IP Library Granted Patent US 7,644,860
Granted Patent B2
US 7,644,860 · App. 11/288,736 · Granted Jan 12, 2010

Information processing apparatus having illegal access prevention function and illegal access prevention method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,644,860
App. No.
11/288,736
Granted
Jan 12, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a first recording medium, a password input unit, a password judging unit, and a condition judging unit. The first recording medium is capable of recording programs and data. The password input unit requests a user to input a password. The password judging unit judges whether a password inputted to the password input unit and a password stored in advance coincide with each other. The condition judging unit judges, when the apparatus is started, whether a condition set in advance is satisfied. When the condition set in advance is satisfied, the information processing apparatus sets a self-erasing program in the first recording medium. The first recording medium self-erases programs and data recorded in the first recording medium according to the self-erasing program.

Claims (19)

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a first recording medium that is capable of recording programs and data;

a password input unit to which a password is inputted;

a password judging unit that judges whether a password inputted to the password input unit and a password stored in advance coincide with each other;

a condition judging unit that judges, when the apparatus is started, whether a condition set in advance is satisfied,

wherein, when the condition judging unit judges that the condition set in advance is satisfied, the information processing apparatus sets a self-erasing program in the first recording medium and the first recording medium self-erases programs and data recorded in the first recording medium according to the self-erasing program,

a clock that outputs time data; and

a second recording medium that records an operation end time of the apparatus obtained by using the clock,

wherein the condition set in advance is a condition that a time difference between a start time when the apparatus is started and a previous operation end time recorded in the second recording medium exceeds a predetermined time.

2. An information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the self-erasing program once set in the first recording medium is constituted to be nonvolatile, and, even if an erasing operation of the self-erasing program is forcibly suspended, the self-erasing program is executed again when the apparatus is started next time.

3. An illegal access prevention method for an information processing apparatus including a first recording medium capable of recording programs and data, the illegal access prevention method comprising:

a password input step of requesting a user to input a password;

a password judging step of judging whether a password inputted in the password input step and a password stored in advance coincide with each other;

a condition judging step of judging, when the information processing apparatus is started, whether a condition set in advance is satisfied;

a self-erasing step of setting, when it is judged in the condition judging step that the condition set in advance is satisfied, a self-erasing program in the first recording medium and self-erasing programs and data recorded in the first recording medium according to the self-erasing program,

a time data output step of outputting time data; and

an operation end time recording step of recording an operation end time of the information processing apparatus obtained in the time data output step,

wherein the condition set in advance is a condition that a time difference between time outputted in the time data output step when the information processing apparatus is started and a previous operation end time recorded in the second recording medium in the operation end time recording step exceeds a predetermined time.

4. An illegal access prevention method of claim 3 , wherein the self-erasing program once set in the self-erasing step is constituted to be nonvolatile, and, even if an erasing operation of the self-erasing program is forcibly suspended, the self-erasing program is executed again when the information processing apparatus is started next time.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 24, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0689 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2006
From: MATSUSHITA, HISASHI; YAMADA, HITOSHI; OKUDA, HIDEHITO; NOGUCHI, NAOTO
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 017284/0051 →