`
`[19]
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`
`5,748,084
`
`Isikofl‘
`
`
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`May 5, 1998
`
`USOOS748084A
`
`[54] DEVICE SECURITY SYSTEM
`
`[76]
`
`Inventor:
`
`Jeremy M. Isikoff. 5840 Cameron Run
`Tenn. #1527. Alexandria. Va. 22303
`
`Primary Examiner—Jeffery Hofsass
`Assistant Examiner—Benjamin C. Lee
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Lahive & Cockfield. LLP
`[57]
`ABSTRACT
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 751,842
`,
`_
`N0“ 18’ 1996
`[22] Ffled'
`[51]
`Int. Cl.6 ..................................................... G083 13/14
`
`[52] US. Cl.
`........... 340/568; 340/571; 340/539;
`340/825“; 395,182.04; 395,132.13; 395/489;
`
`[58] Field of Search ..................................... 340/571 568
`340,825.31 691 539, 395/182‘04 1532.13:
`’
`‘
`’
`489 186‘ 187 01'
`’
`‘
`’
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`An object tracking. communication. and management sys-
`tern for a laptop computer or similar device. wherein a
`beacon or transceiver in the computer implements file integ~
`my or “Vice recovery Step-c" The beam“ Pr0teCts dam“ 01'
`transmits files 0‘ dam 90m Computer “wage back ‘0 the
`owner or authorized party. either automatically or in
`response to a request for data recovery. and may broadcast
`a Sign“ f“ “dcng and “60"”? 0f the “’um5‘ after a
`theft. Preferably the system also operates in a normal mode
`to provide or acquire files or data. to or from a remote
`location. as either requested by the operator or by a third
`calling or transmitting party. or automatically. for normal
`communications or data upkeep. When activated as a secu-
`rity device it implements strategic machine control including
`enabhng‘ dlsablmg‘ or modify“ fun‘mns 0f the computer
`and communication of data. The system includes abeacon
`With preferably both a transmitter and a receiver. internal
`security logic. and external system elements for locating the
`beacon via either RF tracking or the communication of its
`position coordinates back to the owner via the transmitter. A
`combination of hardware and/or software within the beacon
`and the host system initiates and coordinates operation of the
`aforementioned communications or security features.
`Tamper detection logic finplcmemcd in software or hard_
`ware responds to tampering or removal of the beacon or
`.
`.
`.
`other components by “mg “a the transmit“ and/0r
`disabling functionality of the host. Preferably low level
`codes operate at the bios level to assure efiective operation
`even when higher level software or plug—in components
`have been overridden or removed.
`
`'
`
`18 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`1/1985 Kaish ................................. 340132531
`5/1983 Rackiey ._._‘
`'I___ 342/457
`4,1939 Apsen et a].
`342,44
`3/1990 We at 31. “
`340/571
`3/1990 Apsell et a].
`342/457
`9/1990 Sakuma ..............
`342/450
`“1991 Wilkinson et 31-
`-
`340/571
`5/1991 Lawmce i-- --- -----
`-'iH 342/457
`10,1992 Wy°°fi at 31' "
`342/386
`3/1994 Swanson
`324/110
`5/1994 Chm
`7/1994 Stilpetal.
`11/1994 Jandnell
`......
`4,1995 Glenn ___._
`5/1995 Bird
`1/1996 Singer et 3].
`3/1996 Fast
`4/1996 Ghosh et a].
`11/1996 Scholda
`
`
`
`..
`
`370/13
`ii_0 340/571
`342/357
`.. 342/457
`340/988
`342/457
`340/571
`
`4,494,114
`4,742,357
`4,818,993
`4,903,503
`4,908,629
`4,954,836
`4935.695
`510211794
`5'157’405
`5,293,115
`5’317’304
`5,327,144
`5,365,516
`51406261
`5,418,537
`5,485,163
`5,497,149
`5,508,708
`5,578,991
`
`102 \fi
`l
`
`E ‘
`
`d
`
`5-—
`
`s 119le
`
`Files, Faxes, Email,
`Commands, Voice
`
`wk
`
`—
`
`120
`
`Direction Finding
`
`or Other Location
`
`Equipment
`
`HTC EX. 1016
`HTC v. Ancora
`
`US Patent No. 6,411,941
`
`Page 1
`
`Page 1
`
`HTC EX. 1016
`HTC v. Ancora
`US Patent No. 6,411,941
`
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`Page 2
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`Page 2
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`US. Patent
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`May 5, 1998
`
`Sheet 2 of 6
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`5,748,084
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`1.75”
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`Page 3
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`Page 3
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`US. Patent
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`May 5, 1998
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`Sheet 3 of 6
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`5,748,084
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`Page 4
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`US. Patent
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`May 5, 1998
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`Page 6
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`US. Patent
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`May 5, 1998
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`Sheet 5 of 6
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`5,748,084
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`May 5, 1998
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`Page 7
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`1
`DEVICE SECURITY SYSTEM
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`This invention relates to a system for locating. commu-
`nicating with and managing expensive assets and in particu-
`lar laptop computers and other portable electronic devices
`that include a microprocessor and memory.
`BACKGROUND
`
`As computers and other expensive consumer electronic
`devices become smaller and more portable. the risk of their
`being stolen increases dramatically. Of particular concern is
`the rising rate of laptop computer theft. Recent reports
`indicate that laptop computers are being stolen at the rate of
`1500 a day in the United States alone, and account for almost
`a billion dollars in losses annually. Even more important
`than the actual dollar value of losses posed by this trend is
`the potentially devastating loss of the crucial information
`and data files contained on the stolen computers. Presently.
`business people store everything from addresses to corporate
`secrets on their laptop computers. and loss of this data can
`be of a magnitude to make the loss of the computer hardware
`itself seem insignificant. It has even been reported that
`foreign governments hire spies to steal the laptops of For-
`tune 500 employees in order to obtain corporate secrets.
`Solutions are needed for this and related theft problems.
`Unfortunately the approaches that have in the past been
`directed to the recovery of stolen items have proved too
`impractical to be effective against this problem. Solutions
`like those offered for automobiles. incorporating large trans-
`mitters or GPS receivers and position data transmittas. are
`too unwieldy for incorporation in a laptop. or their imple-
`mentation would be economically prohibitive. or result in
`poor performance when located within a building.
`A number of security systems designed particularly for
`laptop computers have not been effective. Alarms and
`motion sensors are susceptible to false alarms which may
`quickly frustrate the user into not using them. Additionally.
`these devices do nothing after the computer is stolen.
`Software solutions which control the computer to automati-
`cally dial up a predetermined number have shown limited
`efiecn'veness. probably because they can easily be removed
`or because they simply do not function if the stolen com-
`puter is not plugged into a phone line.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`These and other problems are addressed by the system
`and devices of the present invention for the location. com-
`munication with. and management of small electronic
`devices. especially laptop computers but also other
`microproces sot-containing devices or instruments. For sim-
`plicity laptop embodiments are discussed. A tamperproof
`beacon unit including a transponder or transceiver is placed
`within the laptop computer. Under normal circumstances the
`beacon implements a standard communication function for
`the general communications needs of the device such as
`e-mail. voice. data, fax. internet or other communication
`task. When theft of the computer occurs. however.
`the
`beacon is activated with a security control program to secure
`crucial data in the computer’s storage. to enable or disable
`functions of the computer, and to either transmit or destroy
`or hide sensitive data. The beacon’s transmission signal is
`preferably also trackable to locate and recover the stolen
`computer.
`In one embodiment the device resides in a laptop com-
`puter and is largely incorporated in the mother board so it is
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`neither readily detected nor easily removable. In that posi-
`tion it includes or controls a cormnunications link which is
`
`preferably a two-way RF link. such as a cellular phone link.
`and a security module operates or controls the device to
`initiate or perform object location and file integrity or data
`security functions.
`The security module includes file (i.e.. data) security and
`device security functions. which are initiated upon receipt of
`an actuation signal indicating theft of the computer. and
`which thereafter utilize battery power from the laptop’s
`power pack and available resources to preferentially imple-
`ment file integrity and tracking/alarm functions. Preferably
`it disables certain portions of the computer to conserve
`power to effect a set of priority tasks. The actuation signal
`is preferably a broadcast signal. sent over a regional area
`once the owner learns that the computer has been stolen;
`however actuation may also be triggered by an internal
`alarm condition. for example a signal indicative that the user
`has failed to enter a required code or has attempted to
`remove or disable a component. The file integrity or
`tracking/alarm functions preferably include at least one and
`preferably more of the operations of broadcasting out critical
`files. destroying or encrypting files. and transmitn‘ng a
`tracking RF signal such as a cellular phone signal with a
`code or message identifying the stolen computer.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 illustrates a beacon-equipped laptop computer in
`accordance with the present invention;
`FIG. 2 illustrates a physical layout of the beacon in one
`embodiment of the invention;
`FIG. 3 illustrates a preferred laptop embodiment of the
`invention communicating via cellular telephone;
`FIG. 4 illustrates interconnection of the beacon in a laptop
`computer and its interconnections with various parts of the
`host computer system;
`FIG. 5 shows a art—away view of a laptop computer with
`the beacon and an antenna inside; and
`FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the invention
`configured to perform security and recovery within a paging
`network.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`invention
`The preferred embodiment of the present
`addresses the foregoing problems using an existing cellular
`telephone network to provide a novel and cost-eifective
`solution to the problem of laptop theft while at the same time
`providing a complete two-way mobile communications and
`asset management system. In this embodiment. a beacon
`comprised of a cellular transceiver and a modem is installed
`in the laptop computer or electronic device which is to be
`protected. in such a way that removal or disabling of its
`operative elements is diflicult or will impair the normal or
`useful operation of the computer. The transceiver is config-
`ured in a manner known in the art to send and receive data
`
`or programs. so as to implement the general communica—
`tions and management needs of the end-user under normal
`circumstances; but it is also configured as described further
`below for data recovery or the tracking of the computer after
`a theft. in which case it operates to expedite return of the
`stolen computer and preferably also transmit important data
`to the rightful owner; to protect the integrity of the data
`contained on the machine; to assist in the capture of the
`thief; and to serve as a deterrent against theft. This operation
`substantially enhances value. yet is achieved at little addi-
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`tional premium over the cost of the basic communications
`hardware. Implementation of such security features takes
`several forms in difierent embodiments of the invention
`described below.
`
`FIG. 1 shows a beacon equipped laptop computer 100 of
`the present invention configured for operating within a
`terrestrial cellular network. represented by relay station 110.
`Mobile communications of all types are relayed between the
`laptop computer and the local cellular transceiver. Such
`communications may consist of voice. data. faxes. e-mail.
`pages. file transfers etc. and may be initiated by either the
`laptop computer user or a calling party. Thus in this
`embodiment.
`the computer contains a cellular phone
`transceiver. and this transceiver is activated by various
`voluntary or automated applications.
`to effect the above—
`enumerated communications functions in a manner known
`in the art. That is. it may be manually initiated by a user
`calling out. connecting to another computer or network. and
`sending or receiving data. or it may include software of a
`type known in the art to effect automatic file transfer and
`data backup with a remote host or network. at scheduled
`intervals. The substantial functionality implemented in this
`embodiment of the invention allows the major hardware
`components to be subsumed under the cost of a necessary
`hardware accessory application. such as a cell modem file
`saver. for which the high cost is acceptable for many users
`and the marginal cost of the security-specific hardware and
`software for implementing the invention. described further
`below. is low.
`
`As noted. the security system includes a cellular phone RF
`communications assembly. This device transmits radio
`waves so that an external tracking circuit may pinpoint the
`location of the device by suitable detection e.g.. using a
`two-point mobile receiver/signal comparator such as a direc-
`tional finder mounted in a police vehicle. For a cellular-
`based system such tracking can be efl’ected largely auto-
`matically using existing cellular technology which monitors
`broadcast i.d. and signal strength in each cell. supplemented
`with the detailed signal evaluation such as is employed for
`example for triangulating from cells to pinpoint the source
`of emergency (911) cellular telephone calls. FIG. 1 also
`illustrates a tracking apparatus 120 for locating the laptop
`computer by monitoring its RF transmissions emanating
`from the beacon. These RF signals may be followed to track
`the computer to its new location.
`If the computer is stolen the beacon is advantageously
`also activated to secure its data. This is done in one or more
`of several ways; it operates to recover or destroy important
`data. or to disable the computer. The particular security
`measures to be effected may be set in advance. or may be
`controlled by an external communication. in which case the
`user or law—enforcement authorities may make the decision
`as to which of these steps is appropriate.
`
`A physical design of the preferred embodiment is illus-
`trated in FIG. 2. Key aspects of this design are the integra-
`tion of device components. having small size and low—
`profile packaging into the layout of existing laptop computer
`designs. FIG. 2 illustrates a small hybrid-packaged beacon
`101 using a loop antenna 102 integrated into the computer
`housing.
`In general. a cellular embodiment of the beacon is com-
`prised of the various circuit elements shown in FIG. 3. These
`include a cellular transceiver 10. a data modem 20, a
`back-up battery 25. a microprocessor 30. memory 40. addi-
`tional security logic 45. a phone line interface 50. a micro-
`phone and speaker interface 55. an antenna 60. and connec-
`
`tions 70. 72 to the host computer and its phone and
`microphone jacks 81. 82.
`The beacon may be implemented in a removable package
`that communicates with the laptop processor or various
`sybsystems thereof via a cryptographic exchange. to efiec—
`tively prevent unauthorized removal or bypassing of its
`security logic. As discussed more fully below. various power
`or device control signals may be routed through or from the
`beacon. such that it disables parts of the laptop when the
`device is stolen. for example by erasing the hard disc.
`removing the drive power. or otherwise. It may also initiate
`a locally detectable alarm. such as an alarm sound or a theft
`message displayed on the screen.
`As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 the beacon is built-in to
`the computer 100 and has access to various system resources
`such as the hard drive 102 and the battery 104. Preferably.
`as shown. the battery power for the laptop is routed through
`the beacon. which controls a switch to cutpower to the
`computer 100 or various subsections thereof. The beacon
`communicates with the computer via the 110 logic 108 and
`the beacon has connections to the interface ports 112 of the
`computer, e.g.. to the phone jack and microphone jack on the
`back of the computer. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5. the
`antenna 60 for the beacon 101 is incorporated into the design
`for the computer allowing many possibilities for different
`antenna configurations. In particular. the antenna may be
`formed by suitably-dimensioned conductive paths on a flex
`circuit or by metal tape adhered to the laptop housing or
`cover. or otherwise positioned to enhance its sensitivity
`and/or improve its reception or operation. Preferably. a
`simple circuit coupled to the antenna confirms antenna
`integrity. i.e.. provides an intemally-detected alarm indica-
`tion if the antenna is cut or removed
`
`It is envisioned that the beacon itself be permanently
`attached to the computer. however it is possible that for the
`purposes of upgrading its functionality it may be made as a
`removable chip or assembly.
`In either case. additional security is preferably achieved
`by configuring the beacon such that the computer does not
`function properly without the beacon in place. The invention
`contemplates several ways of implementing this operation.
`including logic verification of hard-wired connection or
`function of critical components. such as by an antenna check
`circuit as described above. In an alternative embodiment of
`the invention.
`the beacon is contained in a removable
`PCMCIA card or other upgradable type of package in
`combination with firmware or other logic which assures that
`only authorized users can remove it or change it. In such an
`embodiment. when the PCMCIA or other upgradable pack-
`age is removed by an unauthorized person. the computer
`ceases to function. rendering it valueless. Such operation
`may be implemented by using access control software which
`informs the computer through password verification that an
`authorized person is removing or upgrading the beacon. The
`beacon may also contain a serial number or other identifi-
`cation mechanism to inform the host computer of its identity.
`In other or fm‘ther tamper protection implementations. when
`the beacon determines that the antenna has been destroyed
`or tampered with. it actuates its various internal security
`protocols described below.
`In additional embodiments. the invention contemplates a
`system wherein an external operation stimulus is provided to
`ensure that the beacon is in place and operating normally.
`This external stimulus may be. for example. a periodic radio
`or telephone message from outside which resets or enables
`the computer for twenty-four hours. In that case. when the
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`this external message is
`computer is reported stolen.
`withheld. and failure to receive the message initiates the
`complete disabling of the computer; i.e.. the beacon shuts
`the computer down when it has not received an authorization
`call via cellular telephone within a twenty four hour interval.
`In other embodiments. the security device may also be
`triggered by actual receipt of a message broadcast by the
`user indicating theft. A similar triggering condition may be
`implemented by use of the CDPD network to require a user
`to log on to the laptop and acquire session tickets. as with the
`KERBEROS system for example.
`In addition to the hardware communications beacon, the
`system also includes interface software present on the laptop
`computer which provides the user interface with the com-
`munications and management features of the beacon and
`provides a means for the user to access all of the features of
`the beacon. Certain aspects of the software are preferably
`incorporated into the laptop computer’s built in firmware for
`reasons of security. as described further below.
`This beacon operation is as follows: incoming commu-
`nications signals are received through the antenna by the
`cellular transceiver circuitry. This circuitry passes on the raw
`received signals to the protocol logic and data modem. The
`protocol logic and data modem determine what type of
`signal is being received and hence which mode the beacon
`should be operating in. The wireless modes of operation
`include an incoming voice telephone call. an incoming fax.
`an incoming data modem call. or an incoming CDPD packet.
`This information is passed onto the microprocessor which
`determines what actions need to be taken within the beacon.
`and what signals need to be sent to the host computer. The
`laptop computer preferably relays. or passes the information
`to. the beacon interface software for processing.
`For an incoming ii'oice call the microprocessor alerts the
`host computer via an interrupt or other hardware notification
`route. The interface software determines the appropriate
`response depending upon the state of the computer and the
`user’s settings. If the computer is in use. the beacon interface
`software may provide a visual indication that an incoming
`voice call has been detected and request that the user either
`answer the call or pass it on to a voice messaging system. If
`the computer is not in use. an audio alert can be generated
`or the call passed on to an automatic messaging system.
`In the event of an incoming data or fax call the micro-
`processor instructs the data modem to connect and then
`waits for the modem to produce data. Once data begins to be
`received. the microprocessor temporarily stores the data in
`memory and alerts the host computer. The host computer
`passes the data to the beacon interface software which
`queries the beacon as to what kind of data it is. Depending
`on the type of data. an alert is generated for the user
`displaying information about the data. its origin. and the
`length of the transfer. For faxes and e-mail. applications may
`automatically open for the user to view the data or to
`immediately respond via the already established connection.
`This conventional communications operation is altered
`when the security functions become active.
`In that case. when an external communication is a post-
`theft call to initiate security operation. the incoming data call
`preferably also contains low-level beacon control com—
`mands which are interpreted by the beacon prior to the
`alerting or passing of the data to the computer. Such codes.
`for example. may be present in a header which the beacon
`reads and strips before passing the remaining data on to the
`beacon interface software on the computer. In a practical
`embodiment of one aspect of the invention these low-level
`
`least some of the security
`control codes implement at
`features of the device. Such features may include the dis-
`abling or interruption of power to all or to specific parts of
`the computer. the sounding of an alarm. or the erasure of the
`hard drive. The invention also contemplates the provision of
`other security codes which instruct the beacon to initiate a
`file-transfer call. in which case the microprocessor stores in
`memory the names or types of files to be transferred and the
`telephone number. fax number or e-mail address to which
`the files are to be transferred. as well as the time for the
`transfer to take place. The microprocessor then signals the
`host computer’s low level beacon interface software to
`initiate the transfers. Some of the low level security code
`functions are performed by the security logic which may
`implement power switching and other simple hardware
`controls.
`
`By “low level security codes” we distinguished from
`other higher level codes that are interpreted by the high-level
`beacon user interface. The purpose of the low-level codes is
`to perform the emergency functions under extreme circum-
`stances. This includes the event that the high-level user—
`interface software is removed. That is. the low—level instruc-
`tions are executed at a level in the computer at which the
`removal of the means of interpreting and executing instruc-
`tions would cause the computer to cease to function at all.
`A preferred location for these instructions to be handled is
`within the computer's on-board bios. In this manner. the
`low—level security features are made secure against tamper—
`ing; for example they are not impaired if a thief erases the
`hard disk. or changes an accessory board.
`The higher level codes perform functions which are less
`critical and may be passed by the microprocessor to the user
`interface software. These codes may include signals that an
`automatic transfer is taking place and that the user need not
`be alerted. or codes for other such secondary functions. It is
`envisioned that many functions which ideally would be
`executed by low-level security codes may in fact be required
`to operate through calls to higher level security codes due to
`the constraints of the operating system. For example many.
`if not all. file access functions may be dependent on the
`operating system present on the hard disk. The removal of
`the operating system would render any access to files
`virtually impossible both for the thief and the beacon. This
`limitation may be avoided by protecting vital files automati-
`cally from being removed. When the beacon is activated in
`theft mode it might disable all write access to the hard drive
`to protect the operating system. thus assuring itself access to
`the files which need to be transmitted. As long as the file
`system remains in place then the beacon can perform its
`tasks. The protection of the operating system or of certain
`files may also be achieved in one embodiment by controlling
`the file. permissions of each file to change certain files to
`read-only or archive status in order to protect them until
`transmission.
`
`Another type of incoming data is that of CDPD cellular
`packets. Such packets may contain e-rnail. pages. etc. and
`might also contain low and high level control codes. These
`packets are examined by the microprocessor and passed on
`to the user interface software.
`
`Another function of the microprocessor is to arbitrate
`between incoming cellular transceiver data and the phone
`line interface. It is possible that
`the computer may be
`plugged into a phone line and receive a cellular call at the
`same time. Several actions may have to take place. If the
`incoming cellular call is a voice call then the protocol logic
`alerts the microprocessor which may signal the host com—
`puter and establish a connection. If the incoming call is a
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`cellular data call. the protocol logic tells the microprocessor
`whether the modem is already in use on the phone line. If
`this is the case. since there is only one modem. a decision
`must be made whether to disconnect the phone connection
`and reconnect on the cellular. This decision may be preset by
`user preferences in the high level software or may be set in
`the microprocessor itself. In any case only one data call can
`be maintained at a time. This limitation may be remedied by
`the inclusion of a second modern in the beacon. The same
`
`problem arises if the cellular modem is in operation and an
`incoming call arrives via the phone line. Again the protocol
`logic and the microprocessor arbitrate between the cellular
`transceiver and the phone line. It will be understood that
`incoming land-line calls can contain voice. data. fax. file
`transfers and security codes just as in the case of cellular
`calls described above.
`
`The microprocessor also arbitrates and controls all out-
`going calls. Outgoing calls from the beacon may be initiated
`by the user in a conventional manner through the user
`interface software. for example by entering an e-mail and
`clicking “SEND”. or they may be initiated in the high-level
`user interface software or the low-level security software
`automatically. When the microprocessor receives data from
`the computer to transmit. it determines the most appropriate
`method of transmission and initiates a call. This determina-
`tion may also be tagged in the higher-level software but must
`be agreed upon by the microprocessor according to the state
`of the beacon. In most circumstances the microprocessor
`preferably is set
`to choose the phone line interface.
`if
`present. for the outgoing call due to its generally higher
`bandwidth and lower rates of charge. If the phone line is in
`use by the user or another machine, the microprocessor
`judges the urgency of the transmission and may choose to
`either wait for the phone line to be free or to transmit the data
`via the cellular phone. If the beacon determines that the unit
`is not plugged into the phone line. then all operations are
`performed via the cellular connection.
`The types of transmission possible are the same for
`outgoing calls as those described above for incoming trans-
`missions. Faxes. e-mails. files, internet connection and voice
`calls can all be initiated either by the user or automatically
`for transmission. Voice. e-mails and faxes. and internet
`connection calls are generally user initiated while automatic
`transmissions may include some e-mails and some file
`transfers such as automatic back up file transfers. and the
`security transfers described below.
`It is envisioned that the automatic file transfers will be
`useful for both emergency and non-emergency situations.
`Non-emergency file transfers are transfers such as routine
`back up of files either back to the user’s home computer or
`corporate network. or to a commercial data warehousing
`facility for protective storage. The automatic back up func-
`tions determine which files to Iranth in the same manner
`as for emergency file transfers. as described below. including
`transfer based on modification date and type of file as
`determined by the file extension. as well as any specfic files
`or directories specified by the user through application
`software.
`It
`is envisioned that a certain user might for
`instance desire to back up all word processing documents
`every three days automatically. whether connected to a
`phone or a network or not. If there is no other method
`available at the time. the back up software then compresses
`the files to be backed up and sends them over a dial-up
`connection using the cell modern. Preferences may be set as
`to when the transfers would take place so as to minimize the
`calling charges. Other management functions are available
`through the use of additional software and the cell modem
`beacon.
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`With this operationinformation system managers become
`able to inventory the software and hardware configurations
`of all their company’s machines. regardless of their location
`at the time. They can also update software automatically
`overnight or provide realtime systems support by logging
`onto the portable machine remotely and taking control of its
`functions. A good use might be the collection and redistri-
`bution of shared database files at the end of the day such as
`with a program like LOTUS NOTES. In this case. the
`database files would be transmitted by all mobile machines
`back to a central computer. which collates them and retrans—
`rnits updated database files to the mobile machines via their
`cell modem beacons.
`Under normal circumstances the beacon functions as the
`general communications provider for the host computer.
`When the computer is stolen however. the beacon operates
`at a concealed level as a special system controller and
`security broadcast beacon. thus providing the means to
`recover important data and track the stolen computer. These
`functions are implemented by the low—level security codes
`as described above.
`
`Briefly. when the computer is stolen. the user determines
`whether there are any critical files which must be recovered
`whether the machine is found or not. The user sends a
`broadcast to initiate transfer of these files. This is done either
`through a central clearing house service center. which may
`for example be operated by a computer security company
`that provides broad-area RF/cell phone coverage to receive
`and temporarily store such data. or through the use of
`additional software e.g.. emergency communications soft-
`ware present on another machine. This additional software
`may be included with the user interface software for instal-
`lation on the users non-mobile computer and configured to
`carry out automatic back up and other management func—
`tions of the mobile computer.
`In any case in a ther
`notification mode the user determines which files need to be
`recovered and a request in proper format is sent via the
`cellular network to the laptop computer with low level
`security codes. Upon receipt of the lower level cod