Back to results
US 10,853,466 B2Granted
Portable keys for managing access to mobile devices
AssigneeHyla, Inc.
InventorsBikramjit Singh, Rebekah Jane Griffiths, Rajiv Kumar Dwivedi, Karl Felix Medina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In various implementations, a key may be provided. The key may be portable to facilitate use and reduce costs. The key may include a connector and a housing. The connector may allow direct coupling of the key with a mobile device. Once the connector is directly coupled to a mobile device, the key may perform tests or other commands from a server and/or lock the mobile device.
Claims18
A portable key comprising:
- a housing, wherein the housing comprises:
- a first communication interface adapted to communicate with a warehouse server wherein the warehouse server tracks activities of a mobile device during a return or trade-in process of the mobile device by retrieving data from the mobile device for a plurality of times at a plurality of locations including a first location and then at a warehouse;
- a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to:
- retrieve data from the mobile device coupled to the portable key;
- transmit at least a portion of the received data to the warehouse server;
- perform one or more tests, wherein at least one of the tests is capable of causing the mobile device to perform an operation;
- receive results of the operation;
- and
- transmit at least a portion of the results to the warehouse server;
- and
- a power source, wherein the power source provides power one or more components of the housing,
- wherein the portable key remains attached to the mobile device during transit from a store to the warehouse,
- wherein an application restricts access to the mobile device until receiving a command from the warehouse server to permit access to the mobile device;
- and
- a connector, wherein the connector is capable of directly coupling with a port of the mobile device to communicate with the mobile device.
12 more elements
A method to facilitate receipt of a mobile device, the method comprising:
- coupling a mobile device and a portable key by inserting a connector of the portable key into a port of the mobile device;
- communicably coupling the portable key and a warehouse server, wherein the warehouse server tracks activities of a mobile device during a return or trade-in process of the mobile device by retrieving data from the mobile device for a plurality of times at a plurality of locations including a first location and then at a warehouse;
- transmitting instructions to the mobile device via the coupling between the connector of the portable key and the port of the mobile device to cause one or more operations to be performed on the mobile device;
- receiving mobile device information from the mobile device based on operations requested by a processor of the portable key;
- and
- locking the mobile device by a lock application,
- wherein the portable key remains attached to the mobile device during transit from a store to the warehouse.
4 more elements
A backend server system comprising:
- a server configured to:
- track activities of a mobile device during a return or trade-in process of the mobile device by retrieving data from the mobile device for a plurality of times at a plurality of locations including a first location and then at a warehouse;
- issue a first command to the mobile device to lock to the mobile device;
- and
- issue a second command to the mobile device to unlock the mobile device when the mobile device is at the warehouse;
- and
- a database for storing the data retrieved from the mobile device,
- wherein retrieving the data from the mobile device comprises using a portable key attached to the mobile device at the first location via a wired connection, and wherein the portable key comprises a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to perform one or more operations to:
- retrieve data from a mobile device coupled to the portable key;
- transmit at least a portion of the received data to the server;
- perform one or more tests, wherein at least one of the tests is capable of causing the mobile device to perform an operation;
- receive results of the operation via the portable key;
- and
- transmit at least a portion of the results from the portable key to the server,
- wherein the portable key remains attached to the mobile device during transit from the store to the warehouse.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.