Patent ID: 7415729
Filing Date: 2008-08-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A storage device capable of verifying a right to access thereto by an information processing unit based on a certificate from said information processing unit, and which sends data to said information processing unit in accordance with a result of the verification, comprising: a secure area that is accessible upon success of the verification; a normal area that is accessible without verification; a management area for storing information associated with said secure area; and a processor which controls access to said secure area, said normal area and said management area; said secure area including a basic area from which a first stored data is readable upon success of verification of the certificate from said information processing unit, and an expansion area from which a second stored data is readable upon success of verification of an input personal identifying number (PIN) by reference to a user PIN in said management area, said processor verifying the certificate from said information processing unit, reading said first stored data from said basic area upon success of said verification therefor, and outputting said first stored data to said information processing unit; and said processor verifying said input PIN using the user PIN in the management area, reading said second stored data from the expansion area upon success of said verification therefor, and outputting said second stored data to said information processing unit, wherein said processor receives an instruction issued by said information processing unit or an instruction issued by an intermediator for intermediation between said information processing unit and said storage device, interprets the contents of said instruction and decides whether a predetermined VERIFY_PIN command is included or not, when said interpretation result shows that said instruction includes said VERIFY_PIN command, said processor decides whether an application designated by said VERIFY_PIN command is a user application, and when the decision result shows that said application is said user application, said processor decides a function of said application as to whether the function of said user application is a function necessary for user PIN authentication or a function needing user PIN authentication, then, said processor decides within which said secure area is the area designated by said command; and then, said processor performs a processing according to the application designated by the VERIFY_PIN command to the decided area within said secure area or an area within said management area corresponding to said decided area within said secure area.