Method for determining identification of an electronic device

• US 9,547,780 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Inventors: Gardner, Philip B., Volodarets, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, KARI L
• Application Number:
  US11/726,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20070234427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,591 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, using an attribute collection application residing at the electronic device, a plurality of data points of the electronic device;

searching, using a device identification application residing at a remote server, existing records of a plurality of electronic devices to identify a unique record corresponding to the electronic device, by;

looking up a first data point of the plurality of data points, in an exception table of blank and non-unique data points;

determining that the first data point is not in the exception table;

when the first data point is not in the exception table, determining how many records have the first data point;

when only one record has the first data point, deeming the one record to be the unique record; and

when no or multiple records have the first data point, determining whether there is only one record having a second data point in the plurality of data points, and, when there is, deeming the record having the second data point to be the unique record;

writing an identifier from the unique record to the electronic device, or, when there is no unique record, creating a unique record corresponding to the electronic device and writing an identifier corresponding to the unique record to the electronic device;

subsequently, obtaining the plurality of data points and the identifier from the electronic device using the attribute collection application, and then searching the existing records of the plurality of electronic devices based on the identifier using the device identification application to subsequently identify the unique record corresponding to the electronic device, wherein;

the device identification application determines the identity of the electronic device from the unique record when it determines that less than a predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different from corresponding data points in the unique record;

or

the device identification application determines the electronic device to be a new electronic device when the predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different, and assigns a new identifier to the new electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating the plurality of data points to the remote server.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises an Electronic Serial Number (ESN).

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the a unique record is subsequently identified by matching the plurality of subsequently obtained data points against corresponding data points stored in the existing records for the plurality of electronic devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data points include data points relating to hardware and/or software deployed in the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data points include at least two of:

i. Device Make and/or Model;

ii. Device Motherboard Serial Number;

iii. Device UUID (Universal Unique Identifier);

iv. Hard drive Serial Number;

v. MAC address of multiple network cards;

vi. RAM serial number; and

vii. Battery Serial number.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the a unique record is subsequently identified by matching each subsequently obtained data point in sequence, against corresponding data points stored in the existing records.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising linking the electronic device to a specific owner or entity upon subsequently identifying that the electronic device is that of the unique record.

9. The method as in claim 1, further comprising, when no or multiple records have said first data point, and prior to determining that there is only one record having said second data point, the device identification application:

looking up said second data point in the exception table; and

determining that said second data point is not in the exception table.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores process-executable instructions, which on execution, cause the processor to run an attribute collection application interacting with hardware and/or software of the electronic device, wherein the hardware includes a data storage device, motherboard, BIOS, memory and network interface, and wherein the attribute collection application;

collects a plurality of data points including data points relating to the hardware and/or software;

transmits the data points to a remote server to identify a unique record corresponding to the electronic device, by;

searching existing records of a plurality of electronic devices using an identification application residing at the remote server;

looking up a first data point of the plurality of data points, in an exception table of blank and non-unique data points;

determining that the first data point is not in the exception table;

when the first data point is not in the exception table, determining how many records have the first data point;

when only one record has the first data point, deeming the one record to be the unique record; and

when no or multiple records have the first data point, determining whether there is only one record having a second data point in the plurality of data points, and, when there is, deeming the record having the second data point to be the unique record;

receives, from the server, an identifier from the unique record, or, when there is no unique record, an identifier from a unique record newly created by the remote server corresponding to the electronic device;

writes the identifier to the electronic device; and

subsequently, transmits to the remote server the plurality of data points and the identifier from the electronic device, wherein the remote server then searches the existing records of the plurality of electronic devices based on the identifier using the device identification application to subsequently identify the unique record corresponding to the electronic device, wherein;

the device identification application determines the identity of the electronic device from the unique record when it determines that less than a predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different from corresponding data points in the unique record;

or

the device identification application determines the electronic device to be a new electronic device when the predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different, and assigns a new identifier to the new electronic device.

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

an electronic device comprising hardware and/or software, wherein the hardware includes a data storage device, motherboard, BIOS, memory and network interface; and

an attribute collection application interacting with the hardware and/or software, wherein the attribute collection application;

collects a plurality of data points including data points relating to the hardware and/or software; and

transmits the data points to a remote server to identify a unique record corresponding to the electronic device;

wherein the remote server is connected to the network, comprising a device identification application, which is structured and configured to;

receive the plurality of data points from the attribute collection application at the electronic device;

search existing records of a plurality of electronic devices to identify, based on the plurality of data points, a unique record corresponding to the electronic device, by;

looking up a first data point of the plurality of data points, in an exception table of blank and non-unique data points;

determining that the first data point is not in the exception table;

when the first data point is not in the exception table, determining how many records have the first data point;

when only one record has the first data point, deeming the one record to be the unique record; and

when no or multiple records have the first data point, determining whether there is only one record having a second data point in the plurality of data points, and, when there is, deeming the record having the second data point to be the unique record; and

transmit to the electronic device an identifier from the unique record, or, when there is no unique record, an identifier from a unique record newly created by the remote server corresponding to the electronic device;

wherein the electronic device receives the identifier from the remote server and writes the identifier to the electronic device,

wherein the electronic device subsequently transmits to the remote server the plurality of data points and the identifier from the electronic device, and

wherein the remote server then searches the existing records of the plurality of electronic devices based on the identifier using the device identification application to subsequently identify the unique record corresponding to the electronic device, wherein;

the device identification application determines the identity of the electronic device from the unique record when it determines that less than a predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different from corresponding data points in the unique record;

or

the device identification application determines the electronic device to be a new electronic device when the predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different, and assigns a new identifier to the new electronic device.

12. A server for remotely identifying an electronic device connected to a network, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores process-executable instructions, which on execution, cause the processor to run an identification application, to;

receive a plurality of data points from an attribute collection application residing at the electronic device, the plurality of data points including data points relating to hardware and/or software deployed in the electronic device, wherein the hardware includes a data storage device, motherboard, BIOS, memory and network interface;

search existing records of a plurality of electronic devices to identify, based on the plurality of data points, a unique record corresponding to the electronic device, by;

looking up a first data point of the plurality of data points, in an exception table of blank and non-unique data points;

determining that the first data point is not in the exception table;

when the first data point is not in the exception table, determining how many records have the first data point;

when only one record has the first data point, deeming the one record to be the unique record; and

when no or multiple records have the first data point, determining whether there is only one record having a second data point in the plurality of data points, and, when there is, deeming the record having the second data point to be the unique record;

transmit to the electronic device an identifier from the unique record, or, when there is no unique record, an identifier from a unique record newly created by the remote server corresponding to the electronic device; and

subsequently, obtain the plurality of data points and the identifier from the attribute collection application in the electronic device, and then search the existing records of the plurality of electronic devices based on the identifier using the identification application to subsequently identify the unique record corresponding to the electronic device, wherein;

the identification application determines the identity of the electronic device from the unique record when it determines that less than a predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different from corresponding data points in the unique record;

or

the identification application determines the electronic device to be a new electronic device when the predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different, and assigns a new identifier to the new electronic device.

13. The server as in claim 12, wherein the identification application is further configured, when no or multiple records have said first data point, and prior to determining that there is only one record having said second data point, to:

look up said second data point in the exception table; and

determine that said second data point is not in the exception table.