System and method for preventing use of a wireless device
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsTom Howard, Tim Goldstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a processor-based device that prevents unauthorized use, comprising a processor for executing software instructions, software instructions defining at least one user application, a wireless communication subsystem that is operable to transmit and receive data utilizing a wireless protocol, and software instructions defining a security protocol process that is operable to prevent execution of the software instructions defining the at least one user application by the processor when a message is received via the wireless communication subsystem, wherein the message indicates that the processor-based device is not in possession of a rightful user.
Claims17
A processor-based device that prevents unauthorized use, comprising:
- a processor for executing software instructions;
- software instructions defining at least one user application;
- a wireless communication subsystem that is operable to transmit and receive data utilizing a wireless protocol;
- software instructions defining a security protocol process that is operable to prevent execution of said software instructions defining said at least one user application by said processor when a message is received via said wireless communication subsystem, wherein said message indicates that said processor-based device is not in possession of a rightful user;
- and
- a basic input/output system (BIOS) that is operable to boot said processor-based device and is further operable to verify integrity of said security protocol process before completing boot operations.
A method for protecting a processor-based device from unauthorized use, wherein said processor-based device performs wireless communication, said method comprising:
- receiving notice that said processor-based device is not in possession of a rightful user;
- sending a message to said processor-based device to initiate a security protocol via a wireless communication protocol;
- receiving said message by said processor-based device;
- and
- initiating said security protocol on said processor-based device in response to said received message, wherein said initiating comprises preventing execution by said processor-based device of at least one user application that is defined by software instructions stored on said processor-based device in response to receiving said message by said processor-based device, wherein said preventing execution is implemented by an operating system of said processor-based device;
- and
- writing information in non-volatile memory of said processor-based device that said processor-based device is not in possession of said rightful user in response to said received message.
A system that prevents unauthorized use, comprising:
- means for processing software instructions;
- means for defining at least one user application;
- means for transmitting and receiving data utilizing a wireless communication protocol;
- and
- means for preventing execution of said software instructions defining said at least one user application by said means for processing when a message is received via said means for transmitting and receiving, wherein said message indicates that said system is not in possession of a rightful user, wherein said means for preventing execution is implemented by an operating system of said system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.