Microsoft new patent

Microsoft files a new patent to stop laptop thieves

We can detect where is our lost phone and track the thief. However, the case is not same when it comes to a laptop. The laptop thieves have increased over time and Microsoft has filed a new patent to stop the crime. – Microsoft new patent

On phones, there is a feature that blocks the thieves from assessing the data stored on the phone or resell the device. However, the laptops lack this feature but Microsoft’s new patent has the solution to stop laptop thieves.

Most of our cell phones have been using a protection method that disables the stolen device by being wiped out. This protection has reduced the number of phone-related thefts dramatically, as the thieves are no longer able to resell the locked device. Until now, this protection method has only been available to phones, leaving laptops unsecured.

Last month, Microsoft announced always-connected PCs, which will have cellular connectivity and will bring this protection method to laptops. A new Microsoft patent has surfaced online which suggests that users will not even need a cellular subscription to protect their device.

The patent suggests making use of the same “emergency call” technology which allows the users to make emergency phone calls to specific numbers even without a SIM. Using that as a protection measure means allowing the transmission of a signal to disable the device even with its cellular connectivity turned off or SIM removed. A brief summary of the patent is given below:

Microsoft’s new patent has confirmed that the company will use the emergency call technology to stop laptop thieves. With this feature, emergency calls can be made even without a SIM and this could be also used to remotely disable a device without touching the device.

Microsoft’s always-connected PCs have the cellular connectivity feature and this will help Microsoft enable the emergency call feature on laptops. PCs will have the phone’s always-on LTE connectivity feature.

The patent is described, “At least some embodiments described herein relate to the restricted use of a cellular network to facilitate disablement of a device that is suspected lost or stolen. Accordingly, even if the device is not capable of general use of the cellular network (e.g., due to a physical authentication module, such as a subscriber identity module, being absent and/or due to a software restriction on cellular network access), disablement communications are still permitted across the cellular network. Accordingly, the device may receive a disable command from the disablement service over the cellular network, and acknowledge processing of the disable command to the disablement service also over the cellular network. Thus, efforts by an unauthorized possessor of the device to prevent disablement by removing the physical authentication module are thwarted. Likewise, turning the cellular service off using software settings at the device also does not prevent the device from being disabled via cellular network communication.”

Accordingly, the device may receive a disable command from the disablement service over the cellular network, and acknowledge processing of the disable command to the disablement service also over the cellular network. Thus, efforts by an unauthorized possessor of the device to prevent disablement by removing the physical authentication module are thwarted. Likewise, turning the cellular service off using software settings at the device also does not prevent the device from being disabled via cellular network communication.” Contact Musato Technologies for more information.

Source: PatentScope

Author: Gideon E. M

Gideon Ebonde M. is the CEO and Chief Software Architect at Musato Technologies. He is experienced Software developer with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. He has a strong engineering professional skilled in Mobile Application Development, Enterprise Software, AI, Robotics, IoT, Servers, Cloud and business application. He is an accomplished DevOps software engineer and a visionary computer scientist and engineer.