Information terminal with security function

• US 20010011355A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kawai, Toshimichi
• Application Number:
  US09/772,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an information terminal having a security function in which confidentiality and safety by which only a user who has stored a password can use can be retained, and the information apparatus can be used with out inputting the password every time when the power supply is turned on. The user is identified by using the communication between an information apparatus and a battery pack to read out passwords, and a communication section controls to turn on a second switch when the passwords correspond so that power is supplied to a device load.

Claims

1. An information terminal including an information apparatus and a battery pack, wherein:

said information apparatus comprises;

a device load having an input device;

a first switch for switching on/off the electric power supplied by said battery pack;

an apparatus memory for storing a first password;

a communication section for communicating with said apparatus memory, said input device and said battery pack; and

a second switch for switching on/off the electric power for said device load supplied by said battery pack, on the basis of a control signal from said communication section, and

said battery pack comprises;

a battery for supplying electric power for said information apparatus; and

a battery memory for storing a second password,

wherein said communication section communicates with said battery memory and said apparatus memory, when said first switch is turned on, reads out said first and second to compare said first password with said second password, and

said communication section turns on said second switch so as to supply electric power from the battery pack to said device load when said first password is identical to said second password as a result of the comparison, while it turns off said second switch so as not to supply electric power from said battery pack to the device load when said first password differs from said second password.

3. The information terminal according to

claim 1

, wherein said battery supplies electric power to said device load, said apparatus memory, said communication section and said battery memory.

5. The information terminal according to

claim 1

, wherein power is supplied from said information apparatus to said battery memory.

6. The information terminal according to

claim 1

, wherein said input device performs setting or changing said first and/or second passwords via said communication section.

11. The information terminal according to

claim 1

, wherein both said apparatus memory and said battery memory are non-volatile.

12. The information terminal according to

claim 11

, wherein each of said memories is an EEPROM.

2. An information terminal including an information apparatus and a battery pack, wherein:

said information apparatus comprises;

a device load having an input device;

a first switch for switching on/off the electric power supplied by said battery pack;

an apparatus memory for storing a first password;

a communication section for communicating with said apparatus memory, said input device and said battery pack;

a load power supply for supplying electric power for said device load; and

a second switch for switching on/off the electric power for said device load supplied by said load power supply, on the basis of a control signal from said communication section, and said battery pack comprises;

a battery for supplying electric power for said information apparatus; and

a battery memory for storing a second password,

wherein said communication section communicates with said battery memory and said apparatus memory, when said first switch is turned on, reads out said first and second to compare said first password with said second password, and

said communication section turns on said second switch so as to supply electric power from the battery pack to said device load when said first password is identical to said second password as a result of the comparison, while it turns off said second switch so as not to supply electric power from said load power supply to the device load when said first password differs from said second password.

4. The information terminal according to

claim 2

, wherein said battery supplies power to said apparatus memory, said communication section and said battery memory.

7. The information terminal according to

claim 2

, wherein said input device performs setting or changing said first and/or second passwords via said communication section.

8. The information terminal according to

claim 7

, wherein said first password is identical with said second password.

9. The information terminal according to

claim 7

, wherein said first password and said second password are set up prior to a factory shipment.

10. The information terminal according to

claim 7

, wherein said first password and said second password are any one of a number, a letter, and a cipher.