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US 8,298,295 B2Granted
Theft-deterrence method and apparatus for processor based devices
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsSelim Aissi, Jasmeet Chhabra, Gyan Prakash
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A manageability engine of a processor based device and a host theft-deterrence agent of the processor based device, jointly implement a theft-deterrence protocol with a theft-deterrence service, remotely disposed from the processor based device, to deter theft of the processor based device. The host theft-deterrence agent is configured to operate in a processor operated application execution environment of the processor based device, and the manageability engine is configured to operate outside the application execution environment.
Claims15
An article of manufacture, comprising:
- a tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage medium;
- a plurality of programming instructions stored in the storage medium, wherein, in response to execution of the instructions by a device, the programming instructions are configured to cause the device to perform operations including:
- receiving, by a manageability engine of the device, a notification indicative of an availability of a network connection from a theft-deterrence agent operated by a processor of the device in an application execution environment operated by the processor, wherein the manageability engine resides on a chipset of the device and is configured to operate concurrently with the theft-deterrence agent, outside the application execution environment, and independently from the processor;
- periodically obtaining, by the manageability engine, via the network connection, a theft status of the device from a theft-deterrence server remotely disposed from the device in response to said receiving of the notification, wherein periodically obtaining includes transmitting a request message, wherein the request message includes:
- the theft status currently held by the manageability engine;
- a current timer value, at expiration of which, the manageability engine is configured to enforce the theft-deterrence policy on the device;
- and
- at least one of a current platform disable priority value, a current encrypted data disable priority value, and a current theft-deterrence server rendezvous priority value;
- and
- enforcing, by the manageability engine, a theft-deterrence policy on the device based on the theft status of the device.
7 more elements
A method, comprising:
- determining, by a manageability engine of a device, whether a theft status of the device is stolen, on expiration of a timer, wherein determining includes transmitting a request message, wherein the request message includes:
- the theft status currently held by the manageability engine;
- a value of the timer, at expiration of which, the manageability engine is configured to enforce the theft-deterrence policy on the device;
- and
- at least one of a current platform disable priority value, a current encrypted data disable priority value, and a current theft-deterrence server rendezvous priority value;
- on determining that the theft status of the processor based device is stolen, alerting, by the manageability engine, a host theft-deterrence agent of the device, the host theft-deterrence agent being operated by a processor of the device in an application execution environment operated by the processor, and the manageability engine residing on a chipset of the device and being operated outside the application execution environment, concurrently with the host theft-deterrence agent and independently from the processor;
- causing, by the host theft-deterrence agent, on receipt of the alert, the device to reboot;
- and
- enforcing, by the manageability engine, a theft-deterrence policy on the device.
6 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a processor configured to operate a theft-deterrence agent in an application execution environment, wherein the theft-deterrence agent is configured to check availability of a network connection;
- and
- a manageability engine residing on a chipset coupled to the processor and configured to operate outside the application execution environment, concurrently with the theft-deterrence agent, and independently from the processor,
- wherein the manageability engine is further configured to:
- receive a notification indicative of the availability of a network connection from the theft-deterrence agent;
- periodically obtain, via the network connection, a theft status of the apparatus from a theft-deterrence server remotely disposed from the apparatus, wherein to periodically obtain the theft status, the manageability engine is configured to transmit a request message, wherein the request message includes:
- the theft status currently held by the manageability engine;
- a current value of a timer, at expiration of which, the manageability engine is configured to enforce the theft-deterrence policy on the device;
- and
- at least one of a current platform disable priority value, a current encrypted data disable priority value, and a current theft-deterrence server rendezvous priority value;
- and
- enforce a theft-deterrence policy on the apparatus based on the theft status of the apparatus.
9 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a processor configured to operate a theft-deterrence agent in an application execution environment, wherein the theft-deterrence agent is configured to check availability of a network connection;
- a manageability engine residing on a chipset coupled to the processor and configured to operate outside the application execution environment, concurrently with the theft-deterrence agent, and independently from the processor,
- wherein the manageability engine is further configured to:
- receive a notification indicative of the availability of a network connection from the theft-deterrence agent;
- periodically obtain, via the network connection, a theft status of the apparatus from a theft-deterrence server remotely disposed from the apparatus, wherein to periodically obtain the theft status, the manageability engine is configured to transmit a request message, wherein the request message includes:
- the theft status currently held by the manageability engine;
- a current value of a timer, at expiration of which, the manageability engine is configured to enforce the theft-deterrence policy on the device;
- and
- at least one of a current platform disable priority value, a current encrypted data disable priority value, and a current theft-deterrence server rendezvous priority value;
- and
- enforce a theft-deterrence policy on the apparatus based on the theft status of the apparatus;
- and
- a BIOS coupled to the manageability engine and configured to obtain a system lock down status from the manageability engine.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.