INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, SECURITY METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING SECURITY PROGRAM

• US 20100325712A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: KAKUTA, Jun, MATSUI, Kazuki, MATSUKURA, Ryuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• 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

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a key information table memory for storing, in a key information table, key information including first identification information identifying a first nearby device communicating with the information processing apparatus, a communication unit for communicating with a second nearby device present at a location where the second nearby device is communicable with the information processing apparatus, a nearby device information retrieval unit for retrieving nearby device information including second identification information identifying the second nearby device, a movement halt detector for detecting a movement status of the information processing apparatus, a functional limitation determiner for determining, based on the key information, the nearby device information, and/or the movement status, whether to limit execution of a process of a function of the information processing apparatus and a functional limitation executer for controlling the execution of the process based on the determination results.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a key information table memory that stores, in a key information table, key information including first identification information identifying a first nearby device communicating with the information processing apparatus;

a communication unit that communicates with a second nearby device present at a location where the second nearby device is communicable with the information processing apparatus;

a nearby device information retrieval unit that retrieves nearby device information including second identification information identifying the second nearby device that has communicated with the information processing apparatus;

a movement halt detector that detects a movement status of the information processing apparatus;

a functional limitation determiner that determines whether to limit execution of a process of a function of the information processing apparatus, based on the key information of the first nearby device, the nearby device information of the second nearby device, and the movement status; and

a functional limitation executer that controls the execution of the process based on the determination results.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the functional limitation determiner decides to limit the execution of the process if the key information and the nearby device information fail to satisfy a specific condition and if the movement status detected by the movement halt detector indicates that the information processing apparatus has moved.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the functional limitation determiner decides to limit the execution of the process if the first identification information included in the key information fails to match the second identification information included in the nearby device information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a travel distance calculator that calculates based upon the movement status detected by the movement halt detector, a travel distance of the information processing apparatus from a location where the key information was registered in the key information table,

wherein the functional limitation determiner decides to limit the execution of the process if the travel distance exceeds a specific distance.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the movement halt detector detects a halt of the information processing apparatus, the nearby device information retrieval unit detects a third nearby device and retrieves another nearby device information including third identification information identifying the detected third nearby device, and

wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises a key information generator that generates another key information based on the another nearby device information retrieved, and storing the another key information in the key information table.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the key information table memory stores a radio wave strength in communications with the first nearby device and the key information with the radio wave strength mapped thereto,

wherein the nearby device information retrieval unit retrieves the nearby device information including another radio wave strength in communications with the second nearby device,

wherein the functional limitation determiner determines based on the radio wave strength and the another radio wave strength whether to limit the execution of the process.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a mobile terminal.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein if the travel distance exceeds a specific distance, the functional limitation determiner further determines whether another condition different from the specific condition is satisfied, and if the other condition is not satisfied, the functional limitation determiner decides to limit the execution of the process.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the key information table memory stores a location identifier identifying a location where the key information was registered and the key information with the location identifier mapped thereto, and

wherein the functional limitation determiner references the key information corresponding to a location where the information processing apparatus had been before the specific distance was exceeded, and if the nearby device information is included in the key information, the functional limitation determiner determines that the other condition is satisfied.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the functional limitation determiner decides to limit the execution of the process if the another radio wave strength falls outside a specific range from the radio wave strength.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a travel distance calculator that calculates based upon the movement status detected by the movement halt detector, a travel distance of the information processing apparatus from a location where the key information was registered in the key information table,

wherein the functional limitation determiner decides to limit the execution of the process if the travel distance exceeds a specific distance.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein if the movement halt detector detects a halt of the information processing apparatus, the nearby device information retrieval unit detects a third nearby device and retrieves another nearby device information including third identification information identifying the detected third nearby device, and

wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises a key information generator that generates another key information based on the another nearby device information retrieved, and storing the another key information in the key information table.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the key information table memory stores a radio wave strength in communications with the first nearby device and the key information with the radio wave strength mapped thereto,

wherein the nearby device information retrieval unit retrieves the nearby device information including another radio wave strength in communications with the second nearby device,

wherein the functional limitation determiner determines based on the radio wave strength and the another radio wave strength whether to limit the execution of the process.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a travel distance calculator that calculates based upon the movement status detected by the movement halt detector, a travel distance of the information processing apparatus from a location where the key information was registered in the key information table,

wherein the functional limitation determiner decides to limit the execution of the process if the travel distance exceeds a specific distance.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if the movement halt detector detects a halt of the information processing apparatus, the nearby device information retrieval unit detects a third nearby device and retrieves another nearby device information including third identification information identifying the detected third nearby device, and

wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises a key information generator that generates another key information based on the another nearby device information retrieved, and storing the another key information in the key information table.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein if the movement halt detector detects a halt of the information processing apparatus, the nearby device information retrieval unit detects a third nearby device and retrieves another nearby device information including third identification information identifying the detected third nearby device,

and wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises a key information generator that generates another key information based on the another nearby device information retrieved, and storing the another key information in the key information table.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the key information table memory stores a radio wave strength in communications with the first nearby device and the key information with the radio wave strength mapped thereto,

wherein the nearby device information retrieval unit retrieves the nearby device information including another radio wave strength in communications with the second nearby device,

wherein the functional limitation determiner determines based on the radio wave strength and the another radio wave strength whether to limit the execution of the process.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the key information table memory stores a radio wave strength in communications with the first nearby device and the key information with the radio wave strength mapped thereto,

wherein the nearby device information retrieval unit retrieves the nearby device information including another radio wave strength in communications with the second nearby device,

wherein the functional limitation determiner determines based on the radio wave strength and the another radio wave strength whether to limit the execution of the process.

19. A security method executed by a computer, the security method comprising:

storing, on a key information table memory, key information including first identification information of a first nearby device communicating with the computer;

communicating with a second nearby device present at a location where the second nearby device is communicable with the computer;

retrieving nearby device information including second identification information identifying the second nearby device that has communicated with the computer;

detecting a movement status of the computer;

determining whether to limit execution of a process of a function of the computer, based on the key information of the first nearby device, the nearby device information of the second nearby device, and the movement status; and

controlling the execution of the process based on the determination results.

20. A storage medium storing a security program that causes a computer to execute:

storing, on a key information table memory, key information including first identification information of a first nearby device communicating with the computer;

communicating with a second nearby device present at a location where the second nearby device is communicable with the computer;

retrieving nearby device information including second identification information identifying the second nearby device that has communicated with the computer;

detecting a movement status of the computer;

determining whether to limit execution of a process of a function of the computer, based on the key information of the first nearby device, the nearby device information of the second nearby device, and the movement status; and

controlling the execution of the process based on the determination results.