Method for determining identification of an electronic device

• US 20070234427A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Inventors: Volodarets, Victor, Gardner, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 9,547,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A utility to determine identity of an electronic device electronically, by running a device attribute collection application that collects key data points of the electronic devices and a device identification application that uses these key data points to link the electronic device to a specific owner or entity. Data points of the device may change over time for reasons such as reconfiguration, repair or normal daily use. The device identification application intelligently and consistently tracks changes in key data points associated with the device, even if the data points change over its lifecycle. The device may be identified remotely with the device identification application (e.g., in the event of theft or loss of the device) based on the collected data points. The device identification application may be deployed in conjunction with services that may include asset tracking, asset recovery, data delete, software deployment, etc.

Claims

1. A method of determining identity of an electronic device, comprising:

obtaining at least one attribute of the device;

searching existing records of a plurality of electronic devices, to identify based on the at least one attribute, a unique record corresponding to the device; and

determining the identity of the device from the unique record if it has been identified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute of the device is obtained using an attribute collection application residing at the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching step is undertaken by an identification application residing at a remote server.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute includes an identifier if one has been previously assigned to the device, wherein the obtaining step comprises retrieving the identifier from the device, and the searching step comprises identifying the unique record based on the identifier.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the identifier comprises an ESN.

6. The method as in claim 1, the obtaining step collects a plurality of attributes of the device, and wherein the determining step comprises a determination of whether a predetermined number of collected attributes are different from corresponding attributes in the unique record.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein if it is determined that the predetermined number of collected attributes are different, the device is determined to be a new device and a new identifier is assigned to the device.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the searching step comprises matching the at least one attribute against corresponding attributes stored in existing records for a plurality of electronic devices.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the searching step comprises assigning an identifier to the device if an identifier has not been previously assigned to the device or a valid identifier is not available from the device.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein a unique record has been identified, and wherein the identifier is assigned by retrieving an identifier from the unique record.

11. The method as in claim 9, wherein a unique record has not been identified, and the searching step comprises creating and assigning a new identifier to the device, and creating a new record for the device.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein the identifier comprises an ESN.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step collects a plurality of attributes include data points relating to hardware and/or software deployed in the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data points include at least two of:

ix. Device Make and/or Model;

x. Device Motherboard Serial Number;

xi. Device UUID (Universal Unique Identifier);

xii. Hard drive Serial Number;

xiii. Mac address of multiple network cards;

xiv. Ram serial number; and

xv. Battery Serial number.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the matching step comprises matching each data point in sequence, against correspond data points stored in the existing records, and wherein a unique record is identified when only one existing record is found with a particular matching data point.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein upon identifying a matching record, assigning to the device an identifier associated with the unique record.

17. The method as in claim 1, wherein determining step comprises linking the device to a specific owner or entity.

18. An electronic device comprising an attribute collection application, which collects a plurality of attributes include data points relating to hardware and/or software deployed in the device, which attributes are used to identify a unique record corresponding to the device, wherein the identity of the device can be determined based on the unique record.

19. A system for remotely determining the identity of an electronic device connected to a network, comprising:

the electronic device in accordance with claim 18;

and

a remote server connected to the network, comprising an identification application searching existing records of a plurality of electronic devices, to identify based on the attributes, a unique record corresponding to the device, and determine the identity of the device from the unique record if it has been identified.

20. A server for remotely identifying an electronic device connected to a network, comprising an identification application receiving a plurality of attributes including data points relating to hardware and/or software deployed in the device, and searching existing records of a plurality of electronic devices, to identify based on the attributes, a unique record corresponding to the device, and determine the identity of the device from the unique record if it has been identified.