Electronic device security and tracking system and method

• US 20060253904A1
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Softex LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Softex Incorporated
• Inventors: Dube, Shradha, Raikar, Rayesh Kashinath, Kapila, Ranjit, Bhansali, Apurva Mahendrakumar, Jain, Manoj Kumar, Rangarajan, Gayathri, Tucker, Thomas David, Dhanani, Kamal Mansukhlal, Patel, Mehul Ramjibhai, Varghese, Elza Abraham
• Granted Patent: US 8,506,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning

Abstract

A system and method for securing and tracking an electronic device. The system includes hardware, software and firmware components that cooperate to allow tracking, disabling, and other interaction with the stolen electronic device. The system includes an application component, non-viewable component and Basic Input/Output Subsystem (BIOS) component that are present on the electronic device. The BIOS component maintains the secured environment of the application and non-viewable components. If only the application component was provided, a simple low level format of the hard disk drive would remove the application and bypass the security features. The system implements an “application and BIOS” based solution to electronic device security.

Claims

1. An electronic device security and tracking system, comprising:

a nonvolatile storage device;

a changeable area in the nonvolatile storage device, wherein the changeable area further comprises an application component and a secure area coupled to the application component; and

,

a server system capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component.

2. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the server system is capable of communicating through the secure medium with the secure area.

3. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a personal digital assistant.

4. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the nonvolatile storage device is a Flash memory.

5. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the application component comprises an application file.

6. An electronic device security and tracking system, comprising:

a nonvolatile storage device;

a changeable area in the nonvolatile storage device, wherein the changeable area further comprises a system area in the nonvolatile storage device, said system area comprising an application component and a secure area coupled to the application component; and

a server system capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component.

7. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 6, wherein the server system is capable of communicating through the secure medium with the secure area.

8. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 7, wherein the system area is not modifiable by a user of the electronic device.

9. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is a personal digital assistant.

10. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 6, wherein the nonvolatile storage device is a Flash memory.

11. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 6, wherein the application component comprises an application file.

12. An electronic device security and tracking system, comprising:

a nonvolatile storage device;

a changeable area in the nonvolatile storage device, wherein the changeable area further comprises an application component and a communication protocol component coupled to the application component; and

,

one or more servers capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component.

13. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 12, wherein the communication protocol component is a smart messaging service component for mobile devices.

14. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 13, further comprising:

one or more smart messaging service servers capable of communicating through a communications medium with the smart messaging service component; and

,

wherein the one or more servers that communicate with the application component are web servers.

15. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 14, wherein the communications medium is from the group consisting essentially of smart messaging service wireless link, Code Division Multiple Access, and Global Mobile System.

16. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 13, wherein the electronic device is from the group consisting essentially of Smart phone, smart messaging service capable device, and mobile phone device.

17. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 12, wherein the nonvolatile storage device is a Flash memory.

18. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 12, wherein the application component comprises an application file.

19. An electronic device security and tracking system, comprising:

a nonvolatile storage device;

a changeable area in the nonvolatile storage device, wherein the changeable area further comprises a system area in the nonvolatile storage device, said system area comprising an application component and a communication protocol component coupled to the application component; and

,

one or more servers capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component.

20. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 19, wherein the communication protocol component is a smart messaging service component for mobile devices.

21. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 20, further comprising:

one or more smart messaging service servers capable of communicating through a communications medium with the smart messaging service component; and

,

wherein the one or more servers that communicate with the application component are web servers.

22. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 21, wherein the communications medium is from the group consisting essentially of smart messaging service wireless link, Code Division Multiple Access, and Global Mobile System.

23. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 20, wherein the electronic device is from the group consisting essentially of Smart phone, smart messaging service capable device, and mobile phone device.

24. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 19, wherein the nonvolatile storage device is a Flash memory.

25. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 19, wherein the system area is not modifiable by a user of the electronic device.

26. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 19, wherein the application component comprises an application file.

27. A communication system, comprising:

a communication device, comprising;

a controller unit;

a digital signal processor coupled to the controller unit;

a nonvolatile storage device coupled to the controller unit, comprising;

a changeable area, wherein the changeable area further comprises an application component and a secure area coupled to the application component; and

a server system capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component.

28. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the server system is capable of communicating through the secure medium with the secure area.

29. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the communication device is a personal digital assistant.

30. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the nonvolatile storage device is a Flash memory.

31. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the application component comprises an application file.

32. A communication system, comprising:

a communication device, comprising;

a controller unit;

a digital signal processor coupled to the controller unit;

a nonvolatile storage device coupled to the controller unit, comprising;

a changeable area, wherein the changeable area further comprises a system area, said system area comprising an application component and a secure area coupled to the application component; and

a server system capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component.

33. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the server system is capable of communicating through the secure medium with the secure area.

34. The communication system of claim 33, wherein the system area is not modifiable by a user of the communication device.

35. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the communication device is a personal digital assistant.

36. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the nonvolatile storage device is a Flash memory.

37. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the application component comprises an application file.

38. A communication system, comprising:

a communication device, comprising;

a controller unit;

a digital signal processor coupled to the controller unit;

a nonvolatile storage device coupled to the controller unit, comprising;

a changeable area, wherein the changeable area further comprises

an application component and a communication protocol component coupled to the application component; and

,

one or more servers capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component.

39. The communication system of claim 38, wherein the communication protocol component is a smart messaging service component for mobile devices.

40. The communication system of claim 39, further comprising:

one or more smart messaging service servers capable of communicating through a communications medium with the smart messaging service component; and

,

wherein the one or more servers that communicate with the application component are web servers.

41. The communication system of claim 40, wherein the communications medium is from the group consisting essentially of smart messaging service wireless link, Code Division Multiple Access, and Global Mobile System.

42. The communication system of claim 39, wherein the communication device is from the group consisting essentially of Smart phone, smart messaging service capable device, and mobile phone device.

43. The communication system of claim 38, wherein the nonvolatile storage device is a Flash memory.

44. The communication system of claim 38, wherein the application component comprises an application file.

45. A communication system, comprising:

a communication device, comprising;

a controller unit;

a digital signal processor coupled to the controller unit;

a nonvolatile storage device coupled to the controller unit, comprising;

a changeable area, wherein the changeable area further comprises a system area in the nonvolatile storage device, said system area comprising an application component and a communication protocol component coupled to the application component; and

,

one or more servers capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component.

46. The communication system of claim 45, wherein the communication protocol component is a smart messaging service component for mobile devices.

47. The communication system of claim 46, further comprising:

one or more smart messaging service servers capable of communicating through a communications medium with the smart messaging service component; and

,

wherein the one or more servers that communicate with the application component are web servers.

48. The communication system of claim 47, wherein the communications medium is from the group consisting essentially of smart messaging service wireless link, Code Division Multiple Access, and Global Mobile System.

49. The communication system of claim 46, wherein the communication device is from the group consisting essentially of Smart phone, smart messaging service capable device, and mobile phone device.

50. The communication system of claim 45, wherein the nonvolatile storage device is a Flash memory.

51. The communication system of claim 45, wherein the application component comprises an application file.

52. The communication system of claim 45, wherein the system area is not modifiable by a user of the communication device.