US5530431A — Anti-theft device for protecting electronic equip…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 127 words

Method of protecting portable electronic equipment against unauthorized power-up, said electronic equipment deriving its power from household-type wiring and having a power supply component, comprising: providing the power supply component of the electronic equipment with a decoder, said decoder permitting powering-up the electronic equipment only upon receipt of an externally-generated unique code; and connecting an encoder-emitter to the household-type wiring for transmitting the unique code to the decoder; wherein: the decoder permits repeated powering-up of the electronic equipment so long as the decoder remains connected to the household-type wiring; and the decoder prohibits subsequent powering-up of the electronic equipment in the event that the household-type wiring discontinues to deliver power to the electronic equipment or in the event that the decoder is disconnected from the household-type wiring.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 127 words

Method of protecting portable electronic equipment against unauthorized power-up, said electronic equipment deriving its power from household-type wiring and having a power supply component, comprising: providing the power supply component of the electronic equipment with a decoder, said decoder permitting powering-up the electronic equipment only upon receipt of an externally-generated unique code; and connecting an encoder-emitter to the household-type wiring for transmitting the unique code to the decoder; wherein: the decoder permits repeated powering-up of the electronic equipment so long as the decoder remains connected to the household-type wiring; and the decoder prohibits subsequent powering-up of the electronic equipment in the event that the household-type wiring discontinues to deliver power to the electronic equipment or in the event that the decoder is disconnected from the household-type wiring.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

Method, according to claim 1, wherein: the electronic equipment derives its power from a selected household-type power wiring; and further comprising: hard-wiring the encoder into the selected household-type power wiring.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 14 words

Method, according to claim 1, wherein: the unique code is internal to the encoder.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

Method, according to claim 1, further comprising: supplying the unique code to the encoder with a key that is external to the encoder.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 34 words

Method, according to claim 1, wherein: the encoder is readily transported by an authorized user to be plugged into the same power wiring to which the electronic equipment is connected to derive its power.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 21 words

Method, according to claim 1, wherein: the encoder transmits the unique code to the decoder via a short range RF signal.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 20 words

Method, according to claim 1, wherein: the encoder is located off-site, and the unique code is unique to the site.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 52 words

Method, according to claim 1, further comprising: providing a plurality of items of electronic equipment with a corresponding plurality of decoders, all of the decoders responding to a single unique code; and causing all of the items of electronic equipment to be power-uppable with a single encoder providing the single unique code.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

Method, according to claim 1, further comprising: clocking the encoder at a first rate; and clocking the decoder at a second rate which is at least two times faster than the first rate.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

Method, according to claim 9, further comprising: clocking the encoder at a first rate; and clocking the decoder at a second rate which is at least four times faster than the first rate.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

Method, according to claim 1, further comprising: marking the electronic equipment to visually indicate that its power supply is equipped with a decoder.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 16 words

Method, according to claim 1, wherein transmission of the unique code is performed during quiet times.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 25 words

Method, according to claim 1, wherein enabling and disabling electronic equipment to power up is accomplished through inserting a power key into a wall socket.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 56 words

Method of providing security for portable electronic equipment comprising: providing a unique predetermined multi-digit security code selectively upon power up; providing electronic equipment with a detector, said detector permitting the electronic equipment to be powered up only if the unique code is received; and providing an emitter for externally transmitting the unique code to the detector.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 56 words

Method of providing security for portable electronic equipment comprising: providing a unique predetermined multi-digit security code selectively upon power up; providing electronic equipment with a detector, said detector permitting the electronic equipment to be powered up only if the unique code is received; and providing an emitter for externally transmitting the unique code to the detector.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 28 words

Method, according to claim 14, wherein: the electronic equipment is connected to household-type wiring for its power; and further comprising: transmitting the unique code over the household wiring.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 26 words

Method, according to claim 14, wherein said unique predetermined multi-digit security code has a leading bit of 1 and subsequent bits of either 1 or 0.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 127 words

An anti-theft device for protecting portable electronic equipment comprising: an automatic unique predetermined multi-digit first security code; send means operably associated with a transmitter means; first memory means for storing said first code; transmitter means, connected to said first memory means, for communicating said first code to said electronic equipment; receiver means, disposed within said electronic equipment, for receiving said first code transmitted from said transmitter means; second memory means, connected to said receiver means, for storing a second code; circuitry, connected to said second memory means and to said receiver, for comparing said second code with said received first code; and circuitry for enabling the powering up of said electronic equipment only when said circuitry for comparing determines that said second code matches said first code.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 127 words

An anti-theft device for protecting portable electronic equipment comprising: an automatic unique predetermined multi-digit first security code; send means operably associated with a transmitter means; first memory means for storing said first code; transmitter means, connected to said first memory means, for communicating said first code to said electronic equipment; receiver means, disposed within said electronic equipment, for receiving said first code transmitted from said transmitter means; second memory means, connected to said receiver means, for storing a second code; circuitry, connected to said second memory means and to said receiver, for comparing said second code with said received first code; and circuitry for enabling the powering up of said electronic equipment only when said circuitry for comparing determines that said second code matches said first code.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 35 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein: said receiver means further includes means for switching the electronic equipment to an external power source in response to the second code's matching the first code.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 29 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein: said electronic equipment derives its power from power lines; and further comprising: transmitting said first code over said power lines.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 128 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 19, wherein the transmitter means further comprises: a first voltage sensing circuit connected to said power lines, said first voltage sensing circuit producing a first signal when a voltage in said power lines equals zero (0) volts; a second voltage sensing circuit connected to said power lines, said second voltage sensing circuit producing a second signal when said voltage in said power lines equals 5-10 volts; a voltage range detector connected to receive the first and the second signals, and providing a third signal controlling operation of a code generator which stores the unique code and which provides the unique code to a code transmission circuit in response to the third signal for impressing the unique code on the power lines.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 26 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in 17, wherein the receiver further comprises: clean signal logic for disabling the receiver means when the power lines are noisy.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 26 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: means for clocking the receiver means at at least twice a rate of the transmitter means.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 27 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claims 22, further comprising: means for clocking the receiver means at at least four times the rate of the transmitter means.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 26 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: means for synchronizing communication of the unique code between the transmitter means and the receiver means.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 52 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 24, wherein the means for synchronizing comprises: means for establishing a first time frame wherein a first bit of the first code is transmitted, and for establishing a second time frame following the first time frame wherein subsequent bits of the first code are detected.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 22 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 25, further comprising: means for detecting the subsequent bits midway through each subsequent time frame.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 26 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein: said first code is communicated automatically by the transmitter means to the receiver means, without user intervention.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 46 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 27, wherein: once the transmitter means is connected to power lines supplying power to the receiver means, said first code is communicated automatically by the transmitter means to the receiver means, whenever there is power on the power line.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 25 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein: the transmitter means is plugged into household-type wiring from which the receiver means derives operating power.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 25 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein: the transmitter means is hard-wired to household-type wiring from which the receiver means derives operating power.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 27 words

An anti-theft device, according to claim 17, further comprising: a power key, insertable into the transmitter means, for providing the first code to the first memory means.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 17 words

An anti-theft device, according to claim 31, wherein: the transmitter means is hard-wired to said electronic equipment.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 17 words

An anti-theft device, according to claim 17, wherein: the transmitter means is plugged into said electronic equipment.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 25 words

An anti-theft device, as claimed in claim 17, further comprising means for transmission of said automatic unique predetermined multi-digit first security code during quiet times.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-06-25	1999-12-25	2000-06-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-06-25	2003-12-25	2004-06-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-06-25	2007-12-25	2008-06-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Anti-theft device for protecting electronic equipment

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