Recording medium, recording medium reading/writing apparatus, and method of using recording medium

• US 20030172279A1
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yudasaka, Ichio
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07354 by biometrically sensitive means, e.g. fingerprint sensitive fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/12; biometrically activated access control G07C9/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• 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 20/00173 wherein the origin of the content is checked, e.g. determining whether the content has originally been retrieved from a legal disc copy or another trusted source
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1215 on cards optical aspect of optical cards G11B7/0033
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/60 Solid state media

Abstract

The current society can be referred to as a card society, since people can use various types of cards for a variety of applications. However, card users must always carry a number of cards depending upon the application, and must use different cards according to the purpose, which can bother such users. A memory of an IC chip of an IC card includes a fingerprint information area to verify the identity of a card owner, a personal information area in which personal information of the card owner is classified and recorded with different security levels set up, a company information area in which each company writes information of the company using an “encryption key” unique to the company, and a public organization information area in which each public organization writes information of the public organization using an “encryption key” unique to the public organization.

Claims

1. A recording medium, comprising:

an identity verification information area in which information to verify the identity of a recording medium owner is recorded;

a personal information area in which personal information of the recording medium owner is classified and recorded with different security levels set up; and

a company or organization information area in which company or organization record information of a company or organization using an encryption key unique to the company or organization is provided.

2. The recording medium according to claim 1, the personal information area being formed of:

an information area accessed with verification of the identity; and

an information area accessed without verification of the identity.

3. The recording medium according to claim 1, when data is written to the company or organization information area, pre-selected information of the data is also recorded in an appropriate region of the personal information area at the same time.

4. The recording medium according to claim 1, the information recorded in the personal information area and the company or organization information area being classified and recorded with different security levels.

5. The recording medium according to claim 1, the information recorded in the recording medium containing information which can be referred to by authentication of a plurality of individuals.

6. The recording medium according to claim 1, the information to verify the identity or authenticating the individuals containing fingerprint or other biometric data.

7. The recording medium according to claim 6, the information to verify the identity or authenticating the individuals further containing a password.

8. The recording medium according to claim 1, the information to verify the identity or authenticating the individuals containing a password.

9. The recording medium according to claim 1, the recording medium being a contact or contactless IC card.

10. A recording medium reading/writing apparatus to write information to a recording medium and to read the information from the recording medium, the apparatus comprising:

a device to read identity verification information input by a recording medium owner to verify the identity of the recording medium owner;

a device to write the identity verification information input by the recording medium owner to an identity verification information area of the recording medium, and to read the recorded identity verification information;

a device to compare the identity verification information input by the recording medium owner with the identity verification information recorded in the recording medium to verify the identity;

a device to classify and write personal information of the recording medium owner to a personal information area with different security levels set up, and to read the recorded personal information according to the set up security levels; and

a device to write information of a company or organization to a company or organization information area of the recording medium using an encryption key unique to the company or organization, and to read the recorded information of each company or organization using the encryption key unique to the company or organization.

11. The recording medium reading/writing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a device to record the personal information as information accessed with verification of the identity; and

a device to record the personal information as information accessed without verification of the identity.

12. The recording medium reading/writing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a device to, when data is written to the company or organization information area, also record pre-selected information of the data in an appropriate region of the personal information area at the same time.

13. The recording medium reading/writing apparatus according to claim 10, the information recorded in the personal information area and the company or organization information area being classified and recorded with different security levels.

14. The recording medium reading/writing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a device to read fingerprint or other biometric data of a user as the identity verification information; and

a device to record the read biometric data serving as the identity verification information in the recording medium, and to read the biometric data from the recording medium.

15. The recording medium reading/writing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a device to record a password in the recording medium as the identity verification information, and to read the recorded password.

16. The recording medium reading/writing apparatus according to claim 10, the recording medium being a contact or contactless IC card.

17. A method of using a recording medium in which identity verification information to verify the identity of a recording medium owner, personal information of the recording medium owner, and information of a company or organization are recorded, the method comprising:

comparing identity verification information input by the recording medium owner with the identity verification information recorded in the recording medium to verify the identity;

classifying and writing the personal information with different security levels set up, and reading the personal information; and

after verification of the identity, reading or writing information relating to the company or organization using an encryption key unique to the company or organization.

18. The method of using a recording medium according to claim 17, further including using fingerprint information or other biometric data of a user as the identity verification information input by the recording medium owner and the identity verification information recorded in the recording medium.

19. A computer program for use with a recording medium reading/writing apparatus that writes information to a recording medium and that reads the information from the recording medium, the program comprising:

a program for reading identity verification information input by a recording medium owner to verify the identity of the recording medium owner;

a program for writing the identity verification information input by the recording medium owner to an identity verification information area of the recording medium, and reading the recorded identity verification information;

a program for comparing the identity verification information input by the recording medium owner with the identity verification information recorded in the recording medium to verify the identity;

a program for classifying and writing personal information of the recording medium owner to a personal information area with different security levels set up, and reading the recorded personal information according to the set up security levels; and

a program for writing information of a company or organization to a company or organization information area of the recording medium using an encryption key unique to the company or organization, and reading the recorded information of each company or organization using the encryption key unique to the company or organization.