Portable file server for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from a terminal wherein the effective distance for wirelessly transmitting and receiving is adjusted by selecting from a list of distinct distances

• US 8,612,554 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennison, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US10/732,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,659 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 455/69, 455/127, 455/92, 455/556, 455/522, 455/575.7, 370/328, 370/252
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A portable file server includes a radio field intensity input unit, a current controller, and an antenna. A radio field intensity for use in wireless communication between the portable file server and a terminal through the antenna is inputted to the radio field intensity input unit. The current controller increases or decreases the amount of signal current for data to be transmitted to the terminal in accordance with the radio field intensity inputted to the radio field intensity input unit. The signal current is, in turn, outputted to the antenna. Thus, the radio field intensity is controlled such that the radio waves can be received only in the area where wireless communication between the portable file server and the terminal takes place; thus, unauthorized wireless access from outside of this area will be prevented. Hence, the portable file server provides enhanced security.

Claims

1. A portable file server configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data to and from a terminal, the portable file server comprising:

a radio field intensity input unit configured to receive through an antenna an input identifying a distance indicating a radio field intensity value from a user interface displayed by the terminal;

the antenna configured to wirelessly transmit and receive the data within a radio field that is in accordance with a radio field intensity determined by a signal current amount controlled by a current controller; and

the current controller configured to increase or decrease the signal current amount for the data in accordance with the radio field intensity value,

wherein the user interface presents a list of distinct distances corresponding to a plurality of predetermined field intensities, the input identifies the distance from the list of distinct distances, and the radio field intensity value indicated by the distance is one of the plurality of predetermined field intensities,

wherein each distance represents an effective distance of the radio field for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from the terminal,

wherein the radio field intensity input unit receives the input from the terminal if a password received from the terminal matches a password stored in the portable file server, and

wherein the radio filed intensity value is selectable by both the portable file server and through the user interface displayed by the terminal when the password received from the terminal matches the password stored in the portable file server.

2. A portable file server according to claim 1, further comprising a wired data transmission and reception unit configured to transmit and receive the data over a wired network.

3. A portable file server according to claim 1, wherein the portable file server configured to be connected to a cradle, the cradle having a wired network connect to a wired LAN, and the portable file server communicates with terminals on the wired LAN by transmitting and receiving data to and from the terminals on the wired LAN when the portable file server is connected to a cradle.

4. A portable file server according to claim 1, the portable file server further comprising:

a supply circuit adapted to distribute power to components of the portable file server; and

a first power supply;

wherein the portable file server configured to be connected to a cradle, the cradle being connected to a second power supply; and

the supply circuit being adapted to draw power from the second power supply when the portable file server is connected to the cradle, and to draw power from the first power supply when the portable file server is not connected to the cradle.

5. A portable file server according to claim 1, wherein the radio field intensity input unit allows the input to be inputted via an interface, having a plurality of keys, located on the outer surface of the portable file server.

6. A portable file server according to claim 1, the portable file server further comprising:

a hard drive adapted to store and provide the data to and from the terminal;

a random access memory; and

a CPU.

7. A portable file server according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of terminals can wirelessly store and receive data stored on the hard drive.

8. A portable file server according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of predetermined field intensities limits each corresponding effective distance for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from the terminal.

9. A portable file server according to claim 1, the portable file server, wherein the user interface is also displayed by a display of the portable file server that is configured to receive the input.

10. A portable file server according to claim 1, wherein the list of distinct distances presented by the user interface includes 100 meters, 20-30 meters, 5 meters, and the corresponding plurality of predetermined field intensities respectively includes 20 dBm, 10 dBm, and 3 dBm.