초록 ▼

A cartridge-controlled system whose use is limited to authorized cartridges. Blocks of instructions of a program designed to run on the machine are encrypted by the machine manufacturer using the private key of a public-key cryptosystem pair. The machine, during an initialization step following the

A cartridge-controlled system whose use is limited to authorized cartridges. Blocks of instructions of a program designed to run on the machine are encrypted by the machine manufacturer using the private key of a public-key cryptosystem pair. The machine, during an initialization step following the insertion of a new cartridge, decrypts information strings stored in the cartridge through use of the associated public key, and stores the resulting decrypted instructions in random access memory. The machine microprocessor then accesses the instructions in the random access memory. Although the public key may be widely known, as long as the private key is kept secret, there is no way for an unauthorized software/cartridge supplier to encrypt a program such that following decryption in the machine there will result an intelligible sequence of instructions.

대표청구항 ▼

A plurality of mass-produced identical systems each comprising data processing means for generating memory-accessing address signals and for executing memory-furnished instructions; and means for interfacing said data processing means with an insertable cartridge having a read-only-memory contained

A plurality of mass-produced identical systems each comprising data processing means for generating memory-accessing address signals and for executing memory-furnished instructions; and means for interfacing said data processing means with an insertable cartridge having a read-only-memory contained therein; characterized by a read-write memory; said data processing means further controlling generation of memory-accessing address signals to allow accessing of blocks of encrypted instructions from the read-only-memory of an inserted cartridge, decryption of the blocks of encrypted instructions thus accessed, and generation of memory-accessing address signals to allow storage of the decrypted blocks of instructions in said read-write memory, and thereafter executing instructions furnished by said read-write memory in response to generated memory-accessing address signals; said blocks of instructions being stored in encrypted form in said read-only-memory in accordance with a private key which is associated with a public key of a public-key cryptosystem pair, and said data processing means controlling the decryption of said blocks of encrypted instructions in accordance with said public key; each of said identical systems controlling said decryption and thereafter execution of instructions furnished by its read-write memory in the identical manner responsive to insertion of the same cartridge.