Electronic apparatus and its control program

• US 20070050432A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 708/130
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0283 for data storage and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B

Abstract

In an electronic apparatus having multiple functions such as a scientific electronic calculator, some of the multiple functions are set to be disabled according to need. Function disabling information (protection data) including disabled applications, protect display screen and protection period is stored on a memory card. When the memory card installed in a card slot of the electronic apparatus is detected, the function disabling information is read out and transferred onto corresponding memory areas of a system area in a flash ROM of the apparatus, and a protection display screen is displayed on a display unit, indicating that some of the multiple functions are disabled. Then, only “EXE” key operation is accepted and the function corresponding to the disabled application is disabled, and a function selecting menu screen is displayed, in which a start-up disabled mark M is added to an icon of the disabled application and a protection remaining time T is added.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus having multiple functions, comprising:

a recording medium receiving unit for receiving a recording medium, function disabling information being recorded on the recording medium;

a reading unit for reading out the function disabling information from the recording medium received in the. recording medium receiving unit; and

a function disabling unit for disabling a function out of the multiple functions on the basis of the function disabling information read out by the reading unit.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function disabling information recorded on the recording medium includes time information for defining a time during which a function is kept disabled, and the function disabling unit disables a function out of the multiple functions during a time defined by the time information included in the function disabling information read out by the reading unit.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit for displaying data; and

a display control unit for displaying on the display unit an function disabling image indicating that a function out of the multiple function is disabled, when the function disabling unit disables the function out of the multiple functions.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the function disabling image displayed on the displaying unit is selected from among plural sorts of images included in the function disabling information read out from the recording medium by the reading unit, and the display control unit displays on the display unit the function disabling image selected from the function disabling information read out by the reading unit, when the function disabling unit disables a function of the multiple functions.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information storing area, data on which cannot be erased by a user;

a record control unit for storing on the information storing area the function disabling information read out by the reading unit, wherein the function disabling unit disables a function out of the multiple functions in accordance with the function disabling information stored on the information storing area.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recording medium is a card type memory;

the apparatus further comprising;

a recording medium detecting unit for detecting the card type memory received by the recording medium receiving unit,

wherein the reading unit reads out the function disabling information from the card type memory, when the recording medium detecting unit detects the card type memory received by the recording medium receiving unit.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a function designating unit for designating a function to make same start up;

a disabled-function image display control unit for displaying on the display unit an image of a disabled function, when the function designated by the function designating unit is the one disabled by the function disabling unit.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the function disabling unit comprises:

a time counting unit for counting a time during which the function is still kept disabled, depending on the time information included in the function disabling information read out by the reading unit; and

a time display control unit for displaying on the display unit the time counted by the time counting unit.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function disabling information to be read out from the recording medium by the reading unit is recorded on the recording medium by an external information apparatus.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image indicating the disabled function is created by the user using an external information apparatus;

the function disabling information read out from the recording medium by the reading unit includes the image created by the user using an external information apparatus; and

the display control unit displays on the display unit the image created by the user using an external information apparatus and included in the function disabling information read out by the reading unit.

11. A control program for controlling a computer provided in an electronic apparatus which has multiple functions and is equipped with a recording medium receiving unit for receiving a recording medium, the control program controlling the computer to operate as a reading unit for reading out function disabling information from the recording medium received in the recording medium receiving unit;

and

a function disabling unit for disabling a function out of the multiple functions of the electronic apparatus on the basis of the function disabling information read out by the reading unit.

12. The control program according to claim 11, wherein the function disabling information to be read out from the recording medium by the reading unit is recorded on the recording medium by an external information apparatus.