Electronic device with an antitheft function and method for preventing theft of electronic devices

• US 7,782,205 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Gakumura, Hiroki, Baba, Hideki, Tsurusaki, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US11/904,145
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/5.61, 340/545.2, 340/825.72, 235/382, 235/492, 705/44
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/128 the housing being an electronic circuit unit, e.g. memory or CPU chip protecting computer components in secure or tamper resistant housings G06F21/86; protecting computer input devices, e.g. keyboards G06F21/83
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device with an antitheft function consisting of a wireless tag containing information enabling the electronic device to operate, and a control portion accessible to the wireless tag, where the control portion releases a lock of the electronic device when the electronic device is determined to be operable according to the information stored in the wireless tag. Also, the present invention includes a method for preventing theft of an electronic device that includes the steps of writing information enabling the electronic device to operate on a memory of a wireless tag by a wireless tag writer at the time of purchase of the electronic device, and determining if the electronic device is operable according to the information written on the wireless tag.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a wireless tag containing information enabling the electronic device to operate, and a control portion accessible to the wireless tag, wherein said information is written on the wireless tag by a wireless tag writer at a time of purchase of the electronic device;

and

said control portion releases a lock of the electronic device when the electronic device is determined to be operable according to the information stored in the wireless tag.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, the electronic device further comprises a reset circuit to set to an initial state,

wherein said electronic device still displays an image when it is reset to the initial state in case the electronic device is determined to be operable according to the information stored in the wireless tag.

2. The electronic device according to clam 1, wherein said control portion requests to input a lock release code when the electronic device is determined to be inoperable according to the information stored in the wireless tag.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2 further comprising a decoder to generate a video data and an audio data by decoding a television signal received from a tuner,

wherein said control portion stops an output from the decoder when the electronic device is determined to be inoperable according to the input of said lock release code.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein said electronic device is connected to an external device through a cable;

said electronic device receives a video signal and an audio signal from said external device; and

said control portion stops the reception of the video signal or the audio signal from the external device when the result of comparison at a comparing portion is not confirmed.

6. An electronic device comprising a wireless tag containing information related to a serial number of the electronic device, and a control portion accessible to the wireless tag, wherein a lock release code according to the information related to the serial number stored in the wireless tag is further written on the wireless tag by a wireless tag writer at a time of purchase of the electronic device;

and

said control portion releases a lock of the electronic device when the electronic device is determined to be operable according to the lock release code written on the wireless tag.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein said writing of the lock release code on said wireless tag comprises reading the information related to the serial number of the electronic device stored in the wireless tag by the wireless tag reader, and writing the lock release code corresponding to the information related to the serial number of the electronic device on the wireless tag by the wireless tag reader at the time of purchase of the electronic device.

11. The electronic device according to claim 6, the electronic device further comprising a reset circuit to set to an initial state,

wherein said electronic device still displays an image when it is reset to the initial state in case the electronic device is determined to be operable according to the information stored in the wireless tag.

8. The electronic device according to clam 6, where said control portion requests to input the lock release code when the electronic device is determined to be inoperable according to the information stored in the wireless tag.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8 further comprising a decoder to generate a video data and an audio data by decoding a television signal received from a tuner,

wherein said control portion stops an output from the decoder when the electronic device is determined to be inoperable according to the input of the lock release code.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein said electronic device is connected to an external device through a cable;

said electronic device receives a video signal and an audio signal from said external device; and

said control portion stops the reception of the video signal or the audio signal from the external device when the result of comparison at a comparing portion is not confirmed.

12. A method for preventing theft of an electronic device comprising the steps of:

writing information enabling the electronic device to operate on a memory of a wireless tag by a wireless tag writer at the time of purchase of the electronic device; and

determining as to whether the electronic device is to be enabled or not according to the information written on the wireless tag.

13. The method for preventing theft of an electronic device according to claim 12, the method further comprising the step of:

requesting an input of a lock release code when the electronic device is determined to be inoperable according to the information stored in said wireless tag.

14. The method for preventing theft of an electronic device according to claim 12, the method further comprising the steps of:

writing information related to a serial number of the electronic device on said wireless tag at a time of shipping of the electronic device;

reading the information related to the serial number of the electronic device stored in the wireless tag by a wireless tag reader at a time of purchase of the electronic device; and

writing a lock release code corresponding to the information related to the serial number of the electronic device on said wireless tag by a wireless tag writer.

15. The method for preventing theft of an electronic device according to claim 12, the method further comprising the steps of:

generating an image data and an audio data by decoding a television signal received from a tuner; and

stopping an output of the image data and the audio data when the electronic device is determined to be inoperable according to the information written on said wireless tag.

16. The method for preventing theft of an electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said electronic device further comprises a function to set to an initial state, wherein said electronic device still displays an image when it is reset to the initial state in case the electronic device is determined to be operable according to the information written on the wireless tag.