Techniques for Capturing Identifying Information on a Device User

• US 20090249485A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Waltermann, Rod D., Challener, David C., Rivera, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,490,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A technique for identifying a user of a device includes receiving a tracking mechanism trigger and capturing (e.g., periodically) identifying information on the user of the device in response to the trigger.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a user of a device, comprising:

receiving a tracking mechanism trigger; and

capturing identifying information on the user of the device in response to the tracking mechanism trigger.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking mechanism trigger is transmitted in response to a reported theft of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying information corresponds to biometric information associated with the user of the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the biometric information corresponds to voice, a picture, or a fingerprint of the user of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the identifying information in non-volatile storage.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the non-volatile storage corresponds to an area of a hard disk drive that is only accessible to a basic input/output system of the device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

capturing input data to the device provided via an input device, wherein the input device is a keyboard or a pointing device; and

storing the input data in the non-volatile storage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

tracking activities of the user of the device based on the stored input data.

9. A computer system, comprising:

an input device;

non-volatile storage; and

a processor coupled to the non-volatile storage and the input device, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a tracking mechanism trigger;

control the input device to capture identifying information on a user of the computer system in response to the tracking mechanism trigger; and

store the identifying information in the non-volatile storage.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the tracking mechanism trigger is transmitted to the computer system in response to a reported theft of the computer system.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the identifying information corresponds to biometric information associated with the user of the computer system and the input device is a biometric input device.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the biometric information corresponds to voice, a picture, or a fingerprint of the user of the computer system.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the non-volatile storage is a flash memory.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the non-volatile storage corresponds to an area of a hard disk drive that is only accessible to a basic input/output system of the computer system.

15. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

a second input device coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to;

capture input data to the computer system provided via the second input device, wherein the second input device is a keyboard or a pointing device; and

store the input data in the non-volatile storage.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the input data facilitates tracking activities of the user of the computer system.

17. A computer program product embodied on or more computer-readable storage medium, comprising:

first code configured to receive a tracking mechanism trigger; and

second code configured to control an input device to capture identifying information on a user of a computer system in response to the tracking mechanism trigger.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

third code configured to store the identifying information in non-volatile storage.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the tracking mechanism trigger is transmitted to the computer system via an Internet connection in response to a reported theft of the computer system.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the identifying information corresponds to biometric information associated with the user of the computer system.