Security system

• US 20080134299A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Posamentier, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 8,206,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Embodiments of security systems are presented herein.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a device, the method comprising:

attempting to establish a connection between the device and a network access point;

determining whether the device successfully established a connection with the network access point; and

preventing enabling of the device if the device does not successfully establish a connection with the network access point.

2. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising enabling the device if the device successfully establishes a connection with the network access point.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the network access point is a wireless access point.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein preventing enabling of the device includes degrading performance of the device.

5. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising attempting to activate the non-enabled device after a predetermined time period.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the device initiates multiple attempts to establish a connection with the network access point prior to preventing enabling of the device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising authenticating the device with an authentication system coupled to a network that is accessible via the network access point.

8. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the device with an authentication system coupled to a network that is accessible via the network access point; and

preventing enabling of the device if the device is not authenticated by the authentication system.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the network access point is a particular network access point associated with the device.

10. One or more computer-readable media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a processor to implement a security system by:

receiving a request to activate a device, wherein the processor is contained in the device;

attempting to establish a connection between the device and a particular network;

determining whether a connection was successfully established between the device and the particular network; and

preventing enabling of the device if a connection was not successfully established between the device and the particular network.

11. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, wherein the processor-executable instructions further enable the device if a connection was successfully established between the device and the particular network.

12. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, wherein the processor-executable instructions further attempt to enable the device a predetermined time period after the device was prevented from being enabled.

13. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, wherein attempting to establish a connection between the device and a particular network includes multiple attempts to establish a connection between the device and a particular network.

14. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, wherein, if a connection was successfully established between the device and the particular network, the processor-executable instructions further:

authenticating the device with an authentication system coupled to the particular network; and

preventing enabling of the device if the device is not authenticated by the authentication system.

15. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, wherein, if a connection was successfully established between the device and the particular network, the processor-executable instructions further:

waiting a predetermined time after establishing a connection between the device and the particular network;

attempting to reestablish a connection between the device and the particular network; and

preventing enabling of the device if a connection was not reestablished between the device and the particular network.

16. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, wherein attempting to establish a connection between the device and a particular network includes attempting to establish such connection using a particular network access point.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a communication module; and

a device activation module coupled to the communication module, wherein the device activation module is configured to attempt to establish a wireless connection between the apparatus and a network, to attempt to authenticate the apparatus with an authentication system coupled to the network, to determine whether a wireless connection was successfully established between the apparatus and the network and whether the apparatus was authenticated, and further to prevent enabling of the apparatus if a wireless connection was not successfully established or the apparatus was not authenticated.

18. An apparatus as described in claim 17, wherein the device activation module attempts to establish a wireless connection between the apparatus and the network using a particular network access point.

19. An apparatus as described in claim 17, wherein the device activation module attempts to reactivate a non-enabled apparatus a predetermined time period after the apparatus is prevented from being enabled.

20. An apparatus as described in claim 17, wherein the device activation module is configured to periodically attempt to establish a wireless connection between the apparatus and the network, regardless of whether the apparatus was previously prevented from being enabled.