Removal notification for a computer system

• US 6,718,381 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Herzi, Dirie
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US09/237,381
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/227, 709/224, 709/223, 709/203, 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A computer system includes at least one processor, at least one memory, a device for communicating with a prescribed network server, and a mechanism for implementing a removal notification security measure during at least a low power mode of the computer system. The security measure includes the transmitting of a security packet to the prescribed network server at prescribed intervals subsequent to the computer system entering the low power mode.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

device for communicating with a network server; and

means for implementing a computer system initiated removal notification security measure in response to an occurrence of a timed event during a low power mode of said computer system, said means for implementing the security measure configured to initiate, in response to said computer system entering the low power mode and at prescribed intervals only subsequent to said computer system entering the low power mode, periodic transmissions of a security packet from said computer system to the network server via said communicating device, said means for implementing the security measure including a network interface controller (NIC), sufficiently powered during an OFF state and a low powered state of the computer system, the NIC linking with the network server via one of an embedded controller and the processor, wherein a receipt of the periodic transmissions of the security packet by the network server is indicative of a continued network connection and wherein a ceasing of the receipt of the periodic transmissions by the network server is indicative of a discontinued network connection, corresponding to a notification that said computer system may have been removed.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the security packet includes at least a computer system identifier.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the security packet is a universally unique identifier (UUID).

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the security packet is a globally unique identifier (GUID).

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the embedded controller is activated at the prescribed intervals for transmitting the security packet via said communicating device from said computer system to the network server.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the prescribed intervals for removal notification are fixed intervals.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the prescribed intervals for removal notification are intervals subject to being changed in accordance with requirements of a particular removal notification security measure implementation.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said means for implementing the removal notification security measure includes the basic input output system (BIOS) firmware, the BIOS firmware including instructions executable by said at least one processor for transmitting the security packet via said communicating device to the network server.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the BIOS firmware is accessed in response to the occurrence of a prescribed system management interrupt, the system management interrupt having been generated in response to a prescribed timer.

10. The computer system of claim 9, further wherein the prescribed timer includes at least one of a real time clock and a chip set logic timer.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said communicating device includes a modem.

12. A computer network comprising:

a network server for administering a removal notification security policy; and

a computer system, said computer system including;

a processor;

a memory;

device for communicating with said network server; and

means for implementing a computer system initiated removal notification security measure in response to an occurrence of a timed event during a low power mode of said computer system, said means for implementing the security measure configured to initiate, in response to said computer system entering the low power mode and at prescribed intervals only subsequent to said computer system entering the low power mode, periodic transmissions of a security packet from said at least one computer system to said network server via said communicating device, said means for implementing the security measure including a network interface controller (NIC), sufficiently powered during an OFF state and a low powered state of the computer system, the NIC linking with the network server via one of an embedded controller and the processor, wherein a receipt of the periodic transmissions of the security packet by said network server is indicative of a continued network connection and wherein a ceasing of the receipt of the periodic transmissions by said network server is indicative of a discontinued network connection, corresponding to a notification that said computer system may have been removed.

13. The computer network of claim 12, wherein the security packet includes at least a computer system identifier, the computer system identifier including one of a universally unique identifier (UUID) and a globally unique identifier (GUID).

14. The computer network of claim 12, wherein embedded controller is activated at the prescribed intervals for transmitting the security packet via the communicating device from said computer system to said network server.

15. The computer network of claim 12, wherein the means for implementing the removal notification security measure includes basic input output system (BIOS) firmware, the BIOS firmware including instructions executable by the processor for transmitting the security packet via the communicating device to said network server.

16. The computer network of claim 15, wherein the BIOS firmware is accessed in response to the occurrence of a prescribed system management interrupt, the system management interrupt having been generated in response to a prescribed timer.

17. The computer network of claim 16, further wherein the prescribed timer includes at least one of a real time clock and a chip set logic timer.

18. The computer network of claim 12, wherein the communicating device includes a modem.

19. A method of implementing removal notification of a computer system comprising:

providing a processor;

providing a memory;

providing a device for communicating with a network server; and

implementing a computer system initiated removal notification security measure in response to an occurrence of a timed event during a low power mode of the computer system, wherein implementing the security measure includes initiating, in response to the computer system entering the low power mode and at prescribed intervals only subsequent to the computer system entering the low power mode, periodic transmissions of a security packet from the computer system to the network server, via the communicating device, further wherein implementing the security measure includes a network interface controller (NIC), sufficiently powered during an OFF state and a low powered state of the computer system, the NIC linking with the network server via one of an embedded controller and the processor, wherein a receipt of the periodic transmissions of the security packet by the network server is indicative of a continued network connection and wherein a ceasing of the receipt of the periodic transmissions by the network server is indicative of a discontinued network connection, corresponding to a notification that the computer system may have been removed.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the security packet includes at least a computer system identifier.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the security packet is a universally unique identifier (UUID).

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the security packet is a globally unique identifier (GUID).

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the embedded controller is activated at the prescribed intervals for transmitting the security packet via the communicating device from the computer system to the network server.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the prescribed intervals for removal notification are fixed intervals.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the prescribed intervals for removal notification are intervals subject to being changed in accordance with requirements of a particular removal notification security measure implementation.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein implementing the removal notification security measure includes providing basic input output system (BIOS) firmware, the BIOS firmware including instructions executable by the at least one processor for transmitting the security packet via the communicating device to the prescribed network server.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the BIOS firmware is accessed in response to the occurrence of a prescribed system management interrupt, the system management interrupt having been generated in response to a prescribed timer.

28. The method of claim 27, further wherein the prescribed timer includes at least one of a real time clock and a chip set logic timer.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the communicating device includes a network interface controller.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the communicating device includes a modem.

31. A method of implementing removal notification of a computer system in a computer network comprising:

providing a network server for administering a removal notification security policy; and

providing a computer system, the computer system including;

providing a processor;

providing a memory;

providing a device for communicating with the network server; and

implementing a computer system initiated removal notification security measure in response to an occurrence of a timed event during a low power mode of the at least one computer system, wherein implementing the security measure includes initiating, in response to the computer system entering the low power mode and at prescribed intervals only subsequent to the computer system entering the low power mode, periodic transmissions of a security packet from the computer system to the network server, via the communicating device, further wherein implementing the security measure includes a network interface controller (NIC), sufficiently powered during an OFF state and a low powered state of the computer system, the NIC linking with the network server via one of an embedded controller and the processor, wherein a receipt of the periodic transmissions of the security packet by the network server is indicative of a continued network connection and wherein a ceasing of the receipt of the periodic transmissions by the network server is indicative of a discontinued network connection, corresponding to a notification that the computer system may have been removed.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the security packet includes at least a computer system identifier, the computer system identifier including one of a universally unique identifier (UUID) and a globally unique identifier (GUID).

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the embedded controller is activated at the prescribed intervals for transmitting the security packet via the communicating device from the computer system to the network server.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein implementing the removal notification security measure includes providing basic input output system (BIOS) firmware, the BIOS firmware including instructions executable by the processor for transmitting the security packet via the communicating device to the network server.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the BIOS firmware is accessed in response to the occurrence of a prescribed system management interrupt, the system management interrupt having been generated in response to a prescribed timer.

36. The method of claim 35, further wherein the prescribed timer includes at least one of a real time clock and a chip set logic timer.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the communicating device includes a network interface controller.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the communicating device includes a modem.