Unauthorized usage prevention system and information processing apparatus

• US 8,151,346 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Amano, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAN, APRIL YING
• Application Number:
  US11/898,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20080072318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 380/251, 380/277, 713/187, 713/188, 713/165, 726/9, 726/20, 726/22, 726/26, 726/21, 726/4, 726/17
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices

Abstract

A disclosed unauthorized usage prevention system enables execution of at least one software item including an identification information item uniquely associated with the software item, based on a key information item in a key module. An information processing apparatus includes a key information storage unit, a control unit, an unauthorized usage prevention controller, and a port. The unauthorized usage prevention controller includes a connection recognition unit and a key information copying unit. When the unauthorized usage prevention controller recognizes that the key module is connected to the port, the unauthorized usage prevention controller copies the key information item in the key module into the key information storage unit, and the control unit enables execution of all of the software items with identification information items associated with the key information items held in the key information storage unit.

Claims

1. An unauthorized usage prevention system comprising:

at least one software item including an identification information item uniquely associated with the software item;

at least one key module including a writable nonvolatile memory storing a key information item uniquely associated with the identification information item of the software item; and

an information processing apparatus including,

a central processing unit (CPU) to control execution of the software item and to perform the execution of the software item in an event of receiving permission based on the identification information item, the CPU enabling the execution of only the software item associated with the signal for permitting the execution received from an unauthorized use prevention control unit,

the unauthorized use prevention control unit including a volatile memory that holds the key information item of the at least one key module and prevents the execution controlled by the CPU, and two ports, a one of the two ports to which the at least one key module is connected enables information to be exchanged between the unauthorized use prevention control unit and the at least one key module, recognizing that the at least one key module is connected to a one of the two ports, searching the volatile memory to determine whether the volatile memory holds the key information item in the at least one key module connected to the one of the two ports, and copying the key information item from the at least one key module to the volatile memory in the event that the at least one key module is connected to the one of the two ports,

in an event that the at least one key module is connected to one of the two ports and the volatile memory does not hold the key information item in a key module connected to the one of the two ports, copy the key information item in the key module connected to the one of the two ports to the volatile memory,

when there is more than one key module, detect, among the key modules connected to the ports, the number of key modules storing the key information items in proper statuses in the nonvolatile memory of each of the key modules,

output to the CPU a signal for permitting the execution of the software item associated with the key information item held in the volatile memory,

in an event that the key module is connected to at least one of the ports, and there are two key modules storing the key information items in proper statuses, the nonvolatile memory of a first one of the key modules connected to a first one of the ports is regarded as a key information storage unit, copy the key information item held in the nonvolatile memory of a second one of the key modules connected to a second one of the ports to the nonvolatile memory of the first one of the key modules connected to the first one of the two ports, and outputs, to the CPU, the signal for permitting the execution of all the software items associated with the key information items held in the nonvolatile memory of the first one of the key modules connected to the first one of the two ports,

when there is one key module storing the key information item in a proper status, output, to the CPU, the signal for permitting the execution of the software item associated with the key information item held in the nonvolatile memory of the one key module,

when there are no key modules storing the key information item in a proper status, the unauthorized use prevention control unit does not output, to the CPU, any signals for permitting the execution of the software item.

2. The unauthorized usage prevention system according to claim 1, wherein,

the nonvolatile memory of the at least one key module stores, in addition to the key information item, copy permission information for permitting the unauthorized use prevention control unit to copy the key information item held therein;

the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, detects, among the at least one key module connected to the one of the two ports, the number of the at least one key modules storing the copy permission information in the nonvolatile memory of the at least one key module, and rewrites the copy permission information in the nonvolatile memory of the at least one key module into a copy unpermission information; and

in a situation where the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, detects that there are two key modules storing the key information items in proper statuses,

when there are two key modules storing the copy permission information, the nonvolatile memory of a first one of the key modules connected to a first one of the ports is regarded as a key information storage unit, the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, copies the key information item held in the nonvolatile memory of a second one of the key modules connected to a second one of the ports to the nonvolatile memory of the first one of the key modules connected to the first one of the ports, rewrites the copy permission information in the nonvolatile memory of the second one of the key modules connected to the second one of the ports into the copy unpermission information, and outputs, to the CPU of the information processing apparatus, the signal for permitting the execution of all of the software items associated with the key information items held in the nonvolatile memory of the first one of the key modules connected to the first one of the ports,

when there is one key module storing the copy permission information, the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, outputs, to the CPU, the signal for permitting the execution of the software item associated with the key information item held in the nonvolatile memory of the detected key module,

when there are no key modules storing the copy permission information, the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, does not output, to the CPU, any signals for permitting the execution of the software item;

in a situation where the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, detects that there is one key module storing the key information item in a proper status,

when there is one key module storing the copy permission information, the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, outputs, to the CPU, the signal for permitting the execution of the software item associated with the key information item held in the nonvolatile memory of the detected key module, and

when there are no key modules storing the copy permission information, the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, does not output, to the CPU, any signals for permitting the execution of the software item; and

the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, does not copy the key information item from the nonvolatile memory of the key module storing the copy unpermission information.

3. The unauthorized usage prevention system according to claim 2, wherein the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, compares total information amounts of the key information items held in the nonvolatile memory of each of the key modules connected to the ports;

and

designates one of the key modules connected to one of the ports as a master key into which the key information item is written and designates the other one of the key modules connected to the other one of the ports as a slave key from which the key information item is read, wherein,

among the key modules connected to the ports, the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, designates, as the master key, the key module determined as storing the key information item of a larger total information amount, and designates the other key module as the slave key, wherein the nonvolatile memory of the master key is regarded as a key information storage unit; and

the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, copies the key information item in the nonvolatile memory of the key module designated as the slave key into the nonvolatile memory of the key module designated as the master key.

4. The unauthorized usage prevention system according to claim 2, wherein the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory,

compares total information amounts of the key information items held in the nonvolatile memory of each of the key modules connected to the ports;

compares storage capacities of the nonvolatile memories of the key modules connected to the ports; and

designates one of the key modules connected to one of the ports as a master key into which the key information item is written designates the other one of the key modules connected to the other one of the ports as a slave key from which the key information item is read, wherein,

among the key modules connected to the ports, the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, designates, as the master key, the key module determined as having the nonvolatile memory of a larger storage capacity, and designates the other key module as the slave key, wherein the nonvolatile memory of the master key is regarded as a key information storage unit;

when the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, determines that the nonvolatile memories of the key modules connected to the ports have the same storage capacities, among the key modules connected to the ports, the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, designates as the master key the key module determined as storing the key information item of a larger total information amount, and designates the other key module as the slave key, wherein the nonvolatile memory of the master key is regarded as the key information storage unit; and

the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, copies the key information item in the nonvolatile memory of the key module designated as the slave key into the nonvolatile memory of the key module designated as the master key.

5. The unauthorized usage prevention system according to claim 3, wherein:

the information processing apparatus, including the CPU, includes light emitting diode (LED) light sources each corresponding to one of the ports; and

the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, lights one of the LED light sources corresponding to the port to which the key module designated as the master key is connected.

6. The unauthorized usage prevention system according to claim 4,

the information processing apparatus, including the CPU, includes light emitting diode (LED) light sources each corresponding to one of the ports;

and

the unauthorized use prevention control unit, including the volatile memory, lights one of the light sources corresponding to the port to which the key module designated as the master key is connected.

7. An information processing apparatus including a volatile memory and two ports for performing execution of a software item in the event of receiving permission based on an identification information item uniquely associated with the software item, wherein the execution of the software item includes installation of the software item and operation of the software item, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) to control the execution of the software item;

an unauthorized use prevention control unit including a volatile memory that holds the key information item of at least one key module and prevents the execution controlled by the CPU, and two ports, a one of the two ports to which the at least one key module is connected enables information to be exchanged between the unauthorized use prevention control unit and the at least one key module, recognizing that the at least one key module is connected to the one of the two ports, searching the volatile memory to determine whether the volatile memory holds the key information item in the at least one key module connected to the one of the two ports, and copying the key information item from the at least one key module to the volatile memory in the event that the at least one key module is connected to the one of the two ports; and

in an event that the at least one key module is connected to one of the two ports and the volatile memory does not hold the key information item in a key module connected to the one of the two ports, copy the key information item in the key module connected to the one of the two ports to the volatile memory,

in an event that the key module is connected to at least one of the ports, and there are two key modules storing the key information items in proper statuses, the nonvolatile memory of a first one of the key modules connected to a first one of the ports is regarded as a key information storage unit, copy the key information item held in the nonvolatile memory of a second one of the key modules connected to a second one

of the ports to the nonvolatile memory of the first one of the key modules connected to the first one of the two ports, and outputs, to the CPU, the signal for permitting the execution of all software items associated with the key information items held in the nonvolatile memory of the first one of the key modules connected to the first one of the two ports,

when there is one key module storing the key information item in a proper status, output, to the CPU, the signal for permitting the execution of the software item associated with the key information item held in the nonvolatile memory of the one key module,

when there are no key modules storing the key information item in a proper status, the unauthorized use prevention control unit does not output, to the CPU, any signals for permitting the execution of the software item, and

the CPU enables the execution of only the software item associated with the signal for permitting the execution received from the unauthorized use prevention control unit.