Communication method, program, and information processing terminal

Abstract

To provide a communication method that can improve protection of privacy.SOLUTION: A communication method of the present disclosure is a communication method in a communication system comprising an electronic apparatus and an information processing terminal, and the method includes steps of determining, by the information processing terminal, whether the information processing terminal performs short-range radio communication with the electronic apparatus; detecting, by the information processing terminal, position information indicating the position of the information processing terminal; determining, by the information processing terminal, when determining that the information processing terminal performs the short-range radio communication with the electronic apparatus, a place where the information processing terminal is located based on the detected position information and registered position information including a registered position registered in advance and a registered place associated with the registered position; and a step of outputting, by the information processing terminal, place determination information indicating the determined place of the information processing terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication method, a program, and an information processing terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a business support system that can support and manage the business of employees.

[0003] The business support system described in Patent Document 1 includes a management server that manages employee tasks, a mobile terminal carried by the employee and capable of accessing the management server via a communication network, and a database that manages data in cooperation with the management server. The mobile terminal periodically or irregularly transmits current location information and the time information acquired from the mobile terminal to the management server. The management server registers the mobile terminal's location information and the time information acquired from the mobile terminal in the database and compares the location information and the time information acquired with the employee's work schedule data to determine whether the employee is planning to perform a specified task at a specified location at a specified time. Based on the determination result, the management server reads from the database the business support data necessary for the employee to perform the specified task and provides the data to the mobile terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-167701 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The business support system described in Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement in terms of improving privacy protection.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a communication method, a program, and an information processing terminal that can improve privacy protection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method includes: A communication method for a communication system including an electronic device and an information processing terminal, determining by the information processing terminal whether or not short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device; detecting, by the information processing terminal, location information indicating a location of the information processing terminal; determining, when it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, a location of the information processing terminal based on the detected location information and registered location information including a registered location that has been registered in advance and a registered place that is associated with the registered location; outputting, by the information processing terminal, location determination information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal; Includes.

[0008] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A program executed by a communication system including an electronic device and an information processing terminal, determining by the information processing terminal whether or not short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device; detecting, by the information processing terminal, location information indicating a location of the information processing terminal; determining, when it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, a location of the information processing terminal based on the detected location information and registered location information including a registered location that has been registered in advance and a registered place that is associated with the registered location; outputting, by the information processing terminal, location determination information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal; Includes.

[0009] An information processing terminal according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: An information processing terminal that performs short-range wireless communication with an electronic device, a processor; a storage unit for storing registered position information including registered positions that have been registered in advance and registered places that are associated with the registered positions; a short-range wireless communication unit that communicates with the electronic device by short-range wireless communication; a location information detection unit that detects location information indicating a location of the information processing terminal; a network communication unit that outputs information via a network; Equipped with The processor: determining whether or not the short-range wireless communication unit is communicating with the electronic device by short-range wireless communication; when it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, determining a location of the information processing terminal based on the location information detected by the location information detection unit and the registered location information stored in the storage unit; The network communication unit outputs location determination information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a communication method, a program, and an information processing terminal that can improve privacy protection. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Example of registered location information [Figure 3] Control flowchart of the information processing terminal according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure [Figure 4] Control flowchart of a server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure [Figure 5] Server control flowchart of modification 1 [Figure 6] Control flowchart of an information processing terminal according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure [Figure 7] Control flowchart of a server according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure [Figure 8] 10 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] Control flowchart of an information processing terminal according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] (Background to this disclosure) In recent years, with the spread of teleworking, an increasing number of users are working using electronic devices in places other than the workplace, such as at home.

[0013] In recent years, systems have been developed that acquire user location information and support and manage users who work outside the workplace. For example, an information processing device such as a smartphone owned by a user detects location information and transmits the detected location information to a server. The server receives the location information from the mobile device and manages the user's location based on the location information.

[0014] However, in such a system, the server can always know the specific location of the user based on the location information received from the information processing terminal, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of protecting the user's privacy.

[0015] Therefore, the present inventors have studied a communication method that can improve privacy protection, and have come to the following disclosure.

[0016] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applications, or its uses. Furthermore, the drawings are schematic, and the ratios of the dimensions and the like do not necessarily correspond to reality.

[0017] It should be noted that, in this specification, terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as expressing or implying the relative importance or ranking of technical features. Features qualified as "first" and "second" expressly or imply the inclusion of one or more of such features.

[0018] (Embodiment 1) [Overall configuration] 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 includes an electronic device 10, an information processing terminal 20, and a server 30. In the communication system 1, the electronic device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 perform short-range wireless communication. Furthermore, the electronic device 10 and the server 30 communicate with each other via a network, and the information processing terminal 20 and the server 30 communicate with each other via the network.

[0019] <Electronic equipment> The electronic device 10 is, for example, a laptop PC. The electronic device 10 includes a first processor 11 and a first storage unit 12 that stores a program executed by the first processor 11. The electronic device 10 also includes a first communication unit 13 that performs short-range wireless communication with the information processing terminal 20. Short-range wireless communication means wireless communication within, for example, several meters. For example, short-range wireless communication may be wireless communication within 50 meters, preferably wireless communication within 10 meters, and more preferably wireless communication within 5 meters.

[0020] The first processor 11 controls each component of the electronic device 10. The first processor 11 can be realized by a semiconductor element or the like. The first processor 11 can be configured by a microcomputer, a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, or an ASIC. The first processor 11 realizes predetermined functions by reading data and programs stored in the first storage unit 12 and performing various arithmetic processing.

[0021] The first storage unit 12 is a storage medium that stores programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the electronic device 10. The first storage unit 12 can be realized by, for example, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, flash memory, HDD, SSD, or a combination thereof.

[0022] The first storage unit 12 stores unique device identification information 14. The unique device identification information 14 is unique identification information for identifying the electronic device 10, and includes, for example, a serial number.

[0023] The first communication unit 13 includes a circuit that performs short-distance wireless communication with the information processing terminal 20 in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. The predetermined communication standard includes, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0024] The electronic device 10 also includes a communication circuit that communicates with the server 30 via a network. For example, the electronic device 10 includes a communication circuit that can perform communication in accordance with a standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0025] <Information processing terminal> The information processing terminal 20 is a mobile terminal that can be carried by a user and that can perform short-range wireless communication and position information detection. The information processing terminal 20 is, for example, a smartphone. The information processing terminal 20 includes a second processor 21, a second storage unit 22, a second communication unit 23, a position information detection unit 24, and a third communication unit 25.

[0026] The second processor 21 controls each component of the information processing terminal 20. The second processor 21 can be realized by a semiconductor element or the like. The second processor 21 can be configured by a microcomputer, a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, or an ASIC. The second processor 21 realizes predetermined functions by reading data and programs stored in the second storage unit 22 and performing various arithmetic processing.

[0027] The second storage unit 22 is a storage medium that stores programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the information processing terminal 20. The second storage unit 22 can be realized by, for example, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, flash memory, HDD, SSD, or a combination thereof.

[0028] The second storage unit 22 stores unique terminal identification information 26 and registered location information 27. The unique terminal identification information 26 is unique identification information for identifying the information processing terminal 20, and includes, for example, a serial number or a telephone number. The registered location information 27 includes a registered location that has been registered in advance, and a registered place associated with the registered location.

[0029] In this specification, "location" means a coordinate point such as latitude and longitude, and "place" means a name that represents a location and is named in relation to the location. A "place" may be an arbitrarily named name such as home or workplace. A "place" may also be a name such as land, facility, or building. A "place" does not include information that can identify a specific location.

[0030] FIG. 2 is an example of registered location information 27. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the registered location indicates latitude and longitude. For example, the registered location (X1, Y1) indicates that "home" is associated as the registered location, and the registered location (X2, Y2) indicates that "workplace" is associated as the registered location. Note that X1 and X2 indicate latitude, and Y1 and Y2 indicate longitude.

[0031] Note that places and positions other than home and workplace may be registered in the registered position information 27. For example, the name of a place such as a coworking space or a spot office and the position indicating the place may be registered in the registered position information 27.

[0032] The second communication unit 23 includes a circuit that performs short-range wireless communication with the electronic device 10 in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. The predetermined communication standard includes, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark). In this specification, the second communication unit 23 may also be referred to as a short-range wireless communication unit 23.

[0033] The position information detection unit 24 detects the position information of the information processing terminal 20. The position information detection unit 24 is, for example, a sensor that detects a position such as a GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0034] The third communication unit 25 includes a communication circuit that performs wireless communication with the server 30 via a network. For example, the third communication unit 25 may be any unit that can perform communication in accordance with a standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). In this specification, the third communication unit 25 may also be referred to as a network communication unit 25.

[0035] <server> The server 30 is an information processing device that can communicate with the electronic device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 via a network. The server 30 includes a third processor 31, a third storage unit 32, and a fourth communication unit 33.

[0036] The third processor 31 controls each component of the server 30. The third processor 31 can be realized by a semiconductor element or the like. The third processor 31 can be configured by a microcomputer, a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, or an ASIC. The third processor 31 realizes predetermined functions by reading data and programs stored in the third storage unit 32 and performing various arithmetic processing.

[0037] The third storage unit 32 is a storage medium that stores programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the server 30. The third storage unit 32 can be realized by, for example, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, flash memory, HDD, SSD, or a combination thereof.

[0038] The third storage unit 32 stores registration identification information 34. The registration identification information 34 includes registration terminal identification information for identifying the information processing terminal 20 and registration device identification information for identifying the electronic device 10. The registration terminal identification information includes, for example, the serial number or telephone number of the information processing terminal 20. The registration device identification information includes, for example, the serial number of the electronic device 10.

[0039] The fourth communication unit 33 includes a communication circuit that performs wireless communication with the information processing terminal 20 and the electronic device 10 via a network. For example, the fourth communication unit 33 may be one that can perform communication in accordance with a standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0040] [Operation] An example of the operation of the communication system 1, that is, a communication method, will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a control flowchart of the information processing terminal 20 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] 3, in step S1, the information processing terminal 20 determines whether or not it is performing short-range wireless communication with the electronic device 10. For example, the second processor 21 determines whether or not the second communication unit 23 is performing short-range wireless communication with the electronic device 10. As a result, it is determined whether or not the information processing terminal 20 is near the electronic device 10.

[0043] When the second communication unit 23 and the first communication unit 13 of the electronic device 10 are performing short-range wireless communication, the second processor 21 determines that the information processing terminal 20 is near the electronic device 10. When the second communication unit 23 and the first communication unit 13 of the electronic device 10 are not performing short-range wireless communication, the second processor 21 determines that the information processing terminal 20 is not near the electronic device 10.

[0044] In step S1, if it is determined that the information processing terminal 20 is performing short-range wireless communication with the electronic device 10, the process proceeds to step S2. If it is determined that the information processing terminal 20 is not performing short-range wireless communication with the electronic device 10, the process repeats step S1.

[0045] In step S2, the information processing terminal 20 receives the unique device identification information 14 of the electronic device 10. For example, in the electronic device 10, the first processor 11 reads out the unique device identification information 14 stored in the first storage unit 12 and outputs the unique device identification information 14 via the first communication unit 13. In the information processing terminal 20, the second processor 21 receives the unique device identification information 14 by short-range wireless communication with the first communication unit 13 via the second communication unit 23. The second processor 21 stores the received unique device identification information 14 in the second storage unit 22.

[0046] In step S3, the information processing terminal 20 detects the position information. For example, the position information detection unit 24 detects the latitude and longitude information as the position information of the information processing terminal 20.

[0047] In step S4, the information processing terminal 20 determines the location of the information processing terminal 20 based on the detected location information and the registered location information 27. For example, the second processor 21 receives the location information of the information processing terminal 20 from the location information detection unit 24. The second processor 21 also reads the registered location information 27 stored in the second storage unit 22. The second processor 21 searches for the location information detected by the location information detection unit 24 from registered locations that have been registered in advance in the registered location information 27, and determines the location of the information processing terminal 20. Specifically, the second processor 21 determines whether the information processing terminal 20 is in a registered location that has been registered in advance, based on the detected location information and the registered location information 27.

[0048] For example, when the position information detected by the position information detection unit 24 is position (X1, Y1), the second processor 21 searches for position (X1, Y1) from among the registered positions in the registered position information 27. As shown in FIG. 2, in the registered position information 27, the position (X1, Y1) is associated with "home" as the registered location. Therefore, the second processor 21 determines that the information processing terminal 20 is at "home." That is, the second processor 21 determines that the information processing terminal 20 is at "the registered location."

[0049] When the position information detected by the position information detection unit 24 is position (X0, Y0), in the example shown in FIG. 2, the position (X0, Y0) is not registered in the registered position information 27. In this case, the second processor 21 determines that the information processing terminal 20 is neither "home" nor "workplace." In other words, the second processor 21 determines that the information processing terminal 20 is "not at a registered location."

[0050] When determining the location of the information processing terminal 20, the second processor 21 may determine whether the detected location information is within a predetermined range from a registered location previously registered in the registered location information 27, i.e., from the latitude and longitude. As an example, a case will be described where the detected location information is a location (X3, Y3). If the detected location (X3, Y3) is within a predetermined range (X1±α, Y1±β) from a registered location (X1, Y1) indicating the location of the home in the registered location information 27, the second processor 21 may determine that the information processing terminal 20 is at "home." "α" and "β" may be set to arbitrary values.

[0051] In step S5, the information processing terminal 20 outputs location determination information and unique identification information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal 20. For example, the second processor 21 outputs the location determination information and the unique identification information of the information processing terminal 20 via the third communication unit 25. In this embodiment, the second processor 21 transmits the location determination information and the unique identification information to the server 30 via the network via the third communication unit 25.

[0052] The location determination information is information indicating the location of the information processing terminal 20. In the present embodiment, the location determination information is information on the location of the information processing terminal 20 determined in step S3, and is, for example, information indicating that the information processing terminal 20 is "at home," "at work," or "not at a registered location." For example, the location determination information may be information indicating that the information processing terminal 20 is "at a registered location" or "not at a registered location" without distinguishing between home and work.

[0053] The unique identification information includes the unique device identification information 14 received from the electronic device 10 and the unique terminal identification information 26 of the information processing terminal 20. The unique identification information is stored in the second storage unit 22. The second processor 21 reads the unique identification information from the second storage unit 22 and transmits the unique identification information to the server 30 via the third communication unit 25.

[0054] The information processing terminal 20 outputs the location determination information and the unique identification information periodically or irregularly. For example, the information processing terminal 20 may output the location determination information and the unique identification information when the electronic device 10 is powered on. The information processing terminal 20 may output the location determination information and the unique identification information at a predetermined time. The information processing terminal 20 may output the location determination information and the unique identification information at predetermined time intervals. For example, the information processing terminal 20 may output the location determination information and the unique identification information every hour. Alternatively, the information processing terminal 20 may detect whether the user has moved based on the position information, and output the location determination information and the unique identification information when it detects that the user has moved.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows a control flowchart of the server 30 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] 4, in step S31, the server 30 receives the place determination information and the unique identification information from the information processing terminal 20. For example, the fourth communication unit 33 receives the place determination information and the unique identification information from the third communication unit 25 of the information processing terminal 20 via the network.

[0057] In step S32, the server 30 identifies the information processing terminal 20 and the electronic device 10 based on the unique identification information. The server 30 stores registration identification information 34 in the third storage unit 32. The registration identification information 34 includes registered terminal identification information of the information processing terminal 20 that has been registered in advance and registered device identification information of the electronic device 10 that has been registered in advance. The third processor 31 reads the registration identification information 34 from the third storage unit 32 and searches for the unique identification information from the registration identification information 34. Specifically, the third processor 31 searches for the unique terminal identification information 26 of the information processing terminal 20 from the registered terminal identification information of the registration identification information 34. The third processor 31 also searches for the unique device identification information 14 of the electronic device 10 from the registered device identification information of the registration identification information 34. In this way, the third processor 31 identifies the information processing terminal 20 and the electronic device 10 that are communicating via the network.

[0058] In step S33, the server 30 sets access authority for the electronic device 10 based on the location determination information. For example, if the information processing terminal 20 is "not in a registered location," the third processor 31 restricts the electronic device 10 from accessing the server 30. On the other hand, if the information processing terminal 20 is "in a registered location," the third processor 31 permits the electronic device 10 to access the server 30.

[0059] Alternatively, the third processor 31 may change the level of access authority of the electronic device 10 to the server 30 depending on whether the information processing terminal 20 is "at home" or "at work." For example, the third processor 31 may partially restrict access of the electronic device 10 to the server 30 when the information processing terminal 20 is "at home."

[0060] [effect] According to the communication system 1 of the first embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0061] In the communication system 1, the information processing terminal 20 determines the location of the information processing terminal 20 from the location information of the information processing terminal 20, and outputs location determination information indicating the determined location. The location determination information is, for example, information indicating that the information processing terminal 20 is "in a registered location" such as home or work, or "not in a registered location," and does not indicate a specific location. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the specific location of the user who owns the information processing terminal 20 is always known to a third party, such as an administrator. As a result, it is possible to improve protection of the user's privacy.

[0062] For example, if the user possessing the information processing terminal 20 is at "home," the information processing terminal 20 outputs location determination information indicating "at home," but does not output location information specifically indicating the location of "home." Alternatively, if the user is at "a cafe," the information processing terminal 20 outputs location determination information indicating "not at a registered location," but does not output location information specifically indicating the location of "a cafe." In this way, the information processing terminal 20 outputs the determination result of "whether or not the user is at a registered location," but does not output location information indicating the specific location. This improves the situation in which the server 30, which receives location determination information from the information processing terminal 20, can always determine the specific location of the user. As a result, it is possible to avoid so-called location harassment, in which an administrator determines the specific location of a user and violates the user's privacy.

[0063] The server 30 sets access authority to the server 30 for the electronic device 10 that is in short-distance communication with the information processing terminal 20, based on location determination information indicating whether the information processing terminal 20 is in a registered location. For example, if it is determined that the user is using the electronic device 10 in a location other than the registered location, the server 30 restricts the electronic device 10 from accessing the server 30. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user is using the electronic device 10 in a registered location, the server 30 permits the electronic device 10 to access the server 30. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the electronic device 10 from accessing the server 30 from a location other than the registered location, thereby improving security.

[0064] Furthermore, when the information processing terminal 20 is performing short-distance wireless communication with the electronic device 10, the information processing terminal 20 determines the location of the information processing terminal 20 and outputs location determination information. In this way, the communication system 1 controls the access of the electronic device 10 to the server 30 by combining information indicating whether the electronic device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 are performing short-distance communication with the location determination information. This can further improve the security of the access of the electronic device 10 to the server 30.

[0065] The communication method can also achieve the same effects as those described above.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the electronic device 10 is a laptop PC, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the electronic device 10 may be a computer such as a desktop PC or a tablet PC.

[0067] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the information processing terminal 20 is a smartphone, but the present invention is not limited to this. The information processing terminal 20 may be a mobile terminal having a short-range wireless communication function and a position information detection function. For example, the information processing terminal 20 may be a tablet PC.

[0068] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the information processing terminal 20 determines the location of the information processing terminal 20 based on the location information detected by the location information detection unit 24 and the registered location information 27, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the information processing terminal 20 may transmit the location information detected by the location information detection unit 24 to the server 30. In this case, the server 30 may determine the location of the information processing terminal 20 based on the location information. That is, step S4 shown in FIG. 3 may be performed by the server 30.

[0069] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the information processing terminal 20 transmits the unique identification information to the server 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the information processing terminal 20 does not have to transmit the unique identification information to the server 30.

[0070] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the unique identification information includes the unique device identification information 14 and the unique terminal identification information 26, but this is not limiting. The unique identification information only needs to include at least the unique terminal identification information 26. For example, the unique identification information does not need to include the unique device identification information 14. In this case, step S2 shown in FIG. 3 may be omitted.

[0071] Furthermore, the registered terminal identification information and the registered device identification information may be linked in the registration identification information 34 stored in the third storage unit 32 of the server 30. In this case, the third processor 31 of the server 30 can identify the electronic device 10 based on the unique terminal identification information 26 of the information processing terminal 20 and the registration identification information 34, without using the unique device identification information 14.

[0072] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which one registered location is associated with one registered place as shown in Fig. 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a predetermined range may be associated with one registered place.

[0073] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which access restriction to the server 30 is implemented, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the server 30 may restrict the operation of the electronic device 10 based on the location determination information.

[0074] 5 is a control flowchart of the server 30 in Modification 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the control in Modification 1 differs from that in Embodiment 1 in that it includes step S33A in which the server 30 restricts the operation of the electronic device 10.

[0075] For example, in step S33A, the third processor 31 may restrict login to the electronic device 10 when the information processing terminal 20 is "not at the registered location." On the other hand, the third processor 31 may permit login to the electronic device 10 when the information processing terminal 20 is "at the registered location."

[0076] Alternatively, in step S33A, the third processor 31 may restrict the use of specific devices such as a camera, speaker, microphone, card slot, or input / output terminal when the information processing terminal 20 is "not in a registered location." On the other hand, the third processor 31 may permit the use of specific devices such as a camera, speaker, microphone, card slot, or input / output terminal when the information processing terminal 20 is "in a registered location."

[0077] (Embodiment 2) A communication method according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the second embodiment, the same or equivalent configurations as in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment, descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0078] An example of a communication method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a control flowchart of the information processing terminal 20 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 is a control flowchart of the server 30 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it determines whether to output location determination information or position information of the information processing terminal 20 depending on the location of the information processing terminal 20. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, the communication method of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes steps S4A, S4B, S5A, and S7.

[0080] In step S4A, it is determined whether or not the information processing terminal 20 is in a registered location. For example, the information processing terminal 20 determines whether or not the information processing terminal 20 is in a registered location based on the location information detected in step S3 and the registered location information 27.

[0081] If it is determined in step S4A that the information processing terminal 20 is in a registered location, the process proceeds to step S4B. If it is determined that the information processing terminal 20 is not in a registered location, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0082] In step S4B, it is determined whether the information processing terminal 20 is located at a first registered location or a second registered location that has been registered in advance. The first registered location and the second registered location may be different. For example, the first registered location may be "home" and the second registered location may be "workplace."

[0083] If it is determined in step S4B that the information processing terminal 20 is in the first registered location, the process proceeds to step S5A. If it is determined that the information processing terminal 20 is in the second registered location, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0084] In step S5A, the information processing terminal 20 outputs location determination information and unique identification information indicating the first registered location where the information processing terminal 20 is located. For example, if the first registered location is "home," the information processing terminal 20 outputs location determination information indicating that the information processing terminal 20 is "at home." For example, the information processing terminal 20 outputs location determination information including location identification information that can identify that the information processing terminal 20 is "at home."

[0085] In step S6, the information processing terminal 20 outputs the location information and unique identification information of the information processing terminal 20. For example, if the second registered location is "workplace", the information processing terminal 20 outputs the location information of the information processing terminal 20 detected in step S3.

[0086] In step S7, the information processing terminal 20 outputs location determination information and unique identification information indicating that the information processing terminal 20 is not in a registered location.

[0087] Next, the control of the server 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Here, an example will be described in which the server 30 receives the position information and unique identification information output from the information processing terminal 20 in step S5. Note that the control in which the server 30 receives the place determination information and unique identification information output from the information processing terminal 20 in steps S5A and S7 is the same as that in Fig. 4 of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] 7, in step S41, the server 30 receives the location information and the unique identification information output from the information processing terminal 20. For example, the fourth communication unit 33 receives the location information and the unique identification information from the third communication unit 25 of the information processing terminal 20 via the network.

[0089] In step S42, the server 30 identifies the information processing terminal 20 and the electronic device 10 based on the unique identification information. Step S42 is the same as step S32 in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] In step S43, the server 30 detects the position of the electronic device 10 based on the position information. For example, the server 30 detects the specific position of the information processing terminal 20 based on the position information of the information processing terminal 20. Because the information processing terminal 20 and the electronic device 10 communicate with each other via short-range wireless communication, the electronic device 10 is located near the information processing terminal 20. Therefore, the server 30 can detect the position of the electronic device 10 by detecting the position of the information processing terminal 20.

[0091] For example, if the second registered location, "workplace," includes multiple work areas, the server 30 can detect in which of the multiple work areas the electronic device 10 is located based on the location information of the information processing terminal 20.

[0092] [effect] According to the communication method of the second embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0093] In the communication method of the second embodiment, it is determined whether to output location determination information or position information of the information processing terminal 20 depending on the location of the information processing terminal 20. With this configuration, the user can select whether to output location determination information or position information of the information processing terminal 20 depending on the environment in which the user works using the electronic device 10, thereby improving the usability of the communication system 1.

[0094] For example, when a user is working using the electronic device 10 at work, the information processing terminal 20 transmits location information indicating a specific location to the server 30. The server 30 can detect where in the workplace the electronic device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 are located based on the location information. This allows asset management of the electronic device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 within the workplace when the user is at work.

[0095] On the other hand, when the user is somewhere other than the workplace, for example, at home, the information processing terminal 20 transmits location determination information that does not include a specific location to the server 30. The server 30 can obtain information that the electronic device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 are "at home," but cannot ascertain their specific locations. As a result, when the user is away from the workplace, the server 30 does not ascertain the user's specific location, thereby preventing invasion of the user's privacy.

[0096] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the first registered location is "home" and the second registered location is "workplace," but this is not limited to this. For example, the second registered location may be a "spot office." The first registered location and the second registered location can be set arbitrarily. Furthermore, the number of registered locations is not limited to two. For example, the number of registered locations may be two or more.

[0097] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the information processing terminal 20 outputs location information when it is determined that the information processing terminal 20 is located in the second registered location "workplace," but the present invention is not limited to this. The registered location for which location information is output may be set arbitrarily. Furthermore, the information processing terminal 20 may also output location information for registered locations other than "workplace."

[0098] (Embodiment 3) A communication system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the third embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the third embodiment, the same or equivalent configurations as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals. In the third embodiment, descriptions that overlap with those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0099] An example of a communication system 1A according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Control of an information processing terminal 20A according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system 1A according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is a control flowchart of the information processing terminal 20A according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the information processing terminal 20A includes a timer 28 and determines whether to output location determination information or position information of the information processing terminal 20A based on whether a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0101] 8, in the communication system 1A, the information processing terminal 20A includes a timer 28. The timer 28 measures the time. For example, the second processor 21 measures the current time using the timer 28. As a result, the second processor 21 obtains information about the current time.

[0102] Next, the control of the information processing terminal 20A will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Note that the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes steps S8 to S10.

[0103] 9, in step S8, the information processing terminal 20A acquires the current time. For example, the second processor 21 acquires the current time using the timer .

[0104] In step S9, the second processor 21 determines whether the current time acquired by the information processing terminal 20A is within a predetermined time period. The predetermined time period is an arbitrarily set time period, such as working hours. For example, if working hours are from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, the second processor 21 determines whether the current time is within the ranges of 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

[0105] In step S9, if it is determined that the current time is not within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S5B, whereas if it is determined that the current time is within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0106] In step S5B, similarly to step S5 in the first embodiment, the information processing terminal 20A outputs the location determination information of the information processing terminal 20.

[0107] In step S10, similarly to step S6 in the second embodiment, the information processing terminal 20A outputs the position information of the information processing terminal 20A.

[0108] In the third embodiment, the control of the server 30 is the same as in the second embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0109] [effect] According to the communication method of the third embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0110] In the communication method of the third embodiment, the information processing terminal 20A acquires the current time and determines whether to output location determination information or position information of the information processing terminal 20A based on the determination result of whether the current time is within a predetermined time period. For example, the information processing terminal 20A outputs position information during working hours and outputs location determination information outside working hours. This allows the server 30 to be set so that the positions of the electronic device 10 and the information processing terminal 20A can be specifically identified during working hours, but the positions of the electronic device 10 and the information processing terminal 20A cannot be specifically identified outside working hours. This configuration improves the usability of the communication system 1A.

[0111] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the information processing terminal 20A includes the timer 28, but the present invention is not limited to this. The timer 28 is not an essential component. For example, the information processing terminal 20A may obtain information about the current time from an external device.

[0112] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the predetermined time is working hours, but the present invention is not limited to this. The predetermined time may be set to any time. Furthermore, the predetermined time may be set differently for each information processing terminal 20A.

[0113] As described above, the above embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate.

[0114] Although the present disclosure has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom.

[0115] Furthermore, the general and specific aspects of the present disclosure may be realized by a system, a method, and a computer program, as well as combinations thereof.

[0116] (Outline of the embodiment) (1) The communication method disclosed herein is a communication method executed by a communication system including an electronic device and an information processing terminal, and includes the steps of: determining, by the information processing terminal, whether short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device; detecting, by the information processing terminal, location information indicating the location of the information processing terminal; if it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, determining, by the information processing terminal, the location of the information processing terminal based on the detected location information and registered location information including a pre-registered registered location and a registered place associated with the registered location; and outputting, by the information processing terminal, location determination information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal.

[0117] (2) In the communication method of (1), the step of determining the location of the information processing terminal may include determining whether or not the information processing terminal is at a registered location based on the location information and the registered location information, and the step of outputting the location determination information may include outputting the location determination information indicating the registered location where the information processing terminal is located when it is determined that the information processing terminal is at the registered location.

[0118] (3) In the communication method of (2), the step of outputting location determination information may include outputting location determination information indicating that the information processing terminal is not at the registered location when it is determined that the information processing terminal is not at the registered location.

[0119] (4) In any one of the communication methods (1) to (3), the step of determining the location of the information processing terminal may include determining whether the information processing terminal is at a first registered location or a second registered location different from the first registered location, and the step of outputting location determination information may include outputting location determination information indicating the first registered location when it is determined that the information processing terminal is at the first registered location, and the communication method may further include a step of outputting location information of the information processing terminal by the information processing terminal when it is determined that the information processing terminal is at the second registered location.

[0120] (5) Any one of the communication methods (1) to (4) may further include a step of acquiring the current time by the information processing terminal, and a step of determining whether the acquired current time is within a predetermined time by the information processing terminal, and the step of outputting the location determination information may include outputting the location determination information when it is determined that the current time is not within the predetermined time.

[0121] (6) The communication method of (5) may further include a step of outputting location information of the information processing terminal by the information processing terminal when it is determined that the current time is within the predetermined time period.

[0122] (7) In any one of the communication methods (1) to (6), the communication system may include a server connected to the electronic device and the information processing terminal via a network, and the communication method may further include a step of receiving, by the server, location determination information output from the information processing terminal, and a step of setting the electronic device's access authority to the server based on the location determination information.

[0123] (8) In any one of the communication methods (1) to (6), the communication system may include a server connected to the electronic device and the information processing terminal via a network, and the communication method may further include a step of receiving, by the server, location determination information output from the information processing terminal, and a step of restricting the operation of the electronic device based on the location determination information.

[0124] (9) The communication method of (7) or (8) may further include a step of receiving, by the server, unique identification information including at least unique terminal identification information that identifies the information processing terminal, and a step of identifying the information processing terminal and the electronic device based on the unique identification information and registered identification information including registered terminal identification information of a pre-registered information processing terminal and registered device identification information of a pre-registered electronic device.

[0125] (10) The communication method of (9) may further include a step of receiving, by the information processing terminal, unique device identification information that identifies the electronic device, and the unique identification information may include the unique device identification information.

[0126] (11) In the communication method of (4) or (6), the communication system may include a server connected to the electronic device and the information processing terminal via a network, and the communication method may further include a step of receiving, by the server, location information output from the information processing terminal, and a step of detecting the location of the electronic device based on the location information.

[0127] (12) The program disclosed herein is a program for controlling a communication system including an electronic device and an information processing terminal, and includes the steps of: determining, by the information processing terminal, whether short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device; detecting, by the information processing terminal, location information indicating the location of the information processing terminal; if it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, determining, by the information processing terminal, the location of the information processing terminal based on the detected location information and registered location information including a pre-registered registered location and a registered place associated with the registered location; and outputting, by the information processing terminal, location determination information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal.

[0128] (13) The information processing terminal disclosed herein is an information processing terminal that performs short-range wireless communication with an electronic device, and includes a processor, a memory unit that stores registered location information including pre-registered registered locations and registered locations associated with the registered locations, a short-range wireless communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication with the electronic device, a location information detection unit that detects location information indicating the location of the information processing terminal, and a network communication unit that outputs information via a network. The processor determines whether short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device using the short-range wireless communication unit, and if it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, determines the location of the information processing terminal based on the location information detected by the location information detection unit and the registered location information stored in the memory unit, and outputs location determination information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal using the network communication unit. [Industrial Applicability]

[0129] The present disclosure can be applied to a communication system and a communication method including an electronic device and an information processing terminal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1,1A Communication System 10 Electronic equipment 11 First Processor 12 1st memory section 13 First Communications Department 14 Unique device identification information 20, 20A Information processing terminal 21 processors 22 2nd memory section 23 Second Communications Department 24 Location information detection unit 25 Third Communications Department 26 Unique Device Identification Information 27 Registered location information 28 Timer 30 servers 31 Third Processor 32 Third memory section 33 4th Communications Department 34 Registration Identification Information

Claims

1. A communication method for a communication system including an electronic device and an information processing terminal, determining by the information processing terminal whether or not short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device; detecting, by the information processing terminal, location information indicating a location of the information processing terminal; determining, when it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, a location of the information processing terminal based on the detected location information and registered location information including a registered location that has been registered in advance and a registered place that is associated with the registered location; outputting, by the information processing terminal, location determination information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal; A communication method, including:

2. the step of determining a location of the information processing terminal includes determining whether the information processing terminal is at the registered location based on the location information and the registered location information; the step of outputting the location determination information includes, when it is determined that the information processing terminal is at the registered location, outputting location determination information indicating the registered location where the information processing terminal is located. The communication method according to claim 1 .

3. the step of outputting the location determination information includes, when it is determined that the information processing terminal is not at the registered location, outputting location determination information indicating that the information processing terminal is not at the registered location. The communication method according to claim 2 .

4. the step of determining the location of the information processing terminal includes determining whether the information processing terminal is in a first registered location or a second registered location different from the first registered location; the step of outputting the location determination information includes outputting location determination information indicating the first registered location when it is determined that the information processing terminal is located at the first registered location; the communication method further includes a step of outputting, by the information processing terminal, the location information of the information processing terminal when it is determined that the information processing terminal is located at the second registered location. The communication method according to claim 1 .

5. acquiring a current time by the information processing terminal; a step of determining, by the information processing terminal, whether or not the acquired current time is within a predetermined time period; further comprising The step of outputting the place determination information includes outputting the place determination information when it is determined that the current time is not within the predetermined time period. The communication method according to claim 1 .

6. and further comprising a step of outputting, by the information processing terminal, the location information of the information processing terminal when it is determined that the current time is within the predetermined time period. The communication method according to claim 5.

7. the communication system includes a server connected to the electronic device and the information processing terminal via a network; The communication method includes: receiving, by the server, the location determination information output from the information processing terminal; setting an access right of the electronic device to the server based on the location determination information; further comprising: The communication method according to claim 1 .

8. the communication system includes a server connected to the electronic device and the information processing terminal via a network; The communication method includes: receiving, by the server, the location determination information output from the information processing terminal; restricting the operation of the electronic device based on the location determination information; further comprising: The communication method according to claim 1 .

9. receiving, by the server, unique identification information including at least unique terminal identification information for identifying the information processing terminal; a step of identifying the information processing terminal and the electronic device based on the unique identification information and registration identification information including registration terminal identification information of a pre-registered information processing terminal and registration device identification information of a pre-registered electronic device; further comprising:

9. The communication method according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The method further includes receiving, by the information processing terminal, unique device identification information that identifies the electronic device; the unique identification information includes the unique device identification information, The communication method according to claim 9.

11. the communication system includes a server connected to the electronic device and the information processing terminal via a network; The communication method includes: receiving, by the server, the location information output from the information processing terminal; detecting a position of the electronic device based on the position information; further comprising: The communication method according to claim 4 or 6.

12. A program executed by a communication system including an electronic device and an information processing terminal, determining by the information processing terminal whether or not short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device; detecting, by the information processing terminal, location information indicating a location of the information processing terminal; determining, when it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, a location of the information processing terminal based on the detected location information and registered location information including a registered location that has been registered in advance and a registered place that is associated with the registered location; outputting, by the information processing terminal, location determination information indicating the determined location of the information processing terminal; Including, the program.

13. An information processing terminal that performs short-range wireless communication with an electronic device, a processor; a storage unit for storing registered position information including registered positions that have been registered in advance and registered places that are associated with the registered positions; a short-range wireless communication unit that communicates with the electronic device by short-range wireless communication; a location information detection unit that detects location information indicating a location of the information processing terminal; a network communication unit that outputs information via a network; Equipped with The processor: determining whether or not the short-range wireless communication unit is communicating with the electronic device by short-range wireless communication; when it is determined that short-range wireless communication is being performed with the electronic device, determining a location of the information processing terminal based on the location information detected by the location information detection unit and the registered location information stored in the storage unit; The information processing terminal outputs location determination information indicating the location of the information processing terminal determined by the network communication unit.

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