Restricting devices utilizing a device-to-server heartbeat
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsSandy Kao, Rodrigo Pastrana
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of automatically locking a client can include a step of a client automatically establishing a heartbeat interval. A determination can be automatically made regarding whether a proper server response is received within the heartbeat interval. When no proper response is received, the client can be automatically placed in a locked state. All client functions accessible by a user other than those functions relating to unlocking the client can be disabled while the client is in the locked state. A remotely located server can unlock the client by conveying an unlock message to the client.
Claims20
A method of automatically locking a client comprising:
- a client automatically establishing a heartbeat interval;
- automatically determining whether a proper server response is received within the heartbeat interval;
- and
- when no proper response is received, automatically placing the client in a locked state, wherein all client functions accessible by a user other than those functions relating to unlocking the client are disabled while the client is in the locked state, and wherein unlocking the client requires a remotely located server to provide an unlock message to the client.
A method of restricting access to a computing device comprising:
- automatically generating a heartbeat event within a client;
- determining whether a server response is received by the client for the heartbeat event;
- and
- automatically altering a lock state of the client based upon the determining step, wherein a server response to the heartbeat event is required to prevent the client from automatically adjusting from an unlocked state to a locked state.
A storage space upon a machine-readable medium local to a client, the machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of code instructions for causing a machine to perform the steps of:
- identifying a heartbeat interval;
- starting a heartbeat timer within the client;
- when a heartbeat response is received from a remotely located server, resetting the heartbeat timer;
- and
- when the heartbeat timer exceeds the heartbeat interval, automatically adjusting the client from an unlocked state to a locked state, wherein all client functions accessible by a user other than those functions relating to unlocking the client are disabled while the client is in the locked state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.