Mobile terminal, data communication method, and computer program

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a near-field communication device configure to perform near-field wireless communication with an external reader/writer device; and

a controller configured to instruct:

(a) the external reader/writer device to execute a first command; and

(b) the near-field communication device to execute a second command;

the near-field communication device including:

(a) a storage unit including:

(i) a controller authentication key storage area for storing a controller authentication key used for mutual authentication with the controller; and

(ii) an external reader/writer device access key storage area for storing an external reader/writer device access key used for accessing the external reader/writer device;

(b) a first mutual authentication unit configured to:

(i) in response to a mutual authentication request given by the controller, authenticate the controller as being valid based on the controller authentication key; and

(ii) request the controller to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;

(c) a first communication key setting unit configured to set a first communication key used between the controller and the near-field communication device based on a result of the authentication operation performed by the first mutual authentication unit;

(d) a second mutual authentication unit configured to:

(i) in response to a mutual authentication request applied between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device given by the controller, authenticate the external reader/writer device as being valid based on the external reader/writer device access key; and

(ii) request the external reader/writer device to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid; and

(e) a second communication key setting unit configured to set a second communication key used between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device based on a result of the authentication operation performed by the second mutual authentication unit; and

wherein:

(a) the controller and the near-field communication device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the first communication key; and

(b) the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the second communication key.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the storage unit includes a value information storage area for storing value information, the value information being accessible with the first communication key.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein, instead of the mutual authentication performed by the first and second mutual authentication units, the mutual authentication is performed between the controller and the external device, and the secure communication is performed between the controller and the external device.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the near-field communication device is configured to:

(a) decrypt, upon receiving predetermined data from the controller, the data with the first communication key;

(b) process the decrypted data;

(c) encrypt the processed data with the second communication key; and

(d) transmit the encrypted data to the external device.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein whether or not the secure communication is executable between controller and the external device, between the controller and the near-field communication device, or between the near-field communication device and the external device is determined based on of statuses regarding completion of the mutual authentication performed on the near-field communication device.

6. A method of operating a mobile terminal having: (a) a near-field communication device configured to perform near-field wireless communication with an external reader/write device; and (b) a controller configured to instruct: (i) the external reader/write device to execute a first command; and (ii) the near-field communication device to execute a second command, the method comprising:

allocating a controller authentication key storage area for storing a controller authentication key used for mutual authentication with the controller in a storage unit, said storage unit being included in said near-field communication device;

allocating an external reader/write device access key storage area for storing an external reader/write device access key used for accessing the external reader/write device in the storage unit included in the near-field communication device;

in response to a mutual authentication request given by the controller, causing a first mutual authentication unit to:

(a) authenticate the controller as being valid based on the controller authentication key; and

(b) request the controller to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;

causing a first communication key setting unit to set a first communication key used between the controller and the near-field communication device based on a result of the authentication operation performed by the first mutual authentication unit;

causing a second mutual authentication unit to:

(a) in response to a mutual authentication request applied between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device given by the controller, authenticate the external reader/writer device as being valid based on the external reader/writer device access key; and

(b) request the external reader/writer device to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid; and

causing a second communication key setting unit to set a second communication key used between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device based on a result of the authentication operation performed at the second mutual authentication step; and

wherein:

(a) the controller and the near-field communication device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the first communication key; and

(b) the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the second communication key.

7. A non-transient computer recordable medium storing instructions structured to cause a mobile terminal having: (a) a near-field communication device configured to perform near-field wireless communication with an external reader/writer device; and (b) a controller configured to instruct: (i) the external reader/writer device to execute a first command; and (ii) the near-field communication device to execute a second command to:

(a) allocate a controller authentication key storage area for storing a controller authentication key used for mutual authentication with the controller in a storage unit, said storage unit being included in the near-field communication device;

(b) allocate an external reader/writer device access key storage area for storing an external reader/writer device access key used for accessing the external reader/writer device in said storage unit included in the near-field communication device;

(c) in response to a mutual authentication request given by the controller, authenticate the controller as being valid based on the controller authentication key;

(d) request the controller to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid;

(e) set a first communication key used between the controller and the near-field communication device based on a result of the authentication operation performed at the first mutual authentication step;

(f) in response to a mutual authentication request applied between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device given by the controller, authenticate the external reader/writer device as being valid based on the external reader/writer device access key;

(g) request the external reader/writer device to authenticate the near-field communication device as being valid; and

(h) set a second communication key used between the near-field communication device and the external reader/writer device based on a result of the authentication operation performed at the second mutual authentication step, wherein:

the controller and the near-field communication device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the first communication key; and

(ii) the near-field communication device and the reader/writer external device, which have authenticated each other, perform secure communication using the second communication key.