DATA AUTHENTICATION METHOD AND DATA AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110237326A1
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: MURAKAMI, Yutaka
• Application Number:
  US13/153,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20110237326A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures

Abstract

A storage means which can be accessed by an authentication apparatus stores content data, a first digest table including primary digest values corresponding to a plurality of data portions constituting the content data, a second digest table including secondary digest values corresponding to a plurality of data portions of the first digest table, and a digital signature generated from the second digest table. In a first reading step, the second digest table and the digital signature are read out from the storage means into a memory of the authentication apparatus. In a first authentication step, the authenticity of the content data is verified using the digital signature read out into the memory and the second digest table read out into the memory.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for, in use, being accessed by an information processing system of the type including at least one user input device, at least one processor, and a random access memory operatively coupled to the processor, said processor, in use, transferring at least some data and/or instructions stored on the storage medium into the random access memory, said storage medium storing digital data readable by the information processing system, the digital data comprising:

at least first and second content portions for, in use, being loaded into said random access memory to provide random accessibility thereof;

a primary digest table comprising at least first and second stored primary digest values, the first primary digest value comprising a hash transformation of the first content portion, the second primary digest value comprising a hash transformation of the second content portion, said first and second primary digest values for, in use, being compared against calculated values to authenticate said first and second content portions;

a secondary digest table that includes at least one secondary digest value comprising a hash transformation of at least the first and second primary digest values, said secondary digest value, in use, verifying the authenticity of content portions not necessarily yet loaded into said random access memory by comparison with a value calculated from said first and second primary digest values; and

a digital signature generated from at least a portion of the secondary digest table, the digital signature being configured to assert the authenticity of the secondary digest table.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the secondary digest table includes another stored secondary digest value.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the at least first content portion includes at least some program instructions.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the digital signature is further configured to assert the authenticity of the secondary digest table before the stored secondary digest value, in use, verifies the authenticity of the content portions.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the digital signature is further configured to be removed from the memory after authenticity of the secondary digest table has been verified.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first and second stored primary digest values are, in use, communicated to the information processing system and loaded into the random access memory.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the medium is included in a server computing system and the first and second content portions are configured to be communicated from the server computing system through a computer network to the information processing system.

8. A portable authentication apparatus configured to be read by a portable computer system that includes at least one input device, at least one processor, at least one display device, and a memory that is communicably connected to the at least one processor, the apparatus comprising:

at least first and second program segments, the at least first and second program segments configured to be communicated via a random access method to the portable computer system such that the first and second program segments are loaded into the memory to be accessible by the at least one processor for execution, the first and second program segments being authenticated before display on the display device and/or execution on the at least one processor;

a first digest table that includes at least first and second stored primary digest values, the first stored primary digest value based at least in part on a transformation of the first program segment, the second stored primary digest value based at least in part on a transformation of the second program segment, the stored first and second primary digest values configured to be communicated to the portable computer system to be compared against calculated first and second primary digest values in order to authenticate the first and second program segments;

a secondary digest table that includes at least one stored secondary digest value that is based at least in part on a transformation of at least the first and second stored primary digest values, the stored secondary digest value set to be communicated to the portable computing system to at least verify the authenticity of the yet to be communicated first and second program segments by an assertion against a calculated secondary digest value that is based at least in part on the first and second stored primary digest values; and

a digital signature generated from at least a portion of the secondary digest table, the digital signature configured to be communicated to the portable computing system to assert the authenticity of the secondary digest table.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first and/or second program segments include program instructions that, in use, are set to executed by the at least one processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, in response to connection of the portable authentication apparatus to the portable computer system, the digital signature is set to be loaded into the memory.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the digital signature is further configured to assert the authenticity of the secondary digest table before the at least one stored secondary digest value is, in use, used to verify the authenticity of the yet to be communicated first and second program segments.

12. A portable memory card that is configured to be placed into a housing of a portable computer system that includes at least one user input device, at least one processor, at least one display device, and a memory storage that is operablely connected to the at least one processor, the card comprising:

at least one program segment that is configured to be communicated to the computer system and loaded into the memory storage at a first time period;

at least one stored primary digest value that is included in a primary digest table, the at least one stored primary digest value based at least in part on a transformation of the at least one program segment, the at least one stored primary digest value to be, in use, communicated to the computer system and loaded into the memory storage at a second time period that is before the first time period, the at least one stored primary digest value to be compared against a calculated primary digest value that is based at least in part on the at least one program segment;

at least one stored secondary digest value that is included in a secondary digest table, the at least one stored secondary digest value being based at least in part on a transformation of the at least one stored primary digest value, the at least one stored secondary digest value to be, in use, communicated to the portable computer system at a third time period that is before the second time period, the at least one stored secondary digest value configured to be asserted against a calculated secondary digest value that is based at least in part on the at least one store primary digest value before the first time period; and

a digital signature that is generated from at least the at least one stored secondary digest value, the digital signature being communicated to the portable computer system to assert the authenticity of the secondary digest table.

13. The card of claim 12, wherein the at least one program segment is configured to be authenticated before:

display on the at least one display device and/or execution by the at least one processor.

14. The card of claim 12, wherein the at least one program segment includes at least some program instructions.

15. The card of claim 12, wherein the digital signature is configured to be deleted from the memory after the second time period.

16. The card of claim 12, wherein the at least one program segment includes program content.

17. The card of claim 12, wherein the at least one program segment is configured to determine other program segments of the memory card to be communicated to the portable computer system.

18. A portable memory card that is configured to be detachably attached to a portable game device having first and second displays, first and second graphics processors, a central processor, and random access memory, the at lease one of the first and second displays including a touch panel, the first and second graphics processors configured to communicate with the first and second displays, the central processor configured to read data from the random access memory for execution thereof, the portable memory card comprising:

at least first and second program segments, the at least first and second program segments configured to be communicated to the portable computer system such that the first and second program segments are loaded into the random access memory to be accessible central processor for execution, the first and second program segments, in use, being authenticated before execution by the central processor;

a first digest table that includes at least first and second stored primary digest values, the first stored primary digest value based at least in part on a transformation of the first program segment, the second stored primary digest value based at least in part on a transformation of the second program segment, the stored first and second primary digest values configured to be communicated to the portable game device to be compared against calculated first and second primary digest values in order to authenticate the first and second program segments;

a secondary digest table that includes at least one stored secondary digest value that is based at least in part on a transformation of at least the first and second stored primary digest values, the stored secondary digest value set to be communicated to the portable game device to at least verify the authenticity of the yet to be communicated first and second program segments by an assertion against a calculated secondary digest value that is based at least in part on the first and second stored primary digest values; and

a digital signature generated from at least a portion of the secondary digest table, the digital signature configured to be communicated to the portable game device to assert the authenticity of the secondary digest table.

19. A data authentication system comprising:

a portable memory card that includes;

at least one program segment of a computer program;

at least one stored primary digest value that is included a primary digest table, the at least one stored primary digest value based at least in part on a transformation of the at least one program segment;

at least one stored secondary digest value that is included in a secondary digest table, the at least one stored secondary digest value being based at least in part on a transformation of the at least one stored primary digest value;

a digital signature that is generated from at least the at least one stored secondary digest value;

a portable game device that includes;

a housing;

random access memory;

at least one processor that is communicably connected to the random access memory, the at least one processor configured to;

load the secondary digest table and digital signature from the portable memory card into the random access memory;

perform a first verification by comparing a value calculated from the secondary digest table to a value derived from the digital signature;

perform a second verification, after the first verification, that includes

     1) loading the at least one stored primary digest value and

     2) comparing the at least one stored secondary digest value to a calculated value that is based at least in part on the at least one stored primary digest value;

perform a third verification, after the second verification, that includes

     1) loading the at least one program segment and

     2) comparing the at least one stored primary digest value to a calculated value that is based at least in part on a transformation of the at least one program segment.

execute the at least one program segment after the third verification.