Electronic device client and server system and method

• US 8,182,548 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Softex LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Softex Incorporated
• Inventors: Kapila, Ranjit, Varghese, Elza Abraham, Tucker, Thomas David, Bhansali, Apurva Mahendrakumar, Jain, Manoj Kumar, Dube, Shradha, Rangarajan, Gayathri, Patel, Mehul Ramjibhai, Raikar, Rayesh Kashinath, Dhanani, Kamal Mansukhlal
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Yin-Chen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolentino, Roderick
• Application Number:
  US12/167,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726/26, 726 34- 36, 379 37- 51, 340287-209
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning

Abstract

An electronic device security and tracking system. A system includes one or more clients, wherein the clients are electronic devices; and a server computer system connected to each of the clients, wherein the server computer system is capable of tracking and locating each of the clients. In one aspect, the server computer system includes one or more web servers coupled to each of the clients, wherein the web servers include a website for the electronic device security and tracking system; one or more file transfer protocol servers coupled to each of the web servers; and one or more database servers connected to each of the web servers.

Claims

1. An electronic device security and tracking system, comprising:

a server computer system capable of connecting with multiple clients, wherein the clients are electronic devices, wherein the server computer system is capable of tracking and locating the clients, and wherein the server computer system comprises;

at least one web server capable of connecting with the clients, wherein the web server includes a website for the electronic device security and tracking system (EDSTS);

at least one file transfer protocol (FTP) server capable of connecting with the web server and transferring files to clients through the web server;

at least one database server capable of connecting to the web server, wherein the database server includes user configuration information, and wherein the user configuration information includes an EDSTS service selected by a user, electronic device identification information, and an electronic device location and status log; and

an application component available for transfer to the clients;

wherein the website for the EDSTS provides features for administration and use of the EDSTS comprising;

a login mechanism to provide for user authentication;

a reporting mechanism to allow an authenticated user to report a client device among the multiple clients as stolen;

a disable option to allow the authenticated user to request disablement of the client device;

a data administration mechanism to allow the authenticated user to interact with data from the client device;

a recovery mechanism to allow the authenticated user to unlock the client device; and

a software provision mechanism to transfer the application component to the client device via the FTP server;

wherein the application component is configured to work with web browser software on the client device to ensure that if the web browser software can access the website for the EDSTS, the application component will be able to access the website for the EDSTS; and

wherein the application component is configured to disable the client device in response to the authenticated user (a) reporting the client device as stolen and (b) selecting the disable option for the client device.

2. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the server computer system is capable of connecting with the clients through a firewall.

3. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 2, wherein the firewall includes software capable of executing on the server computer system.

4. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 2, wherein the firewall includes a firewall device with dedicated hardware and software.

5. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 4, wherein the firewall device is a computer system.

6. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the web server includes software to transmit webpages to clients and to receive responses from clients.

7. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the database server is capable of connecting to the web server through a firewall.

8. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 7, wherein the firewall includes software capable of executing on at least one database server.

9. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 7, wherein the firewall includes a firewall device with dedicated hardware and software.

10. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 9, wherein the firewall device is a computer system.

11. The electronic device and security system of claim 1, wherein the user configuration information includes a record of at least one client device associated with the user.

12. The electronic device and security system of claim 1, wherein the user configuration information includes billing information.

13. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the database server includes access rights for clients.

14. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the FTP server is capable of transferring files directly to clients.

15. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 1, wherein the web server includes a primary server coupled to a plurality of secondary servers.

16. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 15, wherein the primary server is capable of being connected with directly by clients.

17. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 16, wherein each of the secondary servers is capable of being connected with directly by clients.

18. The electronic device security and tracking system of claim 17, further comprising:

at least one of the multiple clients; and

wherein the at least one client is configured to access the website on the primary server and, if unable to access the website on the primary server, to access one or more of the secondary servers to determine status of the primary server.

19. An electronic device security and tracking system, comprising:

at least one client device; and

a server computer system capable of connecting with and tracking the client device, wherein the server computer system comprises;

at least one web server capable of connecting with the client device, wherein the web server includes a website for the electronic device security and tracking system (EDSTS);

at least one file transfer protocol (FTP) server capable of connecting with the web server and transferring files to the client device through the web server;

at least one database server capable of connecting to the web server, wherein the database server includes user configuration information, and wherein the user configuration information includes an EDSTS service selected by a user, electronic device identification information, and an electronic device location and status log; and

an application component available for transfer to the client device;

wherein the website for the EDSTS provides features for administration and use of the EDSTS comprising;

a login mechanism to provide for user authentication;

a reporting mechanism to allow an authenticated user to report the client device as stolen;

a disable option to allow the authenticated user to request disablement of the client device;

a data administration mechanism to allow the authenticated user to interact with data from the client device;

a recovery mechanism to allow the authenticated user to unlock the client device; and

a software provision mechanism to transfer the application component to the client device via the FTP server;

wherein the application component is configured to disable the client device in response to the authenticated user (a) reporting the client device as stolen and (b) selecting the disable option for the client device;

wherein the application component comprises an EDSTS application program and startup program files;

wherein the EDSTS application component is configured to automatically check integrity of the EDSTS application program and the startup program files during basic input/output system (BIOS) startup of the client device;

wherein the EDSTS application component is configured to automatically store verification data in an area to be accessible during a subsequent BIOS startup of the client device, in response to a positive integrity check, the verification data indicating that integrity has been verified; and

wherein the EDSTS application component is configured to automatically prevent the client device from completing a boot process if the EDSTS application component does not find, during said boot process, verification data indicating that integrity of the EDSTS application program and the startup program files was verified during a previous BIOS startup.