JPH11289381A - Security system of portable communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable communication terminal with advanced security functions to dispense with inputting of a personal identification number, etc., when a call is originated (the portable communication terminal is used) and to enable an owner to become a ware of leaving it behind or theft, etc., even when the owner encounters the mislaying, leaving behind or theft, etc. SOLUTION: A security system consists of a portable communication terminal to transmit identification information characteristic to the portable communication terminal by a weak radio wave and an alarm raising device 50 with a function to receive the weak radio wave, in which the same intrinsic code as that of the portable communication terminal for performing security management is registered, and to perform the security management of the portable communication terminal with the same intrinsic code as the registered characteristic code. An alarm is issued from the portable communication terminal, when the alarm raising device 50 shows a state in which the characteristic code to be transmitted by the weak radio wave is cannot be received by the alarm raising device 50.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable communication terminal having a security function, and more particularly to a security system for a portable communication terminal which is advantageously applied to a portable telephone or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A portable communication terminal such as a portable telephone or a PHS has a great feature that communication is possible even when the terminal is moving, and has been rapidly spreading in recent years. Since such a portable communication terminal is used while being carried, a trouble such as misplacement or theft may occur due to carrying, which did not occur with a fixed telephone. As described above, even if the portable communication terminal is passed over to a third party other than the owner due to misplacement, theft, or the like, the portable communication terminal itself does not have the function of identifying the owner. be able to. Therefore, for example, when the portable communication terminal is passed to a third party due to misplacement, theft, or the like, there has been a problem that a communication fee due to unauthorized use of the third party is charged to the owner.

On the other hand, some portable communication terminals in recent years have been developed, manufactured and sold with a function of a key lock for inhibiting inadvertent calling or a dial lock for inhibiting key input. These two functions are intended to prohibit inadvertent outgoing calls other than the caller's purpose, and are intended to prevent billing if the other party answers the call. If the mobile communication terminal has such a lock function, even if it is passed over to a third party other than the owner due to misplacement, theft, or the like, the calling operation cannot be performed as long as this function is set. . Hereinafter, the contents of these lock functions will be described.

[0004] The key lock is a lock function in which a message for inputting a registered password is displayed on the display unit when the power of the portable communication terminal is turned on, and the telephone cannot be used unless a previously registered password is input. That is,
In key lock, software is started by turning on the power,
At the beginning of the startup, the system waits for the input of a personal identification number. When a password is entered from the dial key in this input waiting state, the software compares the entered password with a password registered in an internal non-volatile memory in advance, and only when the password matches with the password, the mobile communication terminal. Make use possible.

[0005] The dial lock is a lock function in which the power can be turned on freely, but the dial lock is not accepted even if the dial key is pressed. This function is different from key lock,
The software is activated when the power is turned on and enters an operating state. That is, when the dial lock is set, the activated software keeps the state of the dial lock in the internal memory and rejects a key input of a dial key for performing a call operation or the like. When performing key input, the dial lock is released by inputting a password. Note that, unlike the key lock, the dial lock can respond when an incoming call occurs. As described above, in the dial lock, even if the portable communication terminal is lost, it is possible to answer a call from the owner.

[0006]

A lock function in the prior art, such as a key lock or a dial lock, is transmitted when a dial key of a portable communication terminal placed in a bag or the like is inadvertently pressed. A sufficient effect can be obtained for the purpose of preventing this. However, the lock function in the related art cannot obtain a sufficient effect to prevent unauthorized use by a third party due to misplacement, theft, or the like.

This is because all of the above lock functions require the input of a personal identification number at the time of a transmission operation, and therefore these lock functions are generally released at the time of frequent transmission operations. Therefore, there is a problem that the lock function is often released when the device is left behind or stolen without knowing it in advance.

[0008] In the lock function in the prior art,
For example, if a lock function is set, unauthorized use by a third party can be prevented even if it is misplaced or stolen, but the lost mobile communication terminal itself can be safely returned to the owner Sex is extremely low. That is, in these prior arts, it is not possible to notify when the portable communication terminal is separated from the owner, and therefore, it is not possible to take appropriate measures, for example, when the portable communication terminal is left somewhere or stolen.

[0009] Therefore, a long time often elapses when the user notices that the mobile communication terminal has been lost. And other procedures are required. As described above, the portable communication terminal according to the related art does not have a sufficient defense function (security function) against the above-described accident.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, so that it is not necessary to input a personal identification number or the like at the time of making a call (at the time of use), and the owner can be aware of the case of misplacement or theft. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile communication terminal security system having an advanced security function.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a portable communication terminal that transmits a unique symbol, which is identification information unique to the portable communication terminal, via a weak radio wave, and a portable communication terminal that performs security management. An alarm generator having a function of receiving a weak radio wave, which registers the same unique symbol as the terminal and manages the security of the portable communication terminal having the same unique symbol as the registered unique symbol. The alarm generation device generates an alarm when the mobile communication terminal that performs security management cannot receive a unique symbol transmitted by a weak radio wave.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of a security system for a portable communication terminal according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a security system when the present invention is applied to a portable communication terminal such as a PHS. The mobile communication terminal 10 according to the present embodiment is a communication terminal that can perform security management by the alarm generation device 50. FIG.
In FIG. 1, an antenna 12 is an antenna that radiates or receives radio waves, and an RF unit 14 is connected to the antenna 12.

The RF unit 14 is an RF unit for transmitting and receiving a voice signal or a data signal in a 1.9 GHz frequency band. That is, the RF unit 14 amplifies and frequency-converts the signal in the frequency band received by the antenna 12 and outputs a demodulation signal to the baseband unit 16, and amplifies the voice modulation signal from the baseband unit 16. And a transmission circuit that converts the frequency and outputs the result to the antenna 12.

The internal antenna 13 is an internal antenna that radiates radio waves. The internal antenna 13 is provided inside the portable communication terminal 10 and is connected to the RF unit 15. RF
The unit 15 is a transmission unit that transmits predetermined information such as a unique symbol to the alarm generation device 50, and is, for example, 250 MHz to 360 MHz.
The transmission circuit includes a transmission circuit that performs a weak transmission output that does not violate the Hz radio wave law and a modulation circuit that modulates a transmission signal. The RF unit 15 is connected to the CPU 18, from which a signal of a unique symbol to be transmitted to the alarm generation device 50 is input.

The baseband section 16 is connected to a CPU 18 and a codec 28. Under the control of the CPU 18, the baseband section 16 receives an R signal received from the antenna 12 such as a voice signal or a data signal.
The F signal is demodulated. The codec 28 is a converter that converts a digital signal into an analog signal and converts an analog signal into a digital signal. That is, the codec 28
Under the control of the CPU 18, the baseband unit 16 and the CPU
The digital audio signal input from 18 is converted to an analog signal and output to a speaker (SP) 26, and the analog audio signal input from a microphone (MIC) 24 is converted to a digital audio signal and output to the baseband unit 16. .

The codec 28 is also connected to a DTMF receiver 30, converts a digital signal input from the baseband unit 16 into an analog signal, and converts the digital signal into an analog signal.
Output to 0. The DTMF receiver 30 is a codec 2
When the signal input from the terminal 8 is a DTMF signal, the content is output to the CPU 18.

The CPU 18 is a control unit for controlling the entire portable communication terminal, and has a built-in ROM 18a, which is a nonvolatile memory in which programs and the like are written, and a RAM 18b for temporarily storing various information. Have been. The CPU 18 has a display unit 20 for displaying a telephone number and the like.
And an input key for inputting phone numbers and characters, a power key,
A key input unit 22 composed of various keys such as a call key for performing a call process is connected.

The CPU 18 also controls the I
It is connected to an E ² PROM 23 in which a unique symbol, which is identification information such as D and the serial number of the device, is stored. CPU
Reference numeral 18 denotes E ² PRO if there is a power source such as a secondary battery regardless of whether the power of the mobile communication terminal 10 is on or off.
The unique symbol stored in M23 is periodically transmitted by the RF unit 15 at intervals of, for example, 5 minutes. Note that this interval is merely an example in consideration of power consumption and the like, and may be shorter or longer in practice, and may be arbitrarily set by the user.

FIG. 2 shows functional blocks of an alarm generating device 50 for performing security management of the portable communication terminal 10 shown in FIG. The alarm generation device 50 is an alarm generation device that outputs an alarm when it becomes impossible to receive a unique symbol transmitted from the mobile communication terminal 10 with a weak transmission output that does not touch the Radio Law. This alarm generator 5
0 is large enough to fit in, for example, a breast pocket of a suit.

In FIG. 2, an antenna 52 is an antenna that receives a weak radio wave in the 250 MHz to 360 MHz band transmitted from the portable communication terminal 10, and is built in the housing 50. The RF unit 54 includes an RF receiving circuit that amplifies and frequency-converts a signal in a frequency band received by the antenna 52 and a demodulation circuit. The RF unit 54 outputs a signal received via the antenna 52 to the CPU 56.

The CPU 56 determines whether the unique symbol of the portable communication terminal 10 cannot be received even after a predetermined time (eg, about 5 minutes to 10 minutes in the case of transmission at 5 minute intervals as in the present embodiment) has elapsed. The alarm output unit 58 controls to output an alarm (sound or vibration). That is, the CPU 5
6 compares the signal received from the RF unit 54 with the unique symbol of the portable communication terminal 10 stored in the E ² PROM 60 which is a non-volatile memory, and when they match, the portable communication terminal 10 Is determined to be within the reach (about 5 to 6 m), and no processing is performed.

On the other hand, if the unique symbol of the portable communication terminal 10 cannot be received even after the predetermined time has elapsed, the alarm output section 58 is controlled to output an alarm. The power supply 62 is connected to the alarm generator 50.
The power switch 64 is a switch for turning on / off the alarm generator 50. The light emitting diode 66 is a display unit that displays the on / off state of the power switch 64 by turning on and off.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the security processing of the portable communication terminal 10 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, operations related to the security processing of the mobile communication terminal 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. As shown in FIG. 3, when the battery of the mobile communication terminal 10 is installed (S100), the CPU 18 reads a unique symbol from the E ² PROM 23 (S102). At this time, E ²
If the unique symbol is not registered in the PROM 23, a normal operation such as a power-on waiting process is performed without shifting to the security mode (S106). On the other hand, if the unique symbol is registered in the E ² PROM 23, the mode is shifted to the security mode to perform the security processing (S200).

FIG. 4 shows a security process S200 of the portable communication terminal 10. In the security process, the CPU 18 turns on the transmitter power of the small power to supply power to the RF unit 15 (S202), and E ² P
The unique symbol read from the ROM 23 is transmitted (S2
04). When the transmission of the unique symbol is completed, the transmitter power of the minute power is turned off, and the power supply to the RF unit 15 is stopped (S206).

Next, the CPU 18 sets an intermittent timer value (S208) and starts the intermittent timer (S21).
0). Then, in order to reduce the power consumption, the CPU 18 puts the functions of the CPU 18 other than the timer count into a sleep state (S212). Then, the timer counting process, that is, the updating process for decreasing the value of the timer counter is repeatedly performed until the value of the timer counter becomes “0” (S214, S216). Then, when the value of the timer counter becomes "0", the function of the CPU 18 is set to the operating state again (S218), and the processes S202 to S216 are repeated.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the security processing S300 of the alarm generation device 50. Hereinafter, the operation of the alarm generation device 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 5, and 6. 5 and 6 are circled "A".
Is connected to "A", and "B" is connected to "B".
And FIG. 6 constitute one flowchart.

When the power switch 64 is turned on, the light emitting diode 66 is turned on, and the CPU 56 is activated to read a unique symbol from the EEPROM ² (S2).
302). At this time, if the unique symbol is not registered in the E ² PROM 60 (S304), the process ends without performing the process of receiving the weak radio wave transmitted from the mobile communication terminal 10 (S306). On the other hand, if the unique symbol is registered in the E ² PROM 60 (S304), the CPU 56 turns on the receiver power of the minute power to supply power to the RF unit 54 (S308), and the power is transmitted from the portable communication terminal 10. The state shifts to a state where a unique symbol can be received (S310).

If a unique symbol that matches the unique symbol registered in the E ² PROM 60 cannot be received even after the above-mentioned predetermined time has elapsed in the state of the process S312 (S312), the alarm output unit 58 is activated to activate sound. Alarm output such as vibration and vibration is performed (S314). After performing the alarm output for a certain period of time, the process S3
Returning to 00, the security processing is executed again. on the other hand,
If a unique symbol that matches the unique symbol registered in the E ² PROM 60 can be received (S312), the power supply to the RF unit 54 is stopped by turning off the small power receiver power supply (S318).

Next, the CPU 56 sets an intermittent timer value (S320) and starts the intermittent timer (S32).
2). Then, in order to reduce power consumption, the CPU 56 suspends functions of the CPU 56 other than the timer count (S324). Then, the timer counting process, that is, the updating process for decreasing the value of the timer counter is repeatedly performed until the value of the timer counter becomes "0" (S326, S328). As a result, when the value of the timer counter becomes "0", the function of the CPU 56 is set to the operating state again (S330), and the processing S308 to S328 are repeated. Steps S308 and S318 are performed as follows.
It is also possible to turn on / off the receiver power of the minute power, start the CPU 56, and stop the operation of the CPU 56. In this case,
The CPU 56 is activated by the interruption at the time of reception.

FIGS. 7 to 9 show other embodiments of the security system of the portable communication terminal according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the mobile communication terminal 1 shown in FIG.
A signal is exchanged between the alarm communication device 0 and the alarm generation device 50, so that the portable communication terminal 10 is also provided with a lock function so as to detect that the mobile communication terminal 10 has left the owner and to perform an operation such as a transmission process. That is, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, a receiving unit is provided in the RF unit 15 of the mobile communication terminal 10 shown in FIG. 1, and a transmitting unit is provided in the RF unit 54 shown in FIG. The CPU can control transmission and reception of signals. In this embodiment, either the key lock or the dial lock can be set as the security mode.

FIG. 7 shows an operation flow of the security mode setting process S400 in the portable communication terminal 10. In FIG. 7, when setting the security mode (S402), a password is input (S404), and either key lock or dial lock is selected (S406 to S410). When canceling the set security mode (S402), the same password as the password input in the process S404 is input (S41).
2) If the passwords match, the security mode is released (S416).

FIG. 8 shows a security process S50 when the security mode can be set in the portable communication terminal 10.
0 shows an operation flow, and FIG. 9 shows an operation flow of the security processing S600 of the alarm generation device 50 in this case. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the same processes as those in FIGS. 4 and 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted here. Also, in FIG. 9, "A" and "B" circled are connected to "A" and "B" circled in FIG. 6 similarly to FIG.

[0033] In FIG. 9, the alarm generator 50 receives the specific symbol from the portable communication terminal 10, E ² PROM60
When a unique symbol that matches the unique symbol registered in is received (S312), an unlock signal is transmitted to the mobile communication terminal 10 by a weak radio wave. In FIG. 8, the mobile communication terminal 1
After the transmission of the unique symbol “0” (S204), the alarm generator 50
When the lock release signal is received (S502), the transmitter power of the small power is turned off to stop the power supply to the RF unit 15 (S206). On the other hand, if the lock release signal has not been received for a predetermined time, the security mode in which the key lock or dial lock set in FIG. 7 is set is executed (S504).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the portable communication terminal 10 is misplaced or stolen, it is possible to quickly know the situation, and therefore, a highly reliable portable communication terminal. Security management can be performed. Also, as an additional effect of the present embodiment, an alarm of the alarm generation device 50 is output even when transmission cannot be performed from the RF unit 15 which is a transmission unit of minute power incorporated in the main body of the mobile communication terminal 10. Therefore, the alarm output can also be used for detecting a dead battery or the like.

When the battery runs out, notification such as a battery warning, which is a function of the portable communication terminal, can also be used.
For example, the CPU 18 in the mobile communication terminal 10 detects a low battery, sends a predetermined low battery detection unique symbol to the alarm generation device 50 via the RF unit 15, and the alarm generation device 50 receives the unique symbol. Is notified to the user by notification different from notification such as theft. However,
When this function is activated, a warning sound is suddenly generated when the battery runs out. Therefore, the warning sound is generally turned off and displayed only on the display unit. According to the present embodiment, even when the warning sound is turned off, transmission to the alarm generation device 50 becomes impossible when the battery runs out. Can be confirmed immediately.

In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a portable communication terminal such as a PHS. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to the PHS, and may be applied to a portable telephone or a portable information terminal having a communication function. Applicable.

[0037]

As described above, according to the security system for a portable communication terminal of the present invention, it is not necessary to input a personal identification number or the like at the time of making a call (at the time of use). It has advanced security features that the owner can notice in a timely manner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional lock diagram showing an embodiment of a security system for a portable communication terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an alarm generation device that performs security management of the mobile communication terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing security processing of the mobile communication terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing security processing of the mobile communication terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing security processing of the alarm generation device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing security processing of the alarm generation device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a functional lock diagram showing a security mode setting process according to another embodiment of the security system of the portable communication terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing security processing when the security mode shown in FIG. 7 can be set in the mobile communication terminal.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing security processing when the security mode shown in FIG. 7 can be set in the alarm generation device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 mobile communication terminal 12, 52 antenna 13 inside the antenna 14, 54 RF unit 16 baseband section 18,56 CPU 18a ROM 18b RAM 23 E 2 PROM 28 CODEC 50 alarm device

Claims (5)

[Claims] A mobile communication terminal that transmits a unique symbol, which is identification information unique to the mobile communication terminal, via a weak radio wave, and a unique symbol that is the same as the mobile communication terminal that performs security management are registered. An alarm generator having a function of receiving a weak radio wave for security management of the mobile communication terminal having the same unique symbol, wherein the alarm generator is transmitted by a weak radio wave from the mobile communication terminal performing the security management. A security system for a portable communication terminal, wherein an alarm is generated when the unique symbol cannot be received. 2. The security system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal transmits the unique symbol using the weak radio wave even when the power is off. 3. The security system according to claim 1, wherein the portable communication terminal is provided with a wireless transmission unit that transmits the unique symbol using the weak radio wave, separately from a wireless transmission unit that performs normal wireless transmission. A security system for a mobile communication terminal. 4. The security system according to claim 1, wherein when receiving the unique symbol transmitted from the portable communication terminal by a weak radio wave, the alarm generating device weakly generates a lock release signal as a response signal to the unique symbol. When the mobile communication terminal is unable to receive the unlock signal from the alarm generation device, the mobile communication terminal performs a lock process such as a key lock or a dial lock on the mobile communication terminal. Characteristic mobile communication terminal security system. 5. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said unique symbols, wherein said alarm generating device issues a different notification to the reception of each of said unique symbols. Security system.