Wireless computer monitoring device with automatic arming and disarming

• US 20050237185A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simon Fraser University
• Original Assignee: Simon Fraser University
• Inventors: Mitchell, Christopher, Mehrpouyan, Hani, Brown, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply

Abstract

A monitoring system for a valuable item, such as a digital device, has a base unit affixed to the valuable and a remote unit carried by a person responsible for the valuable. Signals are exchanged between the base and remote units. The base continuously monitors for signals from the remote unit and can arm or disarm automatically in response to such signals. When armed, the base communicates with a program running on the valuable to lock peripherals. The base alerts the owner upon movement of the valuable, allowing the owner to screen for false alarms or be notified of an occurring theft attempt. A digital connection between the base and the valuable may be used to encrypt any data stored on the valuable and charge the internal batteries of the security device. A soft switch enables the base to be powered off by the corresponding remote unit.

Claims

1. A security apparatus for protecting a valuable, the security apparatus comprising:

a portable remote unit comprising;

a first transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving data signals,

a notification device coupled to said first transceiver, the notification device being capable of activation in response to an alert signal received by said first transceiver, and,

a deactivation element coupled to said first transceiver, the deactivation element configured to cause said first transceiver to transmit a DISARM signal representative of a command to deactivate an alarm; and

,

a base unit configured for coupling to the valuable, the base unit comprising;

a second transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving data signals,

a proximity determining mechanism coupled to said second transceiver, the proximity determining mechanism configured to detect a proximity of the remote unit to the base unit, and,

a data connection to the valuable,

said base unit configured to send a signal to the valuable by way of the data connection, the signal indicating that the valuable should be disabled when the proximity determining mechanism determines that the remote unit is not within a predetermined proximity of the base unit.

2. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base unit is configured to send to the valuable by way of the data connection a signal indicating that the valuable should be enabled when the proximity determining mechanism determines that the remote unit is within the predetermined proximity of the base unit.

3. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base unit comprises a motion detector configured to generate a movement signal in response to a detected movement;

and,

the base unit is configured to send an encryption signal to the valuable by way of the data connection if the movement signal occurs when the proximity of the remote unit exceeds the predetermined threshold, the encryption signal triggering encryption of data on the valuable.

4. A security apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the base unit is configured to send a decryption signal to the valuable by way of the data connection in response to receipt of the DISARM signal at the second transceiver, the decryption signal triggering decryption of data on the valuable.

5. A security apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the base unit is configured to cause the second transceiver to transmit the alert signal to the remote unit if the movement signal occurs when the proximity of the remote unit exceeds the predetermined threshold.

6. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the base unit comprises a motion detector configured to generate a movement signal in response to a detected movement; and

,

the base unit is configured to cause the second transceiver to transmit the alert signal to the remote unit if the movement signal occurs when the proximity of the remote unit exceeds the predetermined threshold.

7. A security apparatus according to claim 5 wherein:

the base unit is configured to suppress sending the alert signal to the remote unit if the movement signal occurs when the proximity of the remote unit is within the predetermined threshold.

8. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base unit comprises an alarm and a timer configured to track an elapsed time commencing at a transmission of the alert signal and terminating upon receipt by the second transceiver of the DISARM signal;

wherein the base unit is configured to operate the alarm upon the timer reaching a predetermined level.

9. A security apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a valuable comprising a data processor and software, the software, when executed by the data processor causing the data processor to execute a process, the process comprising a step of determining whether or not the base unit is connected to the valuable by way of the data connection and, in response to determining that the base unit is not connected to the valuable by way of the data connection, automatically disabling a peripheral of the valuable.

10. A security apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the process comprises triggering encryption of data accessible to the data processor.

11. A security apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base unit comprises a connector for detachably locking the base unit to the valuable.

12. A security apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the connector comprises a flexible cable.

13. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the proximity determining mechanism comprises a mechanism configured to cause the second transceiver to transmit an encoded signal and to subsequently detect a reply encoded signal from the remote unit.

14. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the proximity determining mechanism comprises a mechanism for measuring a strength of a signal transmitted by the first transceiver of the remote unit and received at the second transceiver of the base unit.

15. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the proximity determining mechanism comprises an ultrasonic receiver configured to monitor a strength of an ultrasonic signal emitted by an ultrasonic transmitter on the remote unit.

16. A security apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base unit comprises a power switch and a mechanism for operating the power switch to turn off the base unit in response to an OFF signal received at the second transceiver.

17. A security apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data connection to the valuable comprises a USB interface.

18. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the data connection to the valuable comprises a connector that plugs into a card slot on the valuable.

19. A security apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base unit comprises a decoder element coupled to decode signals detected by the second transceiver and to discard signals not encoded in a manner corresponding to the remote unit.

20. A security apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the remote unit includes a system identifier for generating a system identification signal representative of a remote unit and at least one base unit.

21. A security apparatus according to claim 20, comprising a unit identifier for generating unit identifier codes capable of discriminating among a plurality of base units having a common system identification signal.

22. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base unit is built into the valuable.

23. A security apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base unit is detachably locked to the valuable.

24. A base unit for use in securing a valuable article, the base unit comprising:

a wireless transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving data signals,

a proximity determining mechanism configured to detect a proximity of a remote unit to the base unit, and,

a data connection to the valuable article,

the base unit configured to send a signal to the valuable by way of the data connection, the signal indicating that the valuable should be disabled when the proximity determining mechanism determines that the remote unit is not within a predetermined proximity of the base unit.

25. A method for securing a valuable, the method comprising

coupling a base unit to the valuable;

detecting whether a remote unit is within a predetermined range of the base unit;

if the remote unit is not within the predetermined range of the base unit, executing a locking process comprising;

sending a lock signal to lock the valuable; and

,

if the remote unit is within the predetermined range of the base unit, executing an unlocking process comprising;

sending an unlock signal to unlock the valuable.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein executing the locking process comprises:

determining whether the valuable has been disturbed and,

if the valuable has been disturbed triggering encryption of data on the valuable.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein the locking process comprises:

transmitting an alert signal by way of a wireless transmitter;

measuring a time elapsed time from the transmission of the alert signal; and

,

triggering an alarm upon the elapsed time reaching a predetermined value.

28. A method according to claim 27 comprising disabling the alarm upon receipt of a DISARM signal.

29. A method according to claim 28 comprising triggering decryption of the data on the valuable upon receipt of the DISARM signal.

30. A method according to claim 25 comprising detecting whether internal batteries within the remote unit have reached a predetermined low-power threshold;

and, if so, transmitting a low-power signal from the remote unit to the base unit.

31. A method according to claim 25, wherein detecting whether the remote unit is within the predetermined range of the base unit comprises monitoring a strength of an RF signal transmitted by the remote unit and received at the base unit.

32. A method according to claim 25, wherein detecting whether the remote unit is within the predetermined range of the base unit comprises sending a signal from the base unit to the remote unit and receiving at the base unit a reply signal from the remote unit.

33. A method according to claim 25, wherein detecting whether the remote unit is within the predetermined range of the base unit comprises detecting an ultrasonic signal.