System for detecting improper rewrites of data system for using separate reader writer passwords

• US 5,455,941 A
• Filed: 02/27/1992
• Issued: 10/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurosawa, Takahiro, Sasaki, Takayuki, Okuno, Yasuhiro, Nagashima, Masaaki, Yamakawa, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US07/842,917
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 380/4, 380/25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1466 Key-lock mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In storing data in one file, consisting of a plurality of blocks of data, a first code is generated by converting a password and a predetermined portion of each of the blocks of data. This portion may be, for example, the data block itself or identification information such as a name. The code is stored in correspondence to the stored data. In reading the stored data, a second code is generated by performing the same conversion on the password and the predetermined portion of the stored data. A comparison is made between the generated second code and the first code stored. Failure of the two to match indicates that an improper rewrite has occurred. In such a case, that occurrence may simply be noted, access to the data may be prohibited; more generally, what processing is performed, or is permitted, is varied according to the result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether or not an improper rewrite of stored data in a file comprising a plurality of blocks of data has been made for each block of data other than by the writer of that block of data, comprising the steps of:

(A) in storing the data;

designating a block of data;

inputting a password;

generating a first code by converting a combination of the input password and the designated block of data in a pre-determined procedure; and

storing said first code in correspondence to the designated block of data;

(B) in reading the stored data;

designating the block of data;

inputting the password;

generating a second code by converting a combination of the input password and the designated block of data in said predetermined procedure;

comparing the generated second code and the first code stored in correspondence to said designated block of data; and

determining that an improper rewrite of said designated block of data has been made, if the comparison result is unequal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data comprises a text.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data comprises a program.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the block of data is separated by punctuation information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first code is stored in the same file as a blocked data corresponding to said code so as to be distinguishable.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the punctuation information belongs to each block of data, and said first code is stored by being included in the punctuation information belonging to a block of data corresponding to said first code.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said punctuation information includes attribute information of each block of data to be converted upon generation of said first and second codes.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the designation of said block of data is made by designating positional information of said block of data in the whole body of data.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein each block of data is given a name, and the designation of the block of data is made using the name of the block of data.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said first code is stored in a file having a file name which is a name of a block of data corresponding to said code followed by an expander.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said block of data is separated by punctuation information, and the name of said block of data is included in the punctuation information.

12. A method for determining whether or not an improper rewrite of stored data in a file comprising a plurality of blocks of data, written by a plurality of persons, has been made for each block of data, by a person other than the writer of the block of data, and performing a processing in accordance with a result of that determination, comprising the steps of:

(A) in storing each block of data;

inputting a password for each block of data;

generating first codes by converting combination of each input password and each block of data in a predetermined procedure; and

storing the first codes in correspondence to the block of data;

(B) in processing the stored data;

inputting the password for each designated block;

generating a second code by converting a combination of the designated block of data and the input password therefor in said predetermined procedure;

comparing the generated second code and one of the first codes stored in correspondence to the designated block of data; and

including the designated block of data in a subject of processing if and only if a result of the comparison is equal.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the password comprises information corresponding to the user.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the data comprises a text.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the data comprises a program.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of executing a second process different from a process to be executed when the comparison result is equal for a block of data for which the comparison is unequal.

17. A method for determining whether or not an improper rewrite of stored data in a file comprising a plurality of blocks of data written by a plurality of persons has been made for each block of data by a person except for the writer thereof, comprising the steps of:

(A) in storing the data;

designating a block of data;

inputting and registering a password for the designated block;

generating a first code by converting a combination of the input password and the designated block of data in a predetermined procedure; and

storing said first code in correspondence to the designated block of data;

(B) in reading the stored data;

designating the block of data;

generating a second code by converting a combination of the designated block of data and the password registered therefor in said predetermined procedure;

comparing the generated second code and the first code stored in correspondence to said designated block of data; and

determining that the improper rewrite of said designated block of data has been made if the comparison result is equal.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the data comprises a text.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the data comprises a program.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the password is registered in correspondence to each block of data.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the passwords are registered in correspondence to each other.

22. A method for preventing an improper rewrite of stored data in a file comprising a file name and a plurality of blocks of data written by a plurality of persons has been made for each block of data by a person except for the writer thereof, comprising the steps of:

(A) in storing each block of data;

inputting a password for each block of data;

generating first codes by converting combinations of each input password and a corresponding block of data in a predetermined procedure, respectively; and

storing said first codes in correspondence to their respective blocks of data;

(B) in rewriting a block of data in the file;

reading out the file with a file name;

designating the block of data;

inputting the password for the designated block;

generating a second code by converting a combination of the designated block of data and the input password therefor in said predetermined procedure;

comparing the generated second code and the first code stored in correspondence to said designated block of data; and

prohibiting a rewrite of the designated block if the comparison result if unequal.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the data comprises a text.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the data comprises program.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the identification information comprises positional information of each block of data.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the identification information comprises a name of each block of data.