JP2004110236A - Information device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information device using a simple and secure arrangement to prevent the leakage of information and theft. <P>SOLUTION: The information device comprises a closed casing 4 with a gas sealed therein at a pressure different from external pressure; an erasable information storage part 1 in the casing 4; a pressure sensing part 3 which senses the pressure of the gas in the casing 4 and produces an output signal when the value of the gas pressure equals a value ranging from the initial sealed pressure value to the external pressure value (not including the initial sealed pressure value); a control part 2 which causes the storage part 1 to erase the stored information according to the signal output from the pressure sensing part 3; and a power supply part 5 for supplying electric power to at least the control part 2 from within the casing 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information device that stores information to be protected from theft or leakage, such as personal information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, information devices that store important information such as personal information therein have become widespread. Examples of such information devices include mobile phone devices and personal computers that store information such as personal telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, and biometrics information such as fingerprint patterns and iris patterns for personal authentication. , An authentication device storing authentication information such as a password, and the like.
[0003]
In such an information device, loss of important information due to mechanical destruction of the information device by a third party, removal of the memory storing the information from the device, illegal acquisition of the stored information, etc. A major issue is how to prevent the act, and various techniques have been proposed to solve this issue.
[0004]
For example, by forming a fine conductive pattern inside the housing of the information device and always energizing, if the housing is processed from the outside, the energized state of the conductive pattern is cut off. A technology for outputting an abnormality detection signal has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-150685
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the information device as described above has the following problems.
[0007]
In other words, forming a fine conductive pattern over the entire inner surface of the housing that constitutes the information device makes the processing of the device very troublesome, and is a configuration in which the finely drawn conductive pattern is always energized. In addition, when dust or the like is present inside the housing, there are problems such as a short circuit between the conductive patterns, excessive power consumption, and the like.
[0008]
An object of the present invention is to provide an information device that can prevent leakage or theft of information with a simple and secure configuration in view of such problems.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The information device of the present invention is a sealed case, a case in which a gas having a pressure different from the external pressure is sealed, a erasable information storage unit inside the case, and a pressure of the gas inside the case. The pressure that generates an output signal when the pressure of the gas is detected and becomes equal to a value within the range from the original sealed pressure value to the external pressure value (excluding the original sealed pressure value). A detection unit, a control unit that causes the storage unit to execute erasing of stored information in accordance with an output signal from the pressure detection unit, and a power input unit that supplies power to at least the control unit from inside the housing. It is characterized by having.
[0010]
With such a configuration, when the pressure of the gas inside the housing becomes a pressure value different from the initial sealed pressure value, the control unit erases the information stored in the storage unit, and thereby the information device is stolen or the like. The information stored in the information device does not leak even if the enclosure is mechanically broken due to the opening of the housing or the leakage of the information can be done with a simple configuration. An information device that can be prevented can be provided.
[0011]
Further, according to the configuration in which the pressure detection unit detects the pressure of the gas inside the housing and generates an output signal when the value of the pressure of the gas becomes equal to the external pressure value, When the pressure of the information device becomes the same as the external pressure, the control unit erases the information stored in the storage unit. Even if the information is mechanically broken, the information stored in the information device does not leak, so that it is possible to provide an information device that can prevent the information from being leaked or stolen with a simple configuration.
[0012]
Further, a power supply unit for supplying power to the control unit is provided inside the housing, and the control unit detects a power supply state of the power from the power input unit, and when the power from the power input unit is cut off, However, since the power is supplied from the power supply unit to the control unit, the power supply unit can supply the control unit even if a third party disconnects the wire before trying to fork the housing. Since the drive power is supplied to the control unit, the control unit can erase information in the storage unit and the like, so that an information device that can prevent leakage or theft of information can be provided.
[0013]
Furthermore, an alarm generating unit is connected to the control unit, and the control unit, when detecting an output signal from the pressure detecting unit, sends an instruction to the alarm generating unit to generate an alarm, It is possible to notify the surroundings of the occurrence of an abnormal state by an alarm and to warn a third party who tries to extract information.
[0014]
Further, the control unit is provided with an alarm generation unit connected to the power supply unit, and when the power from the power input unit is cut off, the power supply unit supplies power to the control unit and the alarm generation unit. The control unit controls the power supply unit, and when the control unit detects an output signal from the pressure detection unit, the control unit sends an instruction to the alarm generation unit to generate an alarm, If the alarm generator needs a power source for driving, and the third party disconnects the wire before trying to pry the housing, the power supply unit will be able to control and alarm The drive power is supplied to the generator, preventing leakage or theft of information and alerting the surroundings of the occurrence of an abnormal condition by an alarm, and warning a third party trying to retrieve the information. Information devices that can It can be provided.
[0015]
Furthermore, since the gas sealed in the housing is an inert gas, a more secure device configuration in which deterioration and dew condensation in the housing are suppressed can be realized.
[0016]
In addition, since the pressure of the gas sealed in the housing is higher than the external pressure, the possibility of information leakage can be improved by a simple structure in which the gas is sealed from the outside into the housing at a high pressure in advance. , And a highly safe configuration can be realized.
[0017]
Furthermore, the configuration in which the housing is provided with a gas sealing portion that seals gas from the outside to the inside of the housing allows the gas to be sealed from the gas sealing portion so that the pressure inside the housing is higher than the external pressure. Since the information device can be easily maintained, an information device that can be easily maintained can be provided.
[0018]
Further, the gas sealing portion is provided with a sphere holding portion provided with a gas charging port into which gas is sealed from the outside of the housing, and is disposed inside the sphere holding portion, and is one-way by an elastic body so as to close the gas sealing port from the inside. When the gas is sealed from the gas charging port, the sphere urges the elastic body in the direction opposite to the one direction by the pressure of the gas, so that the gas is released. A simple structure that prevents gas from leaking to the outside of the housing and ensures smooth operation when filling the inside of the housing with a simple structure. A structure in which the gas is sealed in the air can be realized.
[0019]
In addition, a check valve for reducing the pressure inside the housing is provided in the housing, and even when the pressure inside the housing is reduced, the change in the pressure inside the housing is detected, thereby ensuring the safety of the information device. Therefore, it is possible to provide an information device that can prevent leakage or theft of information with a simple configuration.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an information device of the present invention will be described as an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
[0021]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0022]
The information device 10 of the present invention is connected to the storage unit 1 in which the information to be protected is stored in the housing 4 and is capable of erasing the information stored in the storage unit 1. A pressure detecting unit 3 connected to the control unit 2 for detecting a pressure value inside the housing 4 and connected to the control unit 2 to generate an alarm when a signal indicating an abnormality is detected from the control unit 2 An alarm generation unit 8 and a power supply unit 5 that supplies power to the alarm generation unit 8 and the control unit 2 are provided.
[0023]
Power for driving is supplied to the control unit 2 and the power supply unit 5 from the outside of the housing 4 through a power supply port 6 which is a power input unit.
[0024]
The present invention does not limit the material, shape, and the like of the housing 4 at all, but it is necessary that the housing 4 be sealed off from the outside air. In order to realize the sealed state of the housing 4, bonding may be performed using a resin or the like, or various known materials and manufacturing methods may be used.
[0025]
Further, the pressure detection unit 3 is not limited to any particular pressure detection method, and any known sensor such as a capacitance type can be used as long as it is a sensor capable of measuring a pressure change.
[0026]
In addition, the present invention does not limit the type of the storage unit 1 as long as it can store and erase information, and various types of storage units 1 such as known disk devices such as RAM, flash memory, and HDD. Can be used.
[0027]
Further, it is desirable that the alarm generation unit 8 generates an alarm by voice in the sense that it is easy to attract the attention of the surroundings, but it may also notify the surroundings using light or the like.
[0028]
In addition, as the power supply unit 5, a known primary battery or secondary battery can be used. As shown in FIG. 1, a rechargeable secondary battery may be used as the power supply unit 5, and the power supply unit 5 may be normally charged by receiving power supply from the outside.
[0029]
Furthermore, the information device 10 may have a configuration without the power supply unit 5, but the configuration with the power supply unit 5 may cut off the power supplied from the outside before the housing 4 is pryed. Also in this case, since power can be supplied to the control unit 2 and the like, higher information protection can be performed.
[0030]
In addition to the above-described configuration, the information device 10 of the present invention has a configuration in which the gas filling portion 9 is provided in an arbitrary portion of the housing 4.
[0031]
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a detailed structure of the gas filling section 9 in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A shows a normal state, and FIG. 2B shows a state in which gas is sealed.
[0032]
In FIG. 2, a gas sealing portion 9 has a holding portion 16 provided so as to penetrate the housing 4, and a tip having a gas sealing port 19 provided at the tip thereof for sealing gas into the housing 4. It has a part 17. Further, inside the holding portion 16, a spherical portion 18 formed to have a size capable of closing the gas filling port 19, and a spring or rubber for urging the spherical portion 18 outward so as to close the gas filling port 19. The elastic body 15 includes an elastic body holding portion 14 provided in the holding portion 16 for housing and holding the elastic body 15. The elastic body holding portion 14 has a configuration provided with a through hole that opens into the housing 4 as illustrated.
[0033]
The present invention is not limited to the materials of the holding portion 16, the spherical portion 18, and the elastic body holding portion 14 including the tip portion 17, and a known material such as resin or rubber which can be easily processed is used. Can be.
[0034]
Next, the operation of the information device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
[0035]
A predetermined gas is sealed in the information device 10 from the gas sealing portion 9 so as to have a pressure higher than the normal external pressure. As a gas to be filled, it is desirable to use an inert gas such as nitrogen, argon, neon, and helium from the viewpoint of safety, but it is also possible to use air from the viewpoint of cost and the like.
[0036]
As shown in FIG. 2A, the gas filling portion 9 is normally configured such that the spherical portion 18 abuts on the inner wall of the holding portion 16 and closes the gas filling port 19 by the action of the elastic body 15. Therefore, the gas sealed in the housing 4 does not leak to the outside of the housing 4.
[0037]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, when gas is sealed from the outside into the gas filling portion 9, the elastic body 15 is provided with a spherical portion in order to fill the gas filling port 19 from the outside with a high-pressure gas. If gas is sealed with a pressure greater than the urging force for urging the sphere 18, the sphere 18 urges the elastic body 15 in the opposite direction, and the sphere 18 moves away from the inner wall of the holding portion 16. (Left direction in FIG. 2), so that the gas is sealed in the housing 4.
[0038]
Next, in the information device 10 in which the high-pressure gas is sealed inside the housing 4 as described above, since the pressure detection unit 3 always detects the pressure inside the housing 4, the housing 4 is externally exposed. When the pressure inside the housing 4 is reduced by applying a force to make a hole in the housing 4 and the pressure inside the housing 4 is reduced to become the external pressure, that is, the pressure equal to the atmospheric pressure, the pressure detection unit 3 Upon detecting that the pressure has become the atmospheric pressure, an output signal indicating an abnormality is transmitted to the control unit 2.
[0039]
When the control unit 2 receives an output signal indicating an abnormality from the pressure detection unit 3, the control unit 2 transmits a signal to delete important information such as personal information stored in the storage unit 1 to the storage unit 1.
[0040]
The storage unit 1 deletes predetermined important information or all stored information. Further, it is desirable that the alarm generation unit 8 is instructed to generate an alarm.
[0041]
Thereby, even when a hole is made in the housing 4 of the information device 10 from the outside or when the case is pierced, such an action is detected and important information stored in the storage unit 1 is quickly deleted. Can be.
[0042]
In the information device 10 of the present embodiment, the configuration using the gas filling portion 9 as shown in FIG. 2 has been described, but the information device of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a gas is sealed in the housing 4, a configuration may be adopted in which a hole for gas sealing is opened in the housing 4, and after the gas is sealed, the housing 4 is closed with a lid. Not even. From the viewpoint of practical use, it is desirable to use the gas sealing portion 9 as shown in FIG. 2 in view of maintenance and workability when the gas 4 is sealed again.
[0043]
Next, according to the information device 10 of the present embodiment, even in the case where a third party who intends to extract information previously cuts off the electric wire for supplying power to the information device 10 from outside, the information device 10 is It is possible to protect stored important information.
[0044]
According to the information device 10 of the present embodiment, when the electric wire is cut off, the control unit 2 is configured to receive power supply from the power supply unit 5 when detecting that power is not supplied from the outside. ing. Although not shown, the power supply unit 5 also supplies power to the alarm generation unit 8, and the alarm generation unit 8 can generate an alarm.
[0045]
Also, as in the information device 20 shown in FIG. 3, a signal indicating an abnormality from the control unit 2 to an alarm generating unit (not shown) provided outside the information device 20 or another terminal is a control signal. The configuration may be such that the signal is transmitted from the output unit 7 to the outside of the housing 4, and as a result, an alarm generation unit or a terminal provided outside generates an alarm or detects an abnormality.
[0046]
In the information device according to the present embodiment, if the pressure inside the housing 4 is increased, and if the housing 4 is pierced or damaged, the pressure inside the housing 4 is reduced to a large value. Although the configuration in which the return to the atmospheric pressure is detected and the abnormality is notified is shown, the abnormality is reported when the pressure detection unit 3 detects a pressure value different from the pressure when the gas is sealed in the housing 4 in advance. It goes without saying that it may be present.
[0047]
Conversely, if the pressure inside the housing 4 is reduced, that is, degassed, and the housing 4 is pierced or punctured, the pressure inside the housing 4 returns to the atmospheric pressure. It is needless to say that a configuration for detecting theft or the like may be used by utilizing this fact.
[0048]
In this case, a configuration in which the inside of the housing 4 is maintained in a reduced pressure state using a known check valve or the like instead of the gas sealing portion 9 is desirable. Further, a known vacuum sensor can be used as the pressure detection unit 3.
[0049]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, using the information device of the present invention, a simple and safe configuration in which a gas having a pressure different from the external pressure is sealed in a sealed housing and the pressure is detected in advance. Thus, when the seal of the housing is broken, it is possible to provide an information device which can erase stored information and realize high security.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure of a gas filling portion of the information device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Block diagram showing another configuration of the information device in the embodiment.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 storage unit 2 control unit 3 pressure detection unit 4 housing 5 power supply unit 6 power supply port 7 control signal output unit 8 alarm generation unit 9 gas filling unit 10, 20 information device 14 elastic body holding unit 15 elastic body 16 holding unit 17 Tip part 18 Spherical part 19 Gas filling port

Claims (9)

A housing that is hermetically sealed and filled with a gas having a pressure different from the external pressure,
Inside the housing,
An erasable information storage unit;
The pressure of the gas inside the housing is detected, and the value of the pressure of the gas is within a range from an initial sealing pressure value to the external pressure value (however, not including the initial sealing pressure value). A pressure detector that generates an output signal when
In accordance with the output signal from the pressure detection unit, the storage unit, a control unit that executes the deletion of the stored information,
An information device, comprising: a power input unit for supplying power to the control unit from inside the housing. The pressure detection unit detects the pressure of the gas inside the housing, and generates an output signal when the value of the pressure of the gas becomes equal to the external pressure value. 2. The information device according to 1. Further, a power supply unit for supplying power to the control unit is provided inside the housing,
The control unit detects an energized state of power from the power input unit, and when power from the power input unit is shut off, power is supplied from the power supply unit to the control unit. The information device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein Further, an alarm generation unit is connected to the control unit, and when the control unit detects the output signal from the pressure detection unit, sends an instruction to the alarm generation unit to generate an alarm. The information device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Furthermore, the control unit is provided with an alarm generation unit connected to the power supply unit, and when the power from the power input unit is cut off, the control unit and the alarm generation unit from the power supply unit While the control unit controls the power supply unit to supply power to,
The information device according to claim 3, wherein when the control unit detects the output signal from the pressure detection unit, the control unit sends an instruction to the alarm generation unit to generate an alarm. The information device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the gas enclosed in the housing is an inert gas. The information device according to claim 1, wherein a pressure of the gas sealed in the housing is higher than a pressure of the outside. The information device according to claim 7, further comprising: a gas sealing portion that seals the gas from outside to the inside of the housing in the housing. The gas filled portion,
A sphere holding unit having a gas charging port in which the gas is sealed from outside the housing,
A sphere portion which is arranged inside the sphere holding portion and is urged in one direction by an elastic body so as to close the gas filling port from the inside,
When the gas is filled from the gas filling port, the pressure of the gas causes the sphere to urge the elastic body in a direction opposite to the one direction, so that the gas is filled in the gas filling portion. The information device according to claim 8, wherein the information device is enclosed in the housing.

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