JP2001290553A - Information processor and its antitheft method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To actualize an effective measure against the theft of an information processor itself or information stored in the processor. SOLUTION: Position information on the processor 21 is obtained (by, for example, GPS 20) and compared with position information stored in the processor 21 or a position change is detected by a monitor device to detect the position change. When the position is changed, the information processor 22 is forcibly stopped or restricted to prevent the information processor itself and its internal information from being stolen. The processor 21 outputs an output voltage ON/OFF signal 32 to its power unit 10 to control the voltage supplied to a DC/DC converter 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention locks a system such as an attached electronic device by using a position detecting means such as a GPS in the event of theft, thereby maintaining security against theft and theft. The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus capable of performing such operations and an anti-theft method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a system for preventing equipment installed at a specific place, such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine, from being stolen, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
There is a portable computer (referred to as prior art A) described in Japanese Patent No. 5355. According to this system, there is provided a means for constantly monitoring the installation state of the portable computer body which is easy to carry, and for shutting off part or all of the system power supply when a change in the installation state is detected. That is, when an attempt is made to carry the computer body from a fixed position without permission, this is detected, the system power supply is immediately shut off, and key locking is performed by hardware.
As a result, if the computer is attempted to be carried out of the home position without permission, the use of the computer will be disabled for improper carrying and the internal information will be protected, resulting in the theft of the computer. , Plagiarism can be prevented. In this device, a sensor is provided in a control processor of a power supply device via a parallel I / O,
The power supply circuit includes a switch circuit that inhibits the output of the system power supply based on the detection output via the O driver.

As another prevention system, for example, there is an information processing apparatus (referred to as prior art B) described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-319662. This device has a high ability to protect information against eavesdropping and theft, and requires less load when a user accesses the device. That is, when the current location information is acquired by GPS surveying and the diary file is opened, the current location information is compared with the home location information in the diary file, and the diary data is displayed on the input / output unit only when the location matches. Is done. With this system, you can no longer access your diary data outside of your home,
Diary data can be protected against theft and eavesdropping.

[0004]

As described above, in information processing apparatuses, information stored in the apparatus often has high asset value and stores important and significant information. In addition, such information is managed collectively, and sharing information within a specific limited group is not only convenient, but also enhances new and added value due to the synergistic effect of sharing. It is also the basis for producing information. Such limited sharing of information is protected by software. However, the information processing device itself managed collectively is stolen, and the information stored in the device is stolen and stolen, and there is no defense against it.
In past information processing apparatuses, security of the apparatus itself was hardly protected, and password protection by software was mostly performed.

Further, the prior art A is for preventing the specified portable device from being stolen, and is provided with a detector for detecting a change in installation inclination, a change in installation pressure, and a change in installation distance. They attempted to maintain security by detecting minute changes in computers. Therefore, the detection method becomes difficult and complicated, and fine adjustment is required not only for software and hardware of a portable computer but also for a mechanical mechanism. Further, in the prior art B,
This system attempts to protect information security by acquiring position information with GPS or the like and decrypting the position information as a password or key information to verify or encrypt information. This is the same as the password protection by the above, and it is ineffective for the information processing apparatus itself to be stolen and the internal information to be stolen.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve these conventional problems and to cope with theft of information stored therein in the case of theft of an information processing device whose location is specified. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus capable of performing the same and a method for preventing theft thereof.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a position acquiring means for acquiring position information of the apparatus, and a means for monitoring a change in the position of the apparatus by the position acquiring means. And when the position change is detected,
Alternatively, there is provided a means for stopping or shutting off part or all of the power supplied to the system when a trace of movement is detected without detecting a position change. Further, a position acquisition unit for acquiring position information of the device, a unit for monitoring a change in the state of the position of the device by the position acquisition unit, and a trace that has moved when the position change is detected or not detected. Means for prohibiting the activation of the system or stopping the operation of the system when the detection is detected. Also, when the system is in a state in which the start-up of the system or the output of power to the system is prohibited, specific information can be input, and the validity is determined from the contents of the input information to release the system prohibited state or position. It is also characterized by having means for resetting information. Further, the position acquisition means is a means capable of acquiring position information of the apparatus based on data received from a plurality of satellites.

The method for preventing theft of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention is a method for preventing theft of information stored inside an information processing apparatus. Comparing the position information with the stored position information, and when the result of the comparison indicates that the position information is different, a step of requiring authentication, and a step of determining the position of the information processing apparatus if the authentication is confirmed. And prohibiting the operation of the information processing apparatus if the authentication is not confirmed. Further, a step of acquiring position information of the information processing apparatus, a step of monitoring a state change of the position of the information processing apparatus based on the position information, and a step of detecting a position change or detecting no position change. When a trace of movement is detected, a reset signal or a HALT signal is transmitted to forcibly stop the information processing apparatus, or a pause signal due to an interrupt request or a software signal for inputting a password is transmitted. Regulating the information processing apparatus.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of a method for preventing theft of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, by acquiring the current location information (step 101), the location where the information processing apparatus is currently installed is specified. Next, the location information of the specified installation location is compared with the location information of the current location designated previously and stored in the information processing device (step 102). At this time, if the position information specified as the local point and the position information stored in the information processing device indicate the same position, activation of the information processing device is permitted (step 103). Furthermore, at this time, it is also possible to trace the amount of movement, and at the same time confirming the position information, at the same time confirming that there is no trace of the movement, and performing a double confirmation, such as more It is possible to permit activation of the information processing apparatus in a state where security is enhanced. The confirmation of the position information is not performed only when the information processing apparatus is started. Even if the information processing apparatus is already operating, the information processing apparatus can be confirmed by always detecting the position information. In other words, while the information processing apparatus is operating, even if an attempt is made to move the information processing apparatus while the information processing apparatus is operating in some way, the operation state can be shifted to the prohibited state by confirming the position information, and the operation can be stopped. .

As described above, when the current position information is different from the assumed position information (step 102), authentication is required (step 104). This authentication method is
It is possible to respond to a method such as a password authentication confirmation method using software, but not only such a simple method but also authentication confirmation using an actual key or an authentication signal using a device that outputs a specific electromagnetic wave or signal. By using a physical or electrical authentication method individually, such as confirmation of authentication and authentication confirmation using a unique personal identification card, strong authentication confirmation becomes possible. Further, by using the respective authentication methods together, it is possible to realize more secure authentication confirmation. Then, if the authentication is confirmed at a certain point (step 105), the position information acquired at that time is set as position information for confirmation, and the position will be confirmed based on this position information in the future. (Step 1
07) (corresponding to claim 3). On the other hand, if the authentication is not confirmed, not only the information processing apparatus is started but also the operation is prohibited (step 106). If the information processing apparatus is in the operating state, it is immediately stopped or the system is locked. Is also possible (corresponding to claim 5).

FIGS. 2 and 3 are block diagrams of an information processing apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention.
Corresponding to). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a power supply unit (PSU) 10 satisfies its functions. Power supply (PS
U) 10 outputs two types of power supply voltages, one of which is always output and supplied to the DC / DC converter (DC / DC1) 11 at a voltage not controlled. DC / DC converter (DC / DC
1) 11 outputs a regulated voltage that can be used by the microprocessor (MP) 21, and the microprocessor (MP) 21 always receives a signal from the position detecting device 20 by this voltage and obtains current position information. Alternatively, it is possible to detect the amount of movement of the device. The microprocessor (MP) 21 sends an output voltage ON / OFF signal 32 to the power supply unit (PSU) 10.
Is output, a DC / DC converter (DC / D
C2) The voltage supplied to 12 can be controlled. Note that a DC / DC converter (DC / DC
2) Reference numeral 12 denotes a power supply device for operating the information processing device (system) 22.

FIG. 3 shows a modification of FIG. 2, in which a power supply voltage for operating an information processing apparatus (system) 22 is converted to a DC / DC converter (DC / DC2) 1.
By arranging them in the vicinity of and controlling them, the same function is satisfied. That is, the microprocessor (M
When the P) 21 is arranged near the information processing device 22 and the position information and the movement amount of the device are detected, the information processing device 22 is directly transmitted to the PSU 10 without sending a control signal, The switch of the converter 12 is controlled. A specific power supply voltage is output from a power supply unit (PSU) 10, and the voltage is output to a DC / DC converter (DC / D converter).
C1) is regulated at 11 and supplied to the microprocessor (MP) 21. The microprocessor (MP) 21 receives a signal from the position detection device 20 and acquires current position information and detects the amount of movement of the device. And the microprocessor (MP) 21 is ON.
A / OFF signal 33 is output. At this time, this ON / O
By inputting the FF signal 33 to the relay or the semiconductor switch 30 to control the voltage supply to the DC / DC converter (DC / DC2) 12 or the voltage supply to the information processing device (system) 22, information processing is performed. The operation of the device (system) 22 can be restricted. Also,
In addition, DC / DC converter (DC / DC2)
The operation can be similarly limited by directly controlling the ON / OFF signal 33 with respect to 12.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an information processing apparatus showing another embodiment of the present invention (corresponding to claim 2). FIG.
Satisfies the function by directly requesting a stop command or the like from the microprocessor (MP) 21 to the information processing apparatus (system) 22. Power supply (PS
U) 10 outputs a specific power supply voltage, which is regulated by a DC / DC converter (DC / DC1) 11 and supplied to a microprocessor (MP) 21. The microprocessor (MP) 21 receives a signal from the position detecting device 20 to acquire current position information and detect a movement amount of the device. Then, the microprocessor (MP) 21 outputs a system control signal 34. The control signal 34 may be a signal for forcibly stopping the information processing device (system) 22 such as a reset signal or a HALT signal, a signal for temporarily stopping by an interrupt request, or a software signal for requesting a password input. It is possible to take the method of. As described above, in the present invention, not only the position change of the system is detected, but also the trace of movement is detected without detecting the position change. In other words, assuming that the mobile terminal is temporarily moved and then returned to the original position, this is detected and the power supply and the like are stopped. In addition, in consideration of protection from being used while moving while operating, the system not only prohibits activation of the system, but also stops operation of the system when movement is detected.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A small amount of change in position can be easily detected, and for theft of information stored inside the information processing device, the user is forced to stop or require the input of a password. It is possible to deal effectively.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an operation flowchart of an information theft prevention method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an information processing apparatus showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an information processing apparatus showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Description of Signs] 10: Power supply unit (PSU) including batteries, etc., 21: Microprocessor (MP), 11: DC / DC converter (DC / DC1), 12: DC / DC converter (DC / DC2), 20 ... A device for detecting the position of a GPS, a gyro, etc. 22 ... Operation main body (system) of an information processing device 30 ... Relay or semiconductor switch for turning on / off a power supply line 31 ... Output of a power supply device (PSU) Voltage, 32: Output voltage ON / OF for power supply unit (PSU)
F signal 33 ON / OF for controlling relays and semiconductor switches
F signal, 34: A signal for controlling system operation such as a reset / HALT signal.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A position acquisition unit for acquiring position information of an apparatus, a unit for monitoring a change in the state of the position of the apparatus by the position acquisition unit, and when detecting a position change or detecting a trace of movement. Means for stopping or cutting off a part or all of the power supplied to the system. 2. A position acquiring means for acquiring position information of an apparatus, a means for monitoring a change in the position of the apparatus by the position acquiring means, and when detecting a position change or detecting a trace of movement. Means for inhibiting system startup or stopping system operation. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a specific information input is enabled when the activation of the system or output of power to the system is prohibited.
An information processing apparatus comprising means for canceling a prohibited state of a system or resetting position information by determining validity from contents of the input information. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position acquisition unit is a unit capable of acquiring position information of the device based on data received from a plurality of satellites. Characteristic information processing device. 5. A method for preventing theft of information stored inside an information processing device, comprising: obtaining position information; and comparing the obtained current position information with the stored position information. When the position information is different as a result of the comparison, when the authentication is required, and when the authentication is confirmed, the step of determining the position of the information processing apparatus is performed. Prohibiting the operation of the information processing apparatus. 6. A method for preventing theft of information stored inside an information processing apparatus, the method comprising: acquiring position information of the information processing apparatus; A monitoring step, and when detecting a change in position or detecting a trace of movement, a reset signal or a HALT signal is sent to forcibly stop the information processing apparatus, or a pause signal due to an interrupt request, or a password. Transmitting a software-like signal requesting an input to regulate the information processing apparatus.