Portable electronic apparatus having key data for limiting memory access

• US 4,985,615 A
• Filed: 08/23/1989
• Issued: 01/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iijima, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold
• Application Number:
  US07/397,200
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/487, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/35765 Access rights to memory zones
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

An IC card has a first type of key data used for an access enable/disable judgement for a common data file and all of the application data files, and a second type of key data used for an access enable/disable judgment for a specific application data file and the common data file. A storage section for storing key data registered for the common data file and a storage section for storing a collation result of key data registered for the application data files are separately arranged. Upon selection of an application data file, when an application data file different from the currently selected application data file is selected, the latter collation result is set in a non-collation status. Therefore, key data is effective only when a corresponding application is selected.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a memory comprising a first region which can be accessed by all of a plurality of applications and second regions which are selectively accessed in accordance with a corresponding one of the applications, the memory storing a plurality of key data;

control means for accessing said memory means and selectively exchanging data with an external device;

means for enabling access to the first region and all of the second regions by the control means in response to at least one first key data of the plurality of key data; and

means for causing at least one second key data of the plurality of key data to determine an access enable/disable judgement for the first region and a specific region of the second regions, thereby determining said access by the control means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first key data is stored in the first region, and the second key data is stored in the second regions.

3. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a memory comprising a first region which can be accessed by all of a plurality of applications and second regions which are selectively accessed in accordance with a corresponding one of the applications, the memory storing a plurality of key data;

control means for accessing said memory and selectively inputting/outputting data to an external device;

first and second collation means for collating at least one first key data and at least one second key data of the plurality of key data, respectively;

first and second storage means for storing collation results by said first and second collation means, respectively;

means for determining on the basis of the collation results stored in said first and second storage means whether an access to said memory is enabled; and

means for setting the collation result stored in said second storage means to a non-collation status when one of the first and second regions is selected.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first key data is stored in the first region, and the second key data is stored in the second regions.