Method for determining identification of an electronic device

Abstract

A utility to determine identity of an electronic device electronically, by running a device attribute collection application that collects key data points of the electronic devices and a device identification application that uses these key data points to link the electronic device to a specific owner or entity. Data points of the device may change over time for reasons such as reconfiguration, repair or normal daily use. The device identification application intelligently and consistently tracks changes in key data points associated with the device, even if the data points change over its lifecycle. The device may be identified remotely with the device identification application (e.g., in the event of theft or loss of the device) based on the collected data points. The device identification application may be deployed in conjunction with services that may include asset tracking, asset recovery, data delete, software deployment, etc.

1 . A method of identifying an electronic device, comprising:
 obtaining, using an attribute collection application residing at the electronic device, a plurality of data points of the electronic device;   transmitting the data points to a server having access to records of a plurality of electronic devices;   determining, by the server, for a first data point in the plurality of data points, whether one or other than one records have the first data point;   when only one record has the first data point, the server deeming the one record to be the unique record;   when other than one records have the first data point, the server determining whether there is only one record having a second data point in the plurality of data points, and, when there is, the server deeming the record having the second data point to be the unique record;   when there is no unique record, the server creating a unique record corresponding to the electronic device; and   writing an identifier from the unique record to the electronic device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 subsequently obtaining the plurality of data points and the identifier from the electronic device using the attribute collection application, and   searching, by the server, the records based on the identifier to subsequently identify the unique record, wherein:
 the server determines the identity of the electronic device from the unique record when it determines that less than a predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different from corresponding data points in the unique record; or 
 the server determines the electronic device to be a new electronic device when the predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different from corresponding data points in the unique record, and assigns a new identifier to the new electronic device. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2 , comprising comparing the plurality of subsequently obtained data points with corresponding data points stored in the records. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising comparing each subsequently obtained data point in sequence, against correspond data points stored in the records. 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to determining that either one or other than one records have the first data point, the server:
 looking up said first data point in an exception table of blank and non-unique data points; and   determining that said first data point is not in the exception table.   
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 5 , further comprising, if other than one records have said first data point, and prior to determining that there is only one record having said second data point, the server:
 looking up said second data point in the exception table; and   determining that said second data point is not in the exception table.   
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises an Electronic Serial Number (ESN). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data points include data points relating to hardware and/or software deployed in the electronic device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the data points include at least two of:
 ix. Device Make and/or Model;   x. Device Motherboard Serial Number;   xi. Device UUID (Universal Unique Identifier);   xii. Hard drive Serial Number;   xiii. MAC address of multiple network cards;   xiv. RAM serial number; and   xv. Battery Serial number.   
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising the server linking the electronic device to a specific owner or entity upon subsequently identifying that the electronic device is that of the unique record. 
     
     
         11 . A system for identifying an electronic device connected to a network, comprising:
 an electronic device comprising hardware and/or software, wherein the hardware includes a data storage device, motherboard, BIOS, memory and network interface; and   an attribute collection application residing in the electronic device and interacting with the hardware and/or software, wherein the attribute collection application:
 collects a plurality of data points including data points relating to the hardware and/or software; and 
 transmits the data points to a server; and 
 the server, connected to the network and configured to:
 receive the plurality of data points from the attribute collection application; 
 determine, for a first data point in the plurality of data points, that either one or other than one records have the first data point; 
 when only one record has the first data point, deem the one record to be the unique record; 
 when other than one records have the first data point, determine whether there is only one record having a second data point in the plurality of data points, and, when there is, deem the record having the second data point to be the unique record; 
 when there is no unique record, create a unique record corresponding to the electronic device; and 
 transmit an identifier from the unique record to the electronic device, 
 
   wherein the electronic device receives the identifier from the server and writes the identifier to the electronic device.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the electronic device subsequently transmits to the server the plurality of data points and the identifier, and
 wherein the server then searches the records based on the identifier to subsequently identify the unique record, wherein:
 the server determines the identity of the electronic device from the unique record when it determines that less than a predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different from corresponding data points in the unique record; or 
 the server determines the electronic device to be a new electronic device when the predetermined number of subsequently obtained data points are different from corresponding data points in the unique record, and assigns a new identifier to the new electronic device. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system as in  claim 12 , wherein the server compares the plurality of subsequently obtained data points with corresponding data points stored in the records. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the server compares each subsequently obtained data point in sequence, with corresponding data points stored in the records. 
     
     
         15 . The system as in  claim 11 , wherein the server is configured, prior to determining that either one or other than one records have the first data point, to:
 look up said first data point in an exception table of blank and non-unique data points; and   determine that said first data point is not in the exception table.   
     
     
         16 . The system as in  claim 15 , wherein, if other than one records have said first data point, the system is further configured, prior to determining that there is only one record having said second data point, to:
 look up said second data point in the exception table; and   determine that said second data point is not in the exception table.   
     
     
         17 . The system as in  claim 11 , wherein the identifier comprises an Electronic Serial Number (ESN). 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of data points include data points relating to hardware and/or software deployed in the electronic device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the data points include at least two of:
 i. Device Make and/or Model;   ii. Device Motherboard Serial Number;   iii. Device UUID (Universal Unique Identifier);   iv. Hard drive Serial Number;   v. MAC address of multiple network cards;   vi. RAM serial number; and   vii. Battery Serial number.   
     
     
         20 . The system as in  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to link the electronic device to a specific owner or entity upon subsequently identifying that the electronic device is that of the unique record.