METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURING AND RECOVERING A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20080238614A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Delia, David J., Delia, Wayne M.
• Application Number:
  US11/693,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.85
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method of securing a wireless device, includes: receiving, from a subscriber, a request to activate one or more security features and recovery functions of a missing wireless device; determining whether the wireless device is powered on; setting, in the event the wireless device is not powered on, a flag in an account of the subscriber to activate the requested functions upon determining the wireless device is powered on; activating, upon determining the wireless device is powered on, the requested functions by blowing at least one of a series of electrically programmable fuses included within the wireless device; and deactivating by blowing at least another of a series of electrically programmable fuses, in the event of receiving another request from the subscriber, the one or more security features and recovery functions, so as to reinstate a set of standard operating features of the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of securing a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a subscriber, a request to activate one or more security features and recovery functions of a missing wireless device of the subscriber;

determining whether the missing wireless device is powered on;

setting, in the event the missing wireless device is not powered on, a flag in an account of the subscriber to activate the requested one or more security features and recovery functions upon determining the missing wireless device is powered on;

activating, upon determining the missing wireless device is powered on, the requested one or more security features and recovery functions by blowing at least one of a series of electrically programmable fuses included within the wireless device; and

deactivating, in the event of receiving another request from the subscriber, the one or more security features and recovery functions;

wherein deactivating the one or more security features and recovery functions is facilitated by blowing at least another of a series of electrically programmable fuses included within the wireless device so as to reinstate a set of standard operating features of the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to activate one or more security features and recovery functions of a missing wireless device further comprises a call placed to the missing wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to activate one or more security features and recovery functions of a missing wireless device is made by accessing a website of a service provider of the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the security and recovery features of the wireless device comprise one or more of:

displaying a pre-set text message on how to return the wireless device to the subscriber;

restricting the wireless device to a predefined contact number for the return of the device and emergency calls;

encrypting all files and data on the wireless device;

uploading data from the wireless device to a storage area on a service provider'"'"'s network;

recording locations of the wireless device based on transmissions received by the service provider, and furnishing the location information to the subscriber on a mapped based graphical user interface (GUI) that is available on a website of the service provider; and

switching the wireless device to an audible tone alert.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pre-set text message is configurable by the subscriber.

6. A system for securing a wireless device, the system comprising:

subscriber wireless devices equipped with a series of electrically programmable fuses;

a wireless provider network comprised of base stations and computer servers with storage capabilities;

wherein the wireless provider network can remotely activate the wireless device'"'"'s security and recovery features upon receiving, from a subscriber, a request to activate one or more security features and recovery functions of a missing wireless device of the subscriber, and deactivating, in the event of receiving another request from the subscriber, the one or more security features and recovery functions;

wherein activating the wireless device'"'"'s security and recovery features is facilitated by blowing at least one of the series of electrically programmable fuses included within the wireless device;

wherein the blowing of at least one of the series of electrically programmable fuses results in a logic redirection from a set of standard device operating features to a restricted set of software functions intended to secure and potentially recover the lost wireless device; and

wherein deactivating the wireless device'"'"'s security and recovery features is facilitated by blowing at least another of a series of electrically programmable fuses to reinstate the wireless device'"'"'s set of standard operating features.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the request to activate one or more security features and recovery functions of a missing wireless device further comprises a call placed to the missing wireless device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the request to activate one or more security features and recovery functions of a missing wireless device is made by accessing a website of a service provider of the wireless device.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein in the security and recovery features of the wireless device comprise one or more of:

displaying a pre-set text message on how to return the wireless device to the subscriber;

restricting the wireless device to a predefined contact number for the return of the device and emergency calls;

encrypting all files and data on the wireless device;

uploading data from the wireless device to the storage area on the service provider'"'"'s network;

recording locations of the subscriber wireless device based on transmissions received by the wireless provider network, and furnishing the location information to the subscriber on a mapped based graphical user interface (GUI) that is available on a service provider'"'"'s Web site; and

switching the subscriber'"'"'s wireless device to an audible tone alert.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pre-set text message is configurable by the subscriber.