Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation

Kishiko Itoh

Seiichi Kawano

Mikio Hagiwara

Ken Sasaki

Jennifer Greenwood Zawacki

Kenji Oka

Eiji Shinohara

Susumu Shimotono

Kazuo Nakada

Hiroyuki Noguchi

Masaki Oie

Hideto Horikoshi

Mark Evan Cohen

Hidenori Kinoshita

Jason Pratt Parrish

Yuji Chotoku

Jun Sugiyama

Vincent James DeCaro

Masaki Obinata

Hiroaki Mine

Akira Hino

The invention provides a method for a portable electronic device such as a computer to be capable of safely coping with the occurrence of a surprise removal from an external hard disk drive (HDD) connected by wireless. An HDD is connected to a portable computer by wireless via a wireless extension device. First, a wireless communication path between the HDD and the portable computer is configured. Subsequently, a file is read and edited by accessing the HDD from the portable computer. Next, removal information indicating that the portable computer is away from the HDD is produced. The removal information can be produced by detecting an acceleration generated in the portable computer, or by directly detecting the distance by the strength of the wireless signal. Data under editing is saved before occurrence of surprise removal by ejecting the HDD in response to the production of the removal information.

Methods and arrangements for accessing wirelessly connected external storage devices

An assembly can include a first component; a second component; and an interconnection mechanism for pivotable interconnection of the first component and the second component about a pivot axis where the interconnection mechanism includes a latch mechanism to latch the second component to the interconnection mechanism, an actuator to unlatch the latch mechanism, an obstruction to obstruct actuation of the actuator, and a sliding bar slidable in a first direction to move the obstruction to an obstructing position that obstructs actuation of the actuator and slidable in a second direction to move the obstruction to an unobstructing position that permits actuation of the actuator. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Locking mechanism

Associating biometric information with passwords is disclosed. If biometric information received from a user matches stored biometric information, stored passwords associated therewith are retrieved. If these stored passwords are identical to access-enabling passwords, then the user is permitted to gain access associated with the access-enabling passwords. If the biometric information matches the stored biometric information but the stored passwords do not match the access-enabling passwords or are not present, then the user is requested to manually enter passwords, which are stored. If these stored passwords are identical to the access-enabling passwords, the user is permitted to gain access. However, if the biometric information does not match the stored biometric information, or if the biometric information has not been received from the user or is not present, then the user is requested to manually enter passwords. If these passwords match the access-enabling passwords, then the user is permitted to gain access.

Associating biometric information with passwords

A method and system are provided for detecting theft of a computer. A portable device is provided to wirelessly communicate with a theft deterrent function of the computer at a set frequency. In response to an increased distance between the portable device and the computer, a scan rate controller can automatically increase the scan rate for the wireless communication signal.

Theft deterrent system

For a hard disk drive divided into a user area that is an area operating in a user environment, and a host protected area that is an area protected from a user, provided are: a basic input/output system which supports a boot from the host protected area as well as supports a validation, for a system vendor authentication, of a Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services application stored in the host protected area; and a Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services application access module which generates a virtual Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services application area by copying the Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services application onto an unoccupied area of a memory.

Data protection for computer system

A process, apparatus, and system are disclosed that allow information to be passed between software modules in different partitions in an environment for a predetermined operating system (OS) and an area hidden from the operating system (OS) in a storage device, such as hard disk drive (HDD). The computer system may include a hard disk drive (HDD) that meets a protected area run time interface extension services (PARTIES) specification and that has an access environment for an operating system (OS) and a PARTIES partition. The PARTIES partition is an area hidden from the operating system (OS). The computers system also includes a CMOS/NVRAM that provides a work area for communication between a user mode module, operating in the access environment for the operating system (OS) in a user data management application, and a management mode module, operating in an environment corresponding to the hidden area.

Process, apparatus, and system for passing data between partitions in a storage device

Growing community of inventors

Machida, Japan

Kishiko Itoh