Method and system for secure computer system transfer

• US 6,647,497 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Steinmetz, Michael J., Locker, Howard J., Cromer, Daryl C., Dayan, Richard A., Ward, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail
• Assistant Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US09/282,766
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 713/300, 713/310, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.61, 340/5.62, 340/10.1, 340/10.31, 340/10.5, 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/5.6, 340/5.63, 340/5.64, 340/58, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/375, 705/22, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 726/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

Method and system aspects for securely transferring a computer system are described. A computer system is disabled at a shipping point via an RFID (radio frequency identification) interface and re-enabled at a receiving point via the RFID interface. Disabling the computer system includes selecting a boot password, writing the boot password to storage in the computer system via the RFID interface, and setting a disable bit in the storage via the, RFID interface. Re-enabling the computer system includes entering the boot password via the RFID interface and clearing the disable bit.

Claims

1. A method for securely transferring computer systems, the method comprising:

disabling a computer system at a shipping point via an RFID (radio frequency identification) interface, including selecting a boot password, writing the boot password to storage in the computer system via the RFID interface, and setting a disable bit in the storage via the RFID interface; and

re-enabling the computer system at a receiving point via the RFID interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage further comprises an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the boot password from the shipping point to the receiving point.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the boot password is provided via electronic mail.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein re-enabling the computer system further comprises entering the boot password via the RFID interface.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising attempting to boot the computer system, comparing the entered boot password to the written boot password, and booting the computer system, including clearing the disable bit, when the entered boot password matches the written boot password.

7. A method for securely transferring computer systems, the method comprising:

providing a first signal sequence at a first site through a predetermined interface to disable operations in a computer system, including selecting a boot password, writing the boot password to storage in the computer system via an (radio frequency identification) RFID interface, and setting a disable bit in the storage via the RFID interface;

transferring the disabled computer system to a second site; and

providing a second signal sequence at the second site through the predetermined interface to enable operations in the computer system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of providing a first signal sequence further comprises determining a universal unique identifier for the computer system.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising saving the boot password in an EEPROM of the computer system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of transferring further comprises identifying the universal unique identifier from the computer system via the predetermined interface, transporting the computer system to the second site, and providing information on the universal unique identifier and boot password to the second site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing information further comprises sending the information via electronic mail.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of providing a second signal sequence further comprises providing the boot password.

13. A system for transferring a computer system securely, the system comprising:

a central processing system; and

a radio frequency identification interface (RFID) coupled to the central processing system, the RFID for receiving a first signal sequence including a universal unique identifier, an assigned password for the computer system, and a set disable bit to disable the computer system at a shipping site and for receiving a second signal sequence including a boot password at a receiving site to enable operations of the computer system.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a BIOS ROM coupled to the RFID, the BIOS ROM including instructions for comparing the boot password to the assigned password, and for booting the computer system when the boot password matches the assigned boot password.