Security system apparatus for a memory card and memory card employed therefor

• US 5,845,066 A
• Filed: 09/04/1996
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emergence Memory Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuzumi, Tomoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elmore, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/707,377
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 395/186, 395/188.01, 380/3, 380/4, 380/20, 364/222.5, 364/286.4, 364/286.5, 364/479.07, 364/246.9, 711/163, 711/164
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1466 Key-lock mechanism
• 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: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

In a security system apparatus for a memory card used in an information processing apparatus, the memory card has an enciphering control data storing section which stores enciphering control data from which a predetermined password can be obtained by decoding, a main memory section, storing the data from the information processing apparatus, a comparison password storing section which stores a reference password, a password comparison section which compares the reference password with the password from the information processing apparatus, and an access control section for controlling access to main memory section. The information processing apparatus is provided with a data decoding section for decoding the enciphering control data. The information processing apparatus outputs the decoded password to the password comparison section and the access control section prohibits the access to the main memory section unless passwords coincide with each other as a result of the comparison by the password comparison section.

Claims

1. A memory card system comprising:

a memory card including;

an enciphering control data storing section for storing coded enciphering control data which, when decoded, reveals a predetermined password,

a main memory section for storing data,

a comparison password storing section for storing the predetermined password as a reference password,

a password comparison section for comparing the reference password with a password input from a host information processor, and

an access control section for controlling access to said main memory section in accordance with the results of the comparison performed by said password comparison section; and

a host information processing device which includes a data decoding section for retrieving and decoding the enciphering control data from said enciphering control data storing section of said memory card to reveal a predetermined password, and outputting the predetermined password to said password comparison section of said memory card;

wherein said access control section of said memory card allows access to said main memory of said memory card when the password input to said password comparison section of said memory card by said host information processing device matches the reference password stored in said comparison password storing section of said memory card.

2. The memory card system according to claim 1, wherein said access control section allows access to said main memory section when said password comparison section determines that the reference password and the password input from said information processing apparatus match.

3. A memory card system comprising:

a memory card including;

an enciphering control data storing section for storing coded enciphering control data which, when decoded, reveals predetermined address data and a predetermined password,

a main memory section for storing data,

a comparison address data storing section for storing the predetermined address data as reference address data;

a comparison password storing section for storing the predetermined password as a reference password,

an address comparison section for comparing the reference address stored in said comparison address data storing section with address data input from a host information processing device;

a password comparison section for comparing the reference password stored in said comparison password storing section with a password input from a host information processing device, and

an access control section for controlling access to said main memory section in accordance with the results of the comparisons performed by said address comparison section and said password comparison section; and

a host information processing device which includes a data decoding section for retrieving and decoding the enciphering control data from said enciphering control data storing section of said memory card to reveal predetermined address data and a predetermined password, and outputting the predetermined address data and predetermined password to said address data comparison section and said password comparison section of said memory card respectively;

wherein said access control section of said memory card allows access to said main memory of said memory card when the address data input to said address data comparison section by said information processing device matches the reference address data stored in said comparison address data storing section and the password input to said password comparison section of said memory card by said host information processing device matches the reference password stored in said comparison password storing section of said memory card.

4. The memory card system according to claim 3, wherein said access control section allows access to said main memory section by the information processing device when said address data comparison section determines that the address data input by said information processing device and the reference address data stored in said comparison address data storing section match and said password comparison section determines that the password input by said information processing device and the reference password stored in said comparison password storing section match.

5. The memory card system according to claim 3, wherein said enciphering control data storing section is provided in an attribute memory for storing attribute information of said memory card.

6. The memory card system according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined password is renewable.

7. The memory card system according to claim 3, wherein said enciphering control data storing section and said comparison password storing section are provided in an attribute memory constituted by RAM for storing attribute information of said memory card.

8. The memory card system according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined address data and the predetermined password are renewable.

9. The memory card system according to claim 3, wherein said enciphering control data storing section, said comparison address data storing sections and said comparison password storing section are provided in an attribute memory composed of RAM for storing attribute information of said memory card.

10. The memory card system according to claim 3, wherein said access control section prohibits access to said main memory section by placing said main memory section in a stand-by-state during which data cannot be written to or read from said main memory section.

11. The memory card system according to claim 10, wherein said access control section allows access to said main memory section by enabling said main memory section.

12. A memory card for use in an information processing device having a decoder, said memory card comprising:

an enciphering control data storing section for storing enciphering control data from which a predetermined password can be obtained;

a main memory section for storing data;

a comparison password storing section for storing the predetermined password as a reference password;

a password comparison section for comparing the reference password with a password obtained by the information processing device through decoding the enciphering control data; and

an access control section for controlling access to said main memory section in accordance with the comparison result of said password comparison section,

wherein said access control section prohibits access to said main memory section by the information processing apparatus when said password comparison section determines that the reference password and the password input from the information processing device do not match.

13. A memory card according to claim 12, wherein said access control section allows access to said main memory section by the information processing device when said password comparison section determines that the password input by the information processing device matches the reference password stored in said comparison password storing section.

14. A memory card for use with an information processing device having a decoder, said memory card comprising:

an enciphering control data storing section for storing enciphering control data from which predetermined address data and a predetermined password can be obtained by decoding;

a main memory section for storing data;

a comparison address data storing section for storing the predetermined address data as reference address data;

a comparison password storing section for storing the predetermined password as a reference password;

an address data comparison section for comparing the reference address data with address data obtained by the information processing device through decoding the enciphering control data;

a password comparison section for comparing the reference password with a password obtained by the information processing device through decoding the enciphering control data; and

an access control section for controlling access to said main memory section in accordance with the comparison results of said password comparison section and said password comparison section,

wherein said access control section prohibits access to said main memory section by the information processing device when said address data comparison section determines that the address data input by the information processing device and the reference address data stored in said comparison address data storing section do not match or said password comparison section indicates that the password obtained by the information processing device and the reference password stored in said comparison password storing section do not match.

15. The memory card according to claim 14, wherein said access control section is arranged to allow access to said main memory section by the information processing device only when said address data comparison section determines that address data input by the information processing device and the reference address data stored in said comparison address data storing section match and said password comparison section determines that the password input by the information processing device and the reference password stored in said comparison password storing section match.

16. The memory card according to claim 14, wherein said enciphering control data storing section is provided in an attribute memory for storing attribute information of said memory card.

17. The memory card according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined password is renewable.

18. The memory card according to claim 14, wherein said enciphering control data storing section and said comparison password storing section are provided in an attribute memory constituted by RAM for storing attribute information of said memory card.

19. The memory card according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined address data and the predetermined password are renewable.

20. The memory card according to claim 19, wherein said enciphering control data storing section, said comparison address data storing section, and said comparison password storing section are provided in the attribute memory constituted by RAM for storing attribute information of said memory card.