Nonvolatile memory with illegitimate read preventing capability

Details Nonvolatile memory with illegitimate read preventing capability Nonvolatile memory with illegitimate read preventing capability

2001-09-24

2002-12-24

Nelms, David (Department: 2818)

Static information storage and retrieval

Floating gate

Data security

C365S195000, C365S230090

Reexamination Certificate

active

06498748

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, and, more particularly, to a nonvolatile memory which inhibits illegitimate reading of information from a predetermined area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because of its capability to retain information even after powered off, nonvolatile memories, such as a flash memory, are widely used in portable telephones, portable information terminals, IC cards and so forth. This capability is used to record programs, predetermined data and parameters for achieving, for example, predetermined functions.
Information such as those programs and data itself has a property value so that its illegitimate readout and copy are undesirable. One way of preventing such illegitimate readout and copy, which has been proposed, is to provide a password area for recording a password in a nonvolatile memory and permits access to the main memory only when an externally given password matches with the recorded password.
FIG. 1
is a diagram showing how a conventional flash memory is used. A conventional flash memory
1
having an illegitimate-copy preventing capability has a password area
2
in addition to a main memory area
3
. This password area
2
has, for example, a password PWA recorded therein and is write-protected in such a way that it is externally readable but unrewritable. That is, the password cannot be altered. A portable telephone
5
in which the flash memory
1
is installed allows an incorporated CPU
4
to read information from the password area
2
in the flash memory
1
and to gain access to the main memory area
3
in the flash memory
1
only when the read information coincides with the password PWA held in the CPU
4
.
With the provision of this password area
2
, even if a program A in the main memory area
3
is illegitimately copied into another flash memory
6
, for example, the unauthentically copied program A cannot be read and used unless the password PWA is also copied into a password area
7
in the latter flash memory
6
.
The following is the most typical example of the above case. Legitimate portable telephones
5
are available at a relatively low cost in country A, but the country code of country A is recorded in the program A, thus disabling their usage outside country A. By contrast, portable telephones are relatively expensive in country B, so that it is advantageous for users in country B if the portable telephones
5
obtained in country A can be used. In this case, one may attempt to replace the flash memory
1
in the authentic portable telephone
5
acquired in country A with another flash memory
6
, illegitimately copy the program A in the latter flash memory
6
and rewrite the country code of country A in the flash memory with the country code of country B for unauthorized use. In other words, an unauthentic portable telephone
10
comes equipped with the flash memory
6
having the illegitimately copied program.
But, the program A cannot be read out and used unless the password PWA is acquired and is written in the password area
7
in the replaced flash memory
6
. Because the address of the password area
2
in the authentic flash memory
1
is normally secret, it is generally difficult to access the password area
2
to acquire the password PWA.
While the password area
2
is write-protected and information there cannot be altered, it is not possible to inhibit read the information for password-based authentication. If one who wants to illegitimately copy the password attempts to read information from the password area a number of times while changing the address combination, he may be able to read the password PWA. After acquisition of the password PWA, this person can illegitimately copy the information (program A) in the free-accessible main memory area and use the unauthentic program A by copying the acquired password PWA in the password area
7
.
The above is applied not only a program but also any information which should be subject to some kind of copyright protection. If password-based copy protection is applied to such information, therefore, once the password is acquired, nothing can stop the use of illegitimately copied information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a nonvolatile memory capable of assuring more reliable protection against illegitimate copying.
It is another object of this invention to provide a nonvolatile memory having a password-based illegitimate copy protection capability, which can inhibit unauthentic access to a password.
To achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, access to a password area in a nonvolatile memory cannot be granted by simple supply of an address in a normal order. According to one preferable mode, for instance, a trap address is set in the password area so that reading information from the password area is permitted only when the password area is accessed without accessing the trap address, whereas when the password area is accessed through the trap address, information reading is inhibited, or meaningless data is output or the information in the password area is destroyed. According to another preferable mode, the order in which access is made to the password area can arbitrarily be set so that accessing the password area in this order alone can permit the password area to be read, whereas when access to the password area is made in a different order, information reading is inhibited, or meaningless data is output or the information in the password area is destroyed. According to both modes, while the recording medium where the trap address or accessing order information is stored is a nonvolatile memory, it is constructed in such a manner that writing and reading are both prohibited.
This invention can make it harder to gain access to a password area which is used to protect against illegitimate copying and can provide a nonvolatile memory having a stronger copy protection capability.
To achieve the above objects, according to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a nonvolatile memory comprising: a password area where an authentication password for granting access to a main memory area is recorded; and a trap area which is provided in the password area and where the password is not recorded, wherein when access to the trap area is made at a time of accessing the password area, reading of information from the password area is inhibited.
To achieve the above objects, according to a further aspect of this invention, there is provided a nonvolatile memory having a password area where an authentication password for granting access to a main memory area is recorded; wherein a predetermined order of addresses is set for permitting access to the password area, and when the password area is accessed in an order different from the predetermined order of addresses, reading of information from the password area is inhibited.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5097445 (1992-03-01), Yamauchi
patent: 5282247 (1994-01-01), McLean et al.
patent: 5469564 (1995-11-01), Junya
patent: 5838613 (1998-11-01), Takizawa
patent: 6023506 (2000-02-01), Ote et al.
patent: 6249850 (2001-06-01), Kato
patent: 7-261942 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 10-55315 (1998-02-01), None

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