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Providing power control to an electronic device using authentication

  • US 9,485,655 B1
  • Filed: 02/11/2015
  • Issued: 11/01/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

  • receiving, by the electronic device, a “

    turn off”

    command from a user of the electronic device, the “

    turn off”

    command directing the electronic device to turn off;

    in response to the “

    turn off”

    command, invoking, by the electronic device, an authentication operation to authenticate the user, the authentication operation providing an electronic power control authentication result indicating whether the electronic device considers the user to be an authorized operator of the electronic device; and

    performing, by the electronic device, a power control operation in response to the electronic power control authentication result, the power control operation (i) powering down location identification circuitry of the electronic device when the electronic power control authentication result indicates that the electronic device considers the user to be an authorized operator of the electronic device, and (ii) maintaining power to the location identification circuitry of the electronic device when the electronic power control authentication result indicates that the electronic device considers the user not to be an authorized operator of the electronic device;

    wherein invoking the authentication operation to authenticate the user includes;

    in response to the “

    turn off”

    command, prompting the user to input a user credential,after prompting the user, receiving the user credential from the user and performing an evaluation operation on the user credential to determine whether the user is an authorized operator of the electronic device, andoutputting the electronic power control authentication result based on the evaluation operation to indicate whether the electronic device considers the user to be an authorized operator of the electronic device;

    the method further comprising;

    incrementing a counter which stores a current count of unsuccessful authentication attempts in response to each determination that the user is not an authorized operator of the electronic device,resetting the counter in response to a determination that the user is an authorized operator of the electronic device, andperforming a remedial operation when the current count of unsuccessful authentication attempts stored by the counter reaches a predefined threshold;

    wherein the electronic device includes memory which stores firmware; and

    wherein performing the remedial operation includes;

    disabling the electronic device from performing an upgrade to the firmware until the electronic device receives a “

    proper reset”

    command.

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