Positional information storage system and method, semiconductor memory, and program

• US 7,023,362 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tatebayashi, Makoto, Futa, Yuichi, Ohmori, Motoji
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/410,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20030222797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 701/207, 701/213, 701/300, 701/35, 455/456, 455/457, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

A positional information storage system stores and verifies positional information of a mobile terminal apparatus. The positional information storage system stores (i) the positional information, (ii) time information, and (iii) signature data that is generated by placing a digital signature on a combination of the time information and the positional information of the mobile terminal apparatus only if a user of the mobile terminal apparatus is successfully authenticated. The positional information storage system also verifies whether the signature data is authentic. With this construction, it is possible to authenticate a person carrying the mobile terminal apparatus, and to verify whether data to be stored in the memory has been tampered with.

Claims

1. A positional information storage system comprising:

a transmission apparatus;

a communication terminal apparatus;

a mobile semiconductor memory including an information storage unit, which has an area for storing information and a tamper-resistant module; and

a verification apparatus, wherein

the transmission apparatus is operable to transmit element information concerning a position of the communication terminal apparatus, to the communication terminal apparatus,

the communication terminal apparatus is operable to receive the element information from the transmission apparatus and output the element information to the mobile semiconductor memory,

the tamper-resistant module of the mobile semiconductor memory includes;

a position management unit operable to generate positional information based on the element information;

a time acquiring unit operable to acquire generation time information that indicates a time related to the positional information;

a signature generating unit operable to generate signature data by placing a digital signature on trail information that is composed of the generation time information and the positional information; and

a writing unit operable to write the trail information and the signature data as corresponding to each other into the information storage unit, and

the verification apparatus reads the trail information and the signature data from the information storage unit of the mobile semiconductor memory and verifies the trail information using the trail information and the signature data.

2. The positional information storage system of claim 1, wherein the time acquiring unit generates the generation time information that indicates a time at which the positional information is generated.

3. The positional information storage system of claim 2, wherein the tamper-resistant module further includes a control unit operable to, when a predetermined condition is met, control the writing unit so as to inhibit writing of the trail information and the signature data.

4. The positional information storage system of claim 3, further comprising a management server including a clock, the management server being operable to transmit server time information generated based on the clock, wherein

the tamper-resistant module further includes a time information judging unit operable to receive the server time information and if a difference between values indicated by the server time information and the generation time information is greater than a predetermined value, transmit a write inhibition instruction to the control unit, and

upon receiving the write inhibition instruction, the control unit judges that the predetermined condition is met, and controls the writing unit so as to inhibit writing of the trail information and the signature data.

5. The positional information storage system of claim 3, further comprising an authentication apparatus operable to store in advance pieces of authentication information to be used for authentication, acquire personal information from a user, and transmit a write inhibition instruction to the control unit if the personal information does not match one of the pieces of authentication information, wherein

upon receiving the write inhibition instruction, the control unit judges that the predetermined condition is met, and controls the writing unit so as to inhibit writing of the trail information and the signature data.

6. The positional information storage system of claim 5, wherein the authentication apparatus stores, as the pieces of authentication information, characteristics of fingerprints, and acquires characteristics of a fingerprint of the user from the user as the personal information.

7. The positional information storage system of claim 1, further comprising a management server having a clock the management server being operable to transmit server time information generated based on the clock, wherein

the time acquiring unit acquires the server time information as the generation time information.

8. The positional information storage system of claim 7, wherein the tamper-resistant module further includes a control unit operable to, when a predetermined condition is met, control the writing unit so as to inhibit writing of the trail information and the signature data.

9. The positional information storage system of claim 8, further comprising an authentication apparatus operable to store in advance pieces of authentication information to be used for authentication, acquire personal information from a user, and transmit a write inhibition instruction to the control unit if the personal information does not match one of the stored pieces of authentication information, wherein

upon receiving the write inhibition instruction, the control unit judges that the predetermined condition is met, and controls the writing unit so as to inhibit writing of the trail information and the signature data.

10. The positional information storage system of claim 9, wherein the authentication apparatus stores, as the pieces of authentication information, characteristics of fingerprints, and acquires characteristics of a fingerprint of the user from the user as the personal information.

14. The positional information storage system of claim 1, wherein the mobile semiconductor memory is removably insertable into the communication terminal apparatus.

11. A positional information storage system comprising:

a transmission apparatus;

the communication terminal apparatus;

a mobile semiconductor memory including an information storage unit, which has an area for storing information, and a tamper-resistant module; and

a verification apparatus, wherein

the transmission apparatus is operable to transmit (i) element information concerning a position of the communication terminal apparatus and (ii) additional data which is generated by placing a digital signature on the element information, to the communication terminal apparatus,

the communication terminal apparatus is operable to receive the element information and the additional data and output the element information and the additional data to the mobile semiconductor memory,

the tamper-resistant module of the mobile semiconductor memory includes;

a position management unit operable to, if verified by checking the additional data that the element information has not been tampered with, generate positional information based on the element information;

a time acquiring unit operable to acquire generation time information that indicates a time related to the positional information;

a signature generating unit operable to generate signature data by placing a digital signature on trail information that is composed of the generation time information and the positional information; and

a writing unit operable to write the trail information and the signature data as corresponding to each other into the information storage unit, and

the verification apparatus reads the trail information and the signature data from the information storage unit of the mobile semiconductor memory and verifies the trail information using the trail information and the signature data.

15. The positional information storage system of claim 11, wherein the mobile semiconductor memory is removably insertable into the communication terminal apparatus.

12. A mobile, tamper-resistant semiconductor memory for a communication terminal apparatus, the semiconductor memory comprising:

an information storage unit which has an area for storing information; and

a tamper resistant module including;

a position management unit operable to receive element information from the communication terminal apparatus, the element information being related to a position of the communication terminal apparatus, and generate, based on the element information, positional information that indicates a position of the communication terminal apparatus;

a time management unit operable to generate generation time information that indicates a time at which the positional information is generated;

a signature generating unit operable to generate signature data by placing a digital signature on trail information that is composed of the generation time information and the positional information; and

a writing unit operable to write the trail information and the signature data as corresponding to each other into the information storage unit.

13. The semiconductor memory of claim 12, wherein the signature generating unit places the digital signature on the trail information using personal information, which has been held in advance, as a secret key.

16. The semiconductor memory of claim 12, wherein the semiconductor memory is removably insertable into the communication terminal apparatus.