System and method to lock electronic device
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsGyan Prakash, Duncan Glendinning, Saurabh Dadu, Mojtaba Mojy Mirashrafi, Mousumi M. Hazra, Carol A. Bell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method to lock an electronic device comprising an operating system comprises placing the electronic device in a disable state in which the processor is blocked from accessing the operating system, receiving a first unlock password from a remote source during a power-up operation of the electronic device, and placing the electronic device in a temporary unlock state which allows the processor to boot the operating system for a predetermined period of time when the first unlock password matches a password stored in the electronic device. Other embodiments may be described.
Claims10
A method to manage the lock state of an electronic device comprising a processor and an operating system, comprising:
- placing the electronic device in a disable state in which the processor is blocked from accessing the operating system;
- receiving a first unlock password from a remote source during a power-up operation of the electronic device;
- and
- placing the electronic device in a temporary unlock state which allows the processor to boot the operating system when the first unlock password matches a password stored in the electronic device;
- retrieving a platform state descriptor and a predetermined information set from a memory module in the electronic device while the electronic device is in the temporary unlock state;
- forwarding the platform state descriptor and the predetermined information set to an unlock server;
- receiving, from the unlock server, a platform unlock message, wherein the unlock server is to forward the platform state descriptor and predetermined information set to a permit server and wherein the permit server:
- is to generate the platform unlock message;
- and
- is to return the platform unlock message to the unlock server;
- comparing a component of the platform unlock message to an expected value stored in the memory module in the electronic device;
- and
- placing the electronic device in a permanent unlock state when the component of the platform unlock message matches the expected value.
An electronic device, comprising:
- a processor;
- an operating system executable on the processor;
- logic to:
- receive a first unlock password from a remote source during a power-up operation of the electronic device;
- place the electronic device in a temporary unlock state which allows the processor to boot the operating system for a predetermined period of time when the first unlock password matches a password stored in the electronic device;
- retrieve a platform state descriptor and a predetermined information set from a memory module in the electronic device;
- forward the platform state descriptor and the predetermined information set to an unlock server;
- receive, from the unlock server, a platform unlock message, wherein the unlock server is to forward the platform state descriptor and predetermined information set to a permit server and wherein the permit server:
- is to generate the platform unlock message;
- and
- is to return the platform unlock message to the unlock server;
- compare a component of the platform unlock message to an expected value stored in the memory module in the electronic device;
- and
- place the electronic device in a permanent unlock state when the component of the platform unlock message matches the expected value.
A computer program product comprising logic instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor in an electronic device, configure the processor to lock an electronic device comprising an operating system by performing operations, comprising:
- placing the electronic device in a disable state in which the processor is blocked from accessing the operating system;
- receiving a first unlock password from a remote source during a power-up operation of the electronic device;
- placing the electronic device in a temporary unlock state which allows the processor to boot the operating system for a predetermined period of time when the first unlock password matches a password stored in the controller;
- retrieving a platform state descriptor and a predetermined information set from a memory module in the electronic device while the electronic device is in the temporary unlock state;
- forwarding the platform state descriptor and the predetermined information set to an unlock server;
- receiving, from the unlock server, a platform unlock message, wherein the unlock server is to forward the platform state descriptor and predetermined information set to a permit server and wherein the permit server:
- is to generate the platform unlock message;
- and
- is to return the platform unlock message to the unlock server;
- comparing a component of the platform unlock message to an expected value stored in the memory module in the electronic device;
- and
- placing the electronic device in a permanent unlock state when the component of the platform unlock message matches the expected value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.