Memory card reading/writing apparatus, access method, program and storage medium thereof

1. A memory card reading/writing apparatus that is capable of accessing data recorded on a memory card and comprising:

a memory unit operable to store apparatus-user information that identifies the user of said memory card reading/writing apparatus;

an apparatus-user-information-acquisition unit operable to acquire said apparatus-user information from said memory unit;

a memory-card-user-information-acquisition unit operable to acquire from said memory card main-memory-card-user information that identifies the main user of said memory card;

a user-information-comparison unit operable to compare said apparatus-user information and main-memory-card-user information, and to output the comparison result; and

an output unit operable to output a specific output based on said comparison result.

2. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 1 wherein;

said output unit outputs information indicating no match when said apparatus-user information does not match said main-memory-card-user information.

3. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 2 wherein;

said output unit outputs information of the main user of the memory card when said comparison result indicates there is not a match.

4. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory-card-contents-list-information-acquisition unit operable to acquire information showing a list of the data contents stored on said memory card, and wherein;

said output unit outputs information showing said list of data contents acquired by said memory-card-contents-list-information-acquisition unit when said comparison result indicates a match.

5. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 4 such that when said memory card is partitioned into a plurality of areas and memory-card-user information, which is the information of the main users of each area, is related to each of the areas:

said user-information-comparison unit compares said apparatus-user information with the memory-card-user information of each said area;

said memory-card-contents-list-information-acquisition unit acquires information showing a list of data contents from the area corresponding to the memory-card-user information whose comparison result was a match; and

said output unit outputs information showing the list of data contents acquired by said memory-card-contents-list-information-acquisition unit.

6. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a log-information-writing unit operable to write log information containing specific information including said apparatus-user information on said memory card when said comparison result indicates there is no match.

7. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 6 wherein said log information further includes information related to the contents on said memory card that have been accessed.

8. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a memory-card-contents-list-information-acquisition unit operable to acquire information showing a list of data contents stored on said memory card, and wherein:

said output unit outputs information indicating that a log will be created of access of the memory card; and

said log-information-writing unit writes said log information after said memory-card-contents-list-information-acquisition unit acquires information showing a list of data contents stored on said memory card.

9. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a function-restriction unit operable to perform a process of lowering the function of the memory card reading/writing apparatus based on said comparison result.

10. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said memory-card-user-information-acquisition unit acquires sub-memory-card-user information from said memory card that identifies users of said memory card that are different than said main-memory-card-user information, and

said user-information-comparison unit compares said apparatus-user information with said sub-memory-card-user information, and outputs a comparison result.

11. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said output unit is a mail-transmission unit operable to send e-mail to an e-mail address that is included in said main-memory-card-user information when said comparison result is no match.

12. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a GPS (Global Positioning System); wherein

said user information contains current position information that is obtained from said GPS.

13. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a mail-receiving unit operable to receive e-mail and to acquire apparatus-user information from the received e-mail that identifies the user of the apparatus that sent the e-mail;

a user-information-comparison unit operable to compare said apparatus-user information acquired by the received e-mail and said main-memory-card-user information, and to output the comparison result; and

an access-control unit operable to control access of said memory card based on said comparison result.

14. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 13 wherein said access-control unit controls access of said memory card based on conditions of use that are included in said e-mail.

15. The memory card reading/writing apparatus of claim 14 wherein said access-control unit manages the period of time said memory card can be used based on said conditions of use.

16. An access method of a memory card reading/writing apparatus that is capable of accessing data recorded on a memory card and comprising:

acquiring apparatus-user information that identifies the user of said memory card reading/writing apparatus from memory unit storing said apparatus-user information;

acquiring from said memory card main-memory-card-user information that identifies the main user of said memory card;

comparing said apparatus-user information and main-memory-card-user information;

outputting the comparison result; and

outputting a specific output based on said comparison result.

17. A program stored on a computer readable medium that is executed by a memory card reading/writing apparatus and causes the apparatus to access data recorded on the computer readable medium and to perform the steps of:

acquiring apparatus-user information that identifies the user of said memory card reading/writing apparatus from memory unit storing said apparatus-user information;

acquiring from said memory card main-memory-card-user information that identifies the main user of said memory card;

comparing said apparatus-user information and main-memory-card-user information;

outputting the comparison result; and

outputting a specific output based on said comparison result.

18. A computer readable medium storing a program executed by a memory card reading/writing apparatus that is capable of accessing data recorded on a memory card the program performing the steps of:

acquiring apparatus-user information that identifies the user of said memory card reading/writing apparatus from memory unit storing said apparatus-user information;

acquiring from said memory card main-memory-card-user information that identifies the main user of said memory card;

comparing said apparatus-user information and main-memory-card-user information;

outputting the comparison result; and

outputting a specific output based on said comparison result.