# US 9,519,808 B2 · Method and apparatus for protecting data in a portable electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,808 B2 - Document ID: US9519808B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/490,436 - Filed: 2014-09-18 - Published: 2015-01-01 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2006-08-02 - Assignees: Applied Minds, LLC - Applicants: Applied Minds, LLC - Inventors: Bran Ferren; W. Daniel Hillis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519808B2 ## CPC - H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] - G06F 21/32: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints - G06F 21/60: Protecting data - G06F 21/6245: {Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes} - G06F 21/88: Detecting or preventing theft or loss - G08B 13/1409: {for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector} - H04L 9/08: Key distribution {or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06)} - H04L 63/06: {for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08)} - H04L 63/083: {using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226)} - H04L 63/107: {wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals} - H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04W 12/082: using revocation of authorisation - H04W 12/12: Detection or prevention of fraud - H04W 12/126: Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning - G06F 2221/2143: Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen - H04L 2209/80: Wireless - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Data in a portable electronic device is protected by using external and internal status detection means to determine if the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen. The device then takes, singly or in combination, one of several actions to protect the data on the device, including declaring its location to an owner or service provider, locking the device or specific functions of the device to disable all data retrieval functionality, erasing or overwriting all the stored data in the device or, where the data has been stored in the device in an encrypted format, destroying an internally-stored encryption key, thereby preventing unauthorized access to the encrypted data in the device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for protecting data in a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of: the portable electronic device determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen; and the portable electronic device overwriting at least a portion of the data in the portable electronic device if it is determined that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of overwriting the data in the portable electronic device comprises the step of: overwriting the data multiple times. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen comprises any of: receiving a notification from the owner via a wireless signal that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen; or receiving a notification from a service provider that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: the portable electronic device declaring the location of the portable electronic device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the step of declaring the location of the portable electronic device comprises any of: transmitting the location of the portable electronic device to a service provider; or transmitting the location of the portable electronic device to the owner of the portable electronic device. ### Claim 6 A method for protecting data in a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of: the portable electronic device determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen; and responsive thereto, the portable electronic device producing an audible alarm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen comprises any of: receiving a notification from the owner via a wireless signal that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen; or receiving a notification from a service provider that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the received notification indicates that the portable electronic device is misplaced or lost and the step of causing an audible alarm to emanate from the portable electronic device comprises: producing a series of intermittent sounds. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the received notification indicates that the portable electronic device is stolen and the step of causing an audible alarm to emanate from the portable electronic device comprises: producing an attention grabbing sound. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen comprises any of: the portable electronic device using internal self-detection to determine that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen. ### Claim 11 A method for protecting data in a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of: the portable electronic device determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen; the portable electronic device locking the portable electronic device; and the portable electronic device requiring biometric identification to unlock the portable electronic device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the step of requiring biometric identification to unlock the portable electronic device comprises: requiring a fingerprint scan to unlock the portable electronic device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the step of requiring biometric identification to unlock the portable electronic device comprises: requiring a retina scan to unlock the portable electronic device. ### Claim 14 A method for protecting data in a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of: the portable electronic device determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen; the portable electronic device determining the location of the portable electronic device; and the portable electronic device declaring the location of the portable electronic device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining the location of the portable electronic device comprises: the portable electronic device using a GPS unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of declaring the location of the portable electronic device comprises any of: transmitting the location to a service provider; or transmitting the location to an owner of the portable electronic device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen comprises any of: receiving a notification from the owner via a wireless signal that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen; or receiving a notification from a service provider that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen comprises: observing an activity level of the portable electronic device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen comprises: observing a dialing pattern of the portable electronic device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining that the portable electronic device is misplaced, lost, or stolen comprises: defining a region wherein the portable electronic device is intended to be used; and determining the location of the portable electronic device, wherein if the location is outside the region wherein the portable electronic device is intended to be used, the portable electronic device is determined to be misplaced, lost, or stolen.