System and method for disabling and/or enabling a device
First Claim
1. A system for preventing use of a device for a period of time, the system comprising:
- a memory and a processor;
at least a first subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that receives, through a network in a first manner, a first instruction to disable a functionality of the device at a specified time;
at least a second subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that disables the functionality based on the first instruction;
at least a third subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that receives, after passage of the period of time, a second instruction to re-enable the functionality;
at least a fourth subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that verifies that the second instruction is given by a combination of two or more entities, wherein the combination has been pre-approved to re-enable the functionality; and
at least a fifth subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that re-enables the functionality based on verification of the second instruction by the fourth subsystem.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Operation of a device may be enabled or disabled by an instruction that may be given in a variety of ways. For example, a device (e.g., a car) may be equipped with a mechanism that disables (“kills”) and/or enables (“unkills”) some or all of the functionality of the car upon receipt of an appropriate instruction. The instruction could be given remotely. For example, the instruction could be given remotely from a wireless telephone by sending appropriate messages through a network. An instruction to re-enable operation of the device could also be given remotely. The honoring of kill and/or unkill instructions could be predicated on some type of authentication, such as the identity of the device from which the instruction is issued, a password, a biometric identification, the location from which the instruction is issued, or some other factor.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for preventing use of a device for a period of time, the system comprising:
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a memory and a processor; at least a first subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that receives, through a network in a first manner, a first instruction to disable a functionality of the device at a specified time; at least a second subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that disables the functionality based on the first instruction; at least a third subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that receives, after passage of the period of time, a second instruction to re-enable the functionality; at least a fourth subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that verifies that the second instruction is given by a combination of two or more entities, wherein the combination has been pre-approved to re-enable the functionality; and at least a fifth subsystem deployed in the memory and executed by the processor that re-enables the functionality based on verification of the second instruction by the fourth subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of preventing use of a device for a period of time, the method comprising:
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receiving, through a network in a first manner, a first instruction to disable a functionality of the device at a specified time; disabling the functionality based on the first instruction; receiving, after passage of the period of time, a second instruction to re-enable the functionality; verifying that the second instruction is given by a combination of two or more entities, wherein the combination has been pre-approved to re-enable the functionality; and re-enabling by a computing device the functionality based on verification of the second instruction by the fourth subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable instructions for preventing use of a vehicle for a period of time, the computer readable instructions comprising instructions that:
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detect that the vehicle is outside of a particular geographic region; receive, through a network in a first manner, a first instruction to disable a functionality of the vehicle at a specified time; disable the functionality based on the first instruction; receive, after passage of the period of time, a second instruction to re-enable the functionality; and verify that the second instruction is given by a combination of two or more entities, wherein the combination has been pre-approved to re-enable the functionality; and re-enable the functionality based on verification of the second instruction. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification