Computer asset protection apparatus and method

A battery-powered asset protection device (APD) comprising:

• a housing having a case portion and a cover portion fastenable to said case portion to form an enclosure;
• a wireless radio-frequency transmitter disposed internal to said enclosure for receiving alarm and tamper circuit detection signals and for transmitting APD status information including information indicating that an alarm and/or tamper condition is sensed;
• said wireless radio-frequency transmitter being responsive to a predetermined change in voltage/current characteristics at input terminals of said transmitter to transmit a signal indicating an alarm and/or tamper condition;
• an alarm detection circuit for detecting an alarm condition coupled to said transmitter input terminals and providing a voltage/current characteristic greater than or equal to said predetermined voltage/current characteristic at said input terminals when an alarm condition is detected;
• a tamper detection circuit for detecting a tamper condition coupled to said transmitter input terminals and providing a voltage/current characteristic greater than or equal to said predetermined tamper voltage/current characteristic at said input terminals when a tamper condition is detected;
• an adjustable sensitivity vibratory motion detector for detecting motion of said APD coupled to said alarm detection circuit;
• and
• a configurable multi-port coupling circuit including a plurality of asset coupling ports each having at least two terminals for coupling a plurality of assets to the APD, and at least one port by-pass switch for selectivlely disabling one of said plurality of ports not being used to protect an asset.

A low-power consumption battery-powered self-contained asset protection device (APD) comprising:

• a housing having a case portion and a cover portion fastenable to said case portion to form an enclosure;
• means for storing a unique asset protection device identifier;
• a wireless radio-frequency transmitter disposed internal to said enclosure, including an alarm sensing module for receiving alarm circuit detection signals and a tamper sensing module for receiving tamper circuit detection signals, and for transmitting APD status information including transmitting information indicating that an alarm condition is sensed, that a tamper condition is sensed, and said unique APD identifier;
• said alarm sensing module being responsive to a first predetermined change in voltage/current characteristics at input terminals of said alarm module to transmit an alarm sensed signal, and said tamper sensing module being responsive to a second predetermined threshold change in voltage/current characteristics at input terminals of said tamper module to transmit a tamper sensed signal;
• an alarm detection circuit disposed internal to said enclosure for detecting an alarm condition, including an adjustable sensitivity motion detection circuit internal to said APD for detecting mechanical motions of said APD and an attached asset, said motion detection circuit including a 360-degree tip-over mercury switch operable to change states between a conducting and nonconducting state in response to a motion of said APD, said alarm detection circuit including said motion detection circuit being coupled to said alarm sensing module input terminals and providing a voltage/current characteristic greater than or equal to said predetermined voltage/current characteristic at said input terminals when an alarm condition is detected;
• a tamper detection circuit disposed internal to said enclosure for detecting a tamper condition, including a first switch disposed internal to said enclosure and extending partially through said enclosure to contact said asset for detecting physical removal of said APD and first switch from said asset and a second switch disposed entirely within said enclosure for detecting removal of said cover from said enclosure, said tamper detection circuit being coupled to said tamper sensing module input terminals and providing a voltage/current characteristic greater than or equal to said predetermined tamper voltage/current characteristic at said input terminals when a tamper condition is detected;
• a configurable multi-port coupling circuit disposed internal to said enclosure including a plurality of asset coupling ports having at least two terminals for coupling a plurality of assets to said APD, and at least one port by-pass switch for selectively disabling one of said plurality of ports not being used to protect an asset,
• a plurality of remote asset protection device sensors electrically connected to said APD by a conductive modular telephone cord having at least two electrical conductors for extending said tamper circuit from two terminals within said tamper sensing module of said wireless transmitter from a first terminal of one of said plurality of ports via a first conductive wire loop through said remote sensor back to said second terminal of said port;
• said remote sensor further including a spring loaded plunger-type switch that maintains electrical continuity between said first and second terminals when said sensor is attached to said asset but breaks electrical continuity when said sensor is removed from said asset so that said plunger extends;
• and
• said motion detection means further includes a motion sensitivity adjustment means for adjusting the motion detection sensitivity of said APD by adjusting a delay period between the occurrence of a disturbing motion and generation of said alarm detection signal, said motion sensitivity adjustment means comprising a plurality of capacitors disposed within said APD housing, a plurality of switches for selectively connecting a selected one or selected ones of said capacitors into a voltage accumulation circuit in parallel across two terminals of said motion sensor, a period of time required to accumulate said voltage corresponding to said delay period and to said predetermined alarm module threshold voltage so that said alarm detection signal is not generated until said threshold voltage is exceeded.