Exclusive access controlling apparatus, exclusive access controlling method and recording medium recorded with exclusive access controlling program, for electronic information

• US 7,117,492 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Junji, Ebata, Tsuyoshi, Akamatsu, Hiroyuki, Kanaya, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiss, Eric B.
• Application Number:
  US09/823,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 717/169, 717/170, 717/172, 717/122, 707/103
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• 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 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/082 Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

An electronic information name of electronic information prepared by attaching a version number of the electronic information with a unique appellation of the electronic information is distributed to users of electronic information. Based on this electronic information name, accesses to the electronic information are conducted. There is further provided a table for holding the version number of the electronic information, and the version number held in the table is changed such as by a locking request, a locking release request for the electronic information. Upon an access request to the electronic information, the version number included in the electronic information name is compared with the version number held in the table, so as to judge whether or not the access to the electronic information is to be permitted, to thereby conduct an exclusive access control of the electronic information.

Claims

1. An exclusive access controlling apparatus for electronic information comprising:

version number holding means for holding a version number of electronic information;

electronic information name creating means for creating an electronic information name to be prepared by attaching the version number held in said version number holding means to an appellation unique to the electronic information;

electronic information name distributing means for distributing the electronic information name created by said electronic information name creating means, to users of the electronic information;

version number judging means for judging whether or not the version number included in said electronic information name coincides with the version number held in said version number holding means, when the electronic information to be specified by the electronic information name distributed by said electronic information name distributing means is subject to an access by each user of the electronic information;

access permitting means for permitting an access to the electronic information, only when it is judged by said version number judging means that the two version numbers coincide with each other; and

version number updating means for updating the version number held in said version number holding means, when the contents of the electronic information have been updated.

2. An exclusive access controlling apparatus for electronic information according to claim 1, further comprising;

reason analysis means for analyzing, based on the version number held in said version number holding means, a reason of a discrepancy between the both version numbers when they are judged to be discrepant from each other by said version number judging means.

3. An exclusive access controlling apparatus for electronic information according to claim 1, further comprising;

electronic information name re-distributing means for re-distributing an electronic information name newly created by said electronic information name creating means to users of the electronic information, when the contents of the electronic information have been updated.

4. An exclusive access controlling apparatus for electronic information according to claim 2,

wherein said version number updating means sets the version number of electronic information at 0 (zero) when the exclusive access control of the electronic information is started, while increasing the version number of the electronic information by 1 (one) while the electronic information is being accessed, and increasing the version number of the electronic information by 2 (two) when the contents of the electronic information have been updated.

5. An exclusive access controlling apparatus for electronic information according to claim 4,

wherein said reason analysis means judges that the electronic information is being locked, when the version number of the electronic information is an odd number, and judges that the access to the electronic information is targeted at the electronic information of the former version when the version number of the electronic information is an even number.

6. An exclusive access controlling apparatus for electronic information according to claim 2,

wherein said version number updating means sets the version number of electronic information at 0 (zero) when the exclusive access control of the electronic information is started, while increasing the version number of the electronic information by 1 (one), prior to the creation of the electronic information name by said electronic information name creating means, and additionally increasing the version number of the electronic information by 1 (one) when the contents of the electronic information have been updated.

7. An exclusive access controlling apparatus for electronic information according to claim 6

wherein said reason analysis means judges that the access to the electronic information is targeted at the electronic information of the former version when the version number of the electronic information is an even number and judges that the electronic information is in an access inhibited state, when the version number of the electronic information is an odd number.

8. An exclusive access controlling method for electronic information, comprising:

an electronic information name creating process for creating an electronic information name to be prepared by attaching a version number of electronic information held in a table to an appellation unique to the electronic information;

an electronic information name distributing process for distributing the electronic information name created by said electronic information name creating process, to users of the electronic information;

a version number judging process for judging whether or not the version number included in said electronic information name coincides with the version number held in said table, when the electronic information to be specified by the electronic information name distributed by said electronic information name distributing process is subject to an access by each user of the electronic information;

an access permitting process for permitting an access to the electronic information, only when it is judged by said version number judging process that the two version numbers coincide with each other; and

a version number updating process for updating the version number held in said table, when the contents of the electronic information have been updated.

9. A recording medium recorded with an exclusive access controlling program for electronic information for performing a process comprising:

an electronic information name creating function for creating an electronic information name to be prepared by attaching a version number of electronic information held in a table with an appellation unique to the electronic information;

an electronic information name distributing function for distributing the electronic information name created by said electronic information name creating function, to users of the electronic information;

a version number judging function for judging whether or not the version number included in said electronic information name coincides with the version number held in said table, when the electronic information to be specified by the electronic information name distributed by said electronic information name distributing function is subject to an access by each user of the electronic information;

an access permitting function for permitting an access to the electronic information, only when it is judged by said version number judging function that the two version numbers coincide with each other; and

a version number updating function for updating the version number held in said table, when the contents of the electronic information have been updated.

10. An exclusive access controlling method comprising:

creating an electronic information name;

attaching a version number to the electronic information name;

holding the version number in a table;

distributing the electronic information name to users of the electronic information;

judging whether or not the version included in the electronic information name coincides with the version number held in the table when the electronic information distributed by said distributing is subject to an access by each user of the electronic information;

permitting access to the electronic information only when it is judged that the two version numbers coincide; and

updating the version number held in the table, when the contents of the electronic information have been updated.