IP Library Granted Patent US 11,431,886
Granted Patent B1
US 11,431,886 · App. 17/184,225 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Device management for an information handling system

Inventors: Daniel Lawrence Hamlin (Round Rock, TX); Hariprasad Janardana Iyer (Round Rock, TX); Yao Hsien Huang (New Taipei, TW)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04N5/23206G06F21/30G06F21/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,431,886
App. No.
17/184,225
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for managing image sensors communicably coupled to an information handling system includes accessing a device inventory storing a list indicating the image sensors; identifying, from the list, an image sensor having a login functionality and a capture functionality, the login functionality causing the image sensor to capture identifying features of a user of the information handling system, the capture functionality causing the image sensor to capture images of the user; accessing a configuration inventory storing configuration policies indicating user permissions associated with the information handling system; determining that the login functionality of the image sensor is permitted based on the user permissions; programmatically enabling the login functionality of the image sensor; determining that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not permitted based on the user permissions; and programmatically disabling the capture functionality of the image sensor.

Claims (72)

1. A method for managing a plurality of image sensors communicably coupled to an information handling system in a computing environment, the method comprising:

accessing, by a management engine of the information handling system, a device inventory of the information handling system, the device inventory storing a list indicating the plurality of image sensors;

identifying, from the list, an image sensor of the plurality of image sensors having a login functionality and a capture functionality, the login functionality causing the image sensor to capture one or more identifying features of a user of the information handling system, the capture functionality causing the image sensor to capture one or more images of the user;

accessing a configuration inventory of the information handling system, the configuration inventory storing a plurality of configuration policies indicating user permissions associated with the information handling system;

determining that the login functionality of the image sensor is permitted based on the user permissions;

programmatically enabling the login functionality of the image sensor;

determining that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not permitted based on the user permissions; and

programmatically disabling the capture functionality of the image sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not permitted based on the user permissions comprises:

identifying, by the management engine, a user identification (ID) associated with the user of the information handling system;

identifying, from the plurality of configuration policies stored in the configuration inventory, a configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID, the configuration policy indicating whether the user is permitted to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor; and

determining that the user is not permitted to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor based on the configuration policy.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID comprises:

sending the user ID to a management backend of the computing environment via a network, the management backend configured to generate the configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID;

receiving the configuration policy from the management backend via the network; and

storing the configuration policy in the configuration inventory.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the management engine, a request from an application to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor, the application executing on the information handling system;

accessing an image sensor driver stack associated with the image sensor, the image sensor driver stack indicating an instance of the application requesting an access to the image sensor; and

removing the instance of the application from the image sensor driver stack to programmatically disable the access to the image sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein programmatically disabling the capture functionality of the image sensor further comprises:

determining, by the management engine, that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not enabled by an application executing on the information handling system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capture functionality is associated with a red, green, blue (RGB) camera functionality.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the login functionality is associated with an infrared (IR) camera functionality.

8. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

access, by a management engine of an information handling system, a device inventory of the information handling system, the device inventory storing a list indicating a plurality of image sensors communicably coupled to the information handling system in a computing environment;

identify, from the list, an image sensor of the plurality of image sensors having a login functionality and a capture functionality, the login functionality causing the image sensor to capture one or more identifying features of a user of the information handling system, the capture functionality causing the image sensor to capture one or more images of the user;

access a configuration inventory of the information handling system, the configuration inventory storing a plurality of configuration policies indicating user permissions associated with the information handling system;

determine that the login functionality of the image sensor is permitted based on the user permissions;

programmatically enable the login functionality of the image sensor;

determine that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not permitted based on the user permissions; and

programmatically disable the capture functionality of the image sensor.

9. The media of claim 8 , wherein to determine that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not permitted based on the user permissions, the software is further operable when executed to:

identify, by the management engine, a user identification (ID) associated with the user of the information handling system;

identify, from the plurality of configuration policies stored in the configuration inventory, a configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID, the configuration policy indicating whether the user is permitted to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor; and

determine that the user is not permitted to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor based on the configuration policy.

10. The media of claim 9 , wherein to identify the configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID, the software is further operable when executed to:

send the user ID to a management backend of the computing environment via a network, the management backend configured to generate the configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID;

receive the configuration policy from the management backend via the network; and

store the configuration policy in the configuration inventory.

11. The media of claim 8 , wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive, by the management engine, a request from an application to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor, the application executing on the information handling system;

access an image sensor driver stack associated with the image sensor, the image sensor driver stack indicating an instance of the application requesting an access to the image sensor; and

remove the instance of the application from the image sensor driver stack to programmatically disable the access to the image sensor.

12. The media of claim 8 , wherein to programmatically disable the capture functionality of the image sensor, the software is further operable when executed to:

determine, by the management engine, that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not enabled by an application executing on the information handling system.

13. The media of claim 8 , wherein the capture functionality is associated with a red, green, blue (RGB) camera functionality.

14. The media of claim 8 , wherein the login functionality is associated with an infrared (IR) camera functionality.

15. A computing environment, comprising:

an information handling system including one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to:

access, by a management engine of the information handling system, a device inventory of the information handling system, the device inventory storing a list indicating a plurality of image sensors communicably coupled to the information handling system in the computing environment;

identify, from the list, an image sensor of the plurality of image sensors having a login functionality and a capture functionality, the login functionality causing the image sensor to capture one or more identifying features of a user of the information handling system, the capture functionality causing the image sensor to capture one or more images of the user;

access a configuration inventory of the information handling system, the configuration inventory storing a plurality of configuration policies indicating user permissions associated with the information handling system;

determine that the login functionality of the image sensor is permitted based on the user permissions;

programmatically enable the login functionality of the image sensor;

determine that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not permitted based on the user permissions; and

programmatically disable the capture functionality of the image sensor.

16. The computing environment of claim 15 , wherein to determine that the capture functionality of the image sensor is not permitted based on the user permissions, the processors are further operable when executed to:

identify, by the management engine, a user identification (ID) associated with the user of the information handling system;

identify, from the plurality of configuration policies stored in the configuration inventory, a configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID, the configuration policy indicating whether the user is permitted to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor; and

determine that the user is not permitted to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor based on the configuration policy.

17. The computing environment of claim 16 , wherein to identify the configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID, the processors are further operable when executed to:

send the user ID to a management backend of the computing environment via a network, the management backend configured to generate the configuration policy associated with the user based on the user ID;

receive the configuration policy from the management backend via the network; and

store the configuration policy in the configuration inventory.

18. The computing environment of claim 15 , wherein the processors are further operable when executed to:

receive, by the management engine, a request from an application to enable the capture functionality of the image sensor, the application executing on the information handling system;

access an image sensor driver stack associated with the image sensor, the image sensor driver stack indicating an instance of the application requesting an access to the image sensor; and

remove the instance of the application from the image sensor driver stack to programmatically disable the access to the image sensor.

19. The computing environment of claim 15 , wherein the capture functionality is associated with a red, green, blue (RGB) camera functionality.

20. The computing environment of claim 15 , wherein the login functionality is associated with an infrared (IR) camera functionality.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0280) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0255 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0124) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0012 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0001) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062021/0844 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058297/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0124 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0280 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE MISSING PATENTS THAT WERE ON THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED SUBMITTED BUT NOT ENTERED PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 056250 FRAME: 0541. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded May 17, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056311/0781 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 14, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056250/0541 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2021
From: HAMLIN, DANIEL LAWRENCE; IYER, HARIPRASAD JANARDANA; HUANG, YAO HSIEN
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 055395/0160 →