Mobile terminal and security remote-control system and method using mobile terminal

• US 20050113080A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nishimura, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration

Abstract

A security remote-control system includes a mobile terminal, a central server, and a key unit controlling the state of a lock. The mobile terminal has a positional-information detecting unit capable of detecting its own position, and automatically transmits a first email for requesting notification of the state of the lock to the central server when the mobile terminal is outside a predetermined area including a specific position specified by a user. The central server confirms the state of the lock through the key unit, when the central server receives the first email, and transmits to the mobile terminal a state notification email indicating the state of the lock. The mobile terminal automatically transmits to the central server a second email for instructing shutting of the lock when determining that the lock is not shut. The central server transmits to the key unit a locking instruction signal.

Claims

1. A security remote-control system comprising:

a mobile terminal;

a central server connected to the mobile terminal so as to communicate with the mobile terminal; and

a key unit that is connected to the central server so as to communicate with the central server and that controls the state of a lock,

wherein the mobile terminal has a positional-information detecting unit capable of detecting its own position, and automatically transmits a first email for requesting notification of the state of the lock to the central server when the mobile terminal is outside a predetermined area including a specific position specified by a user, and

wherein the central server confirms the state of the lock through the key unit, when the central server receives the first email, and transmits to the mobile terminal a state notification email indicating the state of the lock.

2. The security remote-control system according to claim 1,

wherein the central server transmits to the key unit a state confirmation signal for instructing confirmation of the state of the lock when the central server receives the first email,

wherein the key unit checks the state of the lock when the key unit receives the state confirmation signal and transmits to the central server a result signal indicating the check result, and

wherein the central server transmits to the mobile terminal the state notification email indicating the state of the lock based on the result signal.

3. The security remote-control system according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the mobile terminal automatically transmits to the central server a second email for instructing shutting of the lock when the mobile terminal determines, based on the received state notification email, that the lock is not shut, and

wherein the central server transmits to the key unit a locking instruction signal for instructing shutting of the lock when the central server receives the second email, and transmits to the mobile terminal a locking notification email indicating that the lock is shut.

4. The security remote-control system according to claim 3,

wherein the mobile terminal further includes a storage unit and a positional-information comparing unit,

wherein the first email, the second email, specific-position information indicating the specific position, and terminal-position information detected by the positional-information detecting unit are stored in the storage unit, and

wherein the positional-information comparing unit compares the specific-position information with the terminal-position information and transmits the first email to the central server based on the comparison result.

5. The security remote-control system according to claim 3 or 4,

wherein the central server includes a database for storing identification information on the user of the mobile terminal, the identification information being associated with an identification number of the key unit,

wherein the central server extracts the identification information on the user from the database based on an email address contained in the first email or the second email, and

wherein the central server identifies the key unit based on the identification number corresponding to the extracted identification information.

6. The security remote-control system according to any of claims 1 to 5,

wherein the key unit includes:

a lock;

a communication unit for receiving a control signal that controls the state of the lock from the central server; and

a control unit for automatically controlling the state of the lock in accordance with the control signal.

7. A mobile terminal comprising:

a positional-information detecting unit; and

a positional-information comparing unit,

wherein the positional-information detecting unit detects a terminal position that is the position of the mobile terminal, and

wherein the positional-information comparing unit compares a specific position specified by a user with the terminal position and automatically transmits, to a central server for managing a lock at the specific position, a first email for requesting notification of the state of the lock when a distance between the specific position and the terminal position exceeds a predetermined value.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 7,

wherein the mobile terminal automatically transmits a second email for instructing shutting of the lock to the central server when the mobile terminal receives a state notification email indicating the state of the lock from the central server and determines that the lock is not shut based on the state notification email.

9. A central server comprising:

a communication unit;

a database; and

a control unit,

wherein the communication unit communicates with a mobile terminal and a key unit that is located at a specific position specified by a user of the mobile terminal and that controls the state of a lock,

wherein the database stores identification information on the user of the mobile terminal and an identification number of the key unit, the identification number being associated with the identification information,

wherein the control unit extracts the identification information on the user from the database based on an email address contained in a first email for requesting notification of the state of the lock, when the control unit receives the first email from the mobile terminal through the communication unit, and

wherein the control unit identifies the key unit based on the identification number corresponding to the extracted identification information and transmits a state confirmation signal for instructing the key unit to check the state of the lock to the key unit through the communication unit.

10. The central server according to claim 9,

wherein the control unit extracts the identification information on the user from the database based on an email address contained in a second email for instructing shutting of the lock, when the control unit receives the second email from the mobile terminal through the communication unit, and

wherein the control unit identifies the key unit based on the identification number corresponding to the extracted identification information and transmits a locking instruction signal for instructing shutting of the lock to the key unit through the communication unit.

11. A security remote-control method used in a security remote-control system including a mobile terminal capable of detecting its own position, a central server connected to the mobile terminal so as to communicate with the mobile terminal, and a key unit that is connected to the central server so as to communicate with the central server and that controls the state of a lock, the security remote-control method comprising the steps of:

registering in the mobile terminal, by a user of the mobile terminal, specific-position information indicating a specific position where the key unit is located;

registering in the mobile terminal, by the user, a first email for requesting notification of the state of the lock;

registering in the mobile terminal, by the user, a second email for instructing shutting of the lock;

automatically transmitting the first email to the central server, by the mobile terminal, when the mobile terminal is outside a predetermined area including the specific position; and

confirming the state of the lock through the key unit in accordance with the first email to transmit to the mobile terminal a state notification email indicating the confirmed state of the lock, by the central server.

12. The security remote-control method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

automatically transmitting the second email to the central server, by the mobile terminal, when the mobile terminal determines based on the received state notification email that the lock is not shut; and

transmitting to the key unit a locking instruction signal for instructing shutting of the lock in accordance with the second email and transmitting to the mobile terminal a locking notification email indicating that the lock is shut, by the central server.

13. The security remote-control method according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting to the key unit a state confirmation signal for instructing confirmation of the state of the lock, by the central server, when the central server receives the first email;

checking the state of the lock in accordance with the state confirmation signal to transmit to the central server a result signal indicating the check result, by the key unit; and

transmitting to the mobile terminal the state notification email indicating the state of the lock based on the result signal, by the central server.