Apparatus and method for monitoring electronic devices via a global network
US6244758A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 24, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 12, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 24, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2221/2111
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for locating and monitoring electronic devices utilizing a security system that is secretly and transparently embedded within the software, firmware, or hardware of a computer. This security system initiates the client computer to periodically and conditionally call a host system to provide unique identifying indicia and location information. In one embodiment, the security system calls the host through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and transmits the indicia in encoded form. In an alternative embodiment, which may be incorporated concurrently with the PSTN application, the security system calls the host system through the Internet and provides the host with indicia encoded within the DNS query sent. The host system is able to identify the calling computer from the indicia and is able to physically locate the computer through either caller identification or by referencing the Internet links which were used to connect the calling computer with the host system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.