Deterring theft and unauthorized use of electronic devices through the use of counters and private code

• US 7,571,265 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2004
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thacker, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peyton; Tammara
• Assistant Examiner(s): YU, HENRY W
• Application Number:
  US10/918,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 710/10, 710/19, 710/36, 340/5.26
• US Class Current: 710/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A system and method are provided for reducing a potential thief'"'"'s motivation to steal an electronic device, by rendering the device inoperative at some time after it is stolen. The mechanism used to deter theft may include a modified primary integrated circuit chip in the electronic device, such as the central processing unit (CPU), a memory controller chip, or a primary input/output (I/O) chip. The chip may be important enough to the normal operation of the electronic device such that without normal operation of the chip, the electronic device also would not operate normally, thus rendering the electronic device partially or fully disabled. A “recharger” device may be used to recharge, or reset the operability of the chip.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an apparatus having an integrated circuit that includes disabling circuitry, the disabling circuitry having a first counter, wherein the disabling circuitry is configured to selectively disable normal operation of the apparatus responsive to a first count state defined by the first counter reaching a first defined value, and wherein the apparatus is associated with a unique identifier; and

a portable device configured to establish a communication link with the apparatus in order to;

receive a unique identifier from the apparatus and evaluate the received unique identifier to determine whether the apparatus is operationally bonded to the portable device, and

in response to determining that the apparatus and portable device are operationally bonded, transmit data including a private code to the apparatus, the transmitted private code being evaluated by the apparatus to determine whether the apparatus and portable device are operationally bonded, wherein a determination by the apparatus that the apparatus and portable device are operationally bonded causes the disabling circuitry to either enable the normal operation of the apparatus alter the normal operation has been previously disabled responsive to the first count state, or

set the first counter to a value further delaying the first counter from reaching the first defined value,

wherein the portable device is operationally bonded to the apparatus associated with the unique identifier as a result of a bonding process preformed between the portable device and the apparatus,

wherein before the bonding process is performed, the portable device is capable of being operationally bonded to any of a plurality of apparatuses associated with different identifiers,

wherein after the bonding process is performed, the portable device is prevented from being operationally bonded to any of the plurality of apparatuses other than the apparatus associated with the unique identifier,

wherein the bonding process comprises;

automatically transmitting the unique identifier and the private code from the apparatus to the portable device upon an initial establishment of the communication link between the apparatus and portable device, and

disabling the apparatus from performing any further transmission of the private code, and

wherein, before the first count state occurs, the apparatus is capable of the normal operation without having the communication link established.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit further includes an oscillator coupled to the first counter, wherein the first counter is configured to change the first count state responsive to the oscillator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first counter maintains the first count state when power is removed from the integrated circuit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit further includes an external data connection configured to receive the data transmitted by the portable device, and the disabling circuitry is configured to compare the private code of the received data with internal data stored in the integrated circuit and to set the first count state of the first counter based on the comparison.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the disabling circuitry is configured to set the first count state to a value that is defined by the received data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit further includes an external data connection to receive the data transmitted from the portable device, and the disabling circuitry is further configured to compare the private code of the received data with internal data stored in the integrated circuit and to enable the integrated circuit based on the comparison.

7. The system of claim 1,

wherein the integrated circuit further includes an external data connection to send to and receive data from the portable device, and the disabling circuitry is configured to send first internal data stored in the integrated circuit to the external data connection, receive external data from the external data connection, compare the external data with second internal data stored in the integrated circuit, and enable the integrated circuit based on the comparison, and

wherein the first internal data is the unique identifier, and the second identifier is the private code.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the disabling circuitry further includes a second counter defining a second count value and a storage element, and wherein the integrated circuit further includes an external data connection to send to and receive data from the portable device, wherein the disabling circuitry is configured to send a content of the storage element to the external data connection only a predetermined number of times based on the second count value.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit has a chip data connection, the apparatus further including a housing, a data communication port accessible to the portable device from outside the housing, and a dedicated data transmission path coupling the chip data connection with the data communication port.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device, in addition to performing data communications with the apparatus, the portable device is configured to recharge power in the apparatus.

10. In an integrated circuit having a counter and disabling circuitry, the integrated circuit being implemented within an apparatus associated with a unique identifier, a method comprising steps of:

utilizing a counter to count to a defined value;

responsive to the defined value being reached, utilizing the disabling circuitry to disable normal operation of the apparatus;

establishing a communication link with a portable device operationally bonded to the integrated circuit;

conducting data communications with the portable device via the communication link in order to;

transmit data including a unique identifier to the portable device, the unique identifier being evaluated by the portable device to determine whether the integrated circuit and portable device are operationally bonded, the portable device transmitting data including a private code to the apparatus in response to determining that the apparatus and portable device are operationally bonded; and

receive the data including the private code transmitted by the portable device and evaluate the private code to determine whether the integrated circuit and portable device are operationally bonded; and

responsive to determining that the integrated circuit and portable device are operationally bonded, performing at least one of;

utilizing the disabling circuitry to enable the normal operation of the apparatus after the normal operation has been previously disabled by the disabling circuitry, and

utilizing the disabling circuit to set the counter to a value further delaying the count from reaching the defined value,

wherein the portable device is operationally bonded to the apparatus associated with the unique identifier as a result of a bonding process performed between the portable device and the apparatus,

wherein before the bonding process is performed the portable device is capable of being operationally bonded to an integrated circuit in any of a plurality of apparatuses associated with different identifiers,

wherein after the bonding process is performed, the portable device is prevented from being operationally bonded to any of the plurality of apparatuses other than the apparatus associated with the unique identifier,

wherein the bonding process comprises;

automatically transmitting the unique identifier and the private code from the apparatus to the portable device upon an initial establishment of the communication link between the apparatus and portable device, and

disabling the apparatus from performing any further transmission of the private code, and

wherein, before the first count state occurs, the apparatus is capable of the normal operation without having the communication link established.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising steps of:

sending first internal data stored in the integrated circuit out through an external data connection of the integrated circuit to the portable device;

receiving external data from the portable device into the external data connection; and

comparing the external data with second internal data stored in the integrated circuit,

wherein the first internal data is the unique identifier, and the second identifier is the private code.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of setting the counter to a second defined value responsive to the comparison.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of setting the counter is performed responsive to the external data and the internal data being identical.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of setting the counter includes receiving the second defined value from the portable device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second defined value is received from a storage element of the integrated circuit.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of counting is performed responsive to an output of an oscillator of the integrated circuit.

18. A system comprising:

a mobile phone storing a unique identifier, the mobile phone having an integrated circuit that includes disabling circuitry, the disabling circuitry having a first counter, wherein the disabling circuitry is configured to selectively disable normal operation of the mobile phone responsive to a first count state defined by the first counter reaching a first defined value; and

a mobile phone recharger configured to establish a communication link with the mobile phone in order to;

receive a unique identifier from the mobile phone and determine whether the mobile phone and mobile phone recharger are operationally bonded based on the received unique identifier,

in response to determining that the mobile phone and mobile phone recharger are operationally bonded, transmit data including a private code to the mobile phone, the transmitted private code being evaluated by the mobile phone to determine whether the mobile phone and mobile phone recharger are operationally bonded, wherein a determination by the mobile phone that the mobile phone and mobile phone recharger are operationally bonded causes the disabling circuitry to either enable the normal operation of the mobile phone after the normal operation has been previously disabled responsive to the first count state, or

set the first counter to a value further delaying the first count state from reaching the first defined value,

wherein the mobile phone recharger is operationally bonded to the mobile phone as a result of a bonding process performed between the mobile phone and the mobile phone recharger

wherein before the bonding process is performed, the mobile phone recharger is capable of being operationally bonded to any of a plurality of mobile phones storing different identifiers,

wherein after the bonding process is performed, the mobile phone recharger is prevented from being operationally bonded to any of the plurality of mobile phones other than the mobile phone storing the unique identifier, and

wherein the bonding process comprises;

automatically transmitting the unique identifier and the private code from the mobile phone to the mobile phone recharger upon an initial establishment of the communication link between the mobile phone and mobile phone recharger, and

disabling the mobile phone from performing any further transmission of the private code.