Electronic device security and tracking system and method

• US 20060272034A1
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• 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 8,529,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/34
• 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. A method for securing a mobile device, comprising:

extracting a command from a message;

performing the command on the mobile device, wherein the command modifies a state of the mobile device; and

receiving further messages at the mobile device that each contain a command to modify the state of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the state of the mobile device;

receiving the message at the mobile device; and

identifying the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the mobile device comprises:

requesting identification information;

determining if the request for information is successful;

disabling the mobile device if the request for information is not successful;

determining if a user information module in the mobile device has changed; and

getting a new phone number from the user information module if the user information module has changed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identification information is a concatenated string of numbers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the concatenated string of numbers includes an International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) number, model number of the mobile device, and phone number of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the user information module is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card or Read-Only-Memory (ROM).

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the user information module contains a mobile device phone number, user information, security information, or directory of phone numbers.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the mobile device comprises:

disabling the mobile device if the device is reported stolen; and

disabling the mobile device if the user information module has changed and the identification information has not changed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the command on the mobile device, comprises:

activating the mobile device if the command is register, wherein the mobile device is in a normal operating mode after it is activated;

disabling the mobile device if the command is disable;

performing a backup of data stored on the mobile device if the command is backup;

disabling the mobile device after performing the backup if the command is backup;

restoring data to the mobile device if the command is restore; and

activating the mobile device after restoring the data if the command is restore.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data is contact information, calendar information, or Mobile Commerce (M-commerce) monetary information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant (PDA), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) capable computer, cell phone, or Smart Phone.

12. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a mobile device, cause said mobile device to perform operations comprising:

extracting a command from a message;

performing the command on the mobile device, wherein the command modifies a state of the mobile device; and

receiving further messages at the mobile device that each contain a command to modify the state of the mobile device.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining the state of the mobile device;

receiving the message at the mobile device; and

identifying the mobile device.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein identifying the mobile device comprises:

requesting identification information;

determining if the request for information is successful;

disabling the mobile device if the request for information is not successful;

determining if a user information module in the mobile device has changed; and

getting a new phone number from the user information module if the user information module has changed.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the identification information is a concatenated string of numbers.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the concatenated string of numbers includes an International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) number, model number of the mobile device, and phone number of the mobile device.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user information module is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card or Read-Only-Memory (ROM).

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user information module contains a mobile device phone number, user information, security information, or directory of phone numbers.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the mobile device comprises:

disabling the mobile device if the device is reported stolen; and

disabling the mobile device if the user information module has changed and the identification information has not changed.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein performing the command on the mobile device, comprises:

activating the mobile device if the command is register, wherein the mobile device is in a normal operating mode after it is activated;

disabling the mobile device if the command is disable;

performing a backup of data stored on the mobile device if the command is backup;

disabling the mobile device after performing the backup if the command is backup;

restoring data to the mobile device if the command is restore; and

activating the mobile device after restoring the data if the command is restore.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the data is contact information, calendar information, or Mobile Commerce (M-commerce) monetary information.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant (PDA), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) capable computer, cell phone, or Smart Phone.