ELECTRONIC DEVICE, UNLOCKING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20100251358A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujimura, Kazuya, Kobayashi, Yutaka, Uchida, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories

Abstract

There is provided an electronic device capable of automatically unlocking a lock of an external storage device using a password without adding a function to the external storage device. An electronic device 100 includes a memory card connection unit 108 connecting a memory card 200 capable of being locked using the password, a password retention unit 101 retaining the password of the memory card 200, a lock state determination unit 106 determining whether or not the memory card 200 connected to the memory card connection unit 108 is in a locked state, and a setting cancellation unit 105 transmitting an unlocking signal for unlocking the locked state of the memory card 200 on the basis of the password when it is determined that the memory card 200 is in the locked state.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an external storage device connection part connecting an external storage device capable of being locked by a password;

an identification information acquisition part acquiring identification information for identifying the external storage device;

a password retention part retaining the identification information and the password of the external storage device in association with each other;

a lock state determination part determining whether or not the external storage device connected to the external storage device connection part is in a locked state; and

an unlocking part transmitting an unlocking signal for unlocking the locked state of the external storage device on a basis of the password associated with the identification information when the lock state determination part determines that the external storage device is in the locked state and when identification information identical with the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition part is retained in the password retention part.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a password setting part transmitting a password setting signal for setting the password to the external storage device.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the password setting part transmits the password setting signal for setting the password inputted by the input part.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a password mode setting part setting a password mode for setting or erasing the password, wherein

when a password setting mode is set as the password mode, the password setting part transmits the password setting signal on the basis of the password associated with the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition part.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a password erasing part transmitting a password erasing signal for erasing the password on the basis of the password associated with the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition part when a password erasing mode is set as the password mode.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a main body lock mode setting part setting a main body lock mode for locking or unlocking a function provided in the electronic device, wherein

when a locking mode is set as the main body lock mode, the password mode setting part sets the password setting mode as the password mode.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein, when an unlocking mode is set as the main body lock mode, the password mode setting part sets the password erasing mode as the password mode.

12. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the password setting part stores the set password in the password retention part.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the password is a password for locking or unlocking the function provided in the electronic device.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the password is based on IC identification information for identifying an IC card connected to the electronic device.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a password generation part generating the password.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the password generation part generates the password on the basis of the identification information for identifying the external storage device and identification information for identifying an IC card connected to the electronic device.

17. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data access part for getting access to data of the external storage device; and

a power supply part supplying power to the external storage device during a time period when the access is performed by the data access part, wherein

when the power is supplied by the power supply part, the unlocking part transmits the unlocking signal.

18. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an IC card connection part connecting the IC card having the password retention part, wherein

when data reference or data storage is performed to the password retention part of the IC card, the unlocking part or the identification information acquisition part makes an access request to the IC card.

19. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the IC card is a SIM card.

20. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display part performing a display for reporting at least one of a password setting state in the external storage device and a lock setting state of the external storage device.

21. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein, when the password is set in the external storage device and the external storage device is in the locked state, the display part displays that the password is set in the external storage device and the external storage device is in the locked state.

22. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein, when the password is set in the external storage device and the external storage device is in an unlocked state, the display part displays that the password is set in the external storage device and the external storage device is in the unlocked state.

23. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein, when the password is not set in the external storage device, the display part displays that the password is not set in the external storage device.

24. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking signal includes the password.

25. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the password setting signal includes the password.

26. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the password erasing signal includes the password.

27. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein, when the password setting mode is set as the password mode, and when the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition part is not retained in the password retention part, the password setting part transmits the password setting signal on the basis of the password inputted by the input part.

28. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein, when the external storage device is brought into the locked state on the basis of the power supply to the external storage device, the lock state determination part determines that the password is set in the external storage device and the external storage device is in the locked state.

29. The electronic device according to claim 22, wherein, when the external storage device is brought into the locked state on the basis of the power supply to the external storage device and the unlocking of the locked state is successfully performed using the unlocking signal, the lock state determination part determines that the password is set in the external storage device and the external storage device is in the unlocked state.

30. The electronic device according to claim 23, wherein, when the external storage device is not brought into the locked state on the basis of the power supply to the external storage device, the lock state determination part determines that the password is not set in the external storage device.

2. (canceled)

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein, when the unlocking part fails in unlocking after the transmission of the unlocking signal, the unlocking part retransmits the unlocking signal on the basis of a password inputted by an input part.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein, when the unlocking part succeeds in unlocking after the retransmission of the unlocking signal, the unlocking part stores the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition part and the password inputted by the input part in the password retention part in association with each other.

5. An electronic device, comprising:

an external storage device connection part connecting an external storage device capable of being locked by a password;

a password retention part retaining the password of the external storage device;

a lock state determination part determining whether or not the external storage device connected to the external storage device connection part is in a locked state; and

an unlocking part, when the lock state determination part determines that the external storage device is in the locked stated, transmitting an unlocking signal for unlocking the locked state of the external storage device on a basis of the password retained by the password retention part, and transmitting the unlocking signal on a basis of another password retained by the password retention part when the unlocking part fails in unlocking.

31. An unlocking method comprising, in an electronic device, the steps of:

determining whether or not an external storage device is in a locked state; and

transmitting an unlocking signal for unlocking the locked state of the external storage device on a basis of a password retained in a password retention part retaining the password of the external storage device when it is determined that the external storage device connected to an external storage device connection part connecting the external storage device capable of being locked using the password is in the locked state.

32. (canceled)