Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Patent
1997-06-20
2000-07-11
Crosland, Donnie L.
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
3405681, 340571, 340539, 34082569, 36470905, 395186, G08B 1318, C08C 1900
Patent
active
060879378
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a security device, especially one intended for use in protecting electronic devices.
BACKGROUND
Computers are used routinely in a very large number of businesses and homes. The decrease in the cost of computing power has fueled this expansion, and at the same time advances in micro electronics have meant that the physical size and weight of a powerful computer has decreased to the point where even a desk top computer can be carried relatively easily.
This has meant that the theft of personal computers, in particular laptop computers, has become extremely easy and is now a serious problem. It is estimated that one quarter of all commercial computer users in the United Kingdom have been burgled or robbed of at least some of their computer stock. The value of this equipment stolen in 1994 was over .English Pound.100 million. One dealer has estimated that 35% of his customers have been robbed; 25% of those have been robbed more than once, some as many as six or seven times.
The ease with which such thefts can be executed is illustrated by one example in which thieves entered the premises of a company at 9.57 pm and, in the following four minutes before the arrival of the police stole, .English Pound.15,000 worth of equipment.
Once a computer is stolen, the hard disk can be reformatted and the computer can then be sold easily. It is estimated that one particular case reaped .English Pound.3 million for the burglar.
Insurance companies who provide insurance against computer burglary now find that computer theft is dominating their time and causing severe losses. Often, insurance premiums increase significantly after a theft has taken place, or insurance is refused altogether. Insurers may often insist on improving security at business premises; the cost of this can be as much as .English Pound.6,000.
Methods exist to protect computers against theft. These include physical means such as attaching security tags firmly to the computers or defacing the exterior surface of the computer to dissuade potential purchasers of the stolen goods. Both of these are unsightly and the former is liable to invite damage of the computer by the thief in an attempt to remove it.
Computers can be provided with password locks, which ensure that the computer will not operate until the correct password is entered. However re-formatting of the hard disk is usually possible and this will erase all software present, including the password lock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,414 discloses a system whereby the peripheral devices (e.g. the display unit and keyboard) are disabled for a predetermined period of time if an incorrect password is entered. However, this is a software-based system and therefore inherently vulnerable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,524 discloses a computer with an additional microprocessor which must be present in order to allow the system to operate. The contents of the microprocessor are said to be non-copyable. If the microprocessor is removed, then the computer will not operate. However, should the system be stolen, the thieves will presumably also take the microprocessor.
There therefore exists a need for a means for dissuading or preventing theft of computers and the like, at a cost which is ideally less than the cost of insuring the equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention therefore provides an electronic device comprising a processor unit and a display device for displaying operational output from the processor unit;
the device including a receiver unit adapted to receive remotely transmitted signals and capable of causing the processor unit to at least partially obscure or change the output on the display device after such a signal has been received.
Preferably, the obscuring is by overprinting a message on top of the normal operational output. It may, of course be by replacing that ordinary operational output with a message, or the like.
Preferably, the receiver unit also causes the display of an identification code stored in the receiver unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4246573 (1981-01-01), Kiss
patent: 4639726 (1987-01-01), Ichikawa et al.
patent: 5138312 (1992-08-01), Tsukamoto et al.
patent: 5276435 (1994-01-01), Rossides
patent: 5406261 (1995-04-01), Glenn
Accupage Limited
Crosland Donnie L.
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