Anti-theft alarm for portable computer
OwnerJennifer Pattersoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laptop computer is supplied with special-purpose software that detects when the cover is being closed by an unauthorized person. When the cover is closed, an alarm sounds using the speaker integral the laptop. The closed-cover condition is detected. The software operates on either interrupt-driven devices or polled devices which have some means for detecting that the cover is closed. The software includes a password feature and a hot-key feature for overriding the alarm so that an authorized person may close the cover without disturbing other persons or to stop the alarm if the authorized person forgets to disable the alarm.
Claims26
A method for causing a speaker to sound an audible alarm in a portable computer having a cover, a main computer body, a hinge between said cover and said body, and an interrupt vector, said method comprising:
- a) detecting foldable closing of said cover relative to said body;
- b) causing an interrupt to occur within said portable computer;
- c) said interrupt causing branching control to a fixed address in said interrupt vector following said detecting;
- and
- d) generating said audible alarm from said speaker following said interrupt;
- and further comprising;
- detecting whether said speaker is enabled;
- and detecting whether said alarm is activated by an authorized user.
A method for causing a speaker to sound an audible alarm in a portable computer having a cover, a main computer body, a hinge between said cover and said main computer body, a status location indicating foldable closing of said cover against said body, and an instruction segment, said method comprising:
- a) polling said status location to detect said foldable closing of said cover against said main computer body;
- b) causing execution of said instruction segment following detection of said status location indicating said foldable closing of said cover against said main computer body;
- c) said instruction segment generating said audible alarm;
- and further comprising:
- detecting whether said speaker is enabled;
- and detecting whether said alarm is activated by an authorized user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.