Sony Corporation

Takumi Okaue

Yoshio Kondo

Akira Sassa

Toshiharu Kobayashi

Teppei Yokota

Nobuyuki Kihara

Hideaki Okubo

Jun Tashiro

Mitsuhiro Hirabayashi

Ryuji Ishiguro

Kenichi Nakanishi

Yoshihito Ishibashi

Tateo Oishi

Hiroshi Kuno

Takeshi Ishimoto

Junko Sasaki

Yukihiro Sakamoto

Asami Mizuno

Akihiro Kikuchi

Eiichi Yamada

Shigeo Araki

Toshio Shirai

Akihiko Hashiguchi

Hideo Kosaka

Hidehiko Okada

Hirofumi Murase

Kenich Nakanishi

Tateo Ooishi

Yasuko Miura

A reproducing apparatus has three reproducing modes that are a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode. In the first mode, when a program that has been reproduction restricted is tried to be reproduced, the reproducing operation is paused and the user is asked whether he or she wants to reproduce the program. Corresponding to the user's reply, the reproducing operation is performed or prohibited. In the second mode, a program that has been reproduction restricted is prohibited from being reproduced. In the third mode, a program that has been reproduction restricted is unconditionally reproduced. When the power of the apparatus is turned on at step S, a prompt that causes the user to select one of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode is displayed. At step S, a process for designating a mode is performed. Information of the designated mode is stored in a nonvolatile memory.

Reproducing apparatus and reproducing method

A storage device includes: an input/output section connected to an electronic apparatus; a memory for storing data; a control section accessing the memory based on an instruction input from the electronic apparatus to the input/output section; and a communication section communicating with an external apparatus separate from the electronic apparatus, wherein the control section accesses a range in the memory specified by the electronic apparatus based on the instruction from the electronic apparatus and causes data associated with the accessed range to be transmitted and received between the communication section and the external apparatus.

Storage device having capability to transmit stored data to an external apparatus and receive data for storage from the external apparatus based on an instruction from a host apparatus, and data communication system using the same

A device and method is provided for commonly and securely allowing, as access control on a memory card, a plurality of information processing apparatuses to lock/unlock the memory. On the basis of a lock command input from an information processing apparatus serving as a host, such as a PC, an information storage device, such as a memory card, determines whether (a) a standard lock key set serving as a key set prohibiting output or (b) an export lock key set serving as a key set permitting output is detected and stores corresponding key set information. Only when the export lock key set is detected, output is permitted provided that predetermined verification succeeds.

Systems and methods for locking and exporting the locking of a removable memory device

A peripheral device includes: an input/output block connected to a device subject to connection; a communication block configured to communicate with a device subject to communication; and a conversion block configured, if the device subject to communication is a storage device, to convert a storage access command output by the device subject to connection to the input/output block into a communication command that is transferred between the communication block and the device subject to communication, wherein the communication block transmits the communication command generated by the conversion block to the device subject to communication and transfers, with the device subject to communication, one of data that is written by the device subject to connection to the device subject to communication and data that is read from the device subject to communication.

Peripheral device and device connection system

The inventive data processing apparatus enables own memory device to store a plurality of key distribution approval data files each containing such a header data comprising a number of 'link-count' data units each designating actual number of applicable contents data per decodable contents key based on an enabling key block (EKB) distribution key enciphering key (KEK) enciphered by a corresponding enabling key block (EKB) provided for by a hierarchy key tree structure. When storing a plurality of the enabling key blocks (EKB) in a memory device, such a key enciphering key (KEK) contained in an enabling key block (EKB) having a number of link-count data units is previously decoded and stored in the memory device. By way of applying the stored (KEK) when utilizing contents data, the enabling key block (EKB) processing step is deleted, whereby promoting higher efficiency in the utilization of contents data.

Data processing system, data processing method, and program providing medium

A device and method is provided for maintaining, upon unlocking of a memory, the lock status of the memory prior to the memory being unlocked and recreating the lock status when power is turned on again. An information storage device, such as a memory card, performs unlocking of a memory in response to a command input from an information processing apparatus and stores lock status data prior to the memory being unlocked in a non-volatile memory (NVM). When the information storage device is turned off and then on, the information storage device recreates a lock status of the memory on the basis of the lock status data stored in the storage means and performs memory access control based on the recreated lock status.

Memory device having secure non-volatile locking functionality

A data processing apparatus includes an encrypting apparatus for encrypting data in units of an encryption block having a predetermined data length. A processing apparatus is also provided for performing predetermined processing on data in units of a processing block having a data length of a whole multiple of the predetermined length of the encryption block. A controller is also provided for writing the encrypted data in a storage medium so that the data positioned in the same encryption block is also positioned in the same processing block. The controller also reads the data from the storage means in units of the processing block when the data is to be read out.

Data processing method, apparatus and system for encrypted data transfer

An authentication key is presented to a data processing device by an enable key block (EKB). Even in a case where a memory device does not have an executing function for a mutual authentication processing, an establishment of the mutual authentication processing with a virtual memory device constructed in the data processing device is made as a condition for a data reproduction processing from the memory device or a data recording processing to the memory device. In an unfair data processing device, it is so constructed to present the authentication key by non-decodable enabling key block (EKB), so that only a fair data processing device is able to be authenticated with the virtual memory device and to utilize the contents data.

Data processing system, data processing method, data processing apparatus, license system, and program providing medium

Reproduction apparatus and reproducing method

This invention provides a memory card () that is to be used as a storage medium in a host apparatus that can record and reproduce data. The memory card has a first memory (-), a second memory (-), a first switch () for changing over one memory to the other, and a second switch () for connecting and disconnecting an insertion/removal detecting terminal INS. The first and second switches work as a slide switch () provided on the housing is operated. The first switch has a contact for selecting the first memory, a contact for selecting the second memory, and a contact located between these two contacts, for selecting neither memory. The second switch connects the terminal INS to the ground while the first switch remains connected to the contact for selecting the first memory or the contact for selecting the second memory. The second switch opens the terminal INS while the first switch remains connected to the contact for selecting neither memory.

Data storage apparatus that includes a plurality of nonvolatile memories in which no data is erased after the data storage apparatus is removed from a host apparatus

The inventive data processing apparatus initially generates verifying values for verifying integrity of contents data stored in a memory device, then stores the verifying values in correspondence with contents data, and then, using the verifying values, the data processing apparatus proves the act of tampering with the relevant contents data, where the verifying values are generated and stored in a memory device per category of contents data. Each of the categories is preset based on a controlling entity of enabling key blocks (EKB) which encipher and provide a contents key (Kcon) provided as a key for enciphering the kinds of categories or contents data. Because of this arrangement, it is possible to effectively and independently executes the process for probing the act of tampering with contents data per controlling entity of the enabling key blocks (EKB) for example.

The object of the present invention is to enable to prevent an erroneous erase of a data stored or writing another data on the data as well as to enable to easily switch an erroneous erase prevention switch. A command generator, upon reception of a register instruction for checking a state of a memory cardreceived via an S/P & P/S sequencer, sets a state of an erroneous erase prevention switchin a register and transmits this register content via the S/P & P/S sequnecerto a host computer. According to the register content from the memory card, the host computer decides whether a write protect is ON and executes a write inhibit processing when the write protect is ON.

External storage apparatus and control apparatus thereof, and data transmission/reception apparatus

A data processing apparatus extracts a root key by decrypting an enabling key block. The data processing apparatus then produces a content key on the basis of a random number and encrypts the content key using the root key. Furthermore, the data processing apparatus encrypts an ID of the data processing apparatus using the produced content key thereby producing a storage key. The data processing apparatus then produces encrypted content by encrypting a content using the storage key. Furthermore, the data processing apparatus stores the encrypted content together with the data produced by encrypting the content by the root key into a removable storage medium. The content, stored into the removable storage medium in the above-described manner, can be played back only by a specific limited device.

Method and apparatus for recording/playing back information

There are provided a storage device for outputting data in such a manner that whether or not error correction has been made can be discriminated, and a data processing system in which a storage device furnishes data to a data processing device in such a manner that whether or not the area management information has been corrected for errors can be discriminated and in which the data processing device discriminates whether or not the area management information has been corrected for errors in order to perform predetermined data processing. There is also provided a data processing method for the storage device and for the data processing system. If there is any error correctable by an error processing unitin the area management information read out from the flash memorythe controllerfurnishes the area management information to the error correction processing unitand appends a flag indicating the fact of error correction to the area management information corrected for errors to output the resulting data.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Takumi Okaue