Information processing apparatus and method

• US 7,558,968 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakaguchi, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): TURCHEN, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US10/743,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 380/269, 710/168, 713/189, 713/190
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/14 against software analysis or reverse engineering, e.g. by obfuscation
• 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 2221/2107 File encryption

Abstract

A nonvolatile memory stores encrypted data, which is obtained by linking and encrypting program data, in which combined data is compressed, and first information data indicating the number of programs contained in the combined data, and second information data indicating the size of each program. A CPU reads the encrypted data from the nonvolatile memory and decrypts the read encrypted data to restore the program data, the first information data and the second information data, after which the program data is decompressed to restore the combined data that is then stored in RAM. The CPU also creates a program management table for managing the respective programs based on the first and second information data, and stores the program management table in the RAM. The present invention is applicable to microcomputers.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of individual programs that each include a same instruction set;

compression means for combining and compressing the plurality of individual programs to output compressed program data;

first generation means for generating and outputting first auxiliary data including a total number of individual programs combined and compressed by the compression means and a size of each individual program combined and compressed by the compression means;

encryption means operatively connected with the compression means and the first generation means for encrypting said compressed program data received from said compression means together with said first auxiliary data received from said first generation means to output encrypted data.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

second generation means for generating second auxiliary data indicating a size of said compressed program data; and

storage means operatively connected with the encryption means and the second generation means for storing said encrypted data received from the encryption means and said second auxiliary data received from said second generation means.

3. An information processing method comprising:

storing. at a memory, a plurality of individual programs that each include a same instruction set;

combining and compressing the plurality of individual programs to form compressed program data;

generating first auxiliary data including a total number of individual programs that have been combined and compressed and a size of each individual combined and compressed program;

encrypting said compressed data together with said first auxiliary data to form encrypted data.

11. The information processing method according to claim 3, further comprising:

generating second auxiliary data indicating a size of said compressed program data; and

storing said encrypted data and said second auxiliary data.

4. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

decryption means for decrypting encrypted data including a plurality of encrypted combined and compressed individual programs that each include a same instruction set and encrypted first auxiliary data indicating a total number of the individual programs that were combined and compressed and a size of each of the combined and compressed individual programs to output decrypted compressed program data and decrypted auxiliary data indicating the total number of combined and compressed individual programs and the size of each of the combined and compressed individual programs;

decompression means operatively connected to the decryption means for receiving the decrypted compressed program data and for decompressing said decrypted compressed program data to output decompressed and combined individual programs;

creation means operatively connected to the decryption means for receiving the decrypted first auxiliary data and for creating a management table about locations of individual ones of said plurality of individual programs based on said decrypted first auxiliary data; and

a memory configured to receive the decompressed and combined individual programs from the decompression means and to receive the management table from the creation means, said memory further configured to store the decompressed and combined individual programs and said management table.

5. An information processing method, comprising:

decrypting encrypted data including a plurality of encrypted combined and compressed individual programs that each include a same instruction set and encrypted first auxiliary data indicating a total number of combined and compressed individual programs and a size of each of the combined and compressed individual programs to output decrypted compressed program data including the plurality of combined and compressed individual programs and decrypted first auxiliary data indicating the total number of combined and compressed individual programs and the size of each of the combined and compressed individual programs;

decompressing said decrypted compressed program data to output decompressed and combined individual programs;

creating a management table about locations of individual ones of said plurality of individual programs based on said decrypted first auxiliary data; and

storing, at a memory, the decompressed and combined individual programs and said management table.

6. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

compression means for combining and compressing a plurality of individual programs that each include a same instruction set to output compressed program data;

first generation means for generating and outputting first auxiliary data including a total number of individual programs combined and compressed by the compression means and a size of each individual program combined and compressed by the compression means;

encryption means operatively connected to the compressing means and the first generation means for encrypting said compressed program data received from said compression means together with said first auxiliary data received from said first generation means to form encrypted data;

second generation means for generating second auxiliary data indicating a size of said compressed program data;

a memory, connected to the encryption means and the second generation means, configured to store the encrypted data received from said encryption means and said second auxiliary data received from said second generation means;

decryption means operatively connected with the storage means for decrypting said encrypted data stored in said storage means to restore said compressed program data and said first auxiliary data;

decompression means operatively connected with the decryption means for decompressing said restored compressed program data received from said decryption means and outputting said decompressed program data as said plurality of combined individual programs;

selection means operatively connected with the decompression means for selecting a predetermined one of the plurality of combined individual programs from said plurality of combined individual programs received as said decompressed program data from said decompression means; and

execution means for receiving and executing said predetermined one of the plurality of combined individual programs.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

creation means for creating a management table about locations of said plurality of combined individual programs based on said second auxiliary data; and

memory means operatively connected to the decompression means and the creation means for storing said plurality of combined individual programs received from said decompression means and said management table received from said creation means.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said execution means executes processing of said predetermined one of the plurality of combined individual programs based on said management table stored in said memory means.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising communication means operatively connected to the decryption means and the decompression means for instructing the initiation of a decryption process by said decryption means and a decompression process by said decompression means, and for notifying the termination of said decryption and decompression processes.

10. An information processing method comprising:

combining and compressing a plurality of individual programs that each contain a same instruction set to output compressed program data;

generating first auxiliary data including a total number of individual programs that have been combined and compressed and a size of each combined and compressed individual program;

encrypting said compressed program data together with said first auxiliary data to form encrypted data;

generating second auxiliary data indicating a size of said compressed program data;

storing, at a memory, said encrypted data and said second auxiliary data;

accessing said encrypted data from said data store and decrypting said accessed encrypted data to restore said compressed program data and said first auxiliary data;

decompressing said restored compressed program data and outputting decompressed program data as said plurality of combined individual programs;

selecting a predetermined one of the plurality of combined individual programs from said plurality of combined individual programs forming said decompressed program data; and

executing said predetermined one of the plurality of combined individual programs.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

creating a management table about locations of said plurality of combined individual programs based on said second auxiliary data; and

storing said plurality of said combined individual programs and said management table in a data store.