File creation method, server, computer terminal, recording medium, information processing apparatus, and program addition system

• US 20040187008A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Harada, Tohru, Kimbara, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities

Abstract

A file creation method creates a program-addition file for adding a program to a program-initiation recording medium of an information processing apparatus. The file creation method comprises the steps of acquiring identification information of the program-initiation recording medium, and creating a program-addition file in response to the identification information so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

Claims

1. A file creation method which creates a program-addition file for adding a program to a program-initiation recording medium of an information processing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

acquiring identification information of the program-initiation recording medium; and

creating a program-addition file in response to the identification information so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

2. A file creation method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting the program-addition file to the information processing apparatus via a network.

3. A file creation method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of storing the program-addition file in a program-addition recording medium which is used for the addition of the program to the program-initiation recording medium.

4. A file creation method according to claim 1 wherein, in the acquiring step, the identification information is acquired from a predetermined information provider device.

5. A file creation method according to claim 1 wherein the program-addition file comprises a program file, an electronic signature of the program file, a configuration file, and an electronic signature of the configuration file, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

6. A file creation method according to claim 5 wherein the creating step comprises:

acquiring the program file, the electronic signature of the program file, and the configuration file; and

creating a second electronic signature of the configuration file based on the identification information of the program-initiation recording medium and the acquired configuration file.

7. A file creation method according to claim 6 wherein the program file, the electronic signature of the program file, and the configuration file are acquired from a predetermined information provider device.

8. A server which creates a program-addition file for adding a program to a program-initiation recording medium of an information processing apparatus, comprising:

an identification-information acquisition unit acquiring identification information of the program-initiation recording medium; and

a file creation unit creating a program-addition file in response to the identification information, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

9. A server according to claim 8 further comprising a file transmitting unit transmitting the program-addition file to the information processing apparatus via a network.

10. A server according to claim 8 further comprising a file transmitting unit transmitting the program-addition file to a computer terminal in which the program-addition file is stored in a program-addition recording medium.

11. A server according to claim 8 wherein the program-addition file comprises a program file, an electronic signature of the program file, a configuration file, and an electronic signature of the configuration file, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

12. A computer terminal which stores a program-addition file in a program-addition recording medium, the program-addition file being used to add a program to a program-initiation recording medium of an information processing apparatus, the computer terminal comprising:

an information transmitting unit transmitting, to a server, information required to acquire identification information of the program-initiation recording medium;

a file receiving unit receiving, from the server, a program-addition file which is created by the server in response to the identification information so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium; and

a file storing unit storing the received program-addition file into the program-addition recording medium.

13. A computer terminal according to claim 12 wherein the program-addition file comprises a program file, an electronic signature of the program file, a configuration file, and an electronic signature of the configuration file, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

14. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program embodied therein for causing a computer to execute a file creation method which creates a program-addition file for adding a program to a program-initiation recording medium of an information processing apparatus, the file creation method comprising:

acquiring identification information of the program-initiation recording medium; and

creating a program-addition file in response to the identification information so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

15. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 14 wherein the program-addition file comprises a program file, an electronic signature of the program file, a configuration file, and an electronic signature of the configuration file, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

16. An information processing apparatus which adds a program to a program-initiation recording medium by using a program-addition recording medium in which a program-addition file for adding the program to the program-initiation recording medium is stored, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a recording-medium detection unit detecting the program-addition recording medium in which the program-addition file is recorded; and

a program addition unit performing an authentication check of the program-addition file read from the program-addition recording medium, and adding the program to the program-initiation recording medium according to a result of the authentication check.

17. An information processing apparatus according to claim 16 wherein, when there are two or more program-initiation recording mediums, the program addition unit displays a screen to select one of the program-initiation recording mediums, and adds the program to the selected program-initiation recording medium.

18. An information processing apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the program-addition file comprises a program file, an electronic signature of the program file, a configuration file, and an electronic signature of the configuration file, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

19. A program addition system comprising:

a server which creates a program-addition file for being stored in a program-addition recording medium; and

an information processing apparatus which adds a program to a program-initiation recording medium by using the program-addition recording medium,

wherein the server is configured to acquire identification information of the program-initiation recording medium, and to create a program-addition file in response to the identification information, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium,

wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to detect the program-addition recording medium in which the program-addition file is recorded, to perform an authentication check of the program-addition file read from the program-addition recording medium, and to add the program to the program-initiation recording medium according to a result of the authentication check.

21. A program addition system according to claim 19 wherein the program-addition file comprises a program file, an electronic signature of the program file, a configuration file, and an electronic signature of the configuration file, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium.

20. A program addition system comprising:

a server which creates a program-addition file for being stored in a program-addition recording medium; and

an information processing apparatus which adds a program to a program-initiation recording medium by using the program-addition recording medium,

wherein the server is configured to acquire identification information of the program-initiation recording medium, and to create a program-addition file in response to the identification information, so that starting of the program on the information processing apparatus is allowed by the program-addition file with the program stored in the program-initiation recording medium,

wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to receive the program-addition file from the server, to perform an authentication check of the received program-addition file, and to add the program to the program-initiation recording medium according to a result of the authentication check.