Method and system for providing protection against theft and loss of a portable computer system

• US 6,954,147 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kern, Eric R., Locker, Howard J., Ellison, Brandon J., Cromer, Daryl C., Dayan, Richard A., Ward, James P., Rhoades, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D.
• Application Number:
  US09/282,893
• Time in Patent Office: 2,386 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/410, 455/411, 455/421, 455/456, 455/556, 455/557, 455/521, 340/539, 340/568.1, 340/568.6, 340/568.7, 340/571, 340/572.1, 713/200
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection

Abstract

Aspects for providing protection against theft and loss of a portable computer system are described. The aspects include establishing boundary conditions within which the portable computer system is authorized for use and tracking a position of the portable computer system with a global position system (GPS) unit in the portable computer system. The position is compared to the boundary conditions to identify whether the portable computer system has violated the boundary conditions, and anti-theft routines are performed when the position has violated the boundary conditions. The anti-theft routines include calling a preset phone number with a cellular calling facility of the portable computer system.

Claims

1. A method for providing protection against theft and loss of a portable computer system, the method comprising:

establishing boundary conditions within which the portable computer system is authorized for use;

tracking a position of the portable computer system with a global position system (GPS) unit in the portable computer system;

comparing the tracked position to the boundary conditions to identify whether the portable computer system has violated the boundary conditions;

performing anti-theft routines based on when the tracked position has violated the boundary conditions; and

utilizing a preset calling function at preset intervals to identify a location of the portable computer system based on GPS data from the GPS unit based on when the tracked position has not violated the boundary conditions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein performing anti-theft routines further comprises calling a preset phone number with a cellular calling facility of the portable computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein performing anti-theft routines further comprises prompting a user for a password, wherein when the password matches a master password, operation of the portable computer system continues uninterrupted.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein when the password does not match the master password, operation of the portable computer system is disabled.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking further comprises reporting the position of the portable computer system at preset intervals.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of utilizing a preset calling function at preset intervals to identify a location of the portable computer system when the position has not violated the boundary conditions further comprises utilizing the identified location as a report for finding the portable computer system that satisfies the preset boundary conditions and is stolen.

6. A method for providing protection against theft and loss of a portable computer system, the method comprising:

utilizing GPS (global position system) functionality within a portable computer system to track a position of the portable computer system;

identifying when the position tracked by the GPS functionality violates preset boundary conditions of the portable computer system;

utilizing cellular calling functionality within the portable computer system to report a potential theft of the portable computer system based on when the preset boundary conditions have been violated by the position tracked; and

utilizing a preset calling function at preset intervals with the cellular calling functionality to identify a location of the portable computer system based on when the preset boundary conditions have not been violated by the position tracked.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising establishing the preset boundary conditions as a chosen distance from a given location within which use of the portable computer system is allowed.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of utilizing cellular calling functionality further comprises calling a preset emergency phone number.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of utilizing further comprises sending a location of the portable computer system to the preset emergency phone number.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein sending further comprises sending the location as a data stream using facsimile protocol.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising utilizing the GPS functionality at regularly scheduled predetermined intervals.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising utilizing the GPS functionality during booting upon power-up of the portable computer system.

19. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of utilizing a preset calling function at preset intervals with the cellular calling functionality to identify a location of the portable computer system when the preset boundary conditions have not been violated further comprises utilizing the identified location as a report for finding the portable computer system that satisfies the preset boundary conditions and is stolen.

13. A communication control system for providing built-in anti-theft capabilities in a portable computer system, the communication control system comprising:

a controller;

a cellular unit for performing a calling function at preset intervals;

a GPS (global position system) unit coupled to the controller for tracking a position of the portable computer system; and

a storage unit, the storage unit coupled to the controller and storing preset boundary conditions and out-of-boundary actions, wherein the controller compares the tracked position to the boundary conditions and initiates the out-of-boundary actions based on when the comparison identifies a violation of the boundary conditions by the tracked position, and wherein the calling function provides for an identification of a location of the portable computer system based on when there is not a violation of the boundary conditions by the tracked position.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the cellular unit calls a preset phone number as an out-of-boundary action.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the cellular unit further reports a location of the portable computer system.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the GPS unit tracks the position at preset intervals.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the storage unit stores a predetermined distance from a central location as an in-bounds condition for the portable computer system.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the identified location provides a report for finding the portable computer system that satisfies the boundary conditions and is stolen.