Anti-theft Device and Method and Related Computer System

• US 20130021748A1
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Fan, Chin-Lung
• Granted Patent: US 8,854,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.57
• 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: Y10T 70/50 Special application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5004 For antitheft signaling device on protected article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5106 External catch

Abstract

The present invention discloses an anti-theft device for a computer system includes a lock; a slot formed on a housing of the computer system for fixing the lock; and a switching module for cutting off power supply for a plurality of external interfaces of the computer system when the lock is fixed to the slot.

Claims

1. An anti-theft device for a computer system, comprising:

a lock;

a slot, formed on a housing of the computer system for fixing the lock; and

a switching module, for cutting off power supply for a plurality of external interfaces of the computer system when the lock is fixed to the slot.

2. The anti-theft device of claim 1, wherein the switching module maintains power supply for the plurality of the external interfaces when the lock is not fixed to the slot.

3. The anti-theft device of claim 1, wherein the switching module comprises a switch between a power supply device of the computer system and the plurality of external interfaces, and the lock disconnects the switch when the lock is fixed to the slot, to cut off power supply for the plurality of external interfaces.

4. The anti-theft device of claim 1, wherein the switching module comprises:

a detection unit, for detecting a fixing status of the lock corresponding to the slot; and

a power control unit, for cutting off power supply for the plurality of external interfaces when the lock is fixed to the slot.

5. An anti-theft method for a computer system, comprising:

forming a slot on a housing of the computer system;

forming a lock corresponding to the slot; and

cutting off power supply for a plurality of external interfaces of the computer system when the lock is fixed to the slot.

6. The anti-theft method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining power supply for the plurality of external interfaces when the lock is not fixed to the slot.

7. The anti-theft method of claim 5, wherein the step of cutting off power supply for the plurality of external interfaces of the computer system when the lock is fixed to the slot comprises:

detecting a fixing status of the lock corresponding to the slot, to generate a detection result; and

cutting off power supply for the plurality of external interfaces when the detection result indicates that the lock is fixed to the slot.

8. A computer system, comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of external interfaces;

a power supply devices, for outputting power required by operations of the computer system; and

an anti-theft device, comprising;

a lock;

a slot, formed on the housing for fixing the lock; and

a switching module, for cutting off power supply from the power supply device to the plurality of external interfaces when the lock is fixed to the slot.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the switching module maintains power supply from the power supply device to the plurality of external interfaces when the lock is not fixed to the slot.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the switching module comprises a switch between the power supply device and the plurality of external interfaces, and the lock disconnects the switch when the lock is fixed to the slot, to cut off power supply from the power supply device to the plurality of external interfaces.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the switching module comprises:

a detection unit, for detecting a fixing status of the lock corresponding to the slot, to generate a detection result; and

a power control unit, for cutting off power supply from the power supply device to the plurality of external interfaces when the detection result instructs the lock is fixed to the slot.