JP3206560B2 - HUB device with theft monitoring function - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hub device (concentrator) equipped with a theft monitoring function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Usually, 10 BASE-T, 100 BASE
An ET type network is constructed as a local area network (LAN) for connecting a plurality of terminal devices to a HUB device to share data.

In recent years, portable devices such as notebook personal computers have become widespread in companies, and these portable devices have been used by being incorporated in a part of a LAN.

[0004] The LAN is employed for realizing data sharing, and a notebook computer is a LAN.
When embedded in a part of a laptop computer, corporate data is stored in the laptop computer.
If removed from the AN and taken outside the company, important data of the company will be leaked.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-259361 discloses a HUB device that focuses on the fact that a HUB device and a terminal device connected to the HUB device transmit link pulses to each other and confirm the operation status of each other. There is disclosed a technique for checking the operation status of a terminal device connected to an apparatus.

[0006]

However, according to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-259361, it is possible to check the operation state of the notebook personal computer regardless of whether the power supply of the notebook personal computer is ON or OFF. However, it is not possible to determine whether or not the situation where the notebook personal computer has been removed from the HUB device is due to the user's will, and it is not possible to reliably monitor the theft of the notebook personal computer removed from the HUB device. There is.

An object of the present invention is to provide a HUB device with an effective theft monitoring function for preventing theft without using any special hardware except for replacing the HUB device by using an already installed network. To provide.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a HUB device with a theft monitoring function according to the present invention is a HUB device having terminal device monitoring means, wherein the terminal device monitoring device comprises: In the operating state, by monitoring the link pulse, it is detected that the terminal device is connected to the HUB device, and the terminal device is turned off.
In this case , theft of the terminal device is monitored by detecting whether the port of the HUB device to which the terminal device is connected is in the terminal state or the open state.

[0009] The termination state of the port of the hub device to which the terminal device is connected is held by a network interface circuit for connecting the terminal device to a network .

The open state of the port of the HUB device to which the terminal device is connected is a state in which a network interface circuit for connecting the terminal device to a network has been removed from the port.

[0011] Also, a microcontroller is provided, and the microcontroller communicates with a server or a terminal device.
And monitors the removal of the terminal device based on a command from the server or the terminal device.

The information notified to the microcontroller is stored in a non-volatile memory, and the microcontroller determines whether to perform a monitoring operation of the removal of the terminal device based on the setting information of the non-volatile memory. Things.

In addition, the server incorporates a program for performing a measure necessary for theft monitoring, such as issuing an alarm when receiving notification that the terminal device has been removed from the HUB device, or notifying a security officer. It is.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a network provided with a HUB device with a theft monitoring function according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a HUB device with a theft monitoring function according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram.

As shown in FIG. 1, a backbone network 2 includes a server 1 for comprehensively managing the network.
Is installed, and the network 2 has a HUB
The device 3 is connected, and the terminal devices 51 to 51 are connected to the HUB device 3.
53 are connected by network cables 41-43.

In the case of FIG. 1, only three terminal devices are connected to the HUB device 3, but it is also possible to connect four or more terminal devices. Also,
The network 2 includes terminal devices 6 connected directly and terminal devices 54 to 55 connected via another HUB device 7.
Etc. may be connected in large numbers.

The HUB devices 3 and 7 operate independently of each other.

In the HUB device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the terminal device is in the operating state, it is detected that the terminal device is connected to the HUB device 3 by monitoring the link pulse, Detecting whether the port to which the terminal device is connected is in a terminal state or an open state to detect whether or not the terminal device is connected to the HUB device 3 even when the terminal device is in the power-off state. Thus, the terminal device is monitored for theft.

Next, a specific example of the HUB device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the HUB device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a HUB control circuit 31, a terminal device connection monitoring unit 33, and ports 321 to 324.

The HUB control circuit 31 provides an original function of the HUB device for controlling the propagation of a signal flowing through the network 2 to each of the ports 321 to 324 of the HUB device 3.

The port 321 functions as a port for connecting the HUB device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention to the network 2.

The ports 322 to 324 function as ports for connecting terminal devices to the HUB device 3.

The device connection monitoring section 33 has a microcontroller 331, a nonvolatile memory 334, a connection detection circuit 332, and a network interface circuit 333.

The microcontroller 331 controls the operation of the entire device connection monitor 33.

The non-volatile memory 334 stores operation control information of the device connection monitoring unit 33.

The connection detection circuit 332 detects the physical connection status of terminal equipment to each of the ports 322 to 324 of the HUB device 3.

The network interface circuit 333
Connects the device connection monitoring unit 33 to the network 2.

For example, the terminal device 51 connected to the HUB device 3 is connected to the port 322 of the HUB device 3 by the network cable 41, and the terminal device 51 has a network interface for connecting to the network 2. A circuit 511 is provided.

In FIG. 2, the terminal device 51 has been described, but the terminal devices 52 to 55 connected to the network 2 via the HUB device 3 or 7 have a network interface circuit corresponding to the network interface circuit 511. Things.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the terminal device connected to the network via the HUB device has a network interface circuit and is monitored for theft of the terminal device.

More specifically, considering the case where the network interface circuit 511 of the terminal device 51 is connected to the port 322 of the HUB device 3, FIG.
As shown in (a), the network cable 41 is terminated by the network interface circuit 511.

However, the port 32 of the HUB device 3
Considering the case where the terminal device 51 is removed from the network interface 2 and the network interface circuit 511 is removed,
As shown in FIG. 3B, the point of the network cable 41 on the terminal device 51 side is in an open state.

Therefore, the connection detection circuit 332 is
The difference between the state where the network cable 41 is terminated by the network interface circuit 511 as shown in FIG. 3A and the state where the point 41a on the terminal device 51 side of the network cable 41 is opened as shown in FIG. Is detected, whether or not the terminal device 51 is connected to the port 322 is detected even when the terminal device 51 is in the power-off state.

Next, the operation of the hub device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Normally, 10 BASE-T, 100 BASE
In the −T type network, the HUB device 3 and the terminal devices 51 , 52 , and 53 connected to the HUB device 3 transmit link pulses to each other, and confirm the operation status of each other.

More specifically, the HUB device 3 and the terminal device 51 will be specifically described. When the network interface circuit 511 of the terminal device 51 is in the operating state, the network interface circuit 511 periodically transmits the link pulse to the HUB. Transmit to the device 3.

Therefore, when the terminal device 51 is in the operating state, the hub device 3 receives the link pulse via the port 322.

The connection detection circuit 332 easily confirms that the terminal device 51 is connected to the port 322 by monitoring a link pulse input to the port 322 of the HUB device 3.

As described above, when the terminal device 51 is in the power-on state, it is possible to easily confirm that the terminal device 51 is connected to the port 322 by the connection detection circuit 332. In order to achieve the object of the invention, even when the terminal device 51 is in the power off state,
It is necessary to detect whether the terminal device 51 is connected to the HUB device 3.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, even when the terminal device 51 is in the power-off state, it is necessary to detect whether the terminal device 51 is connected to the HUB device 3 by using the network cable 41. Connection detection circuit 3
32.

That is, the network interface circuit 5 of the terminal device 51 is connected to the port 322 of the hub device 3.
Considering the case where the terminal 11 is connected, the network cable 41 is terminated by the network interface circuit 511 of the terminal device 51 as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the terminal device 51 is detached from the hub device 3, the terminal device 5 is disconnected from the network cable 41.
Considering the case where the first network interface circuit 511 is removed, the point 41a of the network cable 41 on the terminal device 51 side is opened as shown in FIG. 3B.

Therefore, the connection detection circuit 332 is
The state where the network cable 41 is terminated by the network interface circuit 511 as shown in FIG. 3A and the state where the network cable 41 is terminated as shown in FIG.
By detecting the difference from the state in which the point 41a on the side of the terminal device 51 is open, it is possible to determine whether or not the terminal device 51 is connected to the port 322 even when the terminal device 51 is in the power-off state. To detect.

Next, the connection detection circuit 332 is
The operation after detecting the removal of the terminal device connected to each of the ports 322 to 324 will be described.

The connection detection circuit 332 has ports 322-3
When detecting that any one of the terminal devices 51 to 53 has been removed from the device 24, it notifies the microcontroller 331 of the device connection monitoring unit 33.

When notified of the removal of the terminal device, the microcontroller 331 notifies the server 1 connected to the network 2 via the network interface circuit 333.

The server 1 executes a program for performing a measure necessary for the theft monitoring, such as issuing an alarm when notifying that the terminal device has been removed from the HUB device 3 or notifying a security officer. .

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to cope with the problem by incorporating the program into the server 1, and the server 1 can be operated without any special hardware without adding any special hardware. Can be monitored.

In the above case, the description has been given on the assumption that the terminal devices 51 to 53 are illegally taken out. However, the terminal devices 51 to 53 may be detached from the HUB device 3 by a user's intention.

In such a case, it is not an unauthorized removal, so that it is not necessary to notify the server 1 that the terminal device has been removed illegally.

The microcontroller 331 can communicate not only with the server 1 but also with the terminal devices 51 to 53 through the network interface circuit 333.

Therefore, the user previously sets the terminal devices 51-51.
53 to server 1 or microcontroller 33
By notifying the HUB device 3 of whether or not the HUB device 3 monitors the removal of the terminal device, the connection monitoring unit 33 controls whether or not to monitor the removal of the terminal device.

The information notified to the microcontroller 331 is stored in the non-volatile memory 334, and the microcontroller 331 determines whether or not to perform the monitoring operation of the removal of the terminal device based on the setting information of the memory 334.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, one terminal device physically connected to the network 2 is connected to the server 1.
Although the terminal devices 54 and 55 connected to the HUB device 7 can be used as the server 1, for example.
When the HUB device 3 is physically connected to the server 1
Is not limited to, it may be connected to one server logically.

[0057]

As described above, according to the present invention, 1
HUB such as 0BASE-T or 100BASE-T
It is possible to monitor unauthorized removal of a terminal device connected to the HUB device only by changing the HUB device to the HUB device of the present invention for the terminal device connected to the network using the device.

The reason is that only the already laid network cable and network terminal equipment are used except for the HUB device, so that it is not necessary to newly provide a sensor or a communication cable for notification.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an HU with a theft monitoring function according to an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the network in which the B apparatus was installed.

FIG. 2 is a HU with a theft monitoring function according to the embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows B apparatus.

FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a state in which a network cable is terminated by a network interface circuit;
(B) is a diagram showing a state in which a point on the terminal device side of the network cable is open.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Server 2 Network 3 HUB device 31 HUB control circuit 33 Device connection monitoring part 321-324 Port 331 Microcontroller 332 Connection detection circuit 333 Network interface circuit 334 Non-volatile memory

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A hub device having terminal device monitoring means, wherein the terminal device monitoring means is configured to:
By monitoring the link pulse, the terminal device
Detects that it is connected to the B system, the terminal equipment is power
In the off state, the theft of the terminal device is monitored by detecting whether the port of the HUB device to which the terminal device is connected is in a terminal state or an open state, thereby monitoring theft of the terminal device. HUB device with function. 2. The terminal state of a port of a hub device to which the terminal device is connected is held by a network interface circuit for connecting the terminal device to a network. The HUB device with the theft monitoring function described in the above. 3. The open state of a port of the hub device to which the terminal device is connected is a state in which a network interface circuit for connecting the terminal device to a network is removed from the port. Item 2. A HUB device with a theft monitoring function according to item 1. Has a 4. A microcontroller, the microcontroller can communicate with the server or the terminal device, to monitor the removal of the terminal device based on an instruction from the server or the terminal device The HUB device with a theft monitoring function according to claim 1, wherein Wherein information sent to the microcontroller, are stored in non-volatile memory, the microcontroller, the monitoring operation of removal of the end <br/> end device based on the setting information of the non-volatile memory The HUB device with a theft monitoring function according to claim 4, wherein whether to perform the operation is determined. Wherein said server alert when receiving a notification that the end <br/> end device is removed from the HUB device, or required to theft monitoring such to notify security personnel The HUB device with a theft monitoring function according to claim 4, wherein a program for performing a treatment is incorporated.