Patents by Inventor Randall S. Springfield
Randall S. Springfield has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9323956Abstract: Methods and arrangements for managing a flash drive, hard disk, or connection between the two, in a manner to ensure that sensitive data is not decrypted at any time when it would be vulnerable. Accordingly, in a first implementation, the data may preferably be encrypted as it first goes into a flash drive and decrypted when it comes out of the flash drive. In another implementation, the flash drive may be logically bound to the hard disk, so that they would both use the same encryption key. In yet another implementation, if a hard disk is moved to another system, then the flash drive may also preferably be simultaneously moved.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2007Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: David C. Challener, Daryl Cromer, Howard Locker, Randall S. Springfield
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Patent number: 9152195Abstract: A method can include receiving a request to access a specified resource associated with a user account; and, in response to the request, transmitting, to a network address associated with the user account, instructions for waking a system or device from a sleep state and for accessing the specified resource. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2013Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Richard W. Cheston, Howard J. Locker, Randall S. Springfield, Goran H. Wibran
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Patent number: 9146601Abstract: Embodiments of the invention implement one or more power management policies on one or more devices in order intelligently to manage the finite amount of battery power available while maximizing synchronization between connected devices.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2009Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Randall S. Springfield, Kenneth S. Seethaler, Howard Locker, Richard W. Cheston, Joseph M. Pennisi
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Patent number: 9052917Abstract: A method can include receiving operating system environment settings via a network; storing the received operating system environment settings to a storage device; establishing an operating system environment according to the stored operating system environment settings; receiving information via the network; instructing the established operating system environment according to the received information; and, in response to the instructing, transmitting via the network information generated at least in part by the established operating system environment. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2013Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Kenneth S. Seethaler, Randall S. Springfield, Howard J. Locker, Richard W. Cheston
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Patent number: 9015078Abstract: An exemplary method includes transmitting, via a network interface, at least a currency amount in an attempt to confirm a financial transaction; responsive to the transmitting, receiving a confirmation indicator for the financial transaction; storing at least the currency amount in non-volatile memory; hashing at least the currency amount to generate a hash and storing the hash in a secure non-volatile memory; hashing at least the currency amount stored in the non-volatile memory to generate a verification hash; and in an attempt to verify at least the financial transaction, comparing the verification hash to the hash stored in the secure non-volatile memory. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2010Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: David C. Challener, Richard W. Cheston, Randall S. Springfield, Howard J. Locker
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Patent number: 8898355Abstract: An arrangement for facilitating remote booting in diskless client systems as just described. To this end, there is broadly contemplated herein the employment of a hypervisor that can freely accommodate a variety of booting arrangements for a given OS. This then ensures that few if any modifications, especially costly ones, would need to be made to the OS to ensure greater versatility.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2007Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Randall S. Springfield, Daryl Cromer, Howard Locker, Rod D. Waltermann
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Publication number: 20140208132Abstract: A method can include receiving a request to access a specified resource associated with a user account; and, in response to the request, transmitting, to a network address associated with the user account, instructions for waking a system or device from a sleep state and for accessing the specified resource. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2013Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.Inventors: Richard W. Cheston, Howard J. Locker, Randall S. Springfield, Goran H. Wibran
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Publication number: 20140201512Abstract: A method can include receiving operating system environment settings via a network; storing the received operating system environment settings to a storage device; establishing an operating system environment according to the stored operating system environment settings; receiving information via the network; instructing the established operating system environment according to the received information; and, in response to the instructing, transmitting via the network information generated at least in part by the established operating system environment. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2013Publication date: July 17, 2014Applicant: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.Inventors: Kenneth S. Seethaler, Randall S. Springfield, Howard J. Locker, Richard W. Cheston
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Patent number: 8756667Abstract: In the context of computer systems, the generation of preboot passwords at a server instead of at a client. Preferably, preboot passwords generated at the server are distributed to the client, and a process is offered whereby a user can establish his/her own proxy, not known to the server, that can be used to release the stored passwords to the client hardware. Since the passwords are generated at the server, management of the passwords is greatly facilitated since they are generated at the site where they are stored. This also makes it easy to implement management features such as a group policy, since the password generation software will be able to make logical connections between users and hardware.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2008Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Randall S. Springfield, Jeffrey M. Estroff, Seiichi Kawano, Mikio Hagiwara, David C. Challener, James P. Hoff, Binqiang Ma
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Patent number: 8726260Abstract: A technique for providing a software patch to an associated computer system includes receiving, at a wireless communication device, a communication. Next, it is determined, at the wireless communication device, whether the communication is associated with a software patch available for the associated computer system. When the communication is associated with the software patch, a notification is sent from the wireless communication device to the associated computer system that the software patch is available.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2007Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte LtdInventors: Michael T. Vanover, Richard W. Cheston, Daryl Cromer, Howard Locker, Randall S. Springfield
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Patent number: 8702812Abstract: Methods and arrangements for ensuring that, when a computer system is stolen or otherwise misplaced, the system is rendered unusable (i.e., locked down). Conventional solutions have required software running on the system to perform the lockdown action, but in accordance with at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention is the linkage of TPM (Trusted Platform Module) and AMT (Active Management Technology) solutions whereby an AMT arrangement can remove secure data or identifiers so that any encrypted data present on the system will become unusable.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2008Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: David C. Challener, Howard Locker, Randall S. Springfield
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Patent number: 8667577Abstract: Systems and arrangements for permitting the transmission of fingerprint authentication data to a system remotely, while also permitting the system to employ such data as well as passwords in order to operate a computer system, while ensuring a reliable level of security for any group or organization using such systems and arrangements.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2008Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: David C. Challener, Howard J. Locker, Mark C. Davis, Daryl C. Cromer, Randall S. Springfield
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Patent number: 8566600Abstract: In accordance with at least one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is broadly contemplated herein the managing of a POP not solely in the BIOS but at least partly in a more secure location. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, this location could be in a NVRAM (non-volatile random access memory) inside a TPM (trusted platform module). Most preferably, this location will contain code that the BIOS preferably will need to access and employ in order to complete the booting of the system.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2008Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: David C. Challener, Howard Locker, Randall S. Springfield
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Patent number: 8539246Abstract: Systems, methods and products are described that provide secure resume for encrypted drives. One aspect provides a method including: receiving an indication to resume from a suspended state at a computing device; responsive to authenticating a user at one or more input devices, accessing a value in a BIOS derived from authenticating the user at the one or more input devices; responsive to accessing the value, releasing a credential for unlocking one or more encrypted drives; and thereafter proceeding to resume from the suspend state.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2011Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Kenneth S. Seethaler, Randall S. Springfield, Howard Locker, Joseph M. Pennisi
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Patent number: 8473747Abstract: Systems, methods and products are described that provide secure boot with a minimum number of re-boots. One aspect provides a method including receiving an indication to boot from a power off state at a computing device; responsive to authenticating a user at one or more input devices, releasing a value derived from authenticating the user at the one or more input devices; responsive to releasing the value, unlocking one or more encrypted drives with a previously established alternate credential; and thereafter proceeding to boot from the power off state. By not having to call the non-BIOS software each boot, this minimizes the number of reboots for each boot cycle.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2011Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Randall S. Springfield, Joseph M. Pennisi, Howard Locker, Kenneth S. Seethaler
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Patent number: 8473752Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for auditing access to secure data. A detection module detects an access to the secure data. A record module records an encrypted log entry describing the access to the secure data. A verification module verifies the secure data is securely stored.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2010Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Howard J. Locker, David C. Challener, Mark C. Davis, Randall S. Springfield
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Patent number: 8397231Abstract: Hypervisors are a new technology in the industry that enable multiple Operating Systems to co-exist on a single client. The use of a hypervisor provides a novel approach to determining the operability of an Operating System. Each Operating System is a virtualized Operating System, with its own IP address. According to a preferred embodiment, the capability Operating System has an application that is a monitor program that runs and provides information that is sent to the maintenance Operating System. The monitor program sends a status packet at regular intervals, which contains system power state and is a confirmation that the system is not hung. If the maintenance Operating System does not receive a packet at a regular interval, or in response to a query, then the maintenance Operating System will be aware that the capability Operating System is hung and will take appropriate measures.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2006Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Howard J. Locker, Daryl Cromer, Randall S. Springfield, Rod D. Walterman
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Patent number: 8381304Abstract: A hard disk drive unit includes a microprocessor programmed to erase data stored within the drive unit if it is determined that a process potentially leading to a misuse of the data stored within the drive unit, and if secure disposal configuration data stored in nonvolatile storage within the drive indicates that the data is to be erased. Such a process includes initializing the drive unit for operation without providing a password matching a password stored in the drive unit, initializing the drive unit in a system not having CMOS configuration data matching the drive unit, and determining that a failure rate within the drive unit exceeds a threshold level.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2006Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Daryl Cromer, Howard Jeffrey Locker, Randall S. Springfield, Rod D. Waltermann
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Patent number: 8364943Abstract: Arrangements for employing a system BIOS (basic input/output system) to handle email during a suspended state (such as an “S3” state as will be better understood herebelow). Preferably, the BIOS is employed to “jump” between two suspended images such that, e.g., two more powerful OS's can be employed to manage the mail function.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2008Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: David C. Challener, Daryl Cromer, Justin T. Dubs, Howard Locker, James S. Rutledge, Randall S. Springfield, James J. Thrasher, Michael T. Vanover
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Patent number: 8340954Abstract: Systems and methods for providing multi-language support in a pre-boot environment are supplied. User interface type information, such as keyboard type information and translation tables, are ascertained and provided to the pre-boot environment of the apparatus, allowing the apparatus to properly receive and/or translate multi-language inputs in an appropriate fashion.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2008Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Randall S. Springfield, Jeffrey M. Estroff, Mikio Hagiwara, James P. Hoff, Seiichi Kawano, Noritoshi Yoshiyama