CONTROL SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, TERMINAL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20140181510A1
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: KITA, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 9,198,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A control system includes an information processing apparatus and a terminal device which perform wireless communication with each other, wherein the terminal device is moved with a user, and includes: a switching request signal transmission section that transmits a switching request signal, the information processing apparatus includes: a received signal strength measuring section that measures a received signal strength of a transmitted signal; and a control section that sets the received signal strength measured when receiving the switching request signal to a switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the switching threshold value, and switches it from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the switching threshold value.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

an information processing apparatus; and

a terminal device that performs wireless communication with the information processing apparatus, the control system controlling a status of the information processing apparatus, wherein

the terminal device is moved with a user, and includes;

a switching request signal transmission section that transmits a switching request signal for performing switching of the information processing apparatus between a first status and a second status, according to a user operation,

the information processing apparatus includes;

a received signal strength measuring section that measures one or more received signal strengths of one or more signals transmitted from the terminal device in the wireless communication; and

a control section that when the information processing apparatus receives the switching request signal, sets the received signal strength measured by the received signal strength measuring section to a switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the switching threshold value,

wherein the first status is logout status or lock statue, and the second status is login status or unlock status.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein

the switching request signal transmission section transmits, as the switching request signal, a first switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status, and/or a second switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status, according to a user operation,

the control section sets the received signal strength at the time of receiving the first switching request signal to a first switching threshold value, sets the received signal strength at the time of receiving the second switching request signal to a second switching threshold value, switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the first switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the second switching threshold value.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein

the information processing apparatus further includes a threshold value storage section that stores the first switching threshold value and the second switching threshold value, and

the threshold value storage section stores a minimum received signal strength among the plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the first switching request signal is received, as the first switching threshold, when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal multiple times, and stores a minimum received signal strength among the plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the second switching request signal is received, as the second switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal multiple times.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus further includes:

a resume section that resumes a process content, which has been executed at the time of last switching from the second status to the first status, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein

the terminal device further includes:

a key storage section that stores an encryption key and a decryption key, and

the information processing apparatus further includes;

a file storage section that stores a file;

an encryption section that encrypts a file which is opened at the time of switching from the second status to the first status by using the encryption key transmitted from the terminal device, and causes the file storage section to store the file; and

a decryption section that reads out the file, which has been opened at the time of last switching from the second status to the first status, from the file storage section, and that decrypts and opens the file by using the decryption key transmitted from the terminal device, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus further includes:

a switching threshold value changing section that changes the switching threshold value on the basis of a user operation.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus further includes:

a communication section that is communicable with a server via a network;

a server access application executing section that executes a server access application for accessing to the server; and

a server login control section that causes the server access application executing section to execute the server access application to login to the server when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a received signal strength measuring section that measures a received signal strength at the time of receiving a signal externally transmitted by wireless communication; and

a control section that when the information processing apparatus receives, as the signal, a switching request signal for performing switching of the information processing apparatus between the first status and the second status, sets the received signal strength measured by the received signal strength measuring section to a switching threshold value, switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the switching threshold vale, and switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the switching threshold value,

wherein the first status is logout status or lock statue, and the second status is login status or unlock status.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the control section sets, to a first switching threshold value, the received signal strength at the time of receiving, as the switching request signal, a first switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status by wireless communication, and sets, to a second switching threshold value, the received signal strength at the time of receiving, as the switching request signal, a second switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status by wireless communication, switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the first switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the second threshold value.

10. A terminal device which transmits the switching request signal according to claim 8.

11. A method for controlling a status of an information processing apparatus in a system which includes the information processing apparatus and a terminal device that performs wireless communication with the information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

using a terminal device moved with a user as the terminal device;

transmitting a switching request signal for performing switching of the information processing apparatus between the first status and the second status according to a user operation from the terminal device;

measuring one or more received signal strengths of one or more signals which are transmitted from the terminal device in the wireless communication;

setting the received signal strength measured by the measuring step to a switching threshold value when the information processing apparatus receives the switching request signal, and

performing controlling to switch the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the switching threshold value, and to switch the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the switching threshold value,

wherein the first status is logout status or lock statue, and the second status is login status or unlock status.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the transmitting step includes transmitting to the information processing apparatus, as the switching request signal, a first switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status and/or a second switching request signal from switching the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status, according to a user operation,

the setting step includes setting the received signal strength when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal, as the first switching threshold value, and setting the received signal strength when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal, as the second switching threshold value, and

the controlling step includes switching the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the first switching threshold value, and switching the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes equal to or larger than the second switching threshold value.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

storing the first switching threshold value and the second switching threshold value,

wherein

the storing step includes storing a minimum received signal strength among the plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the first switching request signal is received, as the first switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal multiple times, and stores a minimum received signal strength among the plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the second switching request signal is received, as the second switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal multiple times.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

resuming a process content, which has been executed in the information processing apparatus at the time of last switching from the second status to the first status, by the information processing apparatus, when the information processing apparatus is switched from the first status to the second status.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

using a terminal device including a key storage section that stores an encryption key and a decryption key, as the terminal device; and

using an information processing apparatus including a file storage section that stores a file, as the information processing apparatus, and wherein

the controlling step further includes;

encrypting a file which is opened at the time of switching from the second status to the first status by causing the information processing apparatus to use the encryption key transmitted from the terminal device, and causes the file storage section to store the file; and

reading out the file which has been opened at the time of last switching from the second status to the first status from the file storage section, and decrypting and opening the file by causing the information processing apparatus to use the decryption key transmitted from the terminal device, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

16. A computer readable medium which stores a control program for controlling a status of an information processing apparatus in a system which includes the information processing apparatus and a terminal device that performs wireless communication with the information processing apparatus, the terminal device being moved with a user, and the control program causing the terminal device to exert:

a switching request signal transmission function that transmits a switching request signal for performing switching of the information processing apparatus between a first status and a second status, according to a user operation,

and causing the information processing apparatus to exert;

a received signal strength measuring function that measures one or more received signal strengths of one or more signals transmitted from the terminal device in the wireless communication;

a threshold value setting function that sets the received signal strength measured by the received signal strength measuring function when the switching request signal is received, to a switching threshold value; and

a control function that switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the switching threshold value,

wherein the first status is logout status or lock statue, and the second status is login status or unlock status.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein

the switching request signal transmission function causes the terminal device to exert a function that transmits to the information processing apparatus, as the switching request signal, a first switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status, and/or a second switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status, according to a user operation,

the threshold value setting function causes the information processing apparatus to exert a function that sets the received signal strength at the time of receiving the first switching request signal to a first switching threshold value, and sets the received signal strength at the time of receiving the second switching request signal to a second switching threshold value, and

the control function causes the information processing apparatus to exert a function that switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the first switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the second switching threshold value.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein

the computer program further causes the information processing section to exert:

a threshold value storage function that stores the first switching threshold value and the second switching threshold value, and

the threshold value storage function causes the information processing apparatus to exert a function that stores a minimum received signal strength among the plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the first switching request signal is received, as the first switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal multiple times, and stores a minimum received signal strength among the plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the second switching request signal is received, as the second switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal multiple times.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein

the computer program further causes the information processing apparatus to exert:

a resume function that resumes a process content, which has been executed in the information processing apparatus at the time of last switching from the second status to the first status, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein

the terminal device includes:

a key storage section that stores an encryption key and a decryption key, and

the information processing apparatus includes;

a file storage section that stores a file, and

the control program further causes the information processing section to exert;

an encryption function that encrypts a file which is opened at the time of switching from the second status to the first status by using the encryption key transmitted from the terminal device, and causes the file storage section to store the file; and

a decryption function that reads out the file, which has been opened at the time of last switching from the second status to the first status, from the file storage section, and that decrypts and opens the file by using the decryption key transmitted from the terminal device, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.