Selective wireless disablement for computers passing through a security checkpoint

• US 6,286,102 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ward, Jim, Cromer, Daryl, Dayan, Richard, Steinmetz, Mike, Locker, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/220,311
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 380/270
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A security system for computers defines a control zone using radiation, preferably at radio frequency, having a distinctive characteristic, such as a particular frequency. The zone may be established, for example, at a door exit or other limited passage to a secured area. The radiation triggers a device in the computer that in turn sends out a serial number signal. To further prevent unauthorized removal a personal identification number is required of the person in the zone with the computer, either by key input or an encoded radio signal. A receiver located near the control zone applies the serial number to a table look up computer that triggers an emergency signal if a match to an authorized list of serial numbers for the computer and corresponding person does not occur. The emergency signal activates a transmitter that sends out an emergency radiation signal with a different distinctive characteristic. A second receiver in the computer then responds to the emergency radiation signal to trigger the security logic to render the computer inoperative.

Claims

1. A security system comprising:

a radiation transmitter at a control zone exposing said control zone to radiation having a second distinctive characteristic;

at least one computer system having start up logic that on energization sequences the computer system through a process to become operational and includes an identifier device that detects radiation having said second distinctive characteristic and responsively emits radiation bearing a respective encoded system identifier signal;

identification apparatus for sending a personal identifier signal;

a receiver near said control zone responsive to said system identifier signal including checking logic which performs a search on a predefined list of identifiers to determine if the received system identifier is listed and corresponds to the personal identifier, said receiver producing an alarm signal if no such match is found;

a transmitter responsive to the alarm signal to emit radiation having a first distinctive characteristic into the control zone;

a receiver mounted in said computer system which is responsive to radiation having said first distinctive characteristic to produce a disable signal; and

security logic cooperating with said start-up logic and responsive to said disable signal to disable said start-up logic from making said computer system operative.

2. A security system according to claim 1 wherein said radiation is a radio frequency signal and the distinctive characteristic is the frequency of the radiation.

3. A security system according to claim 1 which further includes password checking logic, a display device and a user operable input device and wherein said password checking logic prompts the user for a password if an alarm signal is present and disables said security logic from preventing said electronic computing apparatus from becoming operative if the correct password is asserted at said input device.

4. A security system according to claim 1 where one said identification apparatus is an employee badge with a radiation activated tag.

5. A security system according to claim 1 where one said identification apparatus is a keypad at the control zone coupled to the receiver.

6. A security system according to claim 1 where said checking logic, for a selected set of universal system identifiers, produces no disable signal.

12. A security system according to claim 1 wherein the distinctive radiation characteristic is a distinctive code on a carrier frequency.

7. A checkpoint apparatus for automatically disabling computer systems passing through a control zone which have a tag responsive to a radiation with a distinctive characteristic to trigger radiation of a coded system identification signal and radiation activated disabling logic , said checkpoint apparatus comprising:

a radiation device for flooding the control zone with radiation having the distinctive characteristic;

a receiver for receiving a coded system identification signal and a coded personal identification signal input by a person in the control zone;

checking logic including a storage with a predefined identification signal table which is coupled for receiving the personal and system identification signals from the receiver and compares signals arriving within a preselected time period for a match and if none if found triggers a transmitter to send a disabling signal whereby the disabling logic of a computer system in the control zone would be triggered.

8. A checkpoint apparatus according to claim 7 where personal identification signal is transmitted by is an employee badge with a radiation activated tag.

9. A checkpoint apparatus according to claim 7 which includes a keypad which provides the personal identification signal in response to actuation by a person.

10. A checkpoint apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the distinctive radiation characteristic is frequency.

11. A checkpoint apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the distinctive radiation characteristic is a distinctive code on a carrier frequency.