NETWORK BASED CASUALTY LOSS PREVENTION SYSTEM

• US 20110023134A1
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: REMAKER, PHILLIP A.
• Application Number:
  US12/507,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023134A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for retrieving lost or stolen network devices. The network devices may be configured with loss prevention logic that may be enabled during initial setup of the network device. The loss prevention logic may detect predefined events that occur at the network device and generate messages to a server upon detecting the predefined events. The messages may include a location, for example, an IP address of the network device, which may enable authorities to locate and retrieve lost or stolen network devices. Once enabled, the loss prevention may be disabled by a predefined message received from the server.

Claims

1. A method for operating a network device, comprising:

detecting occurrence of a predefined event at the network device;

in response to detecting the occurrence of the predefined event, determining whether loss prevention logic has been enabled;

upon determining that loss prevention logic has been enabled, accessing a protected area of memory to retrieve an address of a server; and

generating a message to the server, the message indicating a location of the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether loss prevention logic has been enabled comprises accessing the protected area of memory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the loss prevention logic is enabled during initial configuration of the network device.

4. The memory circuit of claim 3, wherein once enabled, the loss prevention can be disabled only by a predefined message received from the server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the loss prevention logic is included in any one of:

an application stored in the memory; and

a loss prevention circuit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises:

a unique identification value associated with the network device; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the network device.

8. A computer readable storage medium comprising a program product which, when executed, is configured to perform an operation for operating a network device, the operation comprising:

detecting occurrence of a predefined event at the network device;

in response to detecting the occurrence of the predefined event, determining whether loss prevention logic has been enabled;

upon determining that loss prevention has been enabled, accessing a protected area of memory to retrieve an address of a server; and

generating a message to the server, the message indicating a location of the network device.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining whether loss prevention logic has been enabled comprises accessing the protected area of memory.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the loss prevention logic is enabled during initial configuration of the network device.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein once enabled, the loss prevention can be disabled only by a predefined message received from the server.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the loss prevention logic is included in any one of:

an application stored in the memory; and

a loss prevention circuit.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the message comprises:

a unique identification value associated with the network device; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the network device.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a first memory device having a protected area for storing an address of a server; and

loss prevention logic configured to, if enabled, detect occurrence of a predefined event and, in response, access the protected area of the memory to retrieve the address of the server, and generate a message to the server indicating a location of the network device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a second memory device for storing an indication of whether or not the loss prevention logic is enabled.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second memory comprises a non-volatile memory and is accessible by the server.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the loss prevention logic is enabled during initial configuration of the network device.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein once enabled, the loss prevention logic can be disabled only by a predefined message received from the server.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the message comprises:

a unique identification value associated with the apparatus; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the network device.