Terminal for use in a system interfacing with storage media

• US 7,330,949 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takaragi, Kazuo, Okamoto, Chikashi
• Primary Examiner(s): PEIKARI, BEHZAD
• Application Number:
  US11/479,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• 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 method is adopted in a control apparatus for controlling ID information stored in a storage medium in conjunction with a terminal for reading the ID information from the storage medium and used to catalog information for the storage medium into a memory employed in the control apparatus. In an operation to catalog information into the memory of the control apparatus, the terminal receives the information, reads the ID information from the storage medium and transmits the information and the ID information to the control apparatus and the control apparatus catalogs the information and the ID information in the memory by associating the information with the ID information. In an operation to examine information already cataloged in the memory employed in the control apparatus, the terminal reads the ID information from the storage medium and transmits the ID information to the control apparatus; and the control apparatus transmits the information already cataloged in the memory and associated with the ID information to the terminal for displaying the information.

Claims

1. A terminal coupled to a control apparatus via a network and configured to read out ID information from a storage medium which is attached to an object, the control apparatus having a first database registering information corresponding to the ID information, the terminal comprising:

a second database that stores at least a portion of information registered in the first database;

a read unit that reads out the ID information from the storage medium;

a check unit that checks if the read out ID information is stored in the second database and if the read out ID information is altered; and

a display unit that displays a result of the check.

2. The terminal according to claim 1 wherein the display unit displays alteration of the read out ID information or information registered in the second database corresponding to the ID information read out and verified by the check.

3. The terminal according to claim 1 further comprising an access unit that accesses the control apparatus with the read out ID information, if the read out ID information is not stored in the second database.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a unit that receives information corresponding to the ID information from the first database and updates the second database with the retrieved information from the control apparatus.

5. The terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the storage medium further holds a message authentication code assigned to the ID information for detecting an alteration of an ID information stored therein,

wherein the read unit reads out the message authentication code and detects the alteration of the read out ID information by verifying the ID information with the message authentication code.

6. The terminal according to claim 5,

wherein the message authentication code is a result of coding an ID information by using a private key of a provider of the storage medium,

wherein the terminal further comprises a unit that decrypts the message authentication code by using a public key forming a pair in conjunction with the private key and compares the result of the decryption with the read out ID information to authenticate the read out ID information.

7. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the ID information includes information unique to each of the storage medium and information to classify an attribute of the object.