Bluetooth Proximity Power Management for Laptop Security
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face issues with unauthorized access and battery life, as existing security measures can be bypassed by physical access and power management methods still consume power even when not in use.
Innovation Solution
A platform management system using Bluetooth signals to control a laptop's accessibility and power state based on proximity to a paired cellular device, enforcing security and power-saving policies by locking the device or reducing power consumption when the device is out of range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the laptop interface is locked after an elapsed period of non-use requiring password entry, then unauthorized access is prevented, but an unauthorized person can still access sensitive information by gaining physical access and using the laptop before the interface is locked
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary security actions by automatically locking the interface and powering down subsystems before an unauthorized person can access sensitive information. The elapsed time threshold is set so that the lockup occurs before any potential unauthorized access can begin, preventing the harmful effect rather than responding to it after occurrence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by implementing automatic lockup and power-down mechanisms that counteract potential unauthorized access attempts before they can succeed. The elapsed time threshold creates a time window where the system proactively prevents unauthorized access rather than reacting to it.
2Reliability
If the laptop interface is locked requiring password entry, then unauthorized access is prevented, but the unauthorized accessor may have obtained the password without permission, allowing unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The system locks the interface automatically after an elapsed time threshold without requiring any authentication input from the user. This preliminary action ensures that even if the password is compromised, the system will still prevent access after the time threshold, adding a layer of security that doesn't increase authentication complexity.
3Use of energy by moving object
If subsystems are powered down after an elapsed period of time, then battery life is extended, but there is still a minimum period for which the laptop is powered even when not being used
Solution Approach 1:
The system powers down subsystems automatically after an elapsed time threshold is reached, performing the power-down action before the minimum powered period ends. This eliminates the wasteful minimum powered period by proactively transitioning to low-power state at the optimal moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the power state of subsystems based on the elapsed time threshold. Different subsystems can be powered down at different times based on their specific requirements, creating a dynamic power management approach that optimizes both battery life and energy savings.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the laptop is placed in a completely powered down state to extend battery life, then power consumption is minimized, but the laptop cannot be quickly resumed when needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the power-down process by not powering down all subsystems simultaneously. Critical subsystems maintain minimal power state while less critical subsystems enter deep sleep mode, allowing for faster resume while still achieving significant power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system keeps critical subsystems in a preliminary powered state or with fast-wake capability, preparing them for quick resume. This preliminary action ensures that when the user needs to resume the laptop, the critical components are already ready, minimizing resume time while still achieving power savings from non-critical subsystems.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device, for example, a laptop computer includes a processor, a transceiver module, for example, a Bluetooth module and a memory. The memory includes a platform proximity agent, which may be implemented as a series of instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive a Bluetooth signal from a corresponding provisioned Bluetooth device, for example, a cellular telephone. Next, determine whether the received signal exceeds both a strength threshold level and a predetermined time threshold level, where the signal strength and time threshold levels are established when the laptop and a corresponding cell phone are paired during a provisioning process. When the received signal strength and duration both exceed the corresponding policy based thresholds, the laptop enters (or remains in) a full power state with full access to the monitor and the platform. On the other hand, when the received signal strength and duration both fall below (or are less than) the corresponding policy based threshold, the laptop enters (or remains in) a reduced power, or locked state.