US 2010/0073127 A1Published application

Device use restricting system

AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorTakafumi Fukushima

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Abstract

A device is provided with a reader/writer that wirelessly communicates with an RFID module in a con-contact manner that resides within a wireless communications area of the device, and an optical transmitter transmitting a signal receivable by the RFID module in an area in the vicinity of the device within the wireless communication area of the device, the signal receivable area being narrower than the wireless communication area. The device determines whether an ID of an RFID currently performing wireless-communication is stored in its storage as an authorized ID, or not. The optical transmitter initiates signal transmission on the condition of the determination that the corresponding ID is stored. Upon receipt of the signal from the optical transmitter by a photoreceptor, the RFID module wirelessly transmits an authentication request signal to the device. Having received the authentication request signal from the RFID module, the device authenticates the ID and authorizes the use of the device based on the establishment of the authentication. Thus, the use of the device by unspecified users can be excluded at a high ratio without impairing the convenience of users of the device.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A device use restricting system for restricting use of a device to users carrying an RFID module,

said device comprising:
wireless communication means for performing wireless communication with the RFID module residing within a wireless communication area of the device in a non-contact manner;
transmission means for transmitting a signal receivable by the RFID module in an area in the vicinity of the device within the wireless communication area of the device, the signal receivable area by the RFID module being narrower than the wireless communication area;
authorization ID storage means for storing an ID of the RFID module carried by a user authorized to use the device;
ID determining means for determining whether the ID of the RFID module currently performing wireless communication by wireless communication means is stored by the authorization ID storage means;
control means for controlling initiation of the signal transmission by the transmission means on the condition that the storage of the ID of the RFID module has been determined by the ID determining means;
authentication means, when having received an authentication request signal containing the ID of the RFID module from the ID module through the wireless communication means, for authenticating that the ID contained in the signal is the ID that is determined to be stored by the ID determining means;
and
use authorization means for authorizing the use of the device on the condition that the ID contained in the authentication request signal is the ID that is determined to be stored by the ID determining means,
said RFID module comprising:
reception means for receiving a signal from the transmission means;
and
authentication request means for wirelessly transmitting the authentication request signal in response to the reception of the signal by the reception means.

10 more elements

A user's use restricting apparatus for restricting use of the apparatus by a user carrying an RFID module comprising a receiver receiving an ID response signal and a transmitter transmitting an authentication request signal in response to the ID response signal, said apparatus comprising:

a wireless transmitter-receiver wirelessly communicating with the RFID module residing in a wireless communication area of the apparatus;
a transmitter transmitting a second signal receivable by the RFID module in an area within the wireless communication area of the apparatus, the signal receivable area by the RFID module being narrower than the wireless communication area;
an ID memory capable of storing the ID;
a comparator comparing a first ID received from the RFID module by the wireless transmitter-receiver with a second ID previously stored in the ID memory;
a controller controlling the wireless transmitter-receiver to transmit the second signal, if the first ID conforms to the second ID;
and
an authenticator, when the wireless transmitter-receiver receives an authentication request signal containing the first ID of the RFID module, for authenticating the first ID contained in the authentication request signal to be the second ID,
wherein, if the first IF contained in the authentication request signal is authenticated to be the second ID by the authenticator, the controller authorizes use of the apparatus.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.