System for remotely securing/locking a stolen wireless device via an Email message

• US 5,987,609 A
• Filed: 10/03/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hasebe, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shaw, Brian H.
• Application Number:
  US08/943,138
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/202
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud

Abstract

A system for remotely securing or locking a wireless information device is provided by sending an Email message with an attached password to the device. The owner of an information device specifies a password and a security level beforehand. The specified information is stored in a memory. When an electronic mail is received from another information device through a wireless telephone facility of the information device, a password attached to the electronic mail is checked with the password stored in the memory. When the password match occurs, a security process corresponding to the security level stored in the memory is executed. Security processes include processes of display screen lock, owner indication, and data erase. Thus, in the case where the information device should be lost or stolen, the leakage of data to others can be prevented.

Claims

1. An information device for a wireless communication with a network that allows transmission and reception of electronic mails, comprising:

means for storing a password;

means for storing a security level;

means for checking a password attached to an electronic mail with the password stored by the password storing means in response to the reception of the electronic mail from the network; and

security process execution means for, when the password match occurs, executing a security process corresponding to the security level stored by the security level storing means.

2. The information device according to claim 1, wherein the security level indicates that the display of data held in the information device should prohibited.

3. The information device according to claim 1, wherein the security level indicates that information indicating the owner of the information device should be displayed.

4. The information device according to claim 1, wherein the security level indicates that user data held in the information device should be erased.

5. The information device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for specifying the password to be stored by the password storing means; and

means for specifying the security level to be stored by the security level storing means.

6. The information device according to claim 1, wherein the security process execution means has a security processing program for performing the security process.

7. The information device according to claim 1, wherein the information device is equipped with a wireless telephone facility.

8. An information device for a wireless communication with a network that allows transmission and reception of electronic mails, comprising:

a first memory for storing a password;

a second memory for storing a security level;

a processor for checking a password attached to an electronic mail with the password stored in the first memory in response to the reception of the electronic mail from the network, and when the password match occurs, executing a security process corresponding to the security level stored in the second memory.

9. An information device for a wireless communication with a network that allows transmission and reception of electronic mails, comprising:

means for performing an editing operation of inserting into an electronic mail to be transmitted a password adapted to allow another information device to perform a security process corresponding to a security level stored in advance in said another information device and

means for transmitting the electronic mail into which the password has been inserted to the another information device.

10. The information device according to claim 9, wherein the password is inserted in the form of binary data into the header field of the electronic mail.

11. An electronic mail system having first and second information devices for a wireless communication with a network that allows transmission and reception of electronic mails,

the first information device comprising:

means for storing a password;

means for storing a security level;

means for checking a password attached to an electronic mail with the password stored by the password storing means in response to the reception of the electronic mail from the network; and

means for, when the password match occurs, executing a security process corresponding to the security level stored by the security level storing means; and

the second information device comprising;

means for performing an editing operation of inserting into an electronic mail to be transmitted a password adapted to allow the first information device to perform the security process in it; and

means for transmitting the electronic mail into which the password has been inserted to the second information device.

12. A method of implementing security for an information device having a wireless telephone facility that allows transmission and reception of electronic mails, comprising the steps of:

storing a specified password and security level into a memory;

checking a password attached to an electronic mail with the password stored in the memory in response to the reception of the electronic mail from the network; and

when the password match occurs, executing a security process corresponding to the security level stored in the memory.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the security level indicates that the display of user data held in the information device should prohibited.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the security level indicates that information indicating the owner of the information device should be displayed.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the security level indicates that user data held in the information device should be erased.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

specifying the password to be stored in the memory; and

specifying the security level to be stored in the memory.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the security process is performed by a security processing program.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the information device is equipped with a wireless telephone facility.

19. A method of implementing security for a first information device for a wireless communication with a network that allows transmission and reception of electronic mails, comprising the steps of:

on the side of a second information device, performing an editing operation of inserting into an electronic mail to be transmitted a password adapted to allow the first information device to perform a security process corresponding to a security level stored in advance in said another information device and

transmitting the electronic mail into which the password has been inserted to the first information device.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the password is inserted in the form of binary data into the header field of the electronic mail.

21. A method of implementing security for a first information device for a wireless communication with a network that allows transmission and reception of electronic mails, comprising the steps of:

on the side of the first information device, storing a specified password and security level in a memory;

on the side of a second information device, performing an editing operation of inserting a password into an electronic mail to be transmitted;

transmitting the electronic mail into which the password has been inserted from the second information device to the first information device;

on the side of the first information device, checking the password in the electronic mail with the password stored in the memory in response to the reception of the electronic mail from the network; and

on the side of the first information device, executing a security process corresponding to the security level stored in the memory.

22. A storage medium having program code instructions stored thereon which are readable by an information device for a wireless communication with a network that allows transmission and reception of electronic mails, the instructions comprising:

when a password and a security level are specified, storing the contents thereof in a memory;

checking a password attached to an electronic mail with the password stored in the memory in response to the reception of the electronic mail from the network; and

when the password match occurs, executing a security process corresponding to the security level stored in the memory.