Expansion module system and control method therefor

• US 20060183501A1
• Filed: 02/02/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitagata, Norio, Egoshi, Yasuo
• Application Number:
  US11/345,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20060183501A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

An expansion module has a standard interface, such as USB or a PC card, with its outward shape structured to allow the expansion module to be exclusively used with the drive unit of a recording medium. An information processing system includes a first ID recording unit in which the ID of the information processing system is recorded, a second ID recording unit in which a copy of the ID information in the first ID recording unit is recorded when the expansion module is initialized, an ID comparison unit that compares both ID information when the expansion module is used, and a module control unit that controls whether the expansion module is to be operated, wherein, if the ID information in the first ID recording unit matches the ID information in the second ID recording unit, the expansion module can be used.

Claims

1. An information processing system in which an expansion module, including devices such as a communication module, is built in, comprising:

a first ID recording unit in which ID information, which identifies said information processing system, is recorded;

a second ID recording unit in which a copy of the ID information in said first ID recording unit is recorded when said expansion module is initialized;

an ID comparison unit that compares the ID information recorded in said first ID recording unit with the ID information recorded in said second ID recording unit when said expansion module is used; and

a module control unit that controls whether said expansion module is to be operated according to the comparison result of said ID comparison unit,

wherein said module control unit makes said expansion module available for use if the ID information in said first ID recording unit matches the ID information in said second ID recording unit.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 wherein

a main body of said information processing system includes said first ID recording unit and said ID comparison unit and

the expansion module of said information processing system includes said second ID recording unit and said module control unit.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2 wherein

said expansion module has a shape in which a CD-ROM/DVD drive is built in and

the communication module built in said expansion module has a standardized size.

4. The information processing system according to claim 2 wherein

said first ID recording unit is a ROM in which ID information uniquely identifying said information processing system, such as a manufacturing management number of said information processing system, is recorded and

said second ID recording unit is a write-once device or a write protected recording unit.

5. The information processing system according to claim 2

wherein, if the ID information in said first ID recording unit does not match the ID information in said second ID recording unit, said module control unit stops a supply of power to devices included in said expansion module.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1

wherein a main body of said information processing system includes said first ID recording unit and

the expansion module of said information processing system includes said second ID recording unit, said ID comparison unit, and said module control unit.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6

wherein, if said ID comparison unit finds that the ID information in said first ID recording unit does not match the ID information in said second ID recording unit as a result of the comparison, the module control unit stops a supply of power to the devices included in said expansion module and, at the same time, stops an interface function with the devices included in said expansion module.

8. The information processing system according to claim 6

wherein said module control unit comprises encryption means for encrypting data instructed by the main body of said information processing system to store and decryption means for decrypting a device included in said expansion module and notifying the decrypted result to the main body of said information processing system.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8

wherein, if said ID comparison unit finds that the ID information in said first ID recording unit does not match the ID information in said second ID recording unit as a result of the comparison, said module control unit sends a busy response to an access request from the main body of said information processing system.

10. An information processing system comprising a wireless base station and an information processing system main body, said information processing system main body including an expansion module that includes devices such as a communication module for communicating with said wireless base station, said information processing system comprising:

a first ID recording unit in which ID information for identifying said information processing system is recorded;

a second ID recording unit in which a copy of the ID information in said first ID recording unit is recorded for each piece of identification information on said communication module when said communication module is initialized;

an ID comparison unit that compares the ID information recorded in said first ID recording unit with the ID information recorded in said second ID recording unit when said expansion module is used; and

a module control unit that controls whether said expansion module is to be operated according to the comparison result of said ID comparison unit,

wherein said module control unit compares the ID information in said first ID recording unit with the ID information in said second ID recording unit for each piece of identification information on said communication module when said communication module is used and, if a match occurred in the ID information, makes said communication module available for use.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10

wherein said information processing system main body comprises said first ID recording unit and

said base station comprises said second ID recording unit, said ID comparison unit, and said module control unit.

12. The information processing system according to claim 11

wherein a MAC address of a LAN of said information processing system main body is recorded in said first ID recording unit and the MAC address is sent to said base station when said communication module is initialized and

the MAC address that is sent is recorded in said second ID recording unit for each telephone number of said communication module.

13. The information processing system according to claim 12

wherein the communication module of said information processing system main body sends the telephone number of said communication module and the MAC address of the LAN of said information processing system main body to said base station when the communication module communicates with the base station and

the module control unit of said base station calls the MAC address corresponding to the telephone number, sent from said communication module, from said second ID recording unit, compares the called MAC address with the MAC address sent from said communication module and, if a match occurs, notifies a communication permission from said base station to the communication module.

14. The information processing system according to claim 13

wherein the module control unit of said base station calls the MAC address corresponding to the telephone number, which is sent from said communication module, from said second ID recording unit, compares the called MAC address with the MAC address sent from said communication module and, if a mismatch occurs, notifies a communication inhibition from said base station to the communication module and

the communication module of said information processing system main body has a power supply stopped when the communication inhibition is received from said base station.

15. The information processing system according to claim 14 (terminal processing when an error occurs)

wherein, when the communication inhibition is received from said base station, said information processing system main body displays a message indicating that the communication module cannot be used.

16. A control method for an information processing system in which an expansion module, including devices such as a communication module, is built, said control method comprising the steps of:

reading ID information, which denitrifies said information processing system, from a first ID recording unit when said expansion module is initialized;

recording the ID information in a second ID recording unit;

comparing the ID information recorded in said first ID recording unit with the ID information recorded in said second ID recording unit when said expansion module is used; and

controlling whether or not said expansion module is used according to the comparison result of the ID information.

17. The control method for an information processing system according to claim 16, further comprising the step of

stopping a power supply to said expansion module if a mismatch occurs in the comparison result of the ID information.

18. The control method for an information processing system according to claim 16, further comprising the step of

stopping an interface function of said expansion module if a mismatch occurs in the comparison result of the ID information.

19. The control method for an information processing system according to claim 16, further comprising the step of

returning a busy response to a request to access said expansion module if a mismatch occurs in the comparison result of the ID information.

20. The control method for an information processing system according to claim 16, further comprising the step of

displaying a message indicating that said expansion module cannot be used if a mismatch occurs in the comparison result of the ID information.