Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Control technique
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-31
2001-06-05
Yoo, Do Hyun (Department: 2187)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory
Storage accessing and control
Control technique
C711S111000, C711S112000, C711S164000, C713S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243796
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recording media suited for storing computer software, recording apparatuses or reproduction apparatuses therefor, and recording methods or reproduction methods therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of software used in computers have been offered with recording media such as optical disks, magneto-optical disks, magnetic disks, memory cards, and magnetic tape.
As a type of such recording media, a partial ROM disk has been developed. The partial ROM disk includes a ROM area used only for reproduction and a rewritable area (RAM area) for recording and reproduction.
It is preferred that only an authorized user who has bought an application program stored in a medium can use the program.
Files and other data which the user has stored in a recording medium are required to be kept in confidentiality.
In some cases, it is desired that they cannot be read by other persons or they cannot be rewritten without permission.
Therefore, it is demanded that a protection function is implemented so that various types of data stored in a recording medium cannot be read/written by other persons.
It is known that a simple protection function such as that requiring an ID input to a recording and reproduction apparatus or a personal computer is weak in protection and a more effective protection function is demanded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an effective protection function for data stored in a recording medium such that its confidentiality is maintained and its unauthorized use is prevented.
The foregoing object is achieved according to one aspect of the present invention through the provision of a recording-medium driving apparatus including: protection-function detecting means for detecting whether a recording medium has a protection function; comparison means for comparing first identification information recorded in the recording medium with second identification information of the recording-medium driving apparatus when the recording medium has a protection function; and control means for disabling access to the recording medium via an information signal when the comparison means detects that the predetermined relationship does not exist between the first identification information and the second identification information.
The recording-medium driving apparatus may be configured such that the protection-function detecting means detects whether protection information is recorded in the recording medium, and the control means enables access to the recording medium via an information signal when the comparison means detects that the predetermined relationship exists between the first identification information and the second identification information and when the protection information matches input information input by the user.
The recording-medium driving apparatus may be configured such that the recording medium includes a plurality of storage areas and stores the protection information with respect to each storage area, and the comparison means compares the protection information with the input information for each storage area to be accessed.
The recording-medium driving apparatus may be configured such that the control means determines that access to each storage area via the information signal is enabled.
The foregoing object is achieved according to another aspect of the present invention through the provision of a recording-medium driving method including the steps of: detecting whether a recording medium has a protection function; comparing first identification information recorded in the recording medium with second identification information of a recording-medium driving apparatus when the recording medium has a protection function; and disabling access to the recording medium via an information signal when it is detected in the comparing step that the predetermined relationship does not exist between the first identification information and the second identification information.
The recording-medium driving method may be configured such that it is detected in the step of detecting the protection function whether protection information is recorded in the recording medium.
The foregoing object is achieved according to still another aspect of the present invention through the provision of a recording medium including a first recording area on which protection-function identification information is recorded which indicates whether a protection function for limiting access via an information signal by a recording-medium driving apparatus is provided, and a second recording area on which condition information for releasing the limit of access via an information signal by the protection function is recorded.
The recording medium may further include a third recording area on which protection-function release program information for releasing the protection function for the recording-medium driving apparatus is recorded.
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“Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit, ” Microsoft Press, pp. 80, 88, 1995.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Portka Gary J.
Sony Corporation
Yoo Do Hyun
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