Personal information controlling method and personal information controlling apparatus

Claim 2

An information controlling method of controlling information and permitting output of a specific piece of said information registered by an information registrant to an information referencer, said personal information controlling method comprising: a registrant authenticating step of verifying validity of said information registrant requesting issuance of said inquiry code; an inquiry code issuing step of generating and outputting an inquiry code in response to a request from said information registrant who registered said information, wherein said information registrant requests issuance of said inquiry code for use by said information referencer to obtain permission to access said specific piece of information, wherein said inquiry code serves as an identification of said specific piece of information; an inquiry code control information cataloging step of cataloging inquiry code control information used as a record of said generated inquiry code; an information acquiring step of requesting said information referencer to enter said inquiry code and a registrant identifier (ID), verifying validity of an inquiry code entered by said information referencer, and outputting said specific piece of information identified by said inquiry code if said inquiry code entered by said information referencer matches said inquiry code generated in response to said request from said information registrant and output at said inquiry code issuing step and said registrant ID matches a registrant ID of said information registrant; and an inquiry code invalidating step of invalidating said inquiry code control information for said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer when said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer is judged to be valid.

Claim 3

An information controlling method according to claim 1 , wherein said inquiry code issuing step comprises: an inquiry code generating step of generating said inquiry code, and wherein said information acquiring step comprises: a personal information outputting step of outputting said specific piece of information identified by said inquiry code entered by said information referencer.

Claim 4

An information controlling method according to claim 2 , wherein said inquiry code invalidating step judges said inquiry code entered by said information referencer to be valid if inquiry code control information for said inquiry code entered by said information referencer has been cataloged.

Claim 5

An information controlling method according to claim 3 , wherein said inquiry code generating step comprises: a validity term cataloging step of cataloging validity term information used as a record of a term of validity of said generated inquiry code and associated with inquiry code control information for said generated inquiry code, wherein said inquiry code invalidating step comprises: a validity term inspecting step of inspecting a term of validity recorded in validity term information for an inquiry code entered by said information referencer if said validity term information is found cataloged, wherein said inquiry code entered by said information referencer is judged to be valid if said term of validity has not expired, and wherein if said term of validity has expired, said generated inquiry code is made invalid by invalidating inquiry code control information of said generated inquiry code and invalidating said validity term information.

Claim 6

An information controlling method according to claim 2 , wherein said inquiry code generating step comprises: a referencer cataloging step of cataloging an information referencer specified by said information registrant as a referencer authorized to obtain permission to access said specific piece of information and associating said information referencer with said generated inquiry code, wherein said inquiry code invalidating step comprises: a referencer authenticating step of verifying validity of a information referencer intended to acquire said specific piece of information, and a specified referencer verifying step of verifying that an information referencer intended to acquire said specific piece of information is said information referencer specified by said information registrant as said authorized referencer at said inquiry code issuing step by collation of said information referencer intended to acquire said specific piece of information with said information referencer cataloged at said referencer cataloging sub-step, and wherein an entered inquiry code is judged to be valid at said inquiry code invalidating step if said validity of said information referencer specified by said information registrant is verified at said referencer authenticating sub-step and said information referencer intended to acquire said specific piece of information is found coincident with said cataloged personal information referencer at said specified referencer verifying sub-step.

Claim 7

A personal information controlling method according to claim 2 , wherein at said inquiry code generating step, an inquiry code is generated by application of an inquiry code generating function, not disclosed to personal information referencers, to inquiry code clear text data entered by said personal information registrant, wherein at said inquiry code invalidating step, said personal information referencer is requested to enter both said inquiry code clear text data and said generated inquiry code, an inquiry code is regenerated by application of said inquiry code generating function to said inquiry code clear text data, said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer is compared with said inquiry code, and said entered inquiry code is judged to be valid if said entered inquiry code matches said regenerated inquiry code.

Claim 8

A personal information controlling method according to claim 6 , wherein said inquiry code generating step is provided with a plurality of different function expressions one of which is selected based on at least one of said personal information registrant and said personal information referencer.

Claim 9

An information controlling apparatus for controlling information and permitting output of a specific piece of said information system by an information registrant, who registered said specific piece of information, to an information referencer, who needs permission to access said specific piece of information, said information controlling apparatus comprising: a registrant authenticating means for verifying validity of said information registrant requesting issuance of said inquiry code; an inquiry code issuing means for generating and outputting an inquiry code in response to a request from said information registrant who registered said information wherein said information registrant request issuance of said inquiry code for use by said information referencer to obtain permission to access said specific piece of information wherein said inquiry code serves as an identification of said specific piece of information; an inquiry code control information cataloging means for cataloging inquiry code control information used as a record of said generated inquiry code; an information acquiring means for requesting said information referencer to enter said inquiry code and a registrant identifier (ID)), verifying validity of an inquiry code entered by said information referencer and outputting said specific piece of information identified by said inquiry code if said inquiry code entered by said information referencer matches said inquiry code generated in response to said request from said information registrant and output by said inquiry code issuing means and said registrant ID matches a registrant ID of said information registrant; and an inquiry code invalidating means for invalidating said inquiry code control information for said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer when said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer is judged to be valid.

Claim 10

An information controlling apparatus for controlling information and permitting output of a specific piece of said information system by an information registrant, who registered said specific piece of information, to an information referencer, who needs permission to access said specific piece of information, said information controlling apparatus comprising: a registrant authenticating means for verifying validity of said information registrant requesting issuance of said inquiry code; an inquiry code issuing means for generating and outputting an inquiry code in response to a request from said information registrant who registered said information wherein said information registrant request issuance of said inquiry code for use by said information referencer to obtain permission to access said specific piece of information wherein said inquiry code serves as an identification of said specific piece of information; an inquiry code control information cataloging means for cataloging inquiry code control information used as a record of said generated inquiry code; an information acquiring means for requesting said information referencer to enter said inquiry code and a registrant identifier (ID)), verifying validity of an inquiry code entered by said information referencer and outputting said specific piece of information identified by said inquiry code if said inquiry code entered by said information referencer matches said inquiry code generated in response to said request from said information registrant and output by said inquiry code issuing means and said registrant ID matches a registrant ID of said information registrant; and an inquiry code invalidating means for invalidating said inquiry code control information for said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer when said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer is judged to be valid.

Claim 11

A personal information controlling apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said inquiry code issuing means comprises: an inquiry code generating means for generating said inquiry code, and wherein said personal information acquiring means comprises: a personal information outputting means for outputting said specific piece of personal information identified by said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer.

Claim 12

An information controlling apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said inquiry code invalidating means judges an inquiry code entered by said information referencer to be valid if inquiry code control information for said inquiry code entered by said information referencer is found cataloged by said inquiry code authenticating means.

Claim 13

An information controlling apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said inquiry code generating means comprises: a validity term cataloging means for cataloging validity term information used as a record of a term of validity of said generated inquiry code and associated with inquiry code control information for said generated inquiry code, wherein said inquiry code invalidating means comprises: a validity term inspecting means which is used for inspecting a term of validity recorded in validity term information for an inquiry code entered by said information referencer if said validity term information is found cataloged, wherein said inquiry code entered by said information referencer is judged to be valid if said term of validity has not expired, and wherein if said term of validity has expired, said generated inquiry code is made invalid by invalidating inquiry code control information of said generated inquiry code and invalidating said validity term information.

Claim 14

An information controlling apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said inquiry code generating means comprises: a referencer cataloging means for cataloging an information referencer specified by said information registrant as a referencer authorized to refer to said specific piece of information on said information registrant and associating said information referencer with said generated inquiry code, wherein said inquiry code invalidating means comprises: a referencer authenticating means for verifying validity of an information referencer intended to acquire said specific piece of information, and a specified referencer verifying sub-means for verifying that an information referencer intended to acquire said specific piece of information is said information referencer specified by said information registrant as said authorized referencer to said inquiry code issuing means by collation of said information referencer intended to acquire said specific piece of information with said information referencer cataloged by said referencer cataloging sub-means, and wherein an entered inquiry code is judged to be valid by said inquiry code invalidating means if said validity of said information referencer specified by said information registrant is verified by said referencer authenticating sub-means and said information referencer intended to acquire said specific piece of information is found coincident with said cataloged information referencer by said specified referencer verifying sub-means.

Claim 15

A personal information controlling apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said inquiry code generating means generates an inquiry code by application of an inquiry code generating function, not disclosed to personal information referencers to inquiry code clear text data entered by said personal information registrant, and wherein said inquiry code invalidating means requests said personal information referencer to enter both said inquiry code clear text data and said generated inquiry code, regenerates an inquiry code by application of said inquiry code generating function to said inquiry code clear text data, compares said inquiry code entered by said personal information referencer with said regenerated inquiry code regenerated, and judges said entered inquiry code to be valid only if said entered inquiry code matches said regenerated inquiry code.

Claim 16

A personal information controlling apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said inquiry code generating means is provided with a plurality of different function expressions one of which is selected based on at least one of said personal information registrant and said personal information referencer.

Claim 17

An information controlling method of controlling information and permitting output of a specific piece of said information registered by an information registrant to an information referencer, said personal information controlling method comprising: a registrant authenticating step of verifying validity of said information registrant requesting issuance of said inquiry code; an inquiry code issuing step of generating and outputting an inquiry code in response to a request from said information registrant who registered said information, wherein said information registrant requests issuance of said inquiry code for use by said information referencer to obtain permission to access said specific piece of information, wherein said inquiry code serves as an identification of said specific piece of information; an inquiry code control information cataloging step of cataloging inquiry code control information used as a record of said generated inquiry code; a validity term cataloging step of cataloging validity term information used as a record of a term of validity of said generated inquiry code and associated with inquiry code control information for said generated inquiry code; an information acquiring step of requesting said information referencer to enter said inquiry code and a registrant identifier (ID), verifying validity of an inquiry code entered by said information referencer, and outputting said specific piece of information identified by said inquiry code if said inquiry code entered by said information referencer matches said inquiry code generated in response to said request from said information registrant and output at said inquiry code issuing step and said registrant ID matches a registrant ID of said information registrant; and a validity term inspecting step of inspecting a term of a validity recorded in validity term information for an inquiry code entered by said information referencer if said validity term information is found cataloged, wherein said inquiry code entered by said information referencer is judged to be valid if said term of validity has not expired, and wherein if said term of validity has expired, said generated inquiry code is made invalid by invalidating inquiry code control information of said generated inquiry code and invalidating said validity term information.

Claim 18

An information controlling method of controlling information and permitting output of a specific piece of said information registered by an information registrant to an information referencer, said personal information controlling method comprising: a registrant authenticating step of verifying validity of said information registrant requesting issuance of said inquiry code; an inquiry code issuing step of generating and outputting an inquiry code in response to a request from said information registrant who registered said information, wherein said information registrant requests issuance of said inquiry code for use by said information referencer to obtain permission to access said specific piece of information, wherein said inquiry code serves as an identification of said specific piece of information; an inquiry code control information cataloging step of cataloging inquiry code control information used as a record of said generated inquiry code; a validity term cataloging step of cataloging validity term information used as a record of a term of validity of said generated inquiry code and associated with inquiry code control information for said generated inquiry code; an information acquiring step of requesting said information referencer to enter said inquiry code and a registrant identifier (ID), verifying validity of an inquiry code entered by said information referencer, and outputting said specific piece of information identified by said inquiry code if said inquiry code entered by said information referencer matches said inquiry code generated in response to said request from said information registrant and output at said inquiry code issuing step and said registrant ID matches a registrant ID of said information registrant; and a validity term inspecting step of inspecting a term of a validity recorded in validity term information for an inquiry code entered by said information referencer if said validity term information is found cataloged, wherein said inquiry code entered by said information referencer is judged to be valid if said term of validity has not expired, and wherein if said term of validity has expired, said generated inquiry code is made invalid by invalidating inquiry code control information of said generated inquiry code and invalidating said validity term information.