JP2000278400A - Electronic device and control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To limit utilization to the third person of a portable telephone set or the like without requiring any special operation concerning an electronic device required to limit the utilization to the third person. SOLUTION: An identification device 5 is provided having an oscillator 6 separated from a main body 4 of portable telephone set (main body device) and in the main body 4 of portable telephone set, a distance to the oscillator 6 is measured by a measuring instrument 3 on the basis of a signal oscillated from the oscillator 6. When the distance to the oscillator 6 is longer than prescribed one, the main body 4 of portable telephone set is disabled to originate a telephone call and warning is performed. Besides, when the distance to the oscillator 6 is longer than prescribed one, the destination to contact of an owner is displayed on a display means on the main body 4 of portable telephone set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device which performs an operation which must be restricted to a person other than a specific user, and a control method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Information processing devices that store personal information and corporate information, such as portable terminals such as electronic notebooks, and devices that themselves and their expensive usage fees are not misused when stolen or lost. In order to prevent such a situation, a use restriction mechanism is required to prevent operation by anyone other than the owner.

[0003] In some cases, usage restrictions are realized by the owner setting a password. In other words, when usage restrictions are required, the lock is explicitly or automatically locked, the password is unlocked by entering a password, and only limited operations can be performed when locked. .

[0004]

However, in the conventional usage restriction using a password, the owner forgets to lock, does not lock the password because it is troublesome to input the password, and the owner locks the password after locking. There was a problem that the owner would not be able to unlock when forgotten.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is possible to restrict the use to a third party other than the owner without requiring any special operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device and a control method thereof.

[0006]

An electronic device and a control method thereof according to the present invention are configured as follows.

(1) In an electronic device, the electronic device comprises a main unit and an identification device having an oscillator separate from the main unit. The main unit is connected to the oscillator based on a signal oscillated by the oscillator. A measuring unit for measuring a distance; and a control unit for performing control for inhibiting a predetermined operation of the main unit when the distance from the oscillator is equal to or more than a predetermined value.

(2) In the electronic device of (1), the main unit is provided with a warning unit for warning when an operation input is performed in the main unit when the distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value.

(3) In the electronic device according to the above (1) or (2), the main unit is provided with display means for displaying the contact information of the owner when the distance from the oscillator is longer than a predetermined distance.

(4) In a control method of an electronic device comprising a main body device and an identification device having an oscillator separate from the main body device, a distance to the oscillator is measured based on a signal oscillated by the oscillator. When the distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value, a control for prohibiting a predetermined operation of the main device is performed.

(5) In the method of controlling an electronic device according to the above (4), when an operation input is performed in the main unit when the distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value, a warning means provided in the main unit is provided. I made a warning.

(6) In the control method of the electronic device according to the above (4) or (5), when the distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value, the contact information of the owner is displayed on the display means provided in the main unit. I did it.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic apparatus comprising a main body of a mobile phone and an identification device according to the first embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a control unit for controlling the entire operation of the mobile phone main body 4, reference numeral 2 denotes an operation panel for receiving an instruction from a user, reference numeral 6 denotes an oscillator for generating a weak radio wave,
Reference numeral 3 denotes an identification device 5 based on a weak radio wave oscillated from an oscillator 6.
This is a measuring device (measuring means) for measuring the distance to the object. The identification device 5 is for the owner to wear.

In the above-described configuration, the control unit 1 measures the mobile phone 4 based on a weak radio wave (signal) from the oscillator 6 of the identification device 5 in order to prevent the portable telephone 4 from being used by a third party without permission. When the determined distance is equal to or longer than a predetermined value (the identification device 5 and the mobile phone main body 4 are apart), a control means for controlling so as not to make a telephone call is configured.

Next, the operation when an operation input is made by the user will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the use restriction processing operation of the first embodiment. This operation is executed based on a program stored in a ROM in the control unit 1 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU in the control unit 1.

In step S 1, if there is an instruction from the user through the operation panel 2, the operation panel 2 transmits the instruction to the control unit 1.

In step S2, the control unit 1 determines whether the specified operation is a transmission operation. If the operation does not require protection, the operation instructed in step S5 is executed.

If it is determined in step S2 that the operation is a telephone calling operation, then in step S3 the measuring device 3
Measures the distance to the identification device 5 and transmits the measured distance to the control unit 1.

In step S4, the control section 1 determines whether or not the identification device 5 is nearby. When it is determined that the identification device 5 is nearby, a telephone call operation is performed in step S5. When it is determined that the identification device is not nearby, a warning is issued by a warning unit (not shown) in step S6, and the telephone call operation is not performed.

In this way, a use restriction mechanism when the identification device 5 is not near the main body 4 is realized. Note that the oscillator 6 need not be an oscillator that emits a weak radio wave, and it is sufficient that the measuring device 3 can measure the distance between the main body and the identification device in step S3. The method of measuring the distance between the main body 4 and the identification device 5 in step S3 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-105290, but other methods may be used.

By changing the determination condition in step S2, the operation of restricting when the identification device 5 is not present can be changed. For example, in order to protect privacy, it is impossible to see the built-in phonebook, to disable all operations, to lend a mobile phone to a person, and to disable all operations other than making a phone call It becomes possible.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a use restriction processing operation of Embodiment 2, wherein the present invention is applied to an information device storing confidential information such as an electronic organizer using FIG. Will be described. The configuration is the same as that of FIG. 1 of the first embodiment, and is different from that of FIG.
Since only the determination part of 01 is different, only that part will be described.

The present invention can be applied to an information device such as an electronic organizer in which personal information and company information are stored, for user identification and use restriction for security protection. That is, in step S101 of FIG. 3, it is determined whether the operation is related to browsing / changing of confidential information, and if the use of the operation related to browsing / changing of confidential information is restricted, browsing / changing of confidential information by a third party can be prevented.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the use restriction process of Embodiment 3, and the measures against loss of the main body 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration is the same as in the first embodiment.
1 is different from FIG. 2 of the first embodiment only in steps S201 and S202, and only that part will be described.

In step S201, if the operation that the user tried to perform is an operation whose use is restricted and the identification device 5 is not near the main body, in step S202 the contact information of the owner is displayed on a display unit (not shown). Is provided as a measure when the main body 4 is lost.

As described above, in this embodiment, the identification device worn by the owner, the means for measuring the distance between the identification device and the main body, and the operation whose use is restricted when the identification device is not nearby do not operate. Control means to detect whether the owner is nearby and automatically lock when the owner is not nearby, and unlock it only when the owner is nearby. Usage restriction can be performed, so that the user can use the main body without requiring any special operation.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When the identification device is not in the vicinity of the main unit, it is possible to prevent operations that require use restrictions from operating, so that the owner can use the device without performing special operations such as locking or entering a password. The effect is that the restricted operation can be performed only when the owner is nearby.

Further, by incorporating the identification device into, for example, a tie pin, a clock, a name tag, a badge, glasses, a security card in an office, and the like, there is an effect that forgetting to attach the identification device can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a use restriction processing operation according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a use restriction processing operation according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a use restriction processing operation according to a third embodiment.

[Description of Signs] 1 control unit (control means) 2 operation panel 3 measuring instrument (measuring means) 4 mobile phone main body 5 identification device 6 oscillator

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A measurement device comprising: a main body device; and an identification device having an oscillator separate from the main body device, wherein the main body device measures a distance from the oscillator based on a signal oscillated by the oscillator. An electronic device comprising: a control unit for performing a control to prohibit a predetermined operation of the main unit when a distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a warning unit that warns when an operation input is performed on the main unit when the distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value.
An electronic device as described. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying the contact information of the owner when the distance from the oscillator is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. 4. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising a main device and an identification device having an oscillator separate from the main device, wherein a distance to the oscillator is measured based on a signal oscillated by the oscillator. A control method for prohibiting a predetermined operation of the main unit when a distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value. 5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein a warning is provided by a warning unit provided in the main unit when an operation input is performed in the main unit when the distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value. How to control the device. 6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the contact information of the owner is displayed on display means provided in the main unit when the distance from the oscillator is equal to or longer than a predetermined value. .