Mobile device, and access control method

• US 8,001,375 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Washio, Satoshi, Kawabata, Hiroshi, Yoshinaga, Hisashi, Hattori, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): GEE, JASON KAI YIN
• Application Number:
  US11/570,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 713/165, 713/182, 713/184, 726/27
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1458 by checking the subject access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• 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 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• 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 mobile device (10) has a noncontact IC (11). Three storage areas are preliminarily formed in the noncontact IC (11). When the mobile device (10) receives an application from a content server (20), a storage area (1) is assigned as a data area dedicated to this application. After that, the mobile device (10) rejects access from any application other than the foregoing application to the storage area (1).

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

storing means internally having a predetermined number of data areas;

acquiring means for acquiring an application;

assigning means for, when the acquiring means acquires an application, assigning the application to one of the predetermined number of data areas in the storing means;

application storing means for storing the application acquired by the acquiring means and a personal identification number (PIN) corresponding to the application in association with an identifier representing the data area assigned for the application by the assigning means; and

controlling means for performing a control to permit access from the application to said assigned data area by acquiring the PIN corresponding to the application from the application storing means and unlocking a PIN lock of the data area to be accessed using the acquired PIN, and

wherein, on the occasion of performing control to permit access from the application to said assigned data area, the controlling means acquires the PIN from an application definition file corresponding to the application.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the application definition file is an Application Descriptor File.

3. An access control method carried out by a mobile device with a memory having a predetermined number of data areas, the method comprising:

acquiring an application;

assigning the application to one of the predetermined number of data areas in the memory;

storing the application and a personal identification number (PIN) corresponding to the application in an application memory in association with an identifier representing the data area assigned to the application; and

performing control to permit access from the application to said assigned data area by acquiring the PIN corresponding to the application from the application memory and unlocking a PIN lock of the data area to be accessed using the acquired PIN, and

and unlocking a PIN lock of the data area to be accessed using the acquired PINT, and

wherein, on the occasion of performing control to permit access from the application to said assigned data area, acquiring the PIN from an application definition file corresponding to the application.

4. A mobile device comprising:

a first memory having a predetermined number of data areas;

a communication interface configured to acquire an application;

a processor configured to assign the application to one of the predetermined number of data areas in the first memory when the communication interface acquires the application;

a second memory configured to store the application and a personal identification number (PIN) corresponding to the application in association with an identifier representing the data assigned to the application by the processor; and

a controller configured to permit access from the application to said assigned data area in the first memory by acquiring the PIN corresponding to the application from the second memory and unlocking a PIN lock of the data area to be accessed using the acquired PIN, and

wherein, on the occasion of performing control to permit access from the application to said assigned data area, the controller acquires the PIN from an application definition file corresponding to the application.

5. The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein

the processor is configured to determine whether the application has been acquired by the communication interface by determining whether the PIN corresponding to the application has been received.

6. The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein

the second memory is further configured to store an application provider ID identifying a provider of the application.

7. The mobile device according to claim 6, wherein

the processor is configured to determine whether the application has been acquired by the communication interface by determining whether the application provider ID attached to the application has been received.

8. The mobile device according to claim 6, wherein

the data area assigned for the application is configured to be accessed by equipment external to the mobile device,

the data area is configured to store the application provider ID identifying a provider of the application, and

the equipment is configured to determine whether it is capable of accessing the data area based on the application provider ID stored in the data area assigned for the application.

9. The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein the PIN corresponding to the application is acquired from an application definition file corresponding to the application.

10. The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein

the data area assigned for the application is configured to be accessed by equipment external to the mobile device,

the equipment retains a PIN corresponding to the application, and

the equipment is configured to unlock the PIN lock of the data area using the retained PIN to permit access from the application to the assigned data area in the first memory.