JP2006113988A - Adapter device for connecting hard disk device and program for upper device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve usability while using a password setting function for security equipped in an HDD medium itself. <P>SOLUTION: This adapter device 2 is connected to an upper device via a USB or an IEE1394 and connected to a hard disk device 1 via an ATA interface. The adapter device 2 is provided with a means making the upper device 3 recognize a hard disk main body 1 as a removable device when connection of the hard disk main body 1 is detected and a means making the upper device 3 recognize the connected hard disk main body as a removable device, to which no removal medium is inserted, until security locking is released if it is detected that security locking by a password is set in the connected hard disk main body 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention is connected to a host device via an external interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) or IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 1394, for example, iVDR (Information Versatile Disk for Removable usage) or The present invention relates to an adapter device for connecting an ATA (AT Attachment) compliant hard disk device and a program for a host device.

An extension HDD having excellent portability such as a portable hard disk drive (HDD: Hard Disc Drive) connected to USB or IEEE 1394 is convenient, but it is not easy to protect data written in the HDD in the case of theft or loss.
In order to protect the above-mentioned data, some kind of encryption is normally performed on the stored file or the file to be stored, but the system load for performing the encryption cannot be ignored.
An HDD main body having a function of setting a password for security in the HDD itself is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-78539 A (paragraph 0009, FIG. 1)

However, according to the HDD main body having a function for setting a password for security in the HDD itself, an OS (Operating System) such as Windows (registered trademark) does not read the HDD until the password is released. All / WRITE accesses are handled as errors.
For this reason, when a user who does not know that a password has been set tries to use the HDD, the OS may misunderstand that the media is defective or the host device is faulty, and the password is forgotten. Since the same situation occurs for users, there is a problem in usability.

  The present invention has been made based on the above-described circumstances, and provides a hard disk device, an adapter device thereof, and a program that are improved in usability while utilizing a password setting function for security possessed by the HDD itself. For the purpose.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is an adapter device that is connected to a host device via a first interface and connected to a hard disk device via a second interface, When it is detected that the hard disk device is connected, means for causing the host device to recognize the hard disk device as a removable device, and that the connected hard disk device is set to be locked by a password. Means for causing the host device to recognize the connected hard disk device as a removable device in which no removable media is inserted until the security lock is released. And

  In the present invention, when the password (key information for unlocking security lock) is stored in the storage means of the host device, or the password (key information for unlocking security lock) is stored in the host device. When the program is input from the input device, the step of transmitting the password stored or input to the adapter device to the adapter device is executed.

  According to the present invention, the host device (OS) recognizes the hard disk device as a removable device, and when the insertion of the hard disk device in which the security lock by the password is set is detected, the security is released. By allowing the host device to recognize that a removable device to which no removable media is inserted is connected, it can handle a hard disk device in which a password (lock) for security is set without causing an error in the OS. it can. This improves usability.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connection configuration of a hard disk device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an iVR or ATA-compliant hard disk device main body (hereinafter simply referred to as an HDD main body), which is detachably loaded into a USB / IEEE1394 adapter device (hereinafter simply referred to as an adapter device) denoted by reference numeral 2. The adapter device 2 is connected to a host device 3 such as a PC (Personal Computer) by an external interface cable 4 such as USB or IEEE1394.
In the following description, specifications related to iVDR (serial ATA) and ATA are collectively referred to as ATA. Here, the first interface corresponds to USB / IEEE1394, and the second interface corresponds to iVDR (serial ATA) or ATA interface.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram quoted for explaining the structure of the software according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is mapped onto the memory.
Here, an HDD main body (hard disk device) 1, an adapter device 2, an OS (5), and a utility program 6 are shown in the order of hardware. The HDD main unit 1 has firmware for executing READ / WRITE and formatting on the mounted HDD media, and the adapter device 2 has interface conversion between the host device 3 (USB / IEEE1394 interface) and the HDD main unit 1. The firmware which performs is incorporated (recorded in a ROM (not shown)).

  The adapter device 2 further detects that the HDD main body 1 is connected (loaded) to the adapter device 2 and causes the higher-level device 3 to recognize the HDD main body 1 as a removable device and to set the security by the password. When 1 is detected, until the security is released, the upper apparatus 3 is made to recognize the connected HDD main body 1 as a removable device in which no removable medium is inserted. In other words, the firmware incorporated in the adapter device 2 causes the OS (5) to recognize the normal HDD main body 1 as a removable device such as an MO (magneto-optical disk), and to password lock (security) to the HDD main body 1. When “lock” is set, the HDD body 1 is recognized as if it is not inserted (as if no removable medium is inserted in the removable device). The removable media is not limited to a disk, and includes flash media and the like.

  On the other hand, the OS (5) recognizes and manages the HDD main body 1 together with a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) (not shown), and the utility program 6 is input by the user to the HDD main body 1 here. It has a function to issue password setting and release commands for security.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the adapter device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 3, the adapter device 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a device connection detection unit 21, a device recognition unit 22, an OS interface unit 23, and a command reception unit 24.
The device connection detection unit 21 detects the HDD main body 1 connected to the adapter device 2 and activates the device recognition unit 22 at initialization such as power-on, and the device recognition unit 22 The disk information is acquired from the main unit 1 and the security lock state (lock / unlock) set is displayed by a flag or the like.

On the other hand, the OS interface unit 23 functions as means for recognizing the HDD body 1 inserted into the OS (5) as a removable device when the flag displayed by the device recognition unit 22 is ON (locked state). To do. In addition, the HDD main body 1 behaves as if it is not inserted into the host device 3 until the security lock of the HDD main body 1 is released (that is, a removable medium is inserted in the recognized removable device). It also functions as a means to make it recognized. Further, a command (password) for canceling security is received (acquired) from the host device 3 (utility program 6) via the command receiving unit 24, and the security cancel command is transmitted to the HDD main body 1. Means for declaring (notifying) that the HDD main unit 1 has been inserted for the first time when the security lock of the HDD main unit 1 is released (that is, a removable medium is inserted in the recognized removable device). It also functions as a means for recognizing.
In the host device 3, a utility program 6 is activated, and the utility program 6 notifies the command receiving unit 25 of, for example, a password (security release command and key information) input by the user via the USB / IEEE1394 cable 4. .

  The device connection detection unit 21, the device recognition unit 22, the OS interface unit 23, and the command reception unit 24 described above are recorded in a memory (flash ROM or the like) in which the CPU built in the adapter device 2 is built. By reading the program and executing it sequentially, the functions of each are executed. Note that the CPU and memory are not shown here.

FIG. 4 is a diagram cited for explaining the operation according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows the state transition of the adapter device.
As shown in FIG. 4, the firmware of the adapter device 2 has four operation states of (1) No Media State, (2) Normal Media State, (3) Locked Media State, and (4) Unlocked Media State. The operation according to each state is performed.
No power state when power is turned on. No Media State is a state in which no HDD media is inserted. Here, it is necessary for the adapter device 2 to constantly monitor a signal output from the HDD main body 1 and confirm whether the HDD main body 1 is connected. When the adapter device 2 detects that the HDD main body 1 is inserted, the adapter device 2 performs the following operation.

That is, after initialization processing is performed on the inserted HDD main body 1, disk information stored in a predetermined area of the HDD main body 1 is acquired, and it is checked whether a password lock for security is set. To do. Here, when “0” is set, the process shifts to the Normal Media State, and when “1” is set, the process shifts to the Locked Media State. The disk information acquired at this time includes various attribute information such as the type and capacity of the disk main body 1.
The operation in Normal Media State is as follows. That is, the Normal Media State is a state in which the HDD main body 1 in which the password lock for security is not set is inserted. Here, when an access is made via an external interface of USB / IEEE1394, the adapter device 2 makes a command response so that it can operate as a normal removable device.

When an eject button operation or an inject command by the OS (5) is received, a predetermined eject sequence is executed, and then the process proceeds to No Media State.
When a password setting command for security is issued by a command understandable by the HDD main unit 1 (hereinafter referred to as ATA command bus-through), if the command is successful for the HDD main unit 1 (password matches), Perform the operation. That is, the data offset (character string) of the password setting command is stored as a password, and the process proceeds to Unlocked Media State.
When the password setting command described above is issued by ATA command pass-through and the command fails for the HDD medium, normal error processing is performed and the state is not changed.

The operation at Locked Media State is as follows. Locked Media State is a state in which an HDD medium in which a password lock for security is set is inserted. A read / write command for the HDD medium in this state is rejected. Therefore, when there is an access from the host device 3 via an external interface (cable 4) such as USB / IEEE1394, a command response is made in the same way as when the HDD medium is not inserted as a removable device.
When an eject button operation or an eject command by the OS (5) is received via the cable 4, a predetermined eject sequence is executed and then the process proceeds to No Media State.

When a command for releasing security is issued by ATA command pass-through, the command is executed. When the command is successful for the HDD medium (password matches), the following operation is performed.
That is, the data (character string) of the security release command is stored as a password, and the process proceeds to Unlocked Media State. When a command for releasing security is issued by ATA command pass-through, the command is executed. If the command fails for the HDD medium, normal error processing is performed and the state is not changed.

Finally, the operation in UnLock Media State will be described. UnLock Media State is a state in which security is released by entering a password. In this state, the firmware of the adapter device 2 holds the password character string.
When there is an access from the host device 3 via an external interface (cable 4) such as USB / IEEE1394, a command response is made in the same manner as when the HDD medium is inserted as a removable device. When an eject button operation or an eject command by the OS (5) is received, the password character string is cleared, and after executing the eject sequence, the process proceeds to No Media State.

When a security invalidation command is issued by ATA command pass-through, the command is executed. As a result, if the command succeeds to the HDD main body 1 (when the security invalidation succeeds), Clear the password string and move to Normal Media State. When the command fails for the HDD main body 1 (when the security invalidation fails), normal error processing is performed and the state is not changed.
When a hardware reset is performed on the HDD main body 1 for some reason, it is necessary to issue a security release command using the stored password character string at the end of the re-initialization of the HDD main body 1. .

Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. FIG. 5 shows the processing procedure of the adapter device of the present invention, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show the processing procedure of the program (utility program) of the embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 5, the adapter device 2 detects the connection of the HDD main body 1 when the power is turned on (S51 “Yes”). As described above, the connection detection of the HDD main body 1 is performed by constantly monitoring the status via the ATA interface. When the connection of the HDD main body 1 is detected by the device connection detection unit 21 (S52 “Yes”), the device recognition unit 22 is activated. Here, the device recognition unit 22 acquires disk information from a predetermined area of the HDD main body 1 and recognizes the attribute of the connected HDD main body 1. The flag is turned on when the HDD main body 1 is in the locked state. As a result, the HDD main unit 1 connected to the host device 3 is recognized as a removable device (removable disk recognition, S53). The operation recognized here follows the plug-and-play function of the OS (5) such as Windows (registered trademark) installed in the host device 3.

Next, when it is confirmed that the mounted HDD medium is unlocked with reference to the flag (S54 “unlock”), the OS interface unit 23 sends the host device 3 (OS (5)). ) That the insertion of the HDD main body 1 is detected (S56).
On the other hand, when the mounted HDD main body 1 is in the unlocked state, it waits for the arrival (reception) of the password unlock command from the utility program 6 via the command receiving unit 24 (S55 “Yes”), and the OS (5 ) That the insertion of the HDD main body 1 is detected (S56). That is, when the HDD main body 1 with the password lock set is inserted, it is not inserted until the password release command is issued, instead of notifying the OS (5) of the insertion as it is. Means behaving like. If the PWD (password) lock / unlock is “locked” in S54, the reception of a password unlock command is awaited (S55).

Here, a mechanism for issuing the password unlock command by the utility program according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 and a mechanism for issuing the password setting command according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 will be described.
In FIG. 6, the utility program 6 installed in the host device 1 always communicates with the adapter device 2 and inquires the adapter device 2 for disk information (S61). When the adapter device 2 detects the insertion of the HDD main body 1, it reads the disk information from a predetermined area of the HDD main body 1 and delivers it to the utility program 6.
The utility program 6 detects the insertion of the HDD main body 1 in the adapter device 2 (S62, YES), and the inserted HDD main body 1 in the acquired disk information is in the security lock state (S63 “lock”). ) In order to display a PWD (password) setting input screen for releasing the security lock on the display monitor of the host device 3, the screen information (PWD release input message) is transmitted to prompt the user to input PWD. (S64).

Subsequently, the utility program 6 takes in the PWD input for unlocking input by the user (S65), and transmits the PWD to the firmware of the adapter device 2 (S66). The PWD input capture process (S65) and the PWD transmission process (S66) are allowed to be retried up to n times, and if successful, the PWD verification by the HDD main body 1 via the adapter device 2 that has received the PWD. The operation is activated. If it fails, an eject instruction is issued to the OS (5).
The HDD body 1 collates with the PWD that is input and recorded when the security is locked. If the PWD matches, the recorded password character string is cleared to release the security lock, and the HDD main unit 1 in which the password lock for security is not set for the adapter device 2 is inserted. Transition to the same state as done.

The above description is the flow of the security lock release process when the HDD main body 1 is inserted. Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, the flow of security lock setting by this utility program for the HDD main body 1 that has not yet been security-locked will be described.
The user first loads the adapter body 2 with the HDD main body 1 that is not security-locked. Then, it is assumed that, for example, the security lock button is clicked while looking at the display monitor installed in the higher-level device 3 in which the utility program 6 is activated (S71 Yes: Security lock requested). As a result, the utility program 6 transmits the security lock setting input screen information, and the host device displays the screen information on the display monitor to prompt the PWD input for the security lock (S72). The user performs PWD input based on the screen, and this utility program captures the input PWD and stores it in a predetermined storage area (S73), and transfers the PWD to the adapter device 2 to complete the process. (S74).

As described above, according to the present invention, in the HDD main body 1 having an external connection interface such as USB / IEEE1394, the HDD main body 1 prevents the OS from causing an error while using the password lock function of the HDD main body 1 itself. Can be provided for the higher-level device 3 to recognize. For this reason, the adapter device 2 conforming to the USB / IEEE1394 interface has the built-in firmware to recognize the connected (inserted) HDD main body 1 as a removable device (removable device), and a password lock for security is set. When the HDD main body is inserted, it is not directly asserted to the OS (5), and the HDD program is not inserted until a password release command is issued by the utility program 6 (removable media is The host device 3 is recognized as a removable device that is not inserted). When the password release command is issued by the utility program 6, the password release command is issued to the HDD main body, and after confirming that the lock is released, the OS (5) is the first time that the HDD main body is inserted. (The upper apparatus 3 recognizes that the removable device with the removable media inserted is connected).
As a result, the HDD main body 1 in which the password lock is set can be handled without causing an error in the OS (5), and the usability is improved.

According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the password unlock command (password) has been described as being issued by the utility program 6 to the HDD main body 1. However, the USB / IEEE1394 port to which the adapter device 2 is connected is described. Alternatively, the utility program 6 fetches key information (password) stored in a specific area of a storage device such as an HDD main body (HDD device) different from the HDD main body 1 connected to a port prepared separately, and this imported key The information may be transmitted to the adapter device 2 as a password (password lock release command).
Further, according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, only the HDD main body 1 that is detachably loaded in the adapter device 2 is illustrated as the hard disk device. The same applies.
Note that in a configuration in which the adapter device has a hub function, the utility program 6 may obtain the above-mentioned password from another USB or IEEE1394 device.

  The password for locking / unlocking the security transmitted from the host device is stored in the adapter device until the power of the adapter device is turned off. If a password is required again when trouble occurs, the adapter device The lock is released with the password stored in, and the re-input of the password by the user is omitted.

It is a figure which shows an example of the connection structure of the hard disk apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the conceptual diagram quoted in order to demonstrate the structure of the software concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the adapter apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the figure quoted in order to demonstrate the operation | movement concerning this invention embodiment, and shows the state transition of an adapter apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the adapter apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the program concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the program concerning embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Hard disk body 2 USB / IEEE1394 adapter device 3 Host device 4 USB / IEEE1394 cable 5 OS
6 Utility program 21 Device connection detection unit 22 Device recognition unit 23 OS interface unit 24 Command reception unit

Claims (6)

An adapter device connected to the host device via the first interface and connected to the hard disk device via the second interface,
Means for causing the host device to recognize the hard disk device as a removable device when detecting that the hard disk device is connected;
When it is detected that a security lock by a password is set in the connected hard disk device, the connected hard disk device is removed from the host device until the security lock is released. Means for recognizing the device as a removable device not inserted,
An adapter device for connecting a hard disk device.   An adapter device for connecting a hard disk device, comprising means for recognizing the hard disk device as a removable device in which a removable medium is inserted when the security lock is released.   2. The adapter device for connecting a hard disk device according to claim 1, further comprising means for transferring the password to the hard disk device when the password for releasing the security is transmitted from the host device. In a configuration in which a hard disk device whose security lock / unlock state is switched by a password is connected to a host device via the adapter device for connecting a hard disk device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A program for a host device that allows the host device to change the security lock / unlock state of the hard disk device,
The program is started on the processing device of the host device,
Obtaining a lock / unlock state of the hard disk device from the adapter device;
When the acquired state is locked, a program for a host device that executes a step for a host device that transmits a password for unlocking the security to the adapter device. The program for a host device according to claim 4, wherein when the acquired state is unlocked, a step of transmitting a password for locking the state to the adapter device is executed. When the password is stored in the storage means of the host device, or when the password is input from the input device of the host device, the password stored in or input to the program is transmitted to the adapter device. The program for a host device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the step of:

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