Method of and apparatus for reproducing information, and security module

• US 7,873,839 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Morioka, Kiyonori, Yoshitake, Toshiyuki, Watanabe, Yasuhiro, Kohiyama, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, VENKATANARAY
• Application Number:
  US11/980,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20080072332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 713189-194, 711/2, 711/5, 711/111, 711/152, 711/154, 711/163, 710/22, 710/200, 710/308, 710/23
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1064 Restricting content processing at operating system level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1077 Recurrent authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6281 at program execution time, where the protection is within the operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/87 by means of encapsulation, e.g. for integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00253 wherein the key is stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An information reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes a secure module and a main memory. The information in the secure module can not be accessed from outside. The secure module reads, using a direct access method, information relating to software stored in the main memory. The secure module checks a falsification of the software by comparing the information read with the information stored in advance in the secure module.

Claims

1. An information reproducing apparatus using an operating system, comprising:

a secure module that stores a first information and a second information in the secure module, the secure module being inaccessible from outside the information reproducing apparatus;

a memory that stores a third information updated by an updating unit, the third information used to reproduce the second information in an unswappable area thereof, the memory being inaccessible from outside;

a falsification checking unit that is loaded on the secure module, wherein the falsification checking unit reads the third information from the memory by a direct access without using a driver that operates using the operating system, compares the third information with the first information in the secure module, and checks a falsification of the third information based on a result of the comparison; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the second information stored in the storing unit to the memory using the driver when the falsification of the third information stored in the memory is not found by the falsification checking unit.

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

a storage control unit that is loaded on the secure module, wherein the storage control unit changes original information, and stores the changed information as the second information into the memory.

3. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the second information is updated, the storage control unit hands over the second information from pre-updating information to post-updating information.

4. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an encrypting unit that encrypts an original information using a key that exists in the secure module, and stores the encrypted original information as the second information into the memory.

5. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a writing unit that is loaded on the secure module, wherein the writing unit writes a secret information stored in the secure module into the memory as the second information using a direct access method, wherein

the falsification checking unit checks falsification of the second information based on response information corresponding to the secret information.

6. A secure module mounted to an information reproducing apparatus using an operating system, comprising:

a memory and a processor, the processor includes;

a storing unit that stores a first information and a second information in the secure module, the secure module being inaccessible from outside;

a reading unit that reads a third information used to reproduce the second information from an unswappable area in a memory mounted to the information reproducing apparatus, by a direct access without using a driver that operates using the operating system, the memory being accessible from outside; and

a falsification checking unit that compares the third information read by the reading unit with the first information stored in the secure module, and checks a falsification of the second information based on a result of the comparison; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the second information stored in the storing unit to the memory using the driver, when the falsification of the third information stored in the memory is not found by the falsification checking unit.

7. The secure module according to claim 6, further comprising:

a storage control unit that changes original information, and stores the changed information as the second information into the memory.

8. The secure module according to claim 7, wherein when the second information is updated, the storage control unit hands over the second information from pre-updating information to post-updating information.

9. The secure module according to claim 6, further comprising:

a writing unit that writes a secret information stored in the secure module into the memory as the second information using a direct access method, wherein

the falsification checking unit checks falsification of the second information based on response information corresponding to the secret information.