Portable electronic device with a security function and a nonvolatile memory

• US 7,096,366 B1
• Filed: 02/07/2000
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Takafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, JUNG W
• Application Number:
  US09/498,995
• Time in Patent Office: 2,388 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382.5, 705/66, 713/200, 713/182, 726/21, 726/30
• US Class Current: 713/182
• 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 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/35765 Access rights to memory zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A portable electronic device with which an owner of the device makes use of a specific application program and a method for issuing the device. An unissued IC card can be written with the specific data without satisfying the security function of the IC card. After the issuance of the IC card, the security function becomes valid and each IC card requires satisfaction of the security function in case of data writing or data rewriting.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device with a security function, containing an application program, comprising:

means for storing validity data indicating whether the security function is valid in a nonvolatile memory;

first means for determining whether a command message received from outside of the device includes the validity data;

second means for determining whether the validity data is stored in the nonvolatile memory; and

first means for writing or rewriting data in the nonvolatile memory after receiving the command message when the first determining means determines that the command message does not include the validity data and the second determining means determines the validity data is not stored in the nonvolatile memory.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

first means for outputting a status indicating that the command message is not acceptable when the first determining means determines that the command message is not included in the data for the security function and the second determining means determines that the validity data is stored in the nonvolatile memory.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

third means for determining whether verification of the data for the security function succeeded when the first determining means determines the command message is included in the data for the security function; and

second means for writing or rewriting data into the nonvolatile memory following the command message when the third determining means determines the verification was successful.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

second means for outputting a status indicating that the command message is not acceptable when the third determining means determines the verification of the data for the security function was not successful.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein the command message comprises:

a writing or rewriting command;

data that is written or rewritten into the nonvolatile memory; and

additional data guaranteeing validity of the data based on verification of the data.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein the command message comprises:

a writing or rewriting command; and

encoded data that is written or rewritten into the nonvolatile memory after being decoded based on verification of the data.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein the command message comprises:

a writing or rewriting command;

encoded data that is written or rewritten into the nonvolatile memory after being decoded; and

additional data guaranteeing validity of the data, wherein;

the verification of the data is performed based on the encoded data and the additional data.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the nonvolatile memory stores a plurality of security programs different from each other depending on a corresponding application program.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein a plurality of security programs are separately validated in response to a prescribed command message for validation, and wherein each security program corresponds to an application program.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein at least one available format of the command message is separately defined, and wherein each format corresponds to an application program.