WO1986005898A1

WO1986005898A1 - System with a device having a data processing unit

Info

Publication number: WO1986005898A1
Application number: PCT/EP1986/000177
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hermann Stockburger; Hans-Georg Winderlich (Deceased)
Original assignee: Winderlich, Gregor (Heir Of Winderlich, Hans-Georg
Priority date: 1985-03-29
Filing date: 1986-03-24
Publication date: 1986-10-09
Also published as: AU5629786A; EP0215869A1; DE3511674A1

Abstract

A system with a device having a data processing unit, operable with at least one programme capable of input, and with a unit (4) for the input of the programme. For purposes of protection against unlawful copying of the usable programmes it has the following features: a first comparator (8) delivers a signal for releasing the programme to be input; a unit which is connected on the output side with an input of the same (4) for reading out a label of the programme; a read-only storage connected with an input of the initial comparator (8) having a label allocated to the device (1), and a unit (10) for release of the programme data flow in response to an adjacent release signal. In addition, it includes an activation station (16) for the system.

Description

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System with a device with a data processing device

The invention relates to a system with a device with a data processing device that can be operated with at least one program that can be entered, with a device for entering the program.

With such a system there is a risk that the program to be used may be copied and used without authorization. For example, matrix printers are generally operated with a control program which defines the types of printing. By exchanging the control program are different

Fonts applicable. The user only needs to obtain the various programs by copying them and then has a wide variety of fonts for his machine.

Object of the invention to provide a system of the above kind described is ^* the disadvantages described above are avoided. In particular, the system should be designed so that only the authorized person can use the program. Operation of the data processing device with a copied program is to be prevented. According to a further development, a data carrier is to be used which can be simple and does not have to be tamper-proof. This object is achieved by a system of the type described at the outset, which according to the invention is characterized by a first comparator delivering an enable signal for enabling the program to be entered, a device for reading an identifier of the program on the output side to an input of the first comparator, a fixed value memory connected to an input of the first comparator

PATENT LAWYER DIPL.-PHYS. LUTZ H. PRÜFER ^• D-8000 MUNICH 90 ^• HARTHAUSER STR. 25d ^■ TEL. (089) 640640 rather with an identifier assigned to the device and a device for releasing the program data flow when the release signal is present.

According to a further development, the system has an activation station with a data input device for entering the identifier of the program and the identifier assigned to the device and a data writing device for writing the data onto a data carrier.

Further features and advantages of the invention result from the description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. From the figures show:. ^•

1 is an overview representation for explaining the system;

2 shows an embodiment of the system;

3 shows a modified embodiment of the system;

4 shows a further embodiment of the system; and

Fig. 5 shows an activation station of the system.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the system has a device 1 with a data processing device. To explain the invention, the device 1 chosen is one which has a dot matrix printer 2. This can be controlled via a control device 3. The control device 3 is coupled to the data processing device. The device has a device 4, indicated schematically in FIG. 1, for entering a program which is recorded on a data carrier 5. Furthermore, the device has a data carrier reading device in the form of a card reader 6. Via this, data written into a data carrier 7 designed as a card can be read into the data processing device.

The data processing device has a comparator 8, a read-only memory 9 and an AND gate 10. The fixed value memory 9 is on the output side with an input of the ver. same 8 connected. The device 4 for coupling the Data carrier 5 has a device for reading out the data recorded on this data carrier. The device 4 is connected on the output side to the second input of the comparator 8. Furthermore, the device 4 is further connected on the output side to a second input of the AND gate 10.

The output of the AND gate 10 is connected to the input of the control device 3.

An identification individually assigned to the device is stored in the read-only memory 9. A plurality of such devices 1 can belong to the system. Each of the devices then has a different individual identifier. The identifier of the device is also stored in the data carrier 5. Above it is also characterized listed on the disk 5, a user program, which is for example required for der_ needle printer 2 operates as such with a specific first Schrifttyp- ^'.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the card reader shown in FIG. 1 is not provided. In addition to the embodiment described in FIG. 2, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has a data carrier reading device 6, which is connected on the output side to a further input of the comparator 8.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 additionally has a checksum generator 11, a second comparator 12 and a further AND gate 13. The checksum generator 11 is connected on the input side to the device 4 such that the identifier recorded on the data carrier 5 can be read in via an input 14 and the data identifying the program can be read in via a second input 15. On the output side, the checksum generator 11 is connected to a first input of the second comparator 12. The second input of the comparator 12 is connected directly to the device 4 in such a way that a check sum recorded on the data carrier 5 via the identifier further recorded on the data carrier and the program can be input to this input. The second comparator 12 is connected on the output side to a first input of the AND gate 13. The second input of the AND gate 13 is connected to the line leading to the input 14 of the checksum generator or to the device 4 such that the identification data can be fed to this input. On the output side, the AND gate 13 is connected to one of the inputs of the first comparator 8, the second input of which is connected to the read-only memory 9, as in the previously described exemplary embodiments.

An activation station 16 of the system is shown in FIG. It comprises a data input device in _form of a

First data carrier reading device 18 and a second data carrier reading device 19. The outputs of the data carrier reading devices 18, 19 are connected to a first and a second input of a linking device 20. The output of the logic device is connected to a first input of an AND gate 21. An evaluation device 22 for evaluating a data carrier and testing the same is also provided, the output of which is connected to a second input of the AND gate 21. On the output side, the AND gate 21 is connected to an input of a data write device 23 for writing to a data carrier 24. If an embodiment without a data carrier reading device 6 is used as the terminal, then the data carrier 24 corresponds to the data carrier 5. If an embodiment with a data carrier reading device, for example the card reader 6, is used as the terminal, the data carrier 24 corresponds to the card 7 in FIG 1.

The system operates as follows: The device 1 includes a data carrier in the form of a data card on which the identifier assigned to the device is entered. This is given to the device owner. He wants one _. new program, i.e. purchase a program for a new font, he gives the data card belonging to his device to the station for the sale of the programs. A data carrier in the form of a program-specific card is present in the sales station, on which the identifier belonging to a program is recorded. Both data cards are input into the activation station 16 via the first and second data carrier reading devices 17, 18. If desired, the data are linked in the linking device 20 and written onto the data carrier 24 by means of the data writing device 23.

Both assigned to the device card and the the pro ^* grams affiliated card need not be secured lizieren to tampering or Dup¬. So that the point selling the programs does not in turn duplicate the programs without authorization, the data writing device 23 can only write the data onto the data carrier 24 if the evaluation device 22 first proves that the operator Person is authorized to enroll. For this purpose, the evaluation device 22 has a prepaid card reading device 25 as well as a device for checking the authenticity of the card to be read in and a device for checking the identity of the user, that is to say the PIN data. In one embodiment, the evaluation device is designed such that a data carrier 24 can be created when the corresponding value card is entered and the authenticity of the card and the PIN data are confirmed. According to a preferred embodiment, the value card to be used with this device records how often the authorized person can carry out such a creation of a data carrier 24. This number agrees with that the delivered number of data carriers carrying the respective program. The evaluation device 22 reads out the scope of authorization, that is to say the number of enrollments that are legitimately increasing, and then enters a new number reduced by one as the remaining authorization volume on the value card.

In the exemplary embodiment described, the data carrier reading devices are designed as card readers. If not data cards, in particular magnetic cards, but other data carriers are used, other data carrier reading devices are to be used accordingly.

The device owner now receives the data carrier 24, which does not have to be protected against copying.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the data carrier 24 corresponds to the data carrier 5. On the one hand, the acquired program, that is to say the user software, is stored. Furthermore, the linked data are written into the activation station in the manner described above as an identifier for the program and the identifier for the device. The comparator 8 now compares the supplied data for the identification of the device with the identification data read from the read-only memory 9. If they match, it outputs a release signal to the AND gate 10, whereupon the user program read from the data carrier 5 is fed to the control device 3 via the AND gate. This makes it possible to use the device 1 with the dot matrix printer to run the acquired program for generating the desired font. Copying the software would be unsuccessful, since other data carriers with the copied software would not run on other devices, because the identifier read out would not match the device-specific identifier to be read out from the respective read-only memory 9. If, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a data carrier reading device, in particular in the form of the card reader 6, is additionally provided, then the data carrier 24 in FIG. 5 corresponds to the card 7 in FIG. 1. In this case, in addition to the data carrier carrying the program and ¬ separates from this a card 7 created. The user program is again recorded on the data carrier 5. Furthermore, the identifier assigned to the program type has already been written in by the manufacturer. On the card 7, in the manner described above, the identifier individually assigned to the device 1 and the identifier assigned to the program type acquired are written in the activation station. The data from the card 7 are read out in the card reader 6, decoded in the decoder 26 and fed to the comparator 8 in decoded form. In this, the identifier individually assigned to the device 1 is compared with the core data read from the read-only memory 9. The identification data for the program read from the card 7 are compared with the identification data read from the data carrier 5. If there is a match, the comparator 8, as in the previous embodiment, gives an enable signal to the AND gate 10, so that the user program is fed to the control device 3 for operating the device.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the data carrier 24 generated in the activation station corresponds to the data carrier 5. This contains the acquired program on the one hand. Furthermore, the identification data assigned to the device 1 and a program-specific information are written into it as identification 2 in the activation station. Furthermore, one in the

Linking device 20 generated checksum recorded via the identifier 2 and the user program. In the data processing device according to FIG. 4, the identifier 2 and the user program in the checksum generator are now converted into a checksum according to the same rule as in the activation station determined and fed to the comparator 12. If this checksum matches the checksum read from the data carrier 5, an enable signal is delivered to the AND gate 13 so that the identifier 2 read out at the other input of the AND gate is forwarded to the comparator 8 . There, the individual identifier assigned to the device is compared with the identifier read from the read-only memory 9. If they match, an enable signal is supplied to the AND gate 10 so that the program data present via the other input of the AND gate can be passed on to the control device 3 for operating the device 1.

Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a data carrier reading device 6 can be provided for reading in a separate data carrier, preferably a card. The identifier assigned to the program is also read in via this card. The comparator then compares the identification data for the program to be read from the read-only memory 9 and from the data carrier reading device 6 with the data read out from the data carrier 5 for checking the conformity.

It follows from the above explanations that copying the programs or copying the unprotected cards belonging to the devices or to the program type would lead to no success, since the application of the program only works on a device whose device-specific data with the entered data match.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. System with a device with a data processing device that can be operated with at least one program that can be entered, with a device for entering the program, characterized by a first comparator that delivers an enable signal for enabling the program to be entered

(8), a device on the output side connected to an input of the first comparator (8) for reading out an identifier of the program, a read-only memory (9) connected to an input of the first comparator (8) with a device ( 1) assigned identifier and a device (10) for releasing the program data flow when a release signal is present.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that additionally loaned to an input of the first comparator (8) connected data carrier reading device (6) for reading a

Data carrier (7), which contains the identifier assigned to the device (1) and the identifier of the program, is provided.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a

Device for reading out a checksum via the identifier of the program and / or the program, a checksum generator (11) which can be acted upon on the input side with the identifier of the program and / or program data, and a second comparator (12) which is input on the input side with the Device for reading out the checksum and is connected to the output of the checksum generator, which enables the supply of the data for identifying the program to the first comparator (8).

4. System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by a printing device (2) and a control device (3) controlling it, which is coupled to the data processing device.

5. System according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by a data carrier (5) which can be connected to the device (1) and which has the program and its identifier.

6. System according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by an activation station (16) with a data input device (18, 19) for entering the identifier of the program and the identifier assigned to the device, and a data writing device (23) for writing the data on a data carrier (24).

7. System according to claim 6, characterized by a linking device (20) for linking the two identifiers.

8. System according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the system has a plurality of devices, each of which is assigned an individual identifier.

9. System according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the activation station (16) has an evaluation device (22) for a data carrier to prove the authorization of the use of the activation station.

10. System according to claim 9, characterized in that the evaluation device (22) checks the authenticity of the data carrier and the identity of the operator.