Patent Publication Number: US-2009240738-A1

Title: Mobile device, pattern file update method, and communication system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     A present invention relates to a mobile device, pattern file update method, and communication system for updating a pattern file for a virus check. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     The file delivery system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is known as technology for regularly updating a pattern file for virus checks (virus disinfections). The Patent Literature 1 discloses that, in this file delivery system, the user side (a security device) requests a server for a pattern file update for a virus check. 
     “Patent Literature 1” is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Gazette of JP 2004-220190.   
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Problem to be Solved by the Invention 
     However, in the file system disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Literature 1, because the user-side terminal requests a pattern file update for a virus check, unnecessary update requests can be made. For example, in the file system disclosed in Patent Literature 1, after making an update request, the user-side terminal checks a version of the pattern file, and determines whether or not pattern file update processing is necessary based on the version. When the user-side terminal determines that update processing is not necessary, the pattern file is not acquired, resulting in wasted processing. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile device, pattern file update method, and communication system, which efficiently carry out pattern file update processing for a virus check. 
     Means for Solving the Problem 
     To solve for the problem stated above, a mobile device of the present invention comprises electronic mail (e-mail) reception module for receiving an e-mail showing that a pattern file for virus disinfection can be updated; model determination module for determining model information described in the e-mail received via the above-mentioned e-mail reception module; and file acquisition module for acquiring a pattern file corresponding to the above-mentioned model information when determination is made, by the above-mentioned model determination module, that the model information related to the mobile device is described. 
     Further, a pattern file update method of the present invention comprises an e-mail reception step of receiving an e-mail showing that a pattern file for virus disinfection can be updated; a model determination step of determining the model information described in the e-mail received in the above-mentioned e-mail reception step; and a file acquisition step of acquiring a pattern file corresponding to the above-mentioned model information when determination is made, in the above-mentioned model determination step, that the model information related to the mobile phone is described. 
     Further, a communication system of the present invention is a communication system, which comprises a server for storing a pattern file for virus disinfection and for delivering this pattern file, and a plurality of mobile devices, which acquire the pattern file from the above-mentioned server, wherein the above-mentioned server comprises delivery module for delivering to the above-mentioned plurality of mobile devices an e-mail, which describes information showing that a pattern file for virus disinfection can be updated, and model information showing the model to be updated, when the above-mentioned server has stored the above-mentioned pattern file anew, and the above-mentioned mobile devices comprise e-mail reception module for receiving an e-mail delivered from the above-mentioned server; model determination module for determining the model information described in the e-mail received by the above-mentioned e-mail reception module; and file acquisition module for acquiring a pattern file corresponding to the above-mentioned model information when determination is made, by the above-mentioned model determination module, that the model information related to the mobile device is described. 
     According to this invention, a mobile device can receive an e-mail showing that a pattern file for virus disinfection can be updated, can determine the model information described in the received e-mail, and can acquire a pattern file corresponding to model information related to the mobile device based on the determined results. Consequently, a pattern file can be updated in a mobile device without carrying out pattern file update processing by a user on the user&#39;s volition. Further, a mobile device can determine whether or not to update a pattern file, and can carry out pattern file acquisition processing based on the model information described in the e-mail, making it possible to efficiently carry out pattern file update processing. Furthermore, the server, which provides the pattern file, can reduce the need to individually determine whether or not a mobile device should update a pattern file, and can reduce the processing for pattern file updating by simply sending an e-mail to all the mobile devices that the server manages. 
     Further, it is desirable that a mobile device of the present invention further comprise status determination module for determining whether or not the mobile device is in a state in which pattern file acquisition processing can be carried out by the above-mentioned file acquisition module; and reporting module for issuing a report to the effect that a pattern file update has not been performed when the above-mentioned status determination module determines that the mobile device is not in a state in which pattern file acquisition processing can be carried out. 
     According to this invention, a user can be quickly informed that pattern file acquisition is not possible by status determination module determining that the mobile device is in a state in which pattern file acquisition processing is not possible, and reporting module issuing a report to that effect. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of a mobile device being infected by a virus. 
     Effect of the Invention 
     The present invention makes it possible to receive an e-mail showing that a pattern file for virus disinfection can be updated, determine the model information described in the received e-mail, and acquire a pattern file corresponding to model information related to the mobile device based on the determined results. Consequently, a pattern file can be updated in a mobile device without carrying out pattern file update processing by a user on the user&#39;s volition. Further, a mobile device can determine whether or not to update a pattern file and can carry out pattern file acquisition processing based on the model information described in the e-mail, making it possible to efficiently carry out pattern file update processing. Furthermore, the server, which is on the provider side and provides a pattern file, can reduce the need to individually determine whether or not a mobile device should update a pattern file, and can reduce the processing for pattern file updating by simply sending an e-mail to all the mobile devices. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a system configuration diagram showing the network system for an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a mobile device  100 . 
         FIG. 3  is a conceptual diagram showing the data format of an e-mail. 
         FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram showing a concrete example of e-mail data. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the operations of the mobile device  100 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
       100  is for mobile device;  101  is for wireless communication unit;  102  is for e-mail receiver;  103  is for e-mail determination unit;  104  is for status determination unit;  105  is for file updater;  106  is for pattern file storage;  107  is for scanner;  108  is for display;  109  is for application controller;  110  is for application storage;  111  is for external device connector;  112  is for call unit;  200  is for push delivery server;  300  is for pattern file delivery server;  400  is for mail server;  500  is for web server. 
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The present invention can be readily understood by referring to the attached figures provided for one embodiment, and taking into account the following detailed description. An embodiment of the present invention will be explained next while referring to the attached figures. The same reference numerals will be used to describe the same units, if possible, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. 
       FIG. 1  is a system configuration diagram showing the network system in this embodiment. The network system in this embodiment comprises a mobile device  100 , a push delivery server  200 , a pattern file delivery server  300 , a mail server  400 , and a WEB server  500 . 
     The push delivery server  200  delivers a notification e-mail showing that updating is possible in the mobile device  100 , to the plurality of mobile devices  100  managed by the push delivery server  200  over the network, when a new pattern file for a virus check (virus disinfection) is stored in accordance with an operator input operation. Furthermore, model information of the mobile device, which should update the pattern file, is described in this notification e-mail. Accordingly, the push delivery server  200  comprises delivery module for delivering a notification e-mail, which shows that updating is deemed possible in the mobile device  100 . 
     The mobile device  100 , which receives this notification e-mail, determines whether or not the contents of the pattern file notification e-mail conform to the model of the mobile device  100 . When the mobile device  100  determines that the contents conform to the model of the mobile device  100 , the mobile device  100  makes a pattern file request to the pattern file delivery server  300 , and acquires the pattern file. The mobile device  100  uses the acquired pattern file to carry out a virus check to determine whether or not e-mail data obtained from the mail server  400 , or WEB data (HTML files and so forth) acquired from the WEB server  500  are virus-containing data. 
     Thus, the mobile device  100  receives the notification e-mail from the push delivery server  200 , and acquires the pattern file from the pattern file delivery server  300  in accordance with this notification e-mail, thereby making it possible to efficiently acquire the pattern file without carrying out wasted pattern file update processing. The mobile device  100  and its operations will be explained in detail hereinbelow. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the mobile device  100 . The mobile device  100  comprises a wireless communication unit  101 , an e-mail receiver  102  (e-mail reception module), an e-mail determination unit  103  (model determination module), a status determination unit  104  (status determination module), a file updater  105  (file acquisition module), a pattern file storage  106 , a scanner  107 , a display  108 , an application controller  109 , an application storage  110 , an external device connector  111 , and a call unit  112 . The respective constitutions will be explained below. 
     The wireless communication unit  101  communicates with the radio base stations which make up a mobile telephone network. This wireless communication unit  101  can be used to carry out the transmitting and receiving of e-mails, telephone calls, and pattern file acquisition processing. 
     The e-mail receiver  102  receives an e-mail, and outputs the received e-mail to the e-mail determination unit  103  for determining the type of the received e-mail. Furthermore, an e-mail in this embodiment is used as a concept which covers means that is capable of digitizing text, graphics and so forth and sending these to a specific destination, and comprises so-called Internet e-mail utilized between personal computers and mobile devices, and short message services and multimedia message services which are utilized between mobile devices. 
     The e-mail determination unit  103  determines the type of the e-mail inputted from the e-mail receiver  102 . More specifically, the e-mail determination unit  103  determines if the e-mail is a notification e-mail (the notification e-mail from the push delivery server  200 ) for the update processing of a pattern file for a virus check, or if the e-mail describes what model type requires pattern file update processing, and also determines whether or not pattern file update processing is needed. Upon determining that pattern file update processing will be carried out, the e-mail determination unit  103  outputs information to this effect to the status determination unit  104 . 
     Details concerning the determination process of the e-mail determination unit  103  will be explained here.  FIG. 3  is a conceptual diagram showing the data format of an e-mail, and this data format is the one used when employing a short message service (SMS). 
     An SM header  301  is the header portion, which depicts the type of e-mail, and is for distinguishing an ordinary e-mail from a control e-mail. 
     A WDP header  302  is the header portion in which the port number for a communication is described. 
     A WSP header  303  is the header portion, which has a header length, a content type, and an extension header, and in this embodiment, identification information showing whether or not an e-mail was delivered from the push delivery server  200  is described in the extension header. 
     Data  304  is the part in which the e-mail message is described. 
     In a short message service constituted like this, a determination is made by the e-mail determination unit  103  based on the SM header  301  as to whether an e-mail is an ordinary e-mail or a control e-mail (for example, a notification e-mail). Further, when the e-mail determination unit  103  has determined that the identification information described as the extension header of the WSP header  303  is identification information showing that an e-mail has been delivered from the push delivery server  200 , that is, identification information showing that the e-mail is for notifying a pattern file update, the e-mail determination unit  103  checks the terminal type identification information based on terminal type identification information  304   c  and  304   d  described in the data  304 . 
     A specific example of the data  304  is shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of e-mail data. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the e-mail comprises an e-mail header part  304   a,  identification information for checking use  304   b,  terminal type identification information  304   c,  and terminal type identification information  304   d.    
     The identification information for checking use  304   b  is information provided by the push delivery server  200 , and the mobile device  100  can use this information to determine the validity of an e-mail. Terminal type identification information  304   c  and  304   d  is information showing the model type requiring pattern file updating. 
     The e-mail determination unit  103  compares this terminal type identification information  340   c  and  304   d  against terminal type identification information set inside the mobile device  100  itself, and determines whether or not there is a match. When the determination by the e-mail determination unit  103  here is that there is a match between the terminal type identification information  340   c  and  304   d  and the pre-stored terminal type identification information, a pattern file update process, which will be described hereinbelow, is executed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, two pieces of terminal type identification information, terminal type identification information  340   c  and  304   d,  are described in the data  304 , but it is not necessary to describe two pieces of terminal type identification information, and either one piece of terminal type identification information or more than two pieces of terminal type identification information can be described instead. 
     Returning to  FIG. 2 , the status determination unit  104  ascertains the status of the mobile device  100  itself, and determines whether or not pattern file update processing is possible, prior to pattern file update processing being carried out. More specifically, the status determination unit  104  determines if the mobile device  100  is in a call-in-progress state using the call unit  112 , a state in which the external device connector  111  is connected and communicating, or an application startup state using the application controller  109 , and determines whether or not pattern file update processing can be carried out. For example, when the mobile device  100  is in a call-in-progress state using the call unit  112 , a communication state using the external device connector  111 , or an application startup state using the application controller  109 , the status determination unit  104  determines that update processing is not possible, and when the mobile device  100  is determined not to be in any of the above call-in-progress state, communication state, or application startup state, the status determination unit  104  determines that update processing is possible. Then, when the status determination unit  104  determines that the mobile device  100  is not in any of the above call-in-progress status, communication status, or application startup status, and that update processing is possible, the status determination unit  104  notifies the file updater  105  to this effect. 
     The file updater  105  carries out processing for fetching a pattern file from the pattern file delivery server  300  using the wireless communication unit  101 , and acquires the relevant pattern file by notifying the pattern file delivery server  300  of the mobile device  100  model information. The file updater  105  updates the acquired pattern file to the pattern file storage  106 . 
     The pattern file storage  106  stores the pattern file outputted from the file updater  105 . 
     The scanner  107  carries out a check process for determining whether or not a virus is contained in an application or the like stored in the mobile device  100 , and gets rid of the virus program in question. The scanner  107  carries out a check process in accordance with the pattern file stored in the pattern file storage  106  to determine the presence or absence of a virus or the like corresponding to the pattern file, and carries out disinfection by deleting the virus program. 
     The display  108  displays information on mobile device  100  operations, and when it has been determined by the status determination unit  104  that update processing cannot be executed, or when pattern file update processing by the file updater  105  results in an error, displays a message so that pattern file updating will be carried out. 
     The application controller  109  controls applications stored in the application storage  110 . 
     The application storage  110  stores applications. 
     The external device connector  111  is for connecting the mobile device  100  to an external device, and the mobile device  100  can communicate with the external device via the external device connector  111 . 
     The call unit  112  carries out wireless telephone calls using the wireless communication unit  101 . 
     The operation of the thus constituted mobile device  100  will be explained.  FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the operations of the mobile device  100 . 
     An e-mail sent from the push delivery server  200  is received by the e-mail receiver  102  (S 101 ). A determination is made by the e-mail determination unit  103  as to whether the received e-mail is a pattern file update notification e-mail (S 102 ). More specifically, in the short message service data format shown in  FIG. 3 , when identification information indicating that an e-mail is a control e-mail (refer to  FIG. 3 ) is described in the SM header  301 , and identification information indicating that an e-mail is a notification e-mail for a pattern file update (refer to  FIG. 3 ) is described in the WSP header  303 , the e-mail determination unit  103  determines that the e-mail is a notification e-mail for a pattern file update. 
     In S 102 , when the e-mail received by the e-mail receiver  102  is not a pattern file update notification e-mail, the e-mail determination unit  103  determines that the e-mail is an ordinary e-mail, and carries out ordinary e-mail processing (S 103 ). Ordinary e-mail processing as used here refers to receiving an e-mail and storing it temporarily, notifying the user that an e-mail has been received, and displaying the received e-mail in response to a user operation. 
     When the determination by the e-mail determination unit  103  in S 102  is that the e-mail received by the e-mail receiver  102  is a pattern file update notification e-mail, the e-mail determination unit  103  then determines if the terminal type identification information  304   c  (terminal type identification information  304   d ), which is described in the data  304  thereof, matches the terminal type identification information of the mobile device  100  itself (pre-stored in the mobile device  100 ) (S 104 ). 
     In S 104 , when the e-mail determination unit  103  determines that the terminal type identification information  304   c  (terminal type identification information  304   d ) does not match the terminal type identification information of the mobile device  100  itself, the e-mail determination unit  103  ends processing, and transitions to standby status (S 105 ). 
     In S 104 , when the e-mail determination unit  103  determines that the terminal type identification information  304   c  (terminal type identification information  304   d ) does match the terminal type identification information of the mobile device  100  itself, the status determination unit  104  determines whether or not pattern file update processing is capable of being executed (S 106 ). More specifically, the status determination unit  104  determines whether or not pattern file update processing can be executed by determining if the mobile device  100  is in a call-in-progress state using the call unit  112 , a state in which the external device connector  111  is connected and communicating, or an application startup state using the application controller  109 . For example, when the mobile device  100  is in a call-in-progress state using the call unit  112 , a communication state using the external device connector  111 , or an application startup state using the application controller  109 , the status determination unit  104  determines that update processing is not possible, and when the mobile device  100  is determined not to be in any of the above call-in-progress state, communication state, or application startup state, the status determination unit  104  determines that update processing is possible. 
     In S 106 , when the status determination unit  104  determines that pattern file update processing can be executed, the file updater  105  starts the pattern file update process, accesses the pattern file delivery server  300 , and requests delivery of a pattern file (S 107 ). The corresponding pattern file can be requested at this point by sending the pattern file delivery server  300  the terminal type identification information at access time. Then, the pattern file is delivered from the pattern file delivery server  300 , and the pattern file is stored in the pattern file storage  106  by the file updater  105  (S 108 ). 
     When the file updater  105  determines that pattern file update processing by the file updater  105  has ended normally (S 109 ), the fact that pattern file updating has ended normally is displayed on the display  108  for the user (S 110 ). Furthermore, after pattern file updating ends, the scanner  107  can use the updated pattern file to carry out a virus check. Consequently, a virus check is carried out using the latest pattern file, enabling virus disinfection to be performed, and making it possible to enhance anti-virus security. 
     In S 106 , when the status determination unit  104  determines that pattern file update processing can not be carried out, or when the file updater  105  was not able to end pattern file update processing normally in S 109  (for example, there was a network error, or the mobile device  100  traveled outside the wireless communication area), a message to the effect that pattern file updating could not be ended, or to the effect that pattern file updating is necessary, is displayed on the display  108  (S 111 ). The user can view this display, and carry out a pattern file update process manually. 
     Next, the operational advantage of the mobile device  100  and push delivery server  200 , as well as the communication system comprising this mobile device  100  and push delivery server  200  of this embodiment will be explained. 
     In the mobile device  100  of this embodiment, the e-mail receiver  102  can receive an e-mail indicating that a pattern file for virus disinfection can be updated, the e-mail determination unit  103  can determine the model information described in the received e-mail, and the file updater  105  can acquire a pattern file corresponding to the model information of the mobile device  100  based on the determination result. Consequently, a pattern file can be updated in the mobile device  100  without the user carrying out pattern file update processing on his own volition. Further, in the mobile device  100 , the e-mail determination unit  103  can determine whether or not to update a pattern file based on the model information described in the e-mail, and the file updater  105  can carry out pattern file acquisition processing, making it possible for pattern file update processing to be carried out efficiently. Furthermore, the push delivery server  200 , which is the provider side that provides the pattern file, can reduce the need to individually determine whether or not a mobile device should update a pattern file, and can reduce the processing for pattern file updating by simply sending an e-mail to all the mobile devices that the push delivery server  200  manages. 
     Further, in the mobile device  100  of this embodiment, the status determination unit  104  can determine if the mobile device  100  is in a state in which pattern file acquisition processing is not possible, and can quickly inform the user that pattern file acquisition is not possible by issuing a report to this effect by displaying an error message on the display  108 . Accordingly, the likelihood of a mobile device  100  being infected by a virus can be reduced. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present invention is utilized for a mobile device, a pattern file update method, and a communication system, which carry out pattern file updating for a virus check, and makes it possible to efficiently perform pattern file update processing.