Storage apparatus and access control method

• US 20010037357A1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Akiyama, Ryota, Anzai, Ichiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,944,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1466 Key-lock mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00152 involving a password
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00695 said measures preventing that data are read from the recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00702 said measures preventing that data are recorded on the recording medium

Abstract

A storage apparatus is capable of using a storage medium having at least a first region for storing therein data and a second region for storing therein both use permission discrimination information indicative of permission of a predetermined access operation and use limit information with respect to the storage medium. The storage apparatus comprises a reading unit for reading the use limit information from the second region of the storage medium prior to an access to the storage medium, a collating unit for collating use permission discrimination information provided for a comparison purpose with the use permission discrimination information read out from the second region of the storage medium in the case that the use limit information indicates an “access not-allowed condition”, and a writing unit for rewriting the use limit information into such information indicative of an “access allowed condition” when it is confirmed by the collation that the former use permission discrimination information coincides with the latter use permission discrimination information read out from the second region. As a result, an unauthorized use of the storage medium is prevented, improving security.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus capable of using a storage medium having at least a first region for storing therein data and a second region for storing therein both use permission discrimination information indicative of permission of a predetermined access operation and use limit information with respect to said storage medium, comprising:

a reading unit for reading said use limit information from said second region of said storage medium prior to an access to said storage medium;

a collating unit for collating use permission discrimination information provided for a comparison purpose with said use permission discrimination information read out from said second region of said storage medium in the case that said use limit information indicates an access not-allowed condition; and

a writing unit for rewriting said use limit information into such information indicative of an access allowed condition when it is confirmed by the collation that the former use permission discrimination information coincides with the latter use permission discrimination information read out from the second region.

2. A storage apparatus as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein:

said writing unit rewrites said use limit information into such information indicative of an access not-allowed condition when the use of said storage medium is ended.

3. A storage apparatus as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein:

said use limit information is information used to define the number of times used.

4. A storage apparatus as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein:

in the case that said use limit information indicates an access allowed condition, said storage apparatus permits a predetermined access to said storage medium.

5. A storage apparatus as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein:

said use permission discrimination information contains such information for discriminating at least one of access allowed conditions of recording and reproducing operations with respect to a predetermined region of said first region.

6. A storage apparatus as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein further comprising:

an access control unit for permitting an access operation based upon said use permission discrimination information and said use limit information, which correspond to an access instruction of said storage medium in the case that plural sets of said use permission discrimination information and said use limit information are set to said second region.

7. A storage apparatus capable of using a storage medium having at least a first region for storing therein data, and a second region for storing therein use permission discrimination information used to permit an access operation, comprising:

a reading unit for reading said use permission discrimination information from said second region of said storage medium;

a collating unit for collating use permission discrimination information provided for a comparison purpose with said use permission discrimination information read from said second region; and

a rewrite control unit for allowing to rewrite use limit number information recorded so as to correspond to said use permission discrimination information when it is confirmed by the collation that the former use permission discrimination information coincides with the latter use permission discrimination information read out from the second region, said use limit number information being used to limit the access to said storage medium.

8. A storage apparatus as claimed in

claim 7

, wherein:

when said use limit number information is invalidated, said rewrite control unit performs such a control that said use limit number information is rewritten into a practically very large value.

9. A storage apparatus as claimed in

claim 7

, wherein:

said use permission discrimination information contains such information for discriminating at least one of access allowed conditions of recording and reproducing operations with respect to a predetermined region of said first region.

10. A storage apparatus as claimed in

claim 7

, further comprising:

an access control unit for permitting an access operation based upon said use permission discrimination information and said use limit number information, which correspond to an access instruction of said storage medium in the case that plural sets of said use permission discrimination information and said use limit number information are set to said second region.

11. An access control method applicable to such a storage apparatus capable of using a storage medium having at least a first region for storing therein data and a second region for storing therein both use permission discrimination information indicative of permission of a predetermined access operation and use limit information with respect to said storage medium, said method comprising the steps of:

reading said use limit information from said second region of said storage medium prior to an access operation with respect to said storage medium;

collating use permission discrimination information provided for a comparison purpose with said use permission discrimination information read out from said second region of said storage medium in the case that said use limit information indicates an access not-allowed condition; and

rewriting said use limit information into such information indicative of an access allowed condition when it is confirmed by the collation that the former use permission discrimination information coincides with the latter use permission discrimination information read out from the second region.

12. An access control method as claimed in

claim 11

, further comprising:

a step of permitting an access operation based upon said use permission discrimination information and said use limit information, which correspond to an access instruction of said storage medium in the case that plural sets of said use permission discrimination information and said use limit information are set to said second region.

13. An access control method applicable to such a storage apparatus capable of using a storage medium having at least a first region for storing therein data, and a second region for storing therein use permission discrimination information used to permit an access operation, said method comprising the steps of:

reading said use permission discrimination information from said second region of said storage medium;

collating use permission discrimination information provided for a comparison purpose with said use permission discrimination information read from said second region; and

allowing to rewrite use limit number information recorded so as to correspond to said use permission discrimination information when it is confirmed by the collation that the former use permission discrimination information coincides with the latter use permission discrimination information read out from the second region, said use limit number information being used to limit the access to said storage medium.

14. An access control method as claimed in

claim 13

, further comprising:

a step of permitting an access operation based upon said use permission discrimination information and said use limit number information, which correspond to an access instruction of said storage medium in the case that plural sets of said use permission discrimination information and said use limit number information are set to said second region.