BURGLARPROOF DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20080295184A1
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Su, Dong-Hsing
• Application Number:
  US11/837,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20080295184A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A burglarproof device and method are presented for preventing an electronic device from being used by an unauthorized user. The burglarproof device includes an anti-theft module and an authentication device. The anti-theft module and the authentication device can communicate with each other by wireless communication, in which the anti-theft module is mounted internally within the electronic device and the authentication device is mounted externally to the electronic device. The anti-theft module can send an authentication activation signal to the authentication device upon the activation of a power switch of the electronic device. The authentication device can be actuated upon the reception of the authentication activation signal and send an encoded signal generated by encoding an authentication code retained in the authentication device to the anti-theft module. The anti-theft module can decode the encoded signal and check whether the decoded signal is a legitimate authentication code. If the decoded signal is an authentication code, the microcontroller of the anti-theft module actuates the operation of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A burglarproof device for use with an electronic device, comprising:

an anti-theft module including a microcontroller and a wireless signal transceiver for sending an authentication activating signal when a power switch of the electronic device is turned on; and

an authentication device including a control unit and an authentication code, wherein the control unit is initiated in response to the receipt of the authentication activating signal and encodes the authentication code into an encoded signal;

wherein the encoded signal is transmitted to the anti-theft module through the authentication device and decoded by the wireless signal transceiver, and the microcontroller is configured to determine whether the decoded signal is a correct authentication code and actuates the electronic device when the decoded signal is a correct authentication code.

2. The burglarproof device according to claim 1 wherein the anti-theft module is mounted inside the electronic device and the authentication device is mounted outside the electronic device, and wherein the anti-theft module is configured to communicate with the authentication device by a wireless signal.

3. The burglarproof device according to claim 2 wherein the wireless signal is a radio signal, an infrared signal or an ultrasonic signal.

4. The burglarproof device according to claim 1 wherein the authentication device further includes a storage medium for storing the authentication code.

5. The burglarproof device according to claim 1 wherein the anti-theft module further includes an antenna device for transmitting the authentication activating signal to the authentication device and receiving the encoded signal from the authentication device.

6. The burglarproof device according to claim 1 wherein the authentication device further includes an antenna device for transmitting the encoded signal to the anti-theft module and receiving the authentication activating signal from the anti-theft module.

7. The burglarproof device according to claim 6 wherein the authentication device further includes a charge storage device for collecting electric charges on the antenna device to store electric power therein and powering the authentication device.

8. The burglarproof device according to claim 1 wherein the authentication device further includes a battery device for powering the authentication device.

9. The burglarproof device according to claim 1 wherein the authentication device further includes an enclosure and a substrate, wherein the enclosure is made of a material with fragility and securely fastened with the substrate, so as to be damaged upon the application of an external force to the enclosure or the substrate, thereby disabling the authentication device.

10. A burglarproof device for use with an electronic device, comprising:

an anti-theft module including a microcontroller and a wireless signal transceiver for sending an authentication activating signal when a power switch of the electronic device is turned on; and

an authentication device including a control unit, an enclosure and an authentication code, wherein the enclosure is made up of a material of fragility for being damaged upon the application of an external force to the enclosure, thereby disabling the authentication device, and the control unit is initiated upon the receipt of the authentication activating signal and encodes the authentication code into an encoded signal;

wherein the encoded signal is transmitted from the authentication device to the anti-theft module and decoded by the wireless signal transceiver into a decoded signal, and the microcontroller is configured to determine whether the decoded signal is a correct authentication code and actuates the electronic device when the decoded signal is a correct authentication code.

11. The burglarproof device according to claim 10 wherein the anti-theft module is mounted inside the electronic device and the authentication device is mounted outside the electronic device, and the anti-theft module is configured to communicate with the authentication device by a wireless signal.

12. The burglarproof device according to claim 10 wherein the authentication device further includes a substrate securely fastened with the enclosure, and wherein the enclosure and the substrate are configured to be damaged upon the application of an external force to the enclosure or the substrate, thereby disabling the authentication device.

13. A burglarproof method for preventing an electronic device from being used by an unauthorized user, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an anti-theft module and an authentication device, wherein the authentication device includes an authentication code;

sending an authentication activating signal from the anti-theft module to the authentication device when a power switch of the electronic device is turned on;

encoding the authentication code into an encoded signal by the authentication device in response to the authentication activating signal, and sending the encoded signal to the anti-theft module;

decoding the encoded signal into a decoded signal by the anti-theft module and determining whether the decoded signal is a correct authentication code; and

actuating the electronic device by the anti-theft module, if the decoded signal is a correct authentication code.

14. The burglarproof method according to claim 13 wherein the anti-theft module is mounted inside the electronic device and the authentication device is mounted outside the electronic device, and the anti-theft module is configured to communicate with the authentication device by a wireless signal.

15. The burglarproof method according to claim 14 wherein the wireless signal is a radio signal, an infrared signal or an ultrasonic signal.