Access to data stored in an embedded database

• US 20040238645A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Abellan Sevilla, Jorge, Muller Pareja, Ricardo
• Granted Patent: US 7,891,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect

Abstract

The solution concerns the access to a number of data files stored in the memory of a data processing device. The device includes a privilege file (P1-P3) associated with a user type (ADM, PUBLIC, USER1, USER2), said privilege file identifying for at least one command (SEL, INS, UPD, SUP) the data files on which said command can be executed. A microcontroller is programmed to create, when a user accesses the data files, a set of flags from the privilege file, each flag being associated with a unique data file, the flag indicating whether or not the command can be executed on the associated file.

Claims

1. Data processing device having a number of data files, wherein it comprises

a privilege file (P1-P3) associated with a user type (ADM, PUBLIC, USER1, USER2), said privilege file identifying for at least one command (SEL, INS, UPD, SUP) the data files on which said command can be executed,

a microcontroller programmed to create, when a user accesses the data files, a set of flags from the privilege file, each flag being associated with a unique data file, the flag indicating whether or not the command can be executed on the associated file.

8. Computer program including program code instructions to execute the step to create a set of flags of the method defined in claim 3, when said program is executed on a data processing device as defined in claim 1 or 2.

2. Smartcard (CAR) including a number of data tables (T1-T2), wherein it comprises

a privilege file (P1-P3) associated with a user type (ADM, PUBLIC, USER1, USER2), said privilege file identifying for at least one command (SEL, INS, UPD, SUP) the data files on which said command can be executed,

a microcontroller programmed to create, when a user accesses the data files, a set of flags from the privilege file, each flag being associated with a unique data file, the flag indicating whether or not the command can be executed on the associated file.

3. Method to access a number of data tables (T1-T2) of a data processing device including a privilege file (P1-P3) associated with a user type (ADM, PUBLIC, USER1, USER2), said privilege file identifying for at least one command (SEL, INS, UPD, SUP) the data files on which said command can be executed, the method including, when a user accesses the data files, a step to create a set of flags from the privilege file, each flag being associated with a unique data file, the flag indicating whether or not the command can be executed on the associated file.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein it consists of keeping the flag states throughout the current user'"'"'s session.

5. Method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, if several users have the same privileges, it consists of creating only one privilege file common to these users.

6. Method according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein it consists of creating an administrating (ADM) with all rights on the data and on the users of the database, and wherein it consists of automatically setting all the flags to ON state when he connects to the database (BDD).

7. Method according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein it consists of creating a privilege file solely for those users with limited privileges on the database.