| US 7,590,837 B2 | ||
| Electronic device security and tracking system and method | ||
| Apurva Mahendrakumar Bhansali, Austin, Tex. (US); Manoj Kumar Jain, Austin, Tex. (US); Shradha Dube, Austin, Tex. (US); Gayathri Rangarajan, Austin, Tex. (US); Mehul Ramjibhai Patel, Austin, Tex. (US); Rayesh Kashinath Raikar, Austin, Tex. (US); Kamal Mansukhlal Dhanani, Austin, Tex. (US); Ranjit Kapila, Austin, Tex. (US); Elza Abraham, Houston, Tex. (US); and Thomas David Tucker, Austin, Tex. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Softex Incorporated, Austin, Tex. (US) | ||
| Filed on Aug. 23, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/925,161. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/497182, filed on Aug. 23, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0044404 A1, Feb. 24, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. G06F 9/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 713—2 [713/187; 711/100; 711/164; 714/36; 726/26] | 27 Claims |
| 1. An electronic device security and tracking system, comprising:
an electronic device operable to support an operating system (OS) environment and operable to communicate with a server system;
an application component to execute within the OS environment,
wherein said application component is configured to cause the electronic device to send, to the server system, a message that
contains location information for the electronic device, and
wherein said application component is configured to determine whether the electronic device has been reported stolen, based
on information received from the server system;
a non-viewable security component in the electronic device, wherein the non-viewable security component comprises a validator
module capable of determining whether the application component is present and whether the application component has been
tampered with;
a non-volatile storage device comprising a secure area; and
a basic input/output system (BIOS) security component stored in the secure area, the BIOS security component configured to
check integrity of the application component during a boot process for the electronic device;
wherein the BIOS security component is configured to determine whether the non-viewable security component is present and
whether the non-viewable security component has been tampered with;
wherein the BIOS security component is configured to automatically cause the electronic device to restore the integrity of
the application component, in response to a negative integrity check for the application component;
wherein the BIOS security component is configured to prevent the electronic device from booting to the OS, in response to
receiving notification that the electronic device has been reported stolen;
wherein the application component is configured to notify the BIOS security component that the electronic device has been
reported stolen, in response to determining that the electronic device has been reported stolen; and
wherein the application component is substantially distinct from the BIOS security component and the validator module.
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