摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To encourage the use of an authentic product or a normal recycled product by easily identifying an unauthentic product and unnormalized product even in an environment where such unauthentic product or unnormalized product circulate. <P>SOLUTION: Together with usable/unusable information encrypted by a private key, a public key corresponding to a private key is stored in a recyclable consumable to be used in an electronic device. The electronic device using the consumable is caused to read the pieces of information (S2) and decode the usable/unusable information using the public key (S4). When the decoding succeeds and the usable/unusable information is usable, a regular operation is permitted (S10). Otherwise, a warning is provided (S8). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI |