute a delivery process of delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each of the authentication devices with reference to the management process in accordance with an experience of that authentication device.

13. A computer program stored in a computer readable storage medium which is used in an authentication device which can authenticate another authentication device, comprising:

a first program code of making a computer execute a generation process of unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

a second program code of making the computer execute a management process of managing, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than a managed set of experience rank and experience information is delivered in accordance with an experience, the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

a third program code of making the computer execute a certification process of transmitting, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the other authentication device, corresponding experience information in a result of the management process to the authentication device as a request source; and

a fourth program code of making the computer execute a verification process of verifying, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the other authentication device, experience information obtained from the other authentication device on the basis of the experience information in a result of the management process using the generation process.

14. A program according to claim 13 , wherein the verification process verifies by confirming if a set of experience rank and experience information of the other authentication device matches a set of experience rank and experience information of the self device when the two experience ranks are equal to each other.

15. A computer program stored in a computer readable storage medium which is used in an authentication device which can authenticate another authentication device, comprising:

a first program code of making a computer execute a generation process of unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

a second program code of making the computer execute a management process of managing, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than a managed set of experience rank and experience information is delivered in accordance with an experience, the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

a third program code of making the computer execute a certification process of transmitting, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the other authentication device, verification information associated with corresponding experience information in a result of the management process to the authentication device as a request source; and

a fourth program code of making the computer execute a verification process of verifying, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the other authentication device, verification information obtained from the other authentication device on the basis of the experience information in a result of the management process using the generation process.

16. A computer program stored in a computer readable storage medium which is used in a verification device, comprising:

a first program code of making a computer execute a generation process of unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

a second program code of making the computer execute a management process of managing sets of experience information and experience ranks generated by the generation process together with identification information of each certification device;

a third program code of making the computer execute a delivery process of delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each certification device with execution of the management process in accordance with an experience of that certification device; and

a fourth program code of making the computer execute a verification process of verifying, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to a given certification device, experience information obtained from that certification device with reference to a result of the management process using the generation process.

17. A program according to claim 16 , wherein the verification process verifies by confirming if a set of experience rank and experience information of another certification device matches a set of experience rank and experience information of the self device when the two experience ranks are equal to each other.

18. A computer program stored in a computer readable storage medium which is used in a verification device, comprising:

a first program code of making a computer execute a generation process of unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

a second program code of making the computer execute a management process of managing sets of experience information and experience ranks generated by the generation process together with identification information of each certification device;

a third program code of making the computer execute a delivery process of delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each certification device with execution of the management process in accordance with an experience of that certification device; and

a fourth program code of making the computer execute a verification process of verifying, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to a given certification device, “verification information associated with experience information” obtained from that certification device with reference to a result of the management process using the generation process.

19. An authentication method with which a plurality of authentication devices authenticate each other, comprising:

managing, when each authentication device receives a delivery of a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than a managed set of experience rank and experience information in accordance with an experience, the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

transmitting, when each authentication device receives a certification request of the its own experience rank from the other authentication device, the managed experience information to the authentication device as a request source;

verifying, when each authentication device sends a certification request of an experience rank to the other authentication device, experience information obtained from the authentication device on the basis of the managed experience information; and

confirming, upon verification, if two pieces of experience information corresponding to an identical experience rank match, by unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank of a set of experience rank and experience information of the authentication device and a set of experience rank and experience information of the self device.

20. An authentication method with which a plurality of authentication devices authenticate each other, comprising:

managing, when each authentication device receives a delivery of a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than a managed set of experience rank and experience information in accordance with an experience, the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

transmitting, when each authentication device receives a certification request of the its own experience rank from the other authentication device, verification information associated with the managed experience information to the authentication device as a request source;

verifying, when each authentication device sends a certification request of an experience rank to the other authentication device, verification information obtained from the authentication device on the basis of the managed experience information; and

confirming, upon verification, if two pieces of verification information corresponding to an identical experience rank match, by unidirectionally generating verification information of a low experience rank from verification information of a high experience rank of a set of experience rank and verification information of the authentication device and a set of experience rank and verification information of the self device.

21. A management method in which a management device manages a plurality of authentication devices, comprising:

unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

managing generated sets of experience information and experience ranks together with identification information of each authentication device; and

delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each of the authentication devices with reference to the managed contents in accordance with an experience of that authentication device.

22. An authentication method with which an authentication device authenticates another authentication device, comprising:

managing, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than a managed set of experience rank and experience information are delivered in accordance with an experience, the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

transmitting, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the other authentication device, the managed experience information to the authentication device as a request source;

verifying, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the other authentication device, experience information obtained from the authentication device on the basis of the managed experience information; and

confirming, upon verification, if two pieces of experience information corresponding to an identical experience rank match, by unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank of a set of experience rank and experience information of the authentication device and a set of experience rank and experience information of the self device.

23. An authentication method with which an authentication device authenticates another authentication device, comprising:

managing, when a set of its own experience rank and experience information higher than a managed set of experience rank and experience information is delivered in accordance with an experience, the delivered set of experience rank and experience information;

transmitting, when a certification request of the its own experience rank is received from the other authentication device, the managed experience information to the authentication device as a request source;

verifying, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to the other authentication device, verification information associated with experience information obtained from the authentication device on the basis of the managed experience information; and

confirming, upon verification, if two pieces of verification information corresponding to an identical experience rank match, by unidirectionally generating verification information of a low experience rank from verification information of a high experience rank of a set of experience rank and verification information of the authentication device and a set of experience rank and verification information of the self device.

24. A verification method comprising:

unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

managing generated sets of experience information and experience ranks together with identification information of each certification device;

delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each certification device with reference to the managed contents in accordance with an experience of that certification device; and

verifying, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to a given certification device, experience information obtained from that certification device with reference to the managed contents.

25. A verification method comprising:

unidirectionally generating experience information of a low experience rank from experience information of a high experience rank;

managing generated sets of experience information and experience ranks together with identification information of each certification device;

delivering a set of higher experience rank and experience information to each certification device with reference to the managed contents in accordance with an experience of that certification device; and

verifying, when a certification request of an experience rank is sent to a given certification device, “verification information associated with experience information” obtained from that certification device with reference to the managed contents.