Systems for finding a lost transient storage device

• US 9,503,429 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, Janet, Wilson, Emily, Sadovsky, Vladimir, Alexander, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shayanfar, Ali
• Application Number:
  US14/515,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 726/24, 726/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0478 applying multiple layers of encryption, e.g. nested tunnels or encrypting the content with a first key and then with at least a second key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14

Abstract

Processes for identifying and recovering a lost transient storage device are provided. In some processes, information regarding the owner of the device is obtained. The device ownership information may be stored on a remote service with which the device is registered and/or may be stored on the device itself. In one process, the remote service provides the device with customized device-executable code when the device is registered. The device may also contain information regarding trusted systems. The process includes obtaining status information indicating whether a device is lost when the device is connected to a host system. In some processes, the status is determined by a remote service. In other processes, the status is determined by the device. If the device is lost then a device recovery plan is executed. Portions of a device recovery plan may be executed on the remote service, the host system, and/or the device.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computing device comprising at least one processor and memory, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling the computing device with a host;

receiving, by the computing device from the host to which the computing device is communicatively coupled, status information about the computing device that was provided to the host from a remote service, the status information indicating that the computing device is lost or stolen;

establishing, responsive to the received status information, a secure tunneling channel between the computing device and the remote service, where the secure tunneling channel passes through the host and is provided by the host; and

mutually authenticating, by the computing device with the remote service, via the secure tunneling channel;

communicating, by the computing device in response to the mutual authenticating, data through the host with the remote service over the secure tunneling channel between the computing device and the remote service, where the computing device, the host, and the remote service are separate and distinct from each other.

2. The method of claim 1 where the computing device is part of a phone.

3. The method of claim 1 where the communicating is part of a recovery plan.

4. The method of claim 1 where the data includes location information.

5. The method of claim 1 where the computing device is controllable by the remote service via the secure tunneling channel.

6. The method of claim 1 where an application that establishes the secure tunneling channel is provided to the computing device via the host by the remote service.

7. The method of claim 1 where the communicated data comprises unique identification information that identifies contact information for an owner of the computing device.

8. At least one computer storage device that comprises computer-executable instructions that, based on execution by at least one processor of a computing device that also includes memory, configure the computing device to perform actions comprising:

communicatively coupling the computing device with a host;

receiving, by the computing device from the host to which the computing device is communicatively coupled, status information about the computing device that was provided to the host from a remote service, the status information indicating that the computing device is lost or stolen;

establishing, responsive to the received status information, a secure tunneling channel between the computing device and the remote service, where the secure tunneling channel passes through the host and is provided by the host; and

mutually authenticating, by the computing device with the remote service, via the secure tunneling channel;

communicating, by the computing device in response to the mutual authenticating, data through the host with the remote service over the secure tunneling channel between the computing device and the remote service, where the computing device, the host, and the remote service are separate and distinct from each other.

9. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8 where the computing device is part of a phone.

10. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8 where the communicating is part of a recovery plan that was selected by an owner of the computing device before the computing device was reported lost or stolen.

11. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8 where the data includes location information that identifies a location of the computing device.

12. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8 where the computing device is controllable by the remote service via the secure tunneling channel.

13. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8 where an application that establishes the secure tunneling channel is provided to the computing device via the host by the remote service.

14. The at least one computer storage device of claim 8 where an application that establishes the secure tunneling channel is stored in the memory of the computing device.

15. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

memory coupled to the at least one processor; and

a port coupled to the at least one processor and memory and via which the computing device is configured to communicatively coupling the computing device with a host;

the port via which the computing device is further configured to receive, from the host to which the computing device is communicatively coupled, status information about the computing device that was provided to the host from a remote service, the status information indicating that the computing device is lost stolen;

the port via which the computing device is further configured to establish, responsive to the received status information, a secure tunneling channel between the computing device and the remote service, where the secure tunneling channel passes through the host and is provided by the host; and

the port via which the computing device is further configured to mutually authenticate with the remote service via the secure tunneling channel;

the port via which the computing device is further configured to communicate, in response to the computing device mutual authenticating with the remote service via the secure tunneling channel, data through the host with the remote service over the secure tunneling channel between the computing device and the remote service, where the computing device, the host, and the remote service are separate and distinct from each other.

16. The computing device of claim 15 where the computing device is part of a phone, or where the communicating is part of a recovery plan.

17. The computing device of claim 15 where the data includes location information.

18. The computing device of claim 15 where the computing device is controllable by the remote service via the secure tunneling channel.

19. The computing device of claim 15 where an application that establishes the secure tunneling channel is provided to the computing device via the host by the remote service.

20. The computing device of claim 15 where an application that establishes the secure tunneling channel is stored in the memory of the computing device.