Patent ID: 7503066

Claim:
A secure device for use while attached to a plurality of communication terminals that are of a plurality of types of usage patterns on a one-to-one basis, said secure device being able to be used in any of the communication terminals, where each of the plurality of types of communication terminals is assigned with and stores different pieces of terminal identification information used to identify the communication terminal and each is operable to communicate with other apparatuses, via a management apparatus of the same type as the communication terminal, based on the terminal identification information assigned thereto, said secure device comprising: a storage unit operable to store a piece of device identification information and a history that is composed of terminal identification information of communication terminals to which said secure device itself has been attached, wherein each of a plurality of secure devices including said secure device is assigned with and stores a different piece of device identification information, used to identify said secure device itself; a notifying unit operable to, when said secure device itself is attached to one of the plurality of communication terminals, refer to the stored history, and only when it is found that terminal identification information of the communication terminal to which said secure device itself is attached is different from terminal identification information of the communication terminal to which said secure device itself was attached immediately before, immediately notify, via the communication terminal, said same type of management apparatus, of the piece of device identification information stored in said storage unit and terminal identification information of the communication terminal; a deactivation unit operable to immediately deactivate said secure device in response to a deactivation instruction being received from the communication terminal while said secure device is attached thereto after the deactivation instruction having been transmitted from said same type of management apparatus; and an update unit operable to, only when it is found that terminal identification information of the communication terminal to which said secure device itself is attached is different from terminal identification information of the communication terminal to which said secure device itself was attached immediately before, update the terminal identification information of the communication terminal to which said secure device itself was attached immediately before, contained in the history stored in the storage unit, to the terminal identification information of the communication terminal to which said secure device itself is attached.