Always-available embedded theft reaction subsystem

• US 9,507,965 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Berger, Michael, Resch, Joshua M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEMMA, SAMSON B
• Application Number:
  US13/992,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20140013455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 716/34, 716/35, 716/36, 726/34, 726/35, 726/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning

Abstract

A system comprising a platform protected by an always-on always-available security system is described. The system, in one embodiment, includes a core logic component to provide logic to move the platform to an armed mode upon receipt of an arming command, a battery access controller to prevent access to a battery of the platform, when the platform is in the armed mode, a disarming logic to receive a disarming command from a user, the disarming command causing the battery access controller to provide the access to the battery, such that when the platform is disarmed the battery can be accessed, whereby the system prevents removal of the battery when the platform is in the armed mode to ensure that the platform remains powered to perform a security action when needed.

Claims

1. A security system comprising:

a hardware processor;

a core logic component to move a platform to an armed mode upon receipt of an arming command in response to a suspicion of theft wherein the suspicion of theft is a loss of proximity with an external device;

a battery access controller to control access to a battery of the platform when the platform is in the armed mode, wherein the battery access controller comprises a combination of a mechanical latch and a solenoid; and

disarming logic to receive a disarming command from a user, the disarming command to cause the battery access controller to provide access to the battery when the platform is disarmed wherein the disarming logic to receive an override command, the override command to enable access to the platform without disarming the platform; and

a security action logic to perform a security action in response to receiving the override command, prior to causing the battery access controller to provide the access to the battery and a logic to minimize activation of the magnetic field used to drive the solenoid, by not activating the magnetic field when the battery mechanical latch is closed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery access controller is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) embedded controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the battery access controller is to be controlled by a messaging mechanism from the core logic to the OEM embedded controller.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the messaging mechanism comprises one of:

a general purpose input/output (GPIO), SMBus, or I2C.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the security action comprises one or more of:

sending a message via a network, sounding an alarm, and transitioning the system to another power state for data protection.

6. A method comprising:

moving a platform to an armed mode upon receipt of an arming command in response to a suspicion of theft wherein the suspicion of theft is a loss of proximity with an external device;

controlling access to a battery of the platform when the platform is in the armed mode using battery access controller that is a combination of a mechanical latch and a solenoid; and

upon receiving a disarming command from a user, moving the platform from the armed mode and allowing access to the battery;

upon receiving an override command, performing a security action in response to receiving the override command, prior to causing the battery access controller to provide the access to the battery and a logic to minimize activation of the magnetic field used to drive the solenoid, by not activating the magnetic field when the battery mechanical latch is closed wherein one of the method steps is implemented by a hardware processor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the battery access controller is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) embedded controller.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the battery access controller is controlled by a messaging mechanism from the core logic to the OEM embedded controller.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the messaging mechanism comprises one of:

a general purpose input/output (GPIO), SMBus, or 12C.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the security action comprises one or more of:

sending a message via a network, sounding an alarm, and transitioning the system to another power state for data protection.