SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCKING ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20070164847A1
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Crawford, Michael, Tapley, Stephen, Fairmichael, Fintan, O'Riordan, Kevin Tadgh
• Application Number:
  US11/424,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164847A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A system and method are provided for locking electronic devices when the devices are not in the same location as a user associated with the device. The system includes a plurality of users each having an identification tag and a plurality of electronic devices each having an identification tag. Location sensors are provided in a room and at entry and exit points for detecting the location of the tags. A database stores the location information of tags and associations of a user with one or more devices. A remote locking means invokes a lock command or an unlock command on an electronic device depending on whether or not the electronic device is in the same location as a user associated with the device. In one embodiment, the identification tags are radio frequency identification transponders and the location sensors are radio frequency identification readers.

Claims

1. A system for locking electronic devices, comprising:

a plurality of identification tags each identifying a user;

a plurality of electronic devices each having an identification tag;

location sensors for detecting the location of a tag;

a database storing location information of tags and associations of a user with a plurality of devices; and

a remote locking means to invoke a lock command or an unlock command on an electronic device.

2. A system as claimed claim 1, wherein the remote locking means invokes a lock command or an unlock command depending on the locations of a user and an associated device.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification tags are radio frequency identification transponders and the location sensors are radio frequency identification readers.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a controller receives location information transmitted by the location sensors and stores the information in the database.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the location sensors are provided at entry and exit points of a room and include direction sensors.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote locking means is provided on a server which issues commands to a service on a remote electronic device.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an electronic device can have one or more associated users.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an electronic device is locked if it is not is the same location as one of its associated users.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote locking means operates via a network.

10. A method for locking electronic devices, comprising:

detecting identification tags of a user and identification tags in a plurality of electronic devices associated with a user;

determining the location of an electronic device and an associated user;

invoking a lock or unlock action on the electronic device dependent on whether the electronic device and an associated user are in the same location.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the identification tags are radio frequency identification transponders and the location is determined by radio frequency identification readers.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein location information transmitted by location sensors is received and stored.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein detecting the location includes detecting the direction of movement at an entry or exit point.

14. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein invoking a lock or unlock command includes a server issuing a command to a service on a remote electronic device.

15. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the lock or unlock command is invoked depending on the locations of a user and an associated device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein an electronic device can have one or more associated users.

17. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein an electronic device is locked if it is not is the same location as one of its associated users.

18. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein lock and unlock commands are invoked via a network.

19. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable program code means for performing the steps of:

detecting identification tags of a user and identification tags in a plurality of electronic devices associated with a user;

determining the location of an electronic device and an associated user;

invoking a lock or unlock action on the electronic device dependent on whether the electronic device and an associated user are in the same location.

20. A method of providing a service to a customer over a network, the service comprising:

detecting identification tags of a user and identification tags in a plurality of electronic devices associated with a user;

determining the location of an electronic device and an associated user;

invoking a lock or unlock action on the electronic device dependent on whether the electronic device and an associated user are in the same location.