JPH01277948A - Memory card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the unauthorized use by preliminarily incorporating a storage part of reference key data, a comparing part which compares an input key data signal inputted at the time of read/write of a memory IC with the reference key data signal, and a protector circuit which inhibits a read/write signal in case of noncoincidence between both signals in a card. CONSTITUTION:At the time of read/write of a memory IC 3, a data bus signal 5 and an address bus signal 6 are inputted through a connector 1 for external connection and a buffer circuit 2 as normal, and an input key data signal 13 is inputted to a read/write protecting circuit 11 through the connector 1 besides said signals. A reference key data memory 12 where a reference key data signal 15 is preliminarily stored is connected to the circuit 11, and signals 13 and 15 are compared with each other in the circuit 11 before execution of the read/ write operation by a control circuit 4. When this comparison results in noncoincidence, a protect signal 14 is outputted to the circuit 4 to inhibit the read/write operation based on signals 5 and 6 to the memory IC 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a memory card, and particularly to a memory card having a read/write protection function using key data.

[Prior Art] As shown in FIGS. 2(A) and CB), a conventional memory card has a vertical dimension a = 85.6 mm.
ta dimension b = 54 un, thickness c = 3'', and has 60 external connection connectors 1 arranged at a pitch d = 1.27 ouo, for example, on its negative end face.

Further, this memory card has a block configuration as shown in FIG. 3 inside the card 2°. That is, the connector 1. on the end face of the card 2o. Buffer circuit 2
．． 2 via the data bus signal 5. address bus signal 6
is applied to the memory IC3, and memory read and write operations are performed by the control signal 7 from the control circuit 84.

[Problems to be solved] In such conventional memory cards, the memory IC3
By properly inputting the data bus signal 5 and address bus signal 6, reading and writing of the memory card can now be freely performed by any person other than the owner of the memory card.

Therefore, there was an extremely high risk that reading and writing of important or confidential data could be carried out illegally, and that this could be misused for crimes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and to save important data on memory cards.
To provide a memory card capable of protecting data such as confidential data from being read or written.

[Means for Solving Problems] The memory card of the present invention is characterized by having a function of collating key data input when reading and writing memory data, and for this purpose, a memory card that stores a reference key data signal in advance is provided. The memory card is equipped with a protector circuit that compares the input key data signal inputted during read/write to the memory IC with the reference key data signal and outputs a read/write prohibition signal when the two signals do not match. It consists of

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described based on an illustrated example.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in FIG. 1, members 1 to 7 having the same functions as the members shown in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

The memory card of this embodiment has the same external configuration as shown in FIG. 2, but the difference from the conventional memory card is that, as shown in FIG. 3, a read/write protection circuit is added to the existing block configuration. 11 and a reference key data memory 12 are provided.

A reference key data signal 15 is input into the reference key data memory 12 in advance. Further, the read/write protection circuit 11 compares the input key data signal 13 inputted at the time of read/write with the reference key data signal 15 from the reference key data memory 12, and only when the two match, the memory IC 3 A protect signal 14 is output to the control circuit 4, which allows reading and writing of data to and prohibits data reading and writing at other times.

Next, the operation of the memory card configured as described above will be explained.

When reading/writing memory IC3, as before,
External connection connector 1. The data bus signal 5 and address bus signal 6 are sent to the memory IC via the buffer circuit 2.2.
3 will be input. Here, in this example,
The input key data signal 13 is input to the read/write protection circuit 11 via the connector 1 together with the above signal. On the other hand, the read/write protect circuit 11 receives the signal 15 from the reference key data memory 12 which stores the reference key data signal 15 in advance.

Then, before the control circuit 4 executes read and write operations, the read/write protection circuit 11 detects the input key data signal 13 and the reference key data signal 1.
5 will be compared.

Based on this comparison result, the read/write protection circuit 11 operates as follows.

That is, if the two signals do not match, the protect signal 14 is output to the control circuit 4. By inputting this protect signal 14, the control circuit 4 operates to inhibit read and write operations on the memory IC 3, and therefore protects data based on the input data bus signal 5 and address bus signal 6. Read/write will be prohibited.

Note that when the two signals match in the read/write protection circuit 11, the read/write to the memory IC 3 is normally executed as in the conventional case.

In this way, read/write is permitted only when the input key data signal 13 matches the reference key data signal 15 after checking with the reference key data signal stored in advance, so the protect function is applied to the memory card. You can have it.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
Various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, by making it impossible to read or write the memory without inputting predetermined key data, it is possible to produce the read/write of the memory. be.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a memory card that is an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) show the external appearance of a conventional memory card. B) is a front view of the end face with a connector, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional memory card. 1: Connector 2: Buffer circuit 3: Memory IC 14: Control circuit 5: Data path signal 6: Address bus signal 7: Control signal 11: Read/write protect circuit 12: Reference key data memory 13 Two-person key data signal 14: Protect signal 15: Standard key data signal agent Patent attorney Kihei Watanabe tvA Figure 2 (A) 20-η-do

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A memory card that includes a memory IC and its peripheral circuitry inside the card and has an external connection connector on one end surface of the card, comprising: a memory section that stores a reference key data signal in advance, and a memory I
A memory card characterized in that it is provided with a protector circuit that compares an input key data signal inputted during read/write to C with the reference key data signal and outputs a read/write prohibition signal when the two signals do not match. .