Electronic Apparatus, Control Method and Storage Medium

• US 20150379310A1
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikuta, Masaaki, Umedu, Hideyuki, Tsuji, Tadashi
• Application Number:
  US14/574,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20150379310A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a first determination controller, a second determination controller and a security controller. The first determination controller determines, at intervals of a first time period, whether or not communication with a management server is executable. The second determination controller determines, when it is determined that the communication with the management server is not executable, whether or not a second time period elapses from a last one of times at each of which it is determined that the communication with the management server is executable. The security controller executes a process for inhibiting use of the apparatus when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a communicator;

a first determination controller to determine, at intervals of a first time period, whether or not communication with a management server is executable, by communicating with the management server, using the communicator;

a second determination controller to determine, when it is determined that the communication with the management server is not executable, whether or not a second time period elapses from a last one of times at each of which it is determined that the communication with the management server is executable; and

a security controller to execute processing for inhibiting use of the apparatus when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the security controller is provided as a function of a BIOS or a boot loader, and inhibits loading of an OS when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a connector to be connected to a cradle when the apparatus is accommodated in the cradle,

wherein the communicator communicates with the management server through the connector connected to the cradle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the security controller initializes a main memory when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an acquisition controller to acquire at least one of information indicative of the first time period and information indicative of the second time period from the management server, by communication of the communicator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an alarm controller to output an alarm message if time left before the second time period elapses from the last one of the times at each of which it is determined that the communication with the management server is executable is a third time period or less.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the communicator executes wireless communication; and

the electronic apparatus further comprises an alarm controller to output an alarm message when a signal strength of the wireless communication executed by the communicator is equal to or less than a first value.

8. A control method for an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

determining, at intervals of a first time period, whether or not communication with a management server is executable, by communicating with the management server, using a communicator;

determining, when it is determined that the communication with the management server is not executable, whether or not a second time period elapses from a last one of times at each of which it is determined that the communication with the management server is executable; and

executing processing for inhibiting use of the apparatus when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the executing the processing comprises inhibiting loading of an OS when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the executing the processing comprises initializing a main memory when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising acquiring at least one of information indicative of the first time period and information indicative of the second time period from the management server, by communication of a communicator.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising outputting an alarm message if time left before the second time period elapses from the last one of the times at each of which it is determined that the communication with the management server is executable is a third time period or less.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising outputting an alarm message when a signal strength of the wireless communication executed by the communicator is equal to or less than a first value.

14. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a computer program which is executable by a computer, the computer program controlling the computer to function as:

a first determination controller to determine, at intervals of a first time period, whether or not communication with a management server is executable, by communicating with the management server, using a communicator;

a second determination controller to determine, when it is determined that the communication with the management server is not executable, whether or not a second time period elapses from a last one of times at each of which it is determined that the communication with the management server is executable; and

a security controller to execute processing for inhibiting use of the apparatus when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the security controller is provided as a function of a BIOS or a boot loader, and inhibits loading of an OS when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein the security controller initializes a main memory when it is determined that the second time period elapses.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the computer to function as an acquisition controller to acquire at least one of information indicative of the first time period and information indicative of the second time period from the management server, by communication of the communicator.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the computer to function as an alarm controller to output an alarm message when time left before the second time period elapses from the last one of the times at each of which it is determined that the communication with the management server is executable is a third time period or less.

19. The medium of claim 14, wherein the program further causes the computer to function as an alarm controller to output an alarm message when a signal strength of wireless communication executed by the communication portion is equal to or less than a first value.