Control assistance system, information processing apparatus and computer-readable medium having a computer program

• US 8,539,052 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yousuke, Nimura, Kazuaki, Yasaki, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zong, Ruolei
• Application Number:
  US12/620,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/220, 709/222, 709223-225, 709/229, 713/100, 713/168, 713/176, 455/410, 455/411, 455/557, 455/558
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A control assistance system and method include transmitting identification information and part identification information of a managed apparatus, storing identification information of the managed apparatus and the part identification information in a correspondence manner, specifying a combination of parts of the managed apparatus based on a correspondence between the identification information received from the managed apparatus and the identification information stored in the database, writing the received identification information in the database according to the specified combination of parts of the managed apparatus and transmitting a signal of restricting an operation to the specified managed apparatus.

Claims

1. A control assistance system comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory;

a managed apparatus having a plurality of parts; and

a managing apparatus configured to remotely control the managed apparatus including a database configured to store the identification information of the managed apparatus and a part identification information in a correspondence manner,

the managed apparatus executes a procedure including transmitting identification information and part identification information of the managed apparatus, and

the managing apparatus executes a procedure, the procedure including;

specifying a combination of parts of the managed apparatus based on a correspondence between the identification information received from the managed apparatus and the identification information stored in the database;

writing the identification information received from the managed apparatus in the database according to the specified combination of parts of the managed apparatus; and

transmitting a signal restricting an operation to the specified managed apparatus when determining a difference in the correspondence between the identification information received and the identification information stored and the determining finds no indication of a validity of the difference, and wherein

the writing updates the database based on the identification information received from the managed apparatus and the identification information stored in the database.

2. The control assistance system according to claim 1,

wherein when the specifying specifies a first combination of parts of the managed apparatus, the writing writes the identification information received from the specified managed apparatus in the database, and

when the specifying specifies a second combination of parts of the managed apparatus, the transmitting transmits a signal restricting an operation to the specified managed apparatus.

3. The control assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting transmits a signal prohibiting startup of the specified managed apparatus.

4. The control assistance system according to claim 2,

wherein the parts have a storage device storing data, and

when the specifying specifies a third combination of parts of the managed apparatus, the transmitting transmits a signal prohibiting data erasure in the storage device to the specified managed apparatus.

5. The control assistance system according to claim 1,

wherein the procedure executed by the managed apparatus includes detecting an exchange of part, and

when the exchange of part is detected by the detecting, the transmitting transmits identification information and identification information of the exchanged part.

6. The control assistance system according to claim 5, wherein the detecting operates at a time of startup of the managed apparatus.

7. The control assistance system according to claim 5, wherein the detecting operates in response to reception of a signal erasing the data in the storage device.

8. The control assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the procedure executed by the managing apparatus includes:

externally receiving a remote control request for the managed apparatus; and

generating a remote control signal in response to the received request, and

the transmitting transmits the generated signal.

9. The control assistance system according to claim 5, wherein when an exchange of part is not detected, the managed apparatus advances an operation without transmitting the identification information.

10. An information processing apparatus of controlling an external apparatus having a plurality of parts, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit; and

a processor that executes a procedure, the procedure including;

specifying a combination of parts of the external apparatus based on the correspondence between identification information received from the external apparatus and identification information stored in the storage unit;

writing the identification information received from the external apparatus in the storage unit depending on the specified combination of parts of the external apparatus; and

transmitting a signal restricting an operation to the specified external apparatus when determining a difference in the correspondence between the identification information received and the identification information stored and the determining finds no indication of a validity of the difference, and

wherein the writing updates a database based on the identification information received from the external apparatus and the identification information stored in the database.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording therein a computer program for causing a computer to control an external apparatus having a plurality of parts, the computer program causing the computer to perform the operations of:

storing identification information of the external apparatus and identification information of the parts in a correspondence manner in the database;

specifying a combination of parts of the external apparatus based on the correspondence between the identification information received from the external apparatus and the stored identification information;

writing the identification information received from the external apparatus depending on the specified combination of parts of the external apparatus; and

transmitting a signal controlling an operation to the specified external apparatus when determining a difference in the correspondence between the identification information received and the identification information stored and the determining finds no indication of a validity of the difference, and

wherein the writing updates a database based on the identification information received from the external apparatus and the identification information stored in the database.

12. A method of controlling an operation of an apparatus having a plurality of parts, the method comprising:

specifying a combination for the plurality of parts based on a correspondence between identification information received from the apparatus and stored identification information of the plurality of parts;

writing identification information received from an external apparatus according to the combination of the parts specified; and

restricting an operation of the apparatus when information of the combination of parts received from the apparatus does not match the identification information in accordance with the writing, where the restricting is implemented when determining a difference in the correspondence between the identification information received and the identification information stored and the determining finds no indication of a validity of the difference.