Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Control technique
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2002-07-02
Nguyen, Than (Department: 2187)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory
Storage accessing and control
Control technique
C711S152000, C711S163000, C713S002000, C713S150000, C713S160000, C713S168000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06415371
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage system using a storage medium, a storage device, an access device, a storage medium controller and a method for protecting data, and, more particularly, to a storage system for encoding data and storing the encoded data, a storage device, an access device, a storage medium controller and a method for protecting data.
2. Description of the Related Art
As storage mediums which are accessible by computers or the like (i.e., mediums from and onto which data is read, written and erased), a hard disk drive, an MO (Magneto-Optical disk) and a flash memory are known. Such storage mediums are utilized for the purpose of storing data and transferring data between a plurality of computers.
In order to protect data stored on such storage mediums from any access which is not permitted, conventionally, data has been stored after being encoded.
Generally speaking, data to be stored on a storage medium includes boot data showing conditions to access the storage medium (e.g., parameters representing the structure of a storage area within the storage medium, or parameters for designating a process or a speed for and at which data is to be read and written).
Hence, in order to access such a storage medium, the boot data needs to be decoded first. Those computers for accessing the storage medium has to prepare in advance a code key or the like for use in decoding the boot data.
A function for analyzing the contents of the boot data and accessing the storage medium in accordance with an analyzed result may be provided within an operating system (OS). In such a case, however, there is required a process, which is quite complicated, for acquiring the boot data, which has been encoded without going through the function included in the OS, and supplying the OS with the decoded boot data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and it is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a storage system, a storage device, a storage medium controller, an access device and a method for protecting data, so that stored data is so encoded as to be protected and that the encoded data can be accessed in accordance with an easy process.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage system comprising:
a storage medium and an access device, and
wherein the storage medium includes a storage area for storing
code data representing encoded data,
a code key for use in decoding the code data and in creating the code data, and
boot data representing in plaintext form a condition to access the storage medium, and
the access device
obtains the boot data and the code key from the storage medium,
obtains the code data from the storage medium in accordance with the condition represented by the obtained boot data, and decodes the obtained code data using the obtained code key, and
creates code data by encoding data to be stored on the storage medium with utilization of the obtained code key, and stores on the storage medium the created code data in accordance with the condition represented by the obtained boot data.
In the storage system having the above structure, the access device prepares the conditions in which the code data can be accessed simply by obtaining the boot data in the plaintext form. Hence, the data stored on the storage medium is protected simply being encoded, and the encoded data can be accessed in accordance with an easy process.
The code key stored on the storage medium is not necessarily presented in the plaintext form, thus can be encoded.
The storage medium so stores the code key and the boot data as not to substantially be rewritten. Accordingly, such a coed key and boot data are prevented from being updated by any means which is not permitted to do so, thereby satisfactory ensuring the confidentially of the encode data.
The storage system may further comprise a storage medium controller which controls the storage medium to be removably installed in the controller and which is removably installed in the access device.
In this case, the storage medium controller may
obtain the code data from the storage medium and supplies the access device with the obtained coded, in response to a read instruction which is sent from the access device,
obtain from the access device the coded data which the access device has created, and stores the code data on the storage medium, in response to a write instruction which is sent form the access device, and
the access device may
provide the storage medium controller with the read instruction to obtain the code data from the storage medium in accordance with the condition represented by the boot data, and
request the storage medium controller for storing the created code data on the storage medium in accordance with the condition represented by the boot data.
Accordingly, the storage medium satisfactorily functions independently or in a state in which it is installed in the storage medium controller. This enhances the portability of the storage medium. The process to be performed by the access device can be simplified, if the access device accesses the storage medium through the storage medium controller.
The storage medium controller may store certification data representing at least one piece of proper boot data, determine whether the stored certification data coincides with the boot data stored on the storage medium, and, when determined that the stored certification data does not coincide therewith, substantially reject the read and write instructions sent from the access device.
The storage medium may store ID data for identifying itself. In this case, the storage medium controller may determine the storage medium is a proper medium based on the ID data supplied from the storage medium, and, when determined that the storage medium is not a proper medium, substantially rejects the read and write instructions sent from the access device.
In this structure, the access device is prevented from obtaining data from an improper storage medium, and the data on the storage medium is prevented from being copied by any means which is permitted to do so. This ensures the desired confidentiality of the data. Furthermore, the access device is prevented from being infected with a computer virus.
The storage medium so stores the ID data substantially as not to substantially be rewritten. This ensure the confidentiality of the data, and this prevents any unauthorized data from accessing the access device.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage device comprising means for storing code data representing encoded data, a code key for use in decoding the code data and in creating the code data, and boot data showing in a plaintext form a condition to access the storage device, wherein the device
sends the code data to an external device which obtains the boot data and the code key from itself and which requests for reading the code data in accordance with the conditions represented by the boot data, and
obtains data to be written and stores the data from the external device which obtains the boot data and the code key from itself and, which requests for writing code data to be written in accordance with the condition represented by the boot data.
Such a storage device accepts any access directed to code data from the external device which has obtained the boot data. Hence, the data stored on the storage device is so encoded so as to be produced, and the encoded data can be accessed in accordance with a simple process.
The code key which the storage device itself stores is not necessarily represented in the plaintext form, and can be encoded.
The storage device so stores the code key and the boot data substantially as not to be rewritten. Accordingly, the code key and the boot data are prevented from being updated by any means which is not permitted to do so, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the code data
Nakamura Yasuhiro
Satoshi Era
Ueno Hideko
Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps
Nguyen Than
Tokyo Electron Device Limited
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