ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND CONTROLLING METHOD

• US 20100159881A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yousuke, YASAKI, Kouichi, Nimura, Kazuaki
• Application Number:
  US12/639,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20100159881A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad

Abstract

A method for controlling a stop and a recovery of a communication function for performing external communication, the method includes acquiring an operation condition of a main body of the computer while the communication function is stopped, determining whether the communication function is recoverable based on the acquired operation condition, and limiting use of the main body of the computer when the communication function is determined to be recoverable.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus for controlling a stop and a recovery of a function of a communication unit to perform external communication, the apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit for acquiring an operation condition of a local device while the function of the communication unit is stopped;

a determination unit for determining whether the function of the communication unit is able to be recovered based on the acquired operation condition; and

a control unit for limiting a use of the local machine when the function of the communication unit is determined to be recoverable.

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

a reception unit for receiving a recovery request of the function of the communication unit,

wherein, when the recovery request is received, the function of the communication unit is recovered.

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

a database storing a threshold to indicate the operation condition in which the function of the communication unit is recoverable,

wherein, the determination unit determines whether the function of the communication unit is recoverable based on a relationship between the acquired operation condition and the threshold stored in the database.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the database stores the threshold and a degree of recoverability of the function of the communication unit in association with each other, and

the determination unit further

acquires the degree of recoverability based on a relationship between the acquired operation condition and the threshold stored in the database, and

changes contents of a usage limitation of the local machine based on the acquired degree of recoverability.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation condition is an elapsed time after the function of the communication unit is stopped, and

the acquisition unit measures the elapsed time.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation condition is a number of times of receiving a signal transmitted from outside after the function of the communication unit is stopped, and

the acquisition unit counts the number of times of receiving the signal.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation condition is a moving distance of the local machine after the function of the communication unit is stopped, and

the acquisition unit measures the moving distance.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation condition is a utilization time of the local machine after the function of the communication unit is stopped, and

the acquisition unit measures the utilization time.

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

a storage unit for storing a planned destination of the local machine,

wherein the operation condition is the planned destination of the local machine after the function of the communication unit is stopped, and

the acquisition unit extracts the planned destination of the local machine from the storage unit.

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

an output unit capable of displaying a notification screen prompting the recovery request,

wherein, when the function of the communication unit is determined to be recoverable, the control unit causes the output unit to display the notification screen.

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

an authentication unit for determining whether or not there is a use authority to use the local machine,

wherein, when the function of the communication unit is determined to be recoverable, the control unit causes the authentication unit to determine whether or not the use of the local machine is authorized.

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

a communication limitation unit for limiting communication destinations with which the local machine is allowed to communicate,

wherein, when the function of the communication unit is determined to be recoverable, the control unit causes the communication limitation unit to limit the communication destinations.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit performs wireless communication.

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

receiving a signal from outside,

wherein, remote control is activated according to the received signal.

15. An electronic apparatus provided with a communication unit that performs external communication and capable of controlling a stop and a recovery of a function of the communication unit, the apparatus comprising:

a detection unit for detecting an operation condition of a local machine when the function is stopped;

a determination unit for determining a possibility of the recovery based on the detected operation condition; and

a control unit for performing specific processing when the recovery is determined to be possible.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a reception unit for receiving a recovery request of the function,

wherein, when the recovery request is received, the function of the communication unit is recovered.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a threshold indicating a magnitude of the possibility of the recovery in association with each operation condition,

wherein the determination unit determines the possibility of the recovery based on a relationship between the detected operation condition and the threshold stored in the storage unit.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the storage unit stores an index value indicating a degree of the possibility of the recovery in association with each operation condition, and

the determination unit includes:

calculating the degree of the possibility of the recovery based on the relationship between the detected operation condition and the index value stored in the storage unit; and

determining the possibility of the recovery based on the calculated degree.

19. A method for controlling a stop and a recovery of a communication function for performing external communication, the method comprising:

acquiring an operation condition of a main body of the computer while the communication function is stopped;

determining whether the communication function is recoverable based on the acquired operation condition; and

limiting a use of the main body of the computer when the communication function is determined to be recoverable.

20. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling a stop and a recovery of a communication function for performing external communication, the program causing a computer to execute:

acquiring an operation condition of a main body of a computer while the communication function is stopped;

determining whether the communication function is recoverable based on the acquired operation condition; and

limiting a use of the main body of the computer when the communication function is determined to be recoverable.