JP5006089B2 - Information processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, and more particularly to a security method using a password.

    In recent years, interest in security related to information processing apparatuses has increased from the viewpoint of preventing information leakage due to unauthorized access. An information processing apparatus such as a notebook personal computer (hereinafter simply referred to as a computer) is often preset with a password so that a person other than the owner cannot use it illegally. The computer is generally operated under the control of basic software that manages the entire computer system, which is called an operating system. A program group called BIOS (Basic Input Output System) provides basic input / output means for peripheral devices such as a disk drive and a keyboard connected to a computer to an operating system and application software.

  The user can set a BIOS password in addition to the password for logging in to the operating system. The BIOS password uses a function of the computer hardware itself. Therefore, it can be used without depending on the operating system, and even if it is lost or stolen, the operating system cannot be started unless the password is released.

However, increasing the types of passwords that require the user to input when using the information processing apparatus improves the security strength, but there is also a problem that convenience is impaired. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for changing whether or not to require password input according to the connection state of the AC adapter. When the AC adapter is connected, such as when the owner of the information processing device is used at home, it can be activated without requiring a password input, and when the AC adapter is out, the AC adapter When is not connected, it prompts for a password. When the password is not input even though the password input is requested, only the information of the owner of the information processing device is displayed on the display device without starting up the system. By adopting such a system, the user-friendliness is improved at home without sacrificing security when going out.
JP 2002-91601 A

  However, in the above method, whether or not to input a password is set only by whether or not the AC adapter is connected. Therefore, if the AC adapter is connected to a PC that has been illegally taken out by a third party, the system can be started without being prompted to enter a password. Therefore, sufficient security measures are taken. It's hard to say.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of further enhancing convenience and security strength by requesting a password input corresponding to a power supply state and a use environment.

  To achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention is an information processing apparatus that can be driven by being supplied with power by an AC adapter and a battery. Authentication means for performing authentication by inputting a password after the main body is turned on; means for detecting a power supply state to the main body when the main body is turned off; and when the power is detected to be off A first value is set in the register according to the power supply state of the power supply, and a second value is set in the register when a change occurs in the power supply state to the main body while the power of the main body is turned off. And means for setting whether or not to request the input of the password in accordance with a value set in the register when the main body is turned on.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the information processing apparatus which can raise the convenience and security intensity | strength more by requesting | requiring the password input according to an electric power supply state or use environment can be provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a notebook computer 1 will be described as an example of the information processing apparatus. The computer 1 includes a main body 2, and a display unit 3 is rotatably attached to the main body 2 via a hinge portion 4. Further, a display device composed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 5 is incorporated in the display unit 3. A circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted is accommodated in the main body 2. A touch pad 6 is attached to the front upper surface 2 a of the main body 2, and a keyboard 7 is attached to the rear upper surface 2 b of the main body 2. A power switch 8 for turning on / off the computer 1 is also provided on the rear upper surface 2 b of the main body 2.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the computer according to the embodiment of the present invention. The computer 1 includes a CPU 10, a north bridge 11, a main memory (RAM) 12, a graphics controller 13, a VRAM 14, a south bridge 15, a hard disk drive (HDD) 16, a BIOS-ROM 17, an RTC 18, an embedded controller / keyboard controller IC (EC). / KBC) 20, LCD 5, touch pad 6, keyboard 7, power switch 8 and the like.

  The CPU 10 is a processor that controls the operation of each component of the computer 1. The CPU 10 executes an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) and various application programs / utility programs loaded from the HDD 16 to the main memory (RAM) 12. The main memory (RAM) 12 is also used for storing various data buffers. The CPU 10 also executes a basic input / output system (BIOS) stored in the BIOS-ROM 17. The BIOS is a program for hardware control. By using the BIOS function, a BIOS password can be set separately from the password for logging in to the OS. The BIOS password uses the function of the PC hardware itself and can be used without depending on the operating system.

  The north bridge 11 is a bridge device that connects the local bus of the CPU 10 and the south bridge 15. The north bridge 11 also has a function of executing communication with the graphics controller 13 via an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus or the like. Further, the north bridge 11 also includes a memory controller that controls the main memory (RAM) 12.

  The graphics controller 13 is a display controller that controls the LCD 5 used as a display monitor of the computer 10. The graphics controller 13 sends a video signal corresponding to display data written in the video memory (VRAM) 14 by the OS or an application program to the LCD 5.

  The south bridge 15 is connected to a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus and an LPC (Low Pin Count) bus, respectively. The HDD 16 stores the OS and various application programs.

  An RTC (Real Time Clock) 18 is a chip dedicated to timing. The RTC 18 operates while receiving power from the battery 18a built in the RTC 18 while the computer 1 is turned off. While the computer 1 is on, it receives power from an external power source. The computer 1 can acquire the date and time when the BIOS accesses the RTC 18.

  The embedded controller / keyboard controller (EC / KBC) 20 is a one-chip microcomputer in which an embedded controller for power management and a keyboard controller for controlling the touch pad 6 and the keyboard 7 are integrated. Since the EC / KBC 20 has a built-in battery 21, even when the computer 1 is powered off, the EC / KBC 20 can continue to be driven by the power supplied from the built-in battery 21. The EC / KBC 20 cooperates with the power supply circuit 22 to execute processing for powering on / off the computer 1 in response to the operation of the power switch 8 by the user. The power supply circuit 22 generates power to be supplied to each component in the computer 1 using power supplied from the outside via the AC adapter 23 or power from the built-in battery 24.

  In the EC / KBC 20, a register 20a and a register 20b are provided. The register 20a stores a flag corresponding to the power supply state. As will be described later, the BIOS performs processing according to the flag by referring to the contents of the flag stored in the register 20a. The EC / KBC 20 includes a dedicated RTC 25. The time acquired from the RTC 25 is stored in the register 20b.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the function of each component of the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment. The EC / KBC 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as EC 20) manages the power supply and monitors the power supply state to the computer 1. The BIOS stored in the BIOS-ROM 17 issues a specific command to be requested to the EC 20 and notifies the OS of an event. Also, the user is requested to input the set BIOS password. The OS starts / ends the system and notifies the BIOS of events. Also, the user is requested to input the set OS login password.

  The EC 20 has a register 20a therein, and flags corresponding to the presence / absence of connection of the AC adapter 23 and the presence / absence of the built-in battery 24 are written in the register 20a. Here, the flag held in the register 20a is notified to the BIOS when the computer 1 is started. During the PC shutdown process, the BIOS issues a specific command (first command) to the EC 20. When the first command is received from the BIOS, the EC 20 sets the flag of the register 20a to “1” when the AC adapter 23 and the battery 24 are connected, and then the computer 1 is powered off. Although this flag (flag “1”) is held even when the computer 1 is in the power-off state, this flag is reset and the flag is set to “0” in accordance with a change in the power supply state to the computer 1.

  For example, when the flag is reset, the AC adapter 22 of the computer 1 is disconnected even once during power-off, or the battery 24 of the computer 1 is disconnected even during power-off. The case where the power of the EC 20 is turned off during the power-off is mentioned.

  When the computer 1 is next powered on, the BIOS issues a specific command (second command) to the EC 20. When receiving the second command from the BIOS, the EC 20 returns the flag state of the register 20a to the BIOS. When the flag of the register 20a is “1”, the BIOS does not request input of a password. When this flag is “0”, the BIOS requests input of a password.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation when starting the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. When starting to use the computer 1, the user presses the power button 8 to turn on the computer 1 through the EC 20 (step 1-1). When the computer 1 is powered on, the BIOS stored in the BIOS-ROM 17 is activated, the BIOS issues a command to the EC 20, and inquires about the state of the flag of the register 20a of the EC 20 (step 1-2). In response to the inquiry from the BIOS, the EC 20 notifies the BIOS of the state of the flag of the register 20a (step 1-3). The BIOS confirms the contents of the flag notified from the EC 20 and, for example, if the flag state is “0” (No in Step 1-4), requests the user to input the BIOS password (Step 1-). 5). At this time, a BIOS password input screen is displayed on the screen of the LCD 5, and the user inputs a preset BIOS password using the keyboard 7. When the BIOS password authentication fails (No in step 1-6), the user is continuously requested to input the BIOS password. When the BIOS password authentication is successful (Yes in step 1-6), the startup process of the computer 1 is continued (step 1-7).

  The BIOS confirms the contents of the flag notified from the EC 20, and if the flag state is "1" (No in step 1-4), the computer 1 is started without requiring the user to input the BIOS password. Processing continues (step 1-7). When an OS login password for logging in to the OS is set in advance when continuing the startup process of the computer 1, the user can use the computer 1 by inputting the OS login password. .

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is terminated. When the user ends the use of the computer 1, a shutdown process is performed on the OS in order to safely end the system (step 2-1). The BIOS that has received the notification that the shutdown processing has been performed from the OS issues a command to the EC 20, and supplies power to the system, such as whether the battery 22 is built in and whether the AC adapter 23 is connected. The state is checked (step 2-2).

  It is determined whether or not the AC adapter 23 is connected to the computer 1 through the power supply circuit 22 and the EC 20 (step 2-3). When the AC adapter 23 is connected (Yes in step 2-3), it is subsequently determined whether or not the battery 24 is built in (step 2-4). When the battery 24 is built in the computer 1 (Yes in Step 2-4), the flag “1” is set in the register 20a of the EC 20 (Step 2-5).

  When the AC adapter 23 is not connected (No in Step 2-3) and when the battery 22 is not built in (No in Step 2-4), the content of the register 20a of the EC 20 is set to “0” (No. Step 2-6). If the flag “1” or “0” is set in the register 20a of the EC 20 according to the power supply state to the computer 1, the shutdown process is continued (step 2-7). Even after the shutdown process is completed and the power of the computer 1 is turned off, the EC 20 is driven by the built-in battery 21 and therefore monitors the change in the power supply state. After the shutdown process, when the AC adapter 22 of the computer 1 is disconnected once, when the battery 24 of the computer 1 is disconnected even during power off, or when the EC 20 is turned off during power off And the like sets the flag “1” set in the register 20a of the EC 20 to the flag “0”.

  After the shutdown process is completed, the contents of the flag set in the register 20a are referred to when starting the computer 1, and when the flag is set to "0", the power supply state is entered during or after the shutdown process. Since there is a change, there is a possibility that a third party has illegally taken out the computer 1, and therefore, the user is requested to input the BIOS password.

  On the other hand, when the flag is “1”, it means that the power supply state has not changed during the shutdown process and after the shutdown process, so the startup process of the computer 1 can be performed without requesting the user to input the BIOS password. It can be carried out.

  The contents of the flag set in the register 20a of the EC 20 are not lost even if the power of the computer 1 is turned off and can be retained. Therefore, when the computer 1 is started again, the flag of the register 20a is referred to when the computer 1 is started again. Start-up processing can be performed according to the contents.

  By performing such activation processing and termination processing, security strength can be maintained without impairing convenience for the user.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when starting the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. When starting the use of the computer 1, the user depresses the power button 8 to turn on the computer 1 through the EC 20 (step 3-1). When the computer 1 is powered on, the BIOS stored in the BIOS-ROM 17 is activated, the BIOS issues a command to the EC 20, and inquires about the state of the flag of the register 20a of the EC 20 (step 3-2). In response to the inquiry from the BIOS, the EC 20 notifies the BIOS of the flag state of the register 20a (step 3-3).

  The BIOS confirms the contents of the flag notified from the EC 20 and, for example, if the flag state is “1” (Yes in step 3-4), the user is requested to input the first BIOS password ( Step 3-5). At this time, a BIOS password input screen is displayed on the screen of the LCD 5, and the user inputs a preset first BIOS password using the keyboard 7. When the authentication of the first BIOS password fails (No in step 3-6), the user is continuously requested to input the first BIOS password.

  The BIOS confirms the contents of the flag notified from the EC 20, and if the flag state is “0” (No in step 3-4), instead of requesting the input of the first BIOS password, the second The input of the BIOS password is requested (step 3-7). At this time, a BIOS password input screen is displayed on the screen of the LCD 5, and the user inputs a second BIOS password different from the first BIOS password using the keyboard 7. When the authentication of the second BIOS password fails (No in step 3-8), the user is continuously requested to input the second BIOS password.

  When the authentication of the first BIOS password is successful (Yes in step 3-6) or when the authentication of the second BIOS password is successful (Yes in step 3-8), the startup process of the computer 1 is continued. (Step 3-9). When an OS login password for logging in to the OS is set in advance for continuing the startup process of the computer 1, the user can use the system by inputting the OS login password.

  As shown in the above description, when there is no change in the power supply state and the flag set in the register 20a remains “1”, the input of the first BIOS password is requested, and the power supply state is changed. When the flag of the register 20a becomes “0”, a second BIOS password different from the first BIOS password may be requested. When there is a change in the power supply state, there is a possibility that it has been taken out by a third party. Therefore, when the computer 1 is started, a second BIOS password different from the first BIOS password is requested. Thus, the security strength can be increased.

  Note that the processing when the computer 1 is terminated and the flag according to the power supply state is set can be the same as that shown in FIG. 5 described in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation at the end of the information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation at the time of starting the information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment. Depending on the elapsed time from the time when the computer 1 is terminated, it may be set to change whether or not the BIOS password is requested at the next startup. Hereinafter, an operation at the end of the information processing apparatus and an operation at the time of activation will be described.

  When the use of the computer 1 is terminated, a shutdown process is performed on the OS in order to safely terminate the system (step 4-1). The BIOS that has received the notification that the shutdown processing has been performed from the OS issues a command to the EC 20, and supplies power to the system, such as whether the battery 24 is built in and whether the AC adapter 23 is connected. The state is checked (step 4-2).

  It is determined whether the AC adapter 23 is connected to the computer 1 and whether the battery 24 is built in through the power supply circuit 22 and the EC 20, and a flag corresponding to the power supply state is set in the register 20a. When the flag “1” or the flag “0” is set in the register 20a of the EC 20, the shutdown process is continued and the shutdown process is completed (step 4-4). Even after the shutdown process is completed and the power of the computer 1 is turned off, the EC 20 is driven by the built-in battery 21, so that a change in the power supply state can be monitored. In addition, the RTC 25 may be built exclusively for the EC 20 so that the time can be acquired by the EC 20 even after the computer 1 is turned off. When there is a change in the power supply state (Yes in step 4-5), the time is acquired from the RTC 25 built in the EC 20, and the time when the change in the power supply state occurs is stored in the register 20b of the EC 20. (Step 4-6).

  Next, processing when starting the information processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. When starting to use the computer 1, the user presses the power button 8 to turn on the system through the EC 20 (step 5-1). When the system is powered on, the BIOS stored in the BIOS-ROM 17 is activated, the BIOS issues a command to the EC 20, and inquires about the flag state of the register 20a of the EC 20 (step 5-2). In response to the inquiry from the BIOS, the EC 20 notifies the BIOS of the state of the flag of the register 20a (step 5-3).

  The BIOS confirms the contents of the flag notified from the EC 20, and if, for example, the flag state is "1" (Yes in step 5-4), the power supply state has not changed during and after the shutdown process. Therefore, the computer 1 can be started up without requiring the user to input the BIOS password.

  On the other hand, if there is a change in the power supply state during or after the shutdown process and the flag state is “0”, the BIOS refers to the time when the power supply state held in the register 20b of the EC 20 has changed. (Step 5-5). The BIOS obtains the time when the power switch 8 is turned on from the RTC 18 and compares it with the time when the power supply state held in the register 20b changes. When a predetermined time has passed since the power supply state changed (Yes in step 5-6), the user is requested to input a BIOS password (step 5-7).

  At this time, a BIOS password input screen is displayed on the screen of the LCD 5, and the user inputs a preset BIOS password using the keyboard 7. When the BIOS password authentication fails (No in step 5-8), the user is continuously requested to input the BIOS password. When the BIOS password authentication is successful (Yes in step 5-8), the startup process of the computer 1 is continued (step 5-9).

  For example, when the computer 1 is turned on using the setting screen as shown in FIG. 9, whether the BIOS password is requested according to the time elapsed since the power supply state changed after the computer 1 was shut down. Can be set.

  When such activation processing and termination processing are performed, the security strength can be maintained without impairing convenience for the user. For example, when the user is connected to the AC adapter 23 on the desk and immediately after quitting the computer 1, the AC adapter 23 is removed, moved out, moved to another place, and used again. If the above time has not elapsed, the BIOS password is not required when the computer 1 is started up, so the convenience for the user is not impaired.

  As described above, according to the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to further increase convenience and security strength by requesting a password input according to the power supply state and the use environment.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment as long as it does not depart from the gist of the present invention, and various modifications are possible.

1 is an external perspective view showing an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the outline of the function of each component of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when starting the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is terminated. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement at the time of starting the information processing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation at the end of the information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention; 10 is a flowchart showing an operation at the time of activation of an information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram which shows the password setting screen which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Computer, 3 ... Display unit, 6 ... Touch pad, 7 ... Keyboard, 8 ... Power switch, 10 ... CPU, 11 ... North bridge, 12 ... Main memory, 13 ... Graphics controller, 15 ... South bridge, 16 ... HDD 17 ... BIOS-ROM, 20 ... EC / KBC, 20a ... register, 20b ... register, 21 ... battery, 22 ... power supply circuit, 23 ... AC adapter, 24 ... battery, 25 ... RTC

Claims (4)

In an information processing apparatus that can be driven by power supply by an AC adapter and a battery,
The body,
A time measuring device for measuring time,
A power switch for turning on / off the driving of the main body;
When the transition time or power-off state of the presence or absence of a change in the supply state of the power from the state from the AC adapter or the battery is supplying power to the state that is not powered from the power-on state to the power off state Change detecting means for detecting ;
Means for acquiring information indicating a first time when the power supply state has changed from the time measuring device when the change detection unit detects that the power supply state has changed;
When the power is turned on and when it is detected by the change detecting means that there is a change in the power supply state, information indicating a second time when the power is turned on is obtained from the time measuring device. Comparing means for comparing the second time with the first time;
As a result of the comparison, if a predetermined time or more has elapsed from the first time to the second time, a password input is requested, and a predetermined time from the first time to the second time is requested. Password request means that does not require password input if it has not passed, and
An information processing apparatus, comprising: an authentication unit that performs authentication using the input password when the password is input . When the power supply is turned on if the change detection means does not detect that the power supply state has changed during the transition from the power-on state to the power-off state or in the power-off state. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein no password input is requested . A display unit for displaying an input screen for inputting the password;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in. The password information processing apparatus mounting the serial to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein <br/> be BIOS password.

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