Electric equipment, and method and program for preventing unauthorized use of same

• US 7,512,992 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Komatsu, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kimyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAN, APRIL YING
• Application Number:
  US10/635,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 726/35, 726/17, 726/19, 726/34, 379/39
• US Class Current: 726/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/70 Protecting specific internal or peripheral components, in which the protection of a component leads to protection of the entire computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect

Abstract

Electric equipment, and a method and a program for preventing the unauthorized use of same, by which it is possible to prevent the theft of electric equipment installed in an environment where the electric equipment is available for the use of an unspecified number of users and the stealing of information stored in the electric equipment. The electric equipment comprises: an operation limiting section for setting a function limit to make at least part of functions of the electric equipment unavailable; an I/F for connecting an external device to the electric equipment; an external device information obtaining section for obtaining device identification information from an external device connected via the interface to the electric equipment to identify the device; a write control section for associating the function limit with the device identification information of a prescribed external device to thereby obtain a cryptographic key; an NVRAM for storing the cryptographic key; and a comparator for determining whether or not the device identification information obtained from an external device connected via the interface to the electric equipment matches the cryptographic key stored in the NVRAM. The operation limiting section cancels the function limit when the comparator determines that the obtained information matches the cryptographic key.

Claims

1. An electric apparatus comprising:

a function limiting module for setting a function limit to the electric apparatus so that at least part of functions of the electric apparatus become unavailable;

a plurality of interfaces for connecting external devices to the electric apparatus;

a module for obtaining device identification information from an external device connected via one of the plurality of interfaces to the electric apparatus to identify the external device;

a module for generating connection route information indicating which interface of the plurality of interfaces is used to connect the external device that has provided the device identification information;

a module for associating the function limit with a combination of the device identification information and connection route information to obtain a cryptographic key;

a memory for storing at least one cryptographic key;

a determining module for determining whether a second combination of device identification information obtained from each external device of one or more external devices connected via one of the interfaces to the electric apparatus and connection route information for each external device of the one or more external devices matches the cryptographic key stored in the memory; and

a limit canceling module for canceling the function limit set by the function limiting module if the determining module determines that the second combination of the obtained device information and connection route information matches the cryptographic key stored in memory.

2. The electric apparatus claimed in claim 1, further comprising a module for having the external device that has provided the device identification information associated with the function limit store information that uniquely identifies the external device as corresponding to the device identification information if the external device is capable of storing information.

3. The electric apparatus claimed in claim 1, further comprising a module for resetting the function limit if a prescribed period of time has passed after the determining module made the determination.

4. The electric apparatus claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a module for having the external device that has provided the device identification information associated with the function limit store information that uniquely identifies the external device as corresponding to the device identification information if the external device is capable of storing information; and

a module for resetting the function limit if a prescribed period of time has passed after the determining module made the determination.

5. A method for preventing the unauthorized use of an electric apparatus including a plurality of interfaces to connect external devices thereto, comprising:

a function limiting step for setting a function limit to the electric apparatus so that at least part of functions of the electric apparatus become unavailable;

a first device identification information obtaining step for obtaining device identification information from an external device connected via one of the interfaces to the electric equipment to identify the external device;

a first connection route information generating step for generating first connection route information indicating which interface is used to connect the external device to the electric apparatus at the first device identification information obtaining step;

a step for associating the function limit with a combination of the device identification information and the connection route information to obtain a cryptographic key;

a step for storing the cryptographic key in a memory;

a second device identification information obtaining step for obtaining second device identification information from a second external device connected via one of the interfaces to the electric apparatus to identify the second external device;

a second connection route information generating step for generating second connection route information indicating which interface is used to connect the second external device to the electric apparatus at the second device identification information obtaining step;

a determining step for determining whether a second combination of the second device identification information obtained at the second device identification information obtaining step and the second connection route information matches the cryptographic key stored in the memory; and

a limit canceling step for canceling the function limit set at the function limiting step if it is determined at the determining step that the second combination of the information obtained at the second device identification information obtaining step and the second connection route information matches the cryptographic key.

6. The method for preventing the unauthorized use of an electric apparatus claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step for having the external device that has provided the device identification information associated with the function limit store information that uniquely identifies the external device as corresponding to the device identification information after the first device identification information obtaining step if the external device connected to the electric apparatus at the first device identification information obtaining step is capable of storing information.

7. The method for preventing the unauthorized use of an electric apparatus claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step for resetting the function limit if a prescribed period of time has passed after the determining step.

8. The method for preventing the unauthorized use of an electric apparatus claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a step for having the external device that has provided the device identification information associated with the function limit store information that uniquely identifies the external device as corresponding to the device identification information after the first device identification information obtaining step if the external device connected to the electric apparatus at the first device identification information obtaining step is capable of storing information; and

a step for resetting the function limit if a prescribed period of time has passed after the determining step.

9. A program recorded on a computer storage medium for preventing the unauthorized use of an electric apparatus, which is built into the electric apparatus including a plurality of interfaces to connect external devices thereto, and the program enabling a computer to control the electric apparatus, wherein the program includes the steps of:

a function limiting step for setting a function limit to the electric equipment so that at least part of functions of the electric apparatus become unavailable;

a first device identification information obtaining step for obtaining device identification information from an external device connected via one of the plurality of interfaces to the electric apparatus to identify the external device;

a first connection route information generating step for generating first connection route information indicating which interface of the plurality of interfaces is used to connect the external device to the electric apparatus at the first device identification information obtaining step;

a step for associating the function limit with a combination of the device identification information and the connection route information to obtain a cryptographic key;

a step for storing the cryptographic key in a memory;

a second device identification information obtaining step for obtaining a second device identification information from a second external device connected via one of the plurality of interfaces to the electric apparatus to identify the second external device;

a second connection route information generating step for generating second connection route information indicating which interface of the plurality of interfaces is used to connect the second external device to the electric apparatus at the second device identification information obtaining step;

a determining step for determining whether a second combination of the second device identification information obtained at the second device identification information obtaining step and the second connection route information matches the cryptographic key stored in the memory; and

a limit canceling step for canceling the function limit of the one or more function limits set at the function limiting step if it is determined at the determining step that the second combination of the information obtained at the second device identification information obtaining step and the second connection route information matches the cryptographic key.

10. The program recorded on a computer storage medium claimed in claim 9, wherein the program comprises the further step of having the external device that has provided the device identification information associated with the function limit store information that uniquely identifies the external device as the device identification information after the first device identification information obtaining step if the external device connected to the electric apparatus at the first device identification information obtaining step is capable of storing information.

11. The program recorded on a computer storage medium claimed in claim 9, wherein the program comprises the further step of resetting the function limit if a prescribed period of time has passed after the determining step.

12. The program recorded on a computer storage medium claimed in claim 9, wherein the program comprises the further steps of:

a step for having the external device that has provided the device identification information store information that uniquely identifies the external device as the device identification information after the first device identification information obtaining step if the external device connected to the electric apparatus at the first device identification information obtaining step is capable of storing information; and

a step for resetting the function limit if a prescribed period of time has passed after the determining step.