Control system, information processing apparatus, terminal device, control method, and computer readable medium

• US 9,198,043 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Kita, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mahfuzur
• Application Number:
  US14/105,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 713/165
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A control system includes an information processing apparatus and a terminal device which perform wireless communication with each other, wherein the terminal device is moved with a user, and includes: a switching request signal transmission section that transmits a switching request signal, the information processing apparatus includes: a received signal strength measuring section that measures a received signal strength of a transmitted signal; and a control section that sets the received signal strength measured when receiving the switching request signal to a switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength becomes less than the switching threshold value, and switches it from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength becomes larger than the switching threshold value.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

an information processing apparatus; and

a terminal device that performs wireless communication with the information processing apparatus, the control system controlling a status of the information processing apparatus,

wherein;

the terminal device is configured to be held by a user, and includes;

an identification signal transmission section that transmits an identification signal; and

a switching request signal transmission section that transmits a first switching request signal for setting a first switching threshold value for switching the information processing apparatus to a first status which is a logout status or a lock status, and a second switching request signal for setting a second switching threshold value for switching the information processing apparatus to a second status which is a login status or an unlock status, according to a user operation,

the information processing apparatus includes;

a received signal strength measuring section that measures one or more received signal strengths of one or more signals transmitted from the terminal device in the wireless communication; and

a control section that (i) sets a first received signal strength of the first switching request signal measured by the received signal strength measuring section to the first switching threshold value when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal, (ii) sets a second received signal strength of the second switching request signal measured by the received signal strength measuring section to the second switching threshold value when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal, (iii) switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when a third received signal strength of the identification signal becomes less than the set first switching threshold value, the third received signal strength being measured by the received signal strength measuring section when the information processing apparatus receives the identification signal after the first and second switching threshold values are set, and (iv) switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the third received signal strength becomes larger than the set second switching threshold value.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus further includes a threshold value storage section that stores the first switching threshold value and the second switching threshold value, and

the threshold value storage section stores a minimum received signal strength among a plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the first switching request signal is received, as the first switching threshold, when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal multiple times, and stores a minimum received signal strength among a plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the second switching request signal is received, as the second switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal multiple times.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus further includes:

a resume section that resumes a process content, which has been executed at a time of last switching from the second status to the first status, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein

the terminal device further includes:

a key storage section that stores an encryption key and a decryption key, and

the information processing apparatus further includes;

a file storage section that stores a file;

an encryption section that encrypts a file which is opened at a time of switching from the second status to the first status by using the encryption key transmitted from the terminal device, and causes the file storage section to store the file; and

a decryption section that reads out the file, which has been opened at a time of last switching from the second status to the first status, from the file storage section, and that decrypts and opens the file by using the decryption key transmitted from the terminal device, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus further includes:

a switching threshold value changing section that changes the first and second switching threshold values based on a user operation.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus further includes:

a communication section that is communicable with a server via a network;

a server access application executing section that executes a server access application for accessing to the server; and

a server login control section that causes the server access application executing section to execute the server access application to login to the server when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the switching request signal transmission section transmits the first switching request signal according to a user operation when a distance between the terminal device and the information processing apparatus is a first distance, and transmits the second switching request signal according to a user operation when the distance between the terminal device and the information processing apparatus is a second distance that is shorter than the first distance.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a communication section which is configured to receive a signal transmitted by wireless communication;

a received signal strength measuring section that measures a received signal strength at a time of receiving, with the communication section, a signal externally transmitted by wireless communication; and

a control section that (i) sets a first value to a first switching threshold value when the information processing apparatus receives, as the signal, a first switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus to a first status which is a logout status or a lock status, (ii) sets a second value different from the first value to a second switching threshold value when the information processing apparatus receives, as the signal, a second switching request signal for switching the information processing apparatus to a second status which is a login status or an unlock status when the received signal strength measured by the received signal strength measuring section is the second value, (iii) switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when the received signal strength measured by the received signal strength measuring section at a time of receiving an identification signal externally transmitted by wireless communication becomes less than the first switching threshold value, and switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the received signal strength measured at the time of receiving the identification signal becomes larger than the second switching threshold value.

9. A terminal device which transmits the first and second switching request signal to the information processing apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second value is smaller than the first value.

11. A method for controlling a status of an information processing apparatus in a system which includes the information processing apparatus and a terminal device that is configured to be held by a user and that performs wireless communication with the information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

transmitting, from the terminal device, a first switching request signal for setting a first switching threshold value for switching the information processing apparatus to a first status which is a logout status or a lock status, and a second switching request signal for setting a second switching threshold value for switching the information processing apparatus to a second status which is a login status or an unlock status, according to a user operation;

measuring one or more received signal strengths of one or more signals which are transmitted from the terminal device in the wireless communication;

setting a first received signal strength of the first switching request signal measured in the measuring to the first switching threshold value when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal, and setting a second received signal strength of the second switching request signal measured in the measuring to the second switching threshold value when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal;

transmitting an identification signal from the terminal device; and

performing control to switch the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when a third received signal strength of the identification signal becomes less than the set first switching threshold value, the third received signal strength being measured in the measuring when the information processing apparatus receives the identification signal after the first and second switching threshold values are set, and to switch the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the third received signal strength becomes larger than the set second switching threshold value.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

storing the first switching threshold value and the second switching threshold value,

wherein the storing includes storing a minimum received signal strength among a plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the first switching request signal is received, as the first switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal multiple times, and storing a minimum received signal strength among a plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the second switching request signal is received, as the second switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal multiple times.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

resuming a process content, which has been executed in the information processing apparatus at a time of last switching from the second status to the first status, by the information processing apparatus, when the information processing apparatus is switched from the first status to the second status.

14. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the terminal device includes a key storage section that stores an encryption key and a decryption key, and

the information processing apparatus includes a file storage section that stores a file, and

wherein the controlling further includes:

encrypting a file which is opened at a time of switching from the second status to the first status by causing the information processing apparatus to use the encryption key transmitted from the terminal device, and causes the file storage section to store the file; and

reading out the file which has been opened at a time of last switching from the second status to the first status from the file storage section, and decrypting and opening the file by causing the information processing apparatus to use the decryption key transmitted from the terminal device, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first switching request signal is transmitted in the transmitting according to a user operation when a distance between the terminal device and the information processing apparatus is a first distance, and the second switching request signal is transmitted in the transmitting according to a user operation when the distance between the terminal device and the information processing apparatus is a second distance that is shorter than the first distance.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a control program for controlling a status of an information processing apparatus and a status of a terminal device in a system which includes the information processing apparatus and the terminal device that perform wireless communication with each other, the terminal device being configured to be held by a user,

wherein the control program is executable by the terminal device to cause the terminal device to perform functions comprising:

a switching request signal transmission function that transmits a first switching request signal for setting a first switching threshold value for switching the information processing apparatus to a first status which is a logout status or a lock status, and a second switching request signal for setting a second switching threshold value for switching the information processing apparatus to a second status which is a login status or an unlock status, according to a user operation; and

an identification signal transmission function that transmits an identification signal, and

wherein the control program is executable by the information processing apparatus to cause the information processing apparatus to perform functions comprising;

a received signal strength measuring function that measures one or more received signal strengths of one or more signals transmitted from the terminal device in the wireless communication;

a threshold value setting function that sets a first received signal strength measured by the received signal strength of the first switching request signal measuring function to the first switching threshold value when the first switching request signal is received, and sets a second received signal strength of the second switching request signal measured by the received signal strength measuring function to the second switching threshold value when the second switching request signal is received; and

a control function that switches the information processing apparatus from the second status to the first status when a third received signal strength of the identification signal becomes less than the set first switching threshold value, the third received signal strength being measured by the received signal strength measuring function when the identification signal is received after the first and second switching threshold value are set, and switches the information processing apparatus from the first status to the second status when the third received signal strength becomes larger than the set second switching threshold value.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the computer program is further executable by the information processing apparatus to cause the information processing apparatus to perform functions comprising:

a threshold value storage function that stores the first switching threshold value and the second switching threshold value, and

wherein the threshold value storage function causes the information processing apparatus to store a minimum received signal strength among a plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the first switching request signal is received, as the first switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the first switching request signal multiple times, and store a minimum received signal strength among a plurality of received signal strengths measured every time the second switching request signal is received, as the second switching threshold value, when the information processing apparatus receives the second switching request signal multiple times.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the computer program is further executable by the information processing apparatus to cause the information processing apparatus to perform a function comprising:

a resume function that resumes a process content, which has been executed in the information processing apparatus at a time of last switching from the second status to the first status, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein

the terminal device includes:

a key storage section that stores an encryption key and a decryption key, and

the information processing apparatus includes;

a file storage section that stores a file, and

the control program is further executable by the information processing section to perform functions comprising;

an encryption function that encrypts a file which is opened at a time of switching from the second status to the first status by using the encryption key transmitted from the terminal device, and causes the file storage section to store the file; and

a decryption function that reads out the file, which has been opened at a time of last switching from the second status to the first status, from the file storage section, and that decrypts and opens the file by using the decryption key transmitted from the terminal device, when performing switching from the first status to the second status.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the switching request signal transmission function transmits the first switching request signal according to a user operation when a distance between the terminal device and the information processing apparatus is a first distance, and transmits the second switching request signal according to a user operation when the distance between the terminal device and the information processing apparatus is a second distance that is shorter than the first distance.