Memory system

A memory system comprising:

• a recording medium storing a data file acquired by download from a distribution center together with identifying information incorporated into said data file for restricting the condition for using said data file;
• and
• a system apparatus permit said recording medium to be removably set therein and requiring said identifying information when reading and using thereon said data file stored in said recording medium;
• wherein said identifying information is personal identifying information for identifying an individual person, and said system apparatus approves the use of said data file when a predetermined relation is established between said identifying information incorporated into said data file and said personal identifying information, but does not approve the use of said data file when said predetermined relation is not established.

A memory system comprising:

• a recording medium storing a data file acquired by download from a distribution center together with identifying information incorporated into said data file for restricting the condition for using said data file;
• and
• a system apparatus permitting said recording medium to be removably set therein and requiring said identifying information when reading and using thereon said data file stored in said recording medium;
• wherein said identifying information is personal identifying information for identifying an individual person, and said recording medium is approved the use of said data file when a predetermined relation is established between said identifying information incorporated into said data filed stored in said recording medium and said personal identifying information, but is disapproved the use of said data file when said predetermined relation is not established.

A recording medium which can be set in a system apparatus and can be removed from the system apparatus, comprising:

• a data storage filed for storing a data file;
• and
• an identifying information storage field for storing identifying information for restricting the condition for using said data file, said identifying information required when said system apparatus reads and uses said data file;
• wherein said identifying information storage field stores at least one pair of said identifying information and complement information which is a complement created from said identifying information.

A system apparatus in which a recording medium is set and used, and said recording medium once set is removed, characterized in:

• said recording medium storing a data file and identifying information for restricting the condition for using said data file;
• and
• said system apparatus requiring said identifying information when reading and using said data file stored in said recording medium;
• wherein said recording medium includes an ordinary field for storing said data file, and a redundancy field for storing said identifying information.

A recording medium which can be set in a system apparatus and can be removed from the system apparatus, comprising:

• a data storage filed for storing a data file;
• and
• an identifying information storage field for storing identifying information for restricting the condition for using said data file, said identifying information required when said system apparatus reads and uses said data file;
• wherein said data storage field includes pages each including a plurality of electrically rewritable memory cells connected to each other, each said page for the unit for writing data, and a plurality of said pages being connected to form a memory block;
• wherein said redundancy field of said recording medium is configured to restrict that data therein is rewritten;
• and
• wherein said identifying information the apparatus number of said system apparatus.

A recording medium which can be set in a system apparatus and can be removed from the system apparatus, comprising:

• a data storage filed for storing a data file;
• and
• an identifying information storage field for storing identifying information for restricting the condition for using said data file, said identifying information required when said system apparatus reads and uses said data file;
• wherein said data storage field includes pages each including a plurality of electrically rewritable memory cells connected to each other, each said page forming the unit for writing data, and a plurality of said pages being connected to form a memory block;
• wherein said redundancy field of said recording medium is configured to restrict that data therein is rewritten;
• and
• wherein said identifying information is personal identifying information for identifying an individual person.

A control method for controlling nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a memory cell array made of an arrangement of electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cells, a part of said memory cell array forming a state change storage field permitting data to be written only once, said state change storage field including a plurality of pages each divided into a plurality of unit areas, comprising:

• a first step for detecting that said nonvolatile semiconductor memory experienced a predetermined operation causing a change of state thereof,
• a second step for writing a mark data in one of said unit areas in said state change storage field when said predetermined change of state is detected;
• and
• a third step for sequentially searching said plurality of unit areas in said state change storage field to find out a final unit area in which said mark data was written last;
• wherein said unit area in said state change storage field is made up of a plurality of bits, and said second step changes all of said plurality of bits in said unit area into a second state when said mark data is written in one of said unit areas.