Wireless device content information theft protection system
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsHarry Pon, Shawn Sackman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wireless device, such as a laptop computer or a cellular phone, may contain confidential information which may be secured by an internal security system. When the device is stolen, the user can provide a portion of a kill code to a wireless service provider. The wireless service provider provides its own portion of the kill code and combines it with the user's supplied code. Then, the service provider may transmit the combined kill code to the wireless device. Upon receipt, the wireless device may erase all confidential information on the device. In other embodiments, it may erase any unlocked block of memory. As still another alternative, the system may also, upon receipt of the combined kill code, disable the operating system.
Claims35
A method comprising:
- providing a two-portion kill code, said kill code including a first portion provided to the user of the wireless device and a second portion provided to a wireless service provider who provides wireless service for the wireless device.
A storage for a wireless device comprising:
- a memory storing a two-portion kill code including a first portion provided to the user of a wireless device and a second portion provided to a wireless service provider that provides wireless service for the wireless device.
A system comprising:
- a controller;
- a storage coupled to said controller storing a two-portion kill code including a first portion provided to the user of the system and a second portion provided to a wireless service provider that provides wireless service to the system;
- and
- a wireless interface coupled to said controller.
A method comprising:
- receiving a two-portion kill code including a first portion provided by the user and a second portion provided by a wireless service provider;
- comparing said received two-portion kill code to a kill code stored in a receiver;
- and
- if said kill codes match, disabling at least a portion of a storage device in said receiver.
An article comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to:
- detect a two-portion wireless kill code including a first portion provided by the user and a second portion provided by a wireless service provider;
- compare said received two-portion kill code to a kill code stored in said system;
- and
- if said kill codes match, disable at least a portion of a storage device in said system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.