Communication apparatus

• US 7,212,114 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yui, Yasuji, Yaegashi, Akira, Matsumura, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/523,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/542, 340/543, 340/426.35, 340/426.36, 340/539.11, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 235/382, 235/382.5, 709/217, 713/186
• US Class Current: 340/542
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/20 Checking timed patrols, e.g. of watchman
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/32 Time-recording locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00777 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002

Abstract

A communication apparatus is provided that can urge a person, such as a child, to come back home at a scheduled time. The communication apparatus can also inform another person, such as a parent of the child, about the time that the child arrives home.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

first communication means for communicating with an electronic key device in which at least first electronic key information is stored;

second communication means for transmitting information through a communication network;

a storage section for storing second electronic key information;

door lock control means for comparing the first electronic key information received from the electronic key device through the first communication means with the second electronic key information stored in the storage section, thereby controlling a lock apparatus for a door based on the result of the comparison;

user recognition means for recognizing a user of the electronic key device based on information received from the electronic key device through the first communication means;

transmission control means for controlling, based on the recognition result of the user recognition means, the transmission of information regarding passing in/out of the user of the electronic key device to a predetermined notification destination through the second communication means; and

setting storing means for accepting and storing a setting of the user of the electronic key device, the setting storing means determining a notification destination that the information regarding the passing in/out is to be transmitted;

wherein the setting storing means accepts and stores time information related to the user of the electronic key device; and

wherein the transmission control means transmits information regarding that passing in/out of the user of the electronic key device does not occur to the notification destination through the second communication means, if the set user of the electronic key device is not recognized by the user recognition means for an elapsed time period corresponding to the time information stored in the setting storing means.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the notification destination is the set user of the electronic key device, and the information regarding that passing in/out of the user of the electronic key device does not occur is information for urging the user of the electronic key device to perform the passing in/out.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the notification destination is a person different from the set user of the electronic key device.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

if the set user of the electronic key device is recognized by the user recognition means during the elapsed time period corresponding to the time information, the information regarding coming in/going out of the user of the electronic key device is transmitted to the notification destination through the second communication means.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic key information is formed from identification information with which the user of the electronic key device can be identified, and

the user recognition means recognizes the user of the electronic key device who comes in/goes out through the door based on the electronic key information received from the electronic key device.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic key information is identification information allocated and unitarily managed so that the same electronic key information may not co-exist,

the communication apparatus further comprises a personal information storage section for storing personal information with which an owner of the electronic key device can be specified corresponding to the electronic key information and means for comparing the electronic key information received from the electronic key device and the electronic key information stored in the storage section with each other and managing coming in/going out of the owner of the electronic key device through the door based on the result of the comparison, and

the user recognition means recognizes the user of the electronic key device who comes in/goes out through the door based on the electronic key information received from the electronic key device.