Confidential information management by mobile terminal

• US 8,254,883 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Uchida, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US12/525,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20100069038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

To provide a communication system including a mobile terminal which can prevent leak of information even if the mobile terminal is lost and reproduce previously accumulated confidential data without losing newly created and updated confidential data. A mobile terminal includes connection state judging device which detects a line connection state with a server. When the line connection state is a broadband connection, the data is read directly from and written directly into a data storing device of the server. When the line connection state is a narrowband connection, the data is temporarily read out and written into a data storing device of the terminal. When the operation of the mobile terminal is completed or a security operation starting instruction is issued by a user, the updated confidential data is written into the data storing device of the server and then the confidential data is erased from the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A communication system including a mobile terminal for performing a communication and a server for managing information needed for the communication performed by the mobile terminal, wherein:

the server transfers, responding to a request from the mobile terminal, communication information managed by the server to the requesting mobile terminal, and stores and manages collectively the communication information transferred from the requesting mobile terminal; and

the mobile terminal includes;

a terminal data storing device which stores data;

a data processor which executes creation or editing of the data to be stored in the terminal data storing device;

a confidential data managing unit which manages confidential data to be stored in the terminal data storing device by adding a confidential flag to confidential data, the confidential data being information among the communication information designated by a user;

an updated data managing unit which manages updated data that is newly created and updated to be stored in the terminal data storing device by adding an update flag to the updated data; and

a security operation executing unit which transmits the confidential data with the confidential flag and the updated data with the update flag to the server, and then erases the confidential data with the confidential flag and the new data with the update flag.

2. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the mobile terminal performs communication by storing and managing the communication information received from the server based on the request sent to the server temporarily, and transfers information related to the communication to the server when the communication is completed.

3. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the mobile terminal transfers the communication information including information updated with the communication to the server.

4. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the mobile terminal transfers the communication information to the server when the communication is completed and a security operation is started.

5. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the mobile terminal erases the communication information stored in the mobile terminal after transferring the communication information to the server.

6. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the mobile terminal transfers information which is designated as confidential data by the user to the server as the communication information.

7. A mobile terminal which performs communication based on communication information managed by a server, comprising:

a terminal data storing device which stores data;

a data processor which executes creation or editing of the data to be stored in the terminal data storing device;

a confidential data managing unit which manages confidential data to be stored in the terminal data storing device by adding a confidential flag to confidential data, the confidential data being information among the communication information designated by a user;

an updated data managing unit which manages updated data that is newly created and updated to be stored in the terminal data storing device by adding an update flag to the updated data; and

a security operation executing unit which transmits the confidential data with the confidential flag and the updated data with the update flag to the server, and then erases the confidential data with the confidential flag and the new data with the update flag.

8. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the mobile terminal performs communication by storing and managing the communication information received from the server based on the request to the server temporarily, and transfers information related to the communication to the server when the communication is completed.

9. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the mobile terminal transfers the communication information including information updated with the communication to the server.

10. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the mobile terminal transfers the communication information to the server when the communication is completed and a security operation is started.

11. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the mobile terminal erases the communication information stored in the mobile terminal after transferring the communication information to the server.

12. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the mobile terminal transfers information which is designated as confidential data by the user to the server as the communication information.

13. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a security program causing a microprocessor of a mobile terminal, which performs communication based on communication information managed by a server, to execute:

storing data within a terminal data storing device of the mobile terminal;

executing creation or editing of the data to be stored in the terminal data storing device;

managing confidential data to be stored in the terminal data storing device by adding a confidential flag to confidential data, the confidential data being information among the communication information designated by a user;

managing updated data that is newly created and updated to be stored in the terminal data storing device by adding an update flag to the updated data; and

transmitting the confidential data with the confidential flag and the updated data with the update flag to the server, and then erasing the confidential data with the confidential flag and the new data with the update flag.

14. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a security program as claimed in claim 13, causing the microprocessor to execute:

a function of performing communication by storing and managing the communication information received from the server based on the request to the server temporarily; and

a function of transferring information related to the communication to the server when the communication is completed.

15. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a security program as claimed in claim 13, causing the microprocessor to execute:

a function of managing information updated with the communication, and including the updated information into the communication information.

16. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a security program as claimed in claim 13, causing the microprocessor to execute:

a function of transferring the communication information to the server when the communication is completed and a security operation is started.

17. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a security program as claimed in claim 13, causing the microprocessor to execute:

a function of erasing the communication information stored in the mobile terminal after transferring the communication information to the server.

18. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a security program as claimed in claim 13, causing the microprocessor to execute:

a function of transferring information which is designated as confidential data by the user to the server as the communication information.

19. A communication method of performing a communication using a mobile terminal, by combining the mobile terminal for performing a communication and a server for managing information needed for the communication performed by the mobile terminal, comprising:

storing data within a terminal data storing device of the mobile terminal;

executing creation or editing of the data to be stored in the terminal data storing device;

managing confidential data to be stored in the terminal data storing device by adding a confidential flag to confidential data, the confidential data being information among the communication information designated by a user;

managing updated data that is newly created and updated to be stored in the terminal data storing device by adding an update flag to the updated data; and

transmitting the confidential data with the confidential flag and the updated data with the update flag to the server, and then erasing the confidential data with the confidential flag and the new data with the update flag.

20. The communication method as claimed in claim 19, comprising

erasing the communication information stored in the mobile terminal after transferring the communication information to the server.