SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTHENTICATING TIME, TIME MEASURING DEVICE AND METHOD, AND PROGRAM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately measure and authenticate the time of response to output information. SOLUTION: A general server 1 transmits the price of an auction item to a time-measuring server 2 via the Internet 5 each time the price is renewed. The time-measuring server 2 displays the price on a display 3 and starts measuring time from zero each time it receives the price. A participant of the auction determines if he can buy the auction item according to the price displayed on the display 3 in a hall where he is; when buying the item, a response is input from a terminal 4 and transmitted to the time-measuring server 2. The server 2, on receiving the response from the terminal 4 under control, acquires the time measured at the time of reception. The time when it is acquired, the ID of the participant, and the price at that point of time are enciphered and transmitted to the general server 1 along with a digital signature. The general server 1 deciphers information transmitted from the server 2 and authenticates the time contained in the information.