System using electronic devices connected to network

• US 20070234405A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chikada, Takayuki, Yano, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,821,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234

Abstract

Personal computers and other electronic devices that are connected by a network are installed in each individual office. An employee is enabled to use each individual electronic device by performing an authentication process using authentication information in an information recording medium (IC card) that is issued as an employee ID card. In the information recording medium is recorded a code C103 that indicates an electronic device that is to be a report target (for example, the employee'"'"'s own personal computer 103 installed in a Chiba Branch). When this employee goes to a Tokyo Headquarters on business and performs the authentication process using the information recording medium in order to use an electronic device 101, the code C103 is read by the electronic device 101, a location information, “Tokyo Headquarters,” which indicates the employee'"'"'s current location, is transmitted via the network to the electronic device 103 that is the report target, and the current location (the installation location of the electronic device 101) is displayed on a screen of the electronic device 103. Tasks of self-declaring destinations are made unnecessary and detailed destination displays are enabled.

Claims

1. A system using electronic devices connected to a network, the system comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices mutually connected by the network and respectively installed at mutually different locations; and

a portable information recording medium, having a function, by which, when using an electronic device among at least a portion of the electronic devices, said electronic device is communicated with and made to perform authentication;

information indicating a specific electronic device that is to be a report target being recorded in the information recording medium; and

at least one of the electronic devices having a function, by which, when in communication with the information recording medium, location information, indicating a location of said one, is transmitted via the network to the specific electronic device to be the report target that is recorded in the information recording medium.

2. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of information recording media, in each of which a predetermined medium identification code is recorded, are prepared, and

at least one of the electronic devices has a function, by which, when in communication with a specific information recording medium, a medium identification code recorded in the specific information recording medium, is transmitted along with the location information, via the network to the specific electronic device to be the report target that is recorded in the specific information recording medium.

21. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 1, wherein

computers, printers, copiers, or other office furniture or equipment, electronic locks, or electronic bulletin boards are used as a portion of the electronic devices.

22. A program for making a computer function as an electronic device in a system according to claim 1.

3. A system using electronic devices connected to a network, the system comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices mutually connected by the network and respectively installed at mutually different locations; and

a portable information recording medium, having a function, by which, when using an electronic device among at least a portion of the electronic devices, said electronic device is communicated with and made to perform authentication;

said information recording medium comprising;

a communicating unit for communicating with each of the electronic devices;

an authentication information storage unit, storing authentication information necessary for making at least a portion of the electronic devices perform correct authentication; and

a report target device registration unit, storing information indicating a report target device;

at least one of the electronic devices comprising;

a communicating unit for communicating with the information recording medium;

an authentication unit, using authentication information stored in the information recording medium in communication to authenticate the information recording medium and permitting use of said one when a correct authentication result is obtained;

a device identification code storage unit, storing a device identification code provided to said one to enable the respective electronic devices to identify each other on the network;

a location information storage unit, storing location information indicating a location of installation of said one; and

a location information transmitting unit, reading out a device identification code from the report target device registration unit of the information recording medium in communication, and transmitting, via the network, the location information stored in the location information storage unit, to another electronic device specified by the read-out device identification code; and

the electronic devices including a designatable electronic device which can be designated as a report target, said designatable electronic device comprising;

a device identification code storage unit, storing a device identification code provided to said designatable electronic device to enable the respective electronic devices to identify each other on the network; and

a location information presenting unit, storing location information transmitted via the network to said designatable electronic device and presenting the location information by a predetermined method.

4. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

at least one of the electronic devices comprises:

a report target writing unit, performing a process of writing a device identification code concerning a specific electronic device into the report target device registration unit in an information recording medium in communication.

5. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

a designatable electronic device comprises:

a report target writing unit, having a function of writing a device identification code of said designatable electronic device stored in the device identification code storage unit, into the report target device registration unit in an information recording medium in communication.

6. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 5, wherein

a designatable electronic device has a function to input a user request, and

when said request is that said designatable electronic device itself be designated as a report target device, the report target writing unit executes a process of writing a device identification code of said designatable electronic device into the report target device registration unit in an information recording medium in communication, and when said request is that another designatable electronic device besides said designatable electronic device be designated as a report target device, the report target writing unit executes a process of writing a device identification code of said another designated electronic device into the report target device registration unit in an information recording medium in communication.

7. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

a plurality of information recording media, having mutually different predetermined medium identification codes recorded therein, are prepared,

the location information transmitting unit reads out a medium identification code along with a device identification code from an information recording medium in communication and transmits, via the network, location information stored in the location information storage unit, and the read-out medium identification code to another electronic device specified by the read-out device identification code, and

the location information presenting unit, upon transmission of location information and a medium identification code via the network, presents the location information and the medium identification code or a user name associated with the medium identification code.

8. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 7, wherein

the authentication information, stored in the authentication information storage unit, or a portion of the authentication information is used as the medium identification code.

9. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

a plurality of designatable electronic devices are prepared,

the report target device registration unit in the information recording medium is arranged to enable writing of device identification codes concerning a plurality of said designatable electronic devices, and

the location information transmitting unit, in a case where a plurality of device identification codes are written in the report target device registration unit of an information recording medium in communication, performs information transmission to each of the electronic devices respectively specified by the individual device identification codes.

10. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

the location information presenting unit presents only newest location information transmitted via the network (in a case where location information is transmitted along with a medium identification code, newest location information for each individual medium identification code).

11. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

the location information presenting unit presents a plurality of pieces of location information in a listed manner, transmitted via the network, in an order that is in accordance with a time sequence (in a case where location information is transmitted along with a medium identification code, in an order that is in accordance with a time sequence for each individual medium identification code).

12. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

only when a user provides an instruction for presenting location information to an electronic device that is designated as a report target, the location information presenting unit in the electronic device performs presentation of the location information on a display screen of the electronic device.

13. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

when an electronic device that is designated as a report target enters a rest mode, the location information presenting unit in the electronic device automatically performs presentation of the location information on a display screen of the electronic device.

14. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, comprising:

a location information presenting unit having a function of presenting the location information by audio.

15. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

an electronic bulletin board, provided with a predetermined device identification code and enabled to receive location information transmitted to itself via the network and present the location information, is provided as a designatable electronic device.

16. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

a telephone, provided with a predetermined device identification code and having a function of receiving location information transmitted to itself via the network and transferring a call made to itself to another telephone installed at a location specified by the location information, is provided as a designatable electronic device.

17. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

the designatable electronic device deletes, on the basis of a user instruction or establishment of a predetermined condition, location information received in the past and prevents subsequent presentation concerning the location information.

18. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

at least any one or plurality of the electronic devices is or are provided with a function of deleting, on the basis of a user instruction or establishment of a predetermined condition, predetermined device identification codes recorded in the report target device registration unit in the information recording medium.

19. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

a network using an IP protocol is used as the network and IP addresses are used as the device identification codes.

20. The system using electronic devices connected to a network according to claim 3, wherein

the location information transmitting unit performs information transmission by means of e-mail.

23. A method of presenting a location of a user using a system including:

a plurality of electronic devices mutually connected by a network and respectively installed at mutually different locations; and

a portable information recording medium, having a function, by which, when using an electronic device among at least a portion of the electronic devices, said electronic device is communicated with and made to perform authentication;

the method comprising;

a step wherein the information recording medium records information indicating a “

specific electronic device on which a presentation of location is to be performed;

”

a step wherein, when an electronic device communicates with the information recording medium, said electronic device transmits, via the network, location information, indicating its own location, to the “

specific electronic device on which the presentation of location is to be performed,”

recorded inside the information recording medium; and

a step wherein an electronic device, receiving the location information, presents the location information.

24. A location notification system comprising:

a plurality of fixed devices, installed at mutually different locations; and

a portable mobile device, having a function of communicating with any of the fixed devices by being brought within a communicable area of the fixed device; and

wherein

the mobile device has recorded therein information indicating a specific fixed device, and

each of the fixed devices has a function, by which, when in communication with the mobile device, a location information, indicating a location of the fixed device itself, is transmitted to the specific fixed device recorded in the mobile device.

25. A screen lock absence display system, displaying, on a screen-locked personal computer, location information of a user of the personal computer, the screen lock absence display system comprising:

a personal computer, having a function of performing a screen lock of not accepting an operation input for a primary process until a lock release process is performed by a user and a function of displaying location information, received from the exterior, on a display in a screen-locked state;

a portable information recording medium, having recorded therein identification information that specifies the personal computer or the user thereof;

reading devices, each being installed near each of an exit and an entrance of a plurality of rooms and reading the identification information recorded in the information recording medium when entry into or exit from any of the rooms is performed;

a door locking/unlocking device that, based on identification information read by a reading device of a specific room, controls a lock state of a door of the specific room; and

an information processing device that, based on the identification information read by a reading device of a specific room, specifies the personal computer and transmits room information, indicating the specific room, as the location information to the personal computer.

26. The screen lock absence display system according to claim 25, comprising:

an entry reading device, reading the identification information recorded in the information recording medium when entry into each room is performed, and an exit reading device, reading the identification information recorded in the information recording medium when exit from each room is performed, and

wherein the information processing device transmits location information, indicating entry into a room, when the entry reading device has read the identification information and transmits location information, indicating exit from a room, when the exit reading device has read the identification information.

27. The screen lock absence display system according to claim 25, wherein

the information processing device is provided with:

an employee information database, indicating door unlocking authorities associated with identification information;

an authentication means, using the employee information database to authenticate, based on identification information read by a reading device of a specific room, the door unlocking authority for the specific room; and

an unlocking signal transmitting means, transmitting an unlocking signal to the door locking/unlocking device of the specific room when a correct authentication result obtained by the authentication means; and

the door locking/unlocking device performs unlocking upon receiving the unlocking signal.

28. The screen lock absence display system according to claim 25, wherein

identification information specifying the user of the personal computer is recorded in the portable information recording medium,

an equipment information database, associating the identification information with the personal computer, is prepared in the information processing device, and

the information processing device uses the equipment information database to specify the personal computer to be a transmission destination of the location information.

29. The screen lock absence display system according to claim 25, wherein

near an exit of a room in which a predetermined personal computer is installed, an exit reading device, which reads the identification information from the information recording medium when exit from the room, is provided, and

when a personal computer specified based on the identification information read by the exit reading device is a predetermined personal computer, the information processing device performs a process of making a screen lock of the predetermined personal computer be started up.

30. The screen lock absence display system according to claim 25, wherein

the portable information recording medium is a contactless IC card and the reading devices are IC card readers.