Patent · US Active

Device locator disable authentication

US9706032B2 · kind B2 · utility

24Cited by
7References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 6, 2013
Grant dateJul 11, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 6, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L67/52
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A device locator mode or find my device (FMD) mode can allow a lost, stolen, or misplaced mobile device to be located. The FMD mode can be enabled or disabled on a mobile device. Sometimes thieves or unauthorized parties attempt to disable the FMD mode. To prevent this, the mobile device can transmit a unique device identifier to a remote server. The remote server can link the device identifier to a cloud-based user account associated with the user of the mobile device. Before an FMD mode is disabled on the mobile device, before the content or settings can be erased, and/or before a mobile device is permitted to be activated/reactivated, a user of the mobile device can be challenged for the credentials of the cloud-based user account. If valid credentials are provided, FMD can be disabled, the content or settings can be reset, and/or the device can be activated/reactivated.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.