Patent Publication Number: US-11395142-B2

Title: System and techniques for secret key transfer in benefit denial system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/779,225, filed Jan. 31, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated in its entirety for all purposes. 
     This application is related to U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 16/779,335, filed Jan. 31, 2020 as well as U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 16/779,431, filed Jan. 31, 2020, which are each herein incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     One of the greatest costs to participants in the retail industry is shrinkage. Shrinkage refers to any reduction in inventory which is available for sale and is typically caused by theft (e.g., either shoplifting or employee theft), waste (e.g., breakage), supplier fraud, or errors (e.g., accounting errors). The average loss to shrinkage for a participant in the retail industry is about 2% of sales. According to the National Retail Security Survey on retail theft, losses due to shrinkage cost retailers more than $49 billion in 2016. 
     While security measures such as cameras and digitized tags that set off alarms have helped reduce losses due to shrinkage, retailers still struggle to further reduce losses. Some retailers have opted to reduce losses due to shrinkage by locking up high-dollar items, which are typically the targets of theft, so that the items need to be retrieved by a retail employee before they can be purchased by a consumer. However, this solution creates a significant strain on retail employees who may be too busy to retrieve the item. Additionally, this solution may cause consumers to become frustrated and leave without completing an intended purchase if they are unable to find an employee that can retrieve an item. Locking up of products tends to inhibit sales, and thereby tends to negatively impact revenue. 
     Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
     Techniques described herein are directed to a system and methods for issuing commands (e.g., lock/unlock commands) to an electronic device as well as techniques for transferring a device key to a user device associated with a user who has gained authorization to issue commands to the electronic device (e.g., by making a purchase of the electronic device). In some embodiments, a device key may be conveyed directly from an access device (e.g., a point-of-sale (POS) device) to a user device. In some embodiments, the device key may be conveyed to a user device by a mobile application server which is in communication with the user device upon receiving an indication that an operator of the user device is authorized to issue commands to (e.g., lock or unlock) the electronic device. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the system described herein, each electronic device that enters the inventory of a resource provider (e.g., a retailer or other merchant) may have included within it a circuit capable of restricting power to one or more components of the electronic device. At an intake stage, the resource provider may initialize each electronic device by providing a unique device key (e.g., a device key associated with only that electronic device), which is recorded by the resource provider. The electronic device is then placed into a locked state, which prevents the electronic device from being used. The only means of removing the electronic device from the locked state is to establish a communication session with the electronic device (e.g., via a separate user device) and issue an unlock command. However, this command will only be executed by the electronic device if accompanied by the device key. In the described system, mappings are maintained between each electronic device (e.g., via a device identifier) and its corresponding device key. Upon receiving an indication that an electronic device has been purchased, a record of purchase is recorded and the device key is conveyed to a user device. In some cases, the device key is conveyed to a user device operated by an agent of the resource provider, which then unlocks the electronic device before it leaves the store. In some cases, the device key is conveyed to a user device operated by a purchaser of the electronic device, which is then able to issue commands to the electronic device (e.g., lock/unlock command). 
     One embodiment of the disclosure is directed to a method performed by a mobile application server comprising receiving an indication of an update to an authorization status of an electronic device, the indication including at least an identifier for the electronic device, identifying a device key associated with the electronic device, the device key being associated with only the electronic device, determining a user device associated with the update to the authorization status of the electronic device, and transmitting the device key to the user device, the device key being usable by the user device to issue commands to the electronic device. 
     Another embodiment of the disclosure is directed to a mobile application server comprising a processor and a memory including instructions that, when executed with the processor, cause the mobile application server to, at least: receive an indication of an update to an authorization status of an electronic device, identify a device key associated with the electronic device, determine a user device associated with the update to the authorization status of the electronic device, and transmit the device key to the user device, the device key being usable by the user device to issue commands to the electronic device. 
     Yet another embodiment of the disclosure is directed to a user device comprising: a processor; and a memory including instructions that, when executed with the processor, cause the user device to, at least receive an indication of an electronic device identifier, receive a device key associated with the electronic device identifier and store the device key in the memory in association with the electronic device identifier, and establish a communication session with an electronic device associated with the electronic device identifier, and issue a command to the electronic device via the communication session, the command including at least the device key. 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts an illustrative overview of an example system in which an unlock in accordance with at least some embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  depicts an example system architecture for a system that may be implemented to perform the functionality described in accordance with at least some embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  depicts a process for transmitting and using a device key to issue commands to an electronic device in accordance with at least some embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  depicts an illustrative example of an interaction that may occur using embodiments of the system described herein; 
         FIG. 5  depicts a first illustrative example of a user interaction enabled via a mobile application graphical user interface executed on a user device in accordance with at least some embodiments; 
         FIG. 6  depicts a second illustrative example of a user interaction enabled via a mobile application graphical user interface executed on a user device in accordance with at least some embodiments; 
         FIG. 7  depicts a third illustrative example of a user interaction enabled via a mobile application graphical user interface executed on a user device in accordance with at least some embodiments; and 
         FIG. 8  depicts a flow diagram illustrating a process for updating an authorization status of an electronic device and providing a device key to a user device in accordance with at least some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described. 
       FIG. 1  depicts an illustrative overview of an example system in which an unlock operation can be accomplished in accordance with at least some embodiments. In  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  102  may be capable of establishing communication (either via wireless connection or via physical connection) with an access device  104  as well as a user device  106 . The access device  104  and/or the user device  106  further may be capable of establishing communication with a mobile application server  108 . 
     The electronic device  102  may be any suitable device that accomplishes its purpose electronically. The electronic device  102  may have installed within it an electronic circuit which enables it to be locked and/or unlocked. In some embodiments, the electronic circuit may be installed between a power source and other components of the electronic device  102  configured to perform some function, such that the electronic circuit is able to restrict or disrupt power to those components. At least a portion of the electronic circuit may include a secure element which includes encrypted data that cannot readily be accessed outside of the secure element. One or more device keys may be stored within this secure element of the electronic circuit. As described herein, the electronic device may be a special purpose device having a primary function such as a device designed to accomplish a particular task. A special purpose device may include a system or device designed for restricted use in particular problem areas. The special purpose device may also be a computing device with specific programming which causes it to perform at least one specific task, thereby being a special purpose device. Examples of special purpose devices include power tools (e.g., corded or cordless screw drivers, routers, screw guns, drills, saws, staplers, compressors, impact wrenches and drivers, grinders, adhesive dispensers, etc.), battery chargers, drones, cameras, outdoor power equipment (e.g., corded or cordless hedge trimmers, string trimmers, edgers, leaf blowers, lawn mowers, generators, chain saws, etc.). These examples, among others, perform operations or tasks beyond merely calculating and processing information, and as such, accomplish substantially more than what can be accomplished using a mere general purpose computer. 
     An electronic device  102  may be configured to perform multiple functions. In some embodiments, the electronic circuit may be configured to restrict or disrupt certain functions of the multiple functions performable by the electronic device  102 , either individually or as a group. Some illustrative examples of an electronic device having an electronic circuit as described herein are described in greater detail with respect to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/779,335, entitled “BENEFIT DENIAL SYSTEM FOR SELECTIVELY PREVENTING OPERATION OF POWER TOOLS” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. In some embodiments, the electronic circuit may operate using a power source (hereinafter “independent power source”) which is separate and/or distinct from the power source of the electronic device  102  itself, enabling an operation to be performed using the electronic circuit even if the electronic device  102  is unpowered (e.g., disconnected from its power source). If, for example, the electronic device  102  is a cordless drill with a removable and replaceable rechargeable battery adapted to power a drilling function, a power source (e.g., compact battery, such as a watch battery) separate and/distinct from the rechargeable battery can be included with the drill and used to power the electronic circuit while the rechargeable battery is removed from the drill. In some cases, the independent power source may be recharged by drawing power from the power source of the electronic device  102 . In some embodiments, the electronic circuit may include an inductive coil which enables it to be powered remotely in order to perform an operation. 
     The access device  104  may be any suitable device capable of managing access to an electronic device  102 . In some embodiments, the access device  104  may be a point-of-sale (POS) terminal operated by, or on behalf of, a resource provider (e.g., a merchant) in order to provide access to goods and/or services. In some embodiments, the access device  104  may include a communication interface configured to interact with other devices (e.g., electronic device  102 , user device  106 , and/or mobile application server  108 ). In some embodiments, the access device  104  may include specialized equipment capable of interacting with the electronic device  102 . For example, the access device may include an inductive coil capable of remotely powering the electronic device  102  in order to allow the electronic device  102  (e.g., the electronic circuit of the electronic device  102 ) to perform an operation even if the power supply that ordinarily powers the electronic device  102  during operation is not electrically connected to the electronic device  102 . 
     The user device  106  may be any electronic device capable of establishing a communication session with another device and transmitting/receiving data from that device. A user device  106  may include the ability to download and/or execute mobile applications. User devices may include mobile communication devices as well as personal computers and thin-user devices. By way of illustrative example, a user device may be a smart phone, a personal data assistant (PDA), or any other suitable handheld device. 
     In some embodiments, the user device  106  may include a communication interface configured to enable communication between the user device and another electronic device (e.g., mobile application server  108 , access device  104 , electronic device  102 , and/or a wireless router that manages access to a network). Examples of a suitable communication interface may include radio frequency (RF) transceivers configured to send and receive communications using near-field communications (NFC), or other radio frequency or wireless communication protocols such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth low-energy (BLE), a wireless local area network (e.g., WiFi), iBeacon, etc. A second example of a suitable communication interface may include an optical input device capable of obtaining graphical input, such as a camera device or a barcode reader. In this second example, the user device  106  may be presented with a machine-readable code, which may be scanned using the optical input device in order to obtain data encoded into the machine-readable code. In some embodiments, the communication interface may include both long range and short range communication means. For example, the communication interface may include an antenna configured to connect to a cellular network in order to enable communication with various other components of the depicted architecture. 
     The mobile application server  108  may be any computing device configured to provide remote support for a user device  106 . The mobile application server  108  may be associated with a set of computer executable instructions to be installed on, and executed from, the user device  106  (e.g., a mobile application). The mobile application server  108  may provide any suitable service and/or processing for the user device. For example, the mobile application server  108  may perform calculations on behalf of the user device. In some embodiments, the mobile application server may maintain an account for one or more users. The mobile application server  108  may also store any protocols and/or user preferences related to the operation of the user device. 
     The mobile application server  108  may be made up of any computer or cluster of computers. For example, the mobile application server  108  can be a large mainframe, a minicomputer cluster, or a group of servers functioning as a unit. In one example, the mobile application server  108  may be a database server coupled to a Web server. The mobile application server  108  may be coupled to a database and may include any hardware, software, other logic, or combination of the preceding for servicing the requests from one or more client computers (e.g., access device  104  and/or user device  106 ). The mobile application server  108  may comprise one or more computational apparatuses and may use any of a variety of computing structures, arrangements, and compilations for servicing the requests from one or more client computers. 
     In some embodiments, at least a portion of the functionality performed by a mobile application installed upon, and executed from, the user device  106  may be performed by a mobile application server  108  in communication with the mobile application. For example, upon execution of a mobile application, the user device  106  may establish a communication session with the mobile application server  108  in which at least some processing is performed by the mobile application server  108  on behalf of the mobile application. In some embodiments, the mobile application server  108  may maintain an account associated with the user device and/or its user. The account maintained by the mobile application server  108  may store a number of data elements related to the user. For example, the application server may store user data, information on item (e.g., electronic device) ownership, or any other suitable data. Additionally, the mobile application server  108  may maintain a mapping of device keys to electronic devices. The application server may, upon receiving an indication of a purchase of the electronic device  102  by a user, automatically (e.g., without human interaction) identify the device key associated with the electronic device  102  and associate that device key to an account for the user. The mobile application server may also automatically identify the user device  106  as being associated with the user (via the stored user data) and may transmit the device key to the user device  106  (e.g., via a push notification). In some embodiments, the device key, once received by the user device  106 , may be used to interact with the electronic device  102  (e.g., to issue lock and/or unlock commands) over a communication channel (e.g., Bluetooth™). In some embodiments, the device key may be usable only by a mobile application installed upon the user device  106 . 
     A device key may be any suitable string of characters capable of being used to authorize an operation (e.g., a lock or unlock operation) with respect to the electronic device  102 . A device key may be unique to a particular electronic device. In other words, each electronic device may be associated with a different device key. In some embodiments, a device key may be a random or pseudo-random string of characters, such that the device key cannot be readily derived from information related to the electronic device. In some embodiments, a device key may be derivable from an identifier for the electronic device. In these embodiments, a device key may be independently generated by any entity that has the prerequisite information (e.g., an entity in possession of the electronic device) and access to an algorithm (which may be secret) for generating such a device key. For example, in some embodiments, a device key may be derived for a particular electronic device by applying a hash function to an identifier for that electronic device. In this example, the identifier for the electronic device may correspond to a Universal Product Code (UPC) and serial number or other identifier. Some electronic devices may include an indication of their respective identifiers (e.g., within a barcode or other machine-readable code associated with the electronic device). 
     In some embodiments, a device key stored in an electronic device  102  may be altered or changed. For example, a purchaser of an electronic device  102  may, upon completing a purchase for the electronic device and receiving the device key, replace or overwrite the existing device key with a new device key. The replacement device key may be of his or her choosing or it may be random. Note that an operation to replace or overwrite an existing device key may require that the current device key be provided. In some embodiments, an electronic device  102  may include multiple device keys, each of which may be specific to the electronic device  102 . For example, a single electronic device  102  may include two separate device keys, where a first device key may be provided to a purchaser of the electronic device  102  (and which may be replaced) and a second device key which may be stored by the resource provider and/or mobile application server  108  without being provided to the purchaser (i.e., a master key). 
     In some embodiments, the electronic device  102  may initially be in an unlocked state when no device key has been assigned to it. The electronic device may be configured to become locked upon receiving and storing an initial device key. In an exemplary system in which electronic devices are sold by a resource provider, the resource provider, upon receiving the electronic device  102  into inventory from a manufacturer, may select a device key to be associated with that electronic device. The resource provider may then provision the device key onto the electronic device  102  which may subsequently initiate a lock operation using the device key. The device key may then be provided to the mobile application server  108 , where it may be stored in association with an identifier for the electronic device  102 . In such a system, any electronic device  102  placed on a shelf or offered for sale by the resource provider may be in a locked state when it is exposed to potential purchasers. In this way, the electronic device may be made inoperable until an unlock operation is performed using the correct device key. Such a system derives potential thieves of any benefit that may be gained from the theft of the electronic device  102 . 
     By way of illustrating interactions between various components of the system described herein, consider the following scenario. A user may enter a retail establishment in which at least one embodiment of the described system is implemented. In this scenario, the user may select the electronic device  102  for purchase and may bring the electronic device to a POS terminal (e.g., the access device  104 ) to complete the purchase. Upon receiving payment and completing the transaction (e.g., at the POS terminal), the device key may be used to unlock the electronic device  102 . 
     In one potential scenario, the access device  104  may provide the device key to the electronic device  102  directly at step S 110 . The access device  104  may have access to the device key associated with the electronic device  102  directly or it may need to perform a lookup operation. In some embodiments, this may involve transmitting a request to the mobile application server  108  in order to obtain the device key. In some embodiments, the access device  104  may include a short-range wireless communication means capable of conveying the device key and an unlock command to the electronic device  102 . In some embodiments, the access device  104  may include an inductive coil which can temporarily and remotely (e.g., in a contact-less and/or wireless manner) power the electronic device  102  (e.g., the aforementioned electronic circuit thereof) so that the device key and unlock command can be provided to the electronic device  102  even if the power supply (e.g., a rechargeable battery) that normally powers operation of the electronic device  102  during use is not electrically connected to the electronic device  102 . It should be noted that in some embodiments, step S 110  may be performed even if other means are used to provide the device key to a user as described below. 
     In another potential scenario, the access device  104  may provide the device key to a user device  106  directly at step S 112 . In some embodiments, the device key may be transmitted directly to the user device  106  via a wireless transmission. In some embodiments, the device key may be encoded into a machine-readable code (e.g., a barcode or quick response (QR) code) which is printed onto a receipt produced by the access device  104 . In this scenario, the user device  106  may obtain the device key upon scanning the machine-readable code using a camera or barcode reader. In some embodiments, the user device  106  may subsequently provide the device key (and an identifier for the electronic device  102 ) to the mobile application server  108  (e.g., via a mobile application executed from the user device  106 ) which may associate it with an account maintained for the user. 
     In yet another potential scenario, access device  104  may provide the device key to a mobile application server  108  at step S 114 , which may then provide the device key to the user device  106  at step S 116 . In some embodiments, the user may be prompted for a user identifier that may be used to identify and/or contact the user. In some embodiments, the user may present a loyalty identifier that may be used to identify a user account maintained by the mobile application server  108 . Upon identifying an account associated with the user, the mobile application server  108  may associate an identifier for the electronic device  102  and its corresponding device key to the identified account. Additionally, the mobile application server  108  may identify one or more user devices  106  associated with the identified account and may push the device key to those user devices  106 . 
     In some embodiments, the user may provide an email address, phone number, or other contact information that may be used to initiate contact with the user with the device key. For example, upon the user providing an email address, the user may be sent an email message by the mobile application server  108  that includes the device key or a link that may be used to gain access to the device key. In another example, upon the user providing a phone number, the user may be sent a short messaging service (SMS) message that includes the device key, which may be received on the user device  106 . 
     Once the user device  106  has received the device key associated with the electronic device  102 , an operation may be performed at step S 118 . To do this, a communication session may first be established between the user device  106  and the electronic device  102  (e.g., via a short-range wireless communication channel). Once established, the communication session may be used to convey a command from the user device  106  to the electronic device  102  along with the device key. In some embodiments, the device key may be encrypted or otherwise obscured during its transmission. Upon receiving the device key, the electronic device  102  may be further configured to compare the received device key to the device key stored in memory. If the device keys match, then the electronic device  102  may execute the received command. If the device keys do not match, then the electronic device  102  may fail to execute the received command. In some embodiments, the electronic device  102  may also return an error indication to the user device  106  via the communication channel if the received device key does not match the one stored in memory of the electronic device  102 . In some embodiments, the user device  106  may be operated by a consumer or purchaser of the electronic device  102 . In some embodiments, the user device  106  may be operated by an agent or employee of the resource provider, such that the agent is then able to unlock the electronic device  102  before it leaves a retail establishment. 
     For clarity, a certain number of components are shown in  FIG. 1 . It is understood, however, that embodiments of the invention may include more than one of each component. In addition, some embodiments of the invention may include fewer than or greater than all of the components shown in  FIG. 1 . In addition, the components in  FIG. 1  may communicate via any suitable communication medium (including the interne), using any suitable communication protocol. 
       FIG. 2  depicts an example system architecture for a system that may be implemented to perform the functionality described in accordance with at least some embodiments. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , an exemplary architecture may include an electronic device  102 , an access device  104 , a user device  106 , and a mobile application server  108  as described with respect to  FIG. 1  above. One or more of these components may communicate either directly or over a network  201 . 
     The mobile application server  108  may be any type of computing device configured to perform at least a portion of the functionality described herein. In some embodiments, the mobile application server  108  may be executed by one more virtual machines implemented in a hosted computing environment. The hosted computing environment may include one or more rapidly provisioned and released computing resources, which computing resources may include computing, networking, and/or storage devices. A hosted computing environment may also be referred to as a cloud-computing environment. 
     In one illustrative configuration, the mobile application server  108  may include at least one memory  202  and one or more processing units (or processor(s))  204 . The processor(s)  204  may be implemented as appropriate in hardware, computer-executable instructions, firmware or combinations thereof. Computer-executable instruction or firmware implementations of the processor(s)  204  may include computer-executable or machine executable instructions written in any suitable programming language to perform the various functions described. The mobile application server  108  may also include additional storage  206 . 
     The memory  202  may store program instructions that are loadable and executable on the processor(s)  204 , as well as data generated during the execution of these programs. Depending on the configuration and type of mobile application server  108 , the memory  202  may be volatile (such as random access memory (RAM)) and/or non-volatile (such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.). The mobile application server  108  may also include additional storage  214 , such as either removable storage or non-removable storage including, but not limited to, magnetic storage, optical disks, and/or tape storage. The disk drives and their associated computer-readable media may provide non-volatile storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computing devices. In some implementations, the memory  202  may include multiple different types of memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or ROM. Turning to the contents of the memory  202  in more detail, the memory  202  may include an operating system  208  and one or more application programs or services for implementing the features disclosed herein including at least a module for maintaining mappings between device keys and accounts and distributing device keys to appropriate user devices (key management module  210 ). The memory  202  may also include device key data  212 , which provides mappings of device keys to particular electronic devices, as well as user account data  214 , which provides information related to users and user accounts (e.g., demographic data as well as user devices, associated electronic devices, etc.). In some embodiments, the device key data  212  and/or user account data  214  may be stored in a database. 
     The memory  202  and the additional storage  206 , both removable and non-removable, are examples of computer-readable storage media. For example, computer-readable storage media may include volatile or non-volatile, removable or non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. As used herein, modules may refer to programming modules executed by computing systems (e.g., processors) that are installed on and/or executed from the mobile application server  108 . The mobile application server  108  may also contain communications connection(s)  216  that allow the mobile application server  108  to communicate with a stored database, another computing device or server, user terminals, and/or other components of the described system. The mobile application server  108  may also include input/output (I/O) device(s) and/or ports  218 , such as for enabling connection with a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a voice input device, a touch input device, a display, speakers, a printer, etc. 
     In some embodiments, the key management module  210  may be configured to, in conjunction with the processors  204 , provide device keys to user devices which are determined to be associated with an electronic device. In some embodiments, the mobile application server  108  may receive an indication that a particular electronic device  102  is now associated with a particular user account (e.g., a purchase or registration notification). Upon receiving this indication, the key management module  210  may create an association between the electronic device and the account. The key management module  210  may also identify, from the user/account data  214 , one or more user device  106  which is associated with the indicated user account. The key management module  210  may also identify, from the device key data  212 , a device key associated with the indicated electronic device  102 . The key management module  210  may then transmit the identified device key to the identified one or more user devices  106 . In some embodiments, this may be done via a push notification. 
     In some embodiments, the user device  106  may comprise any portable electronic device capable of performing the functions disclosed herein as being attributed to the user device  106 . The user device  106  may include a memory  220  (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium) storing instructions that, when executed by a processor  222  of the user device  106 , enable the user device to perform its intended functions. Turning to the contents of the memory  220  in more detail, the memory  220  may include an operating system  224  that provides executable program instructions for the general administration and operation of the user device  106 , and at least a mobile application  226  configured to cause the user device  106  to communicate with the mobile application server  108  in order to receive and utilize device keys. 
     The memory  224  may include a number of device keys  228  associated with electronic devices. Additionally, the user device  106  may include a number of communication connections  229  which enable the user device  106  to communicate with other electronic devices. The communication connections  229  may include wireless or direct physical connections. Additionally, wireless connections may include any combination of short-range or long-range wireless protocols. 
     The mobile application  226  may be configured to, in conjunction with a processor  222 , cause the user device  106  to issue commands to an electronic device  102  using a device key associated with that electronic device  102 . In some embodiments, the mobile application  226  may include a graphical user interface (GUI) which enables a user to interact with the mobile application  226 . The mobile application  226  may present to a user of the user device  106 , via the GUI, one or more of a list of devices detected by the user device  106 , a list of electronic devices associated with the user (e.g., electronic devices for which the user device  106  has received a device key), a current status of one or more electronic devices, and/or commands available for an electronic device. The mobile application  226  may be configured to receive user input via the GUI and issue commands to an electronic device based on the received user input. For example, the user may select an option to lock or unlock a particular electronic device via the GUI. In this example, the mobile application  226  may cause the user device  106  to transmit a corresponding lock or unlock command to the electronic device  106  that includes the device key for that electronic device. In some embodiments, the mobile application  226  may receive, in response to the transmitted command, a status update for the electronic device. 
     The electronic device  102  may be any suitable electronic device having installed within it an electronic circuit  230  as described herein. As described elsewhere, the electronic circuit  230  may be installed between a power source and other components of the electronic device  102  which are configured to perform some function, such that the electronic circuit  230  is able to restrict or disrupt power to those components in order to manage the ability of the electronic device  102  to perform the function. At least a portion of the electronic circuit  230  may include a secure element  232  which includes an encrypted memory. One or more device keys may be stored within the secure element  232  of the electronic circuit  230 . In some embodiments, processors within the circuit (and potentially within the secure element  232 ) may be capable of decrypting device key information in order to process commands received from a user device  106 . Additionally, the electronic device  102  may include a number of communication connections  234  which enable the electronic device  102  to communicate with other devices. The communication connections  234  may include wireless or direct physical connections. Additionally, wireless connections may include any combination of short-range or long-range wireless protocols. 
     The access device  104  may be any suitable device capable of managing access to an electronic device  102 . More particularly, the access device  104  may manage access to device keys which can be used to issue commands to the electronic device  102 . As described elsewhere, the access device  104  may be a point-of-sale (POS) terminal capable of conducting a transaction in relation to an electronic device. The access device  104  may include a number of communication connections  236  which enable the access device  104  to communicate with other devices. The communication connections  236  may include wireless or direct physical connections. Additionally, wireless connections may include any combination of short-range or long-range wireless protocols. 
     In some embodiments, the access device  104  may be configured to provide a device key directly to a user device upon completion of a transaction. This may first require that the access device communicate with the mobile application server  108  to retrieve the device key. To do this, the access device  104  may provide an identifier for the electronic device  102  to the mobile application server  108  with an indication that the electronic device  102  has been purchased. The access device  104  may then receive the device key in a response from the mobile application server  108 . The access device  104  may then provide the device key to the user device  106 . In some embodiments, this may involve encoding the device key into a machine-readable code and printing the machine-readable code onto a receipt. In some embodiments, this may involve establishing a wireless communication session between the access device  104  and the user device  106  and transmitting the device key to the user device  106  via that communication session. 
     In some embodiments, the access device  104  may be configured to cause the mobile application server  108  to provide a device key to a user device  106  upon completion of a transaction. To do this, the access device  104  may provide a user identifier to the mobile application server  108  along with an identifier for the electronic device  102 . For example, the access device  104  may be configured to, in relation to a sale of an electronic device  102 , collect a user identifier (e.g., an email address, loyalty identify, account identifier, phone number, credit card number, etc.) via user input. This may involve a user manually entering the identifier or bringing some identification device (e.g., a loyalty card or fob) into communicative contact (e.g., via radio frequency identifier (RDID) tag, reading magnetic media, or reading of a bar-code or QR code optically) with the access device  104 . Once the access device has obtained an identifier for the user, the access device  104  may transmit that identifier, along with an identifier for the electronic device  102 , to the mobile application server  108 . Upon receiving the identifiers from the access device  104 , the mobile application server  108  may identify an account associated with the user via the identifier, identify the device key associated with the electronic device  102 , identify a user device  106  associated with the account, and transmit the device key to the user device  106 . 
     In some embodiments, the communication network  201  may include any one or a combination of many different types of networks, such as cable networks, the Internet, wireless networks, cellular networks, and other private and/or public networks. In addition, the communication network  201  may comprise multiple different networks. For example, the user device  106  may utilize a 3G network to communicate with a wireless router, which may then route the communication over a public network (e.g., the Internet) to the mobile application server  108 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a process for transmitting and using a device key to issue commands to an electronic device  102  in accordance with at least some embodiments. Some or all of the process  300  (or any other processes described herein, or variations and/or combinations thereof) may be performed under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions and may be implemented as code (e.g., executable instructions, one or more computer programs or one or more applications). In accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, the process  300  of  FIG. 3  may be performed by at least the access device  104 , electronic device  102 , mobile application server  108 , and user device  106  shown in  FIG. 2 . The code may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for example, in the form of a computer program including a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processors. 
     The computer-readable storage medium may be non-transitory. As depicted in  FIG. 3 , the process  300  may involve separate variations, of which two exemplary variations of the process  300  are described (variation 1 and variation 2). However, it should be noted that other variations of the process  300  being within the spirit of the disclosure would be apparent to one skilled in the art after reading this disclosure. 
     Process  300  may begin at  302 , when an access device  104  receives an indication that an ownership interest in an electronic device  102  should be conveyed to a user. In some embodiments, this may result from the completion of a sale conducted at the access device  104  for that electronic device  102 . In some embodiments, the access device  104  may obtain user information pertaining to the sale. For example, the access device  104  may collect a loyalty (or other account) identifier, a phone number, an email address, or some other suitable means of identifying a user. 
     In some embodiments, the access device  104  may be configured to transmit an unlock command to the electronic device  102  at  304 . For example, upon completion of the sale of an electronic device  102 , the access device  104  may be configured to establish communication with a circuit within the electronic device  102  and provide an unlock command along with a device key for the electronic device  102  in order to cause it to unlock the electronic device  102 . In some cases, this may further involve the access device  104  retrieving a device key for the electronic device  102  from a mobile application server  108 . 
     In embodiments of a first variation of the process  300  (Variation 1), the access device  104  may convey registration information to the user device  106  which enables the user to obtain the device key for the electronic device at  306 . The registration information may be conveyed to the user device  106  via a number of different techniques. In some embodiments, the registration information may be encoded into a machine-readable code which is presented to the user device  106  by the access device  104 . In some embodiments, the access device  104  may establish a communication session with the user device  106  and may convey the registration information over that communication session. In some embodiments, the registration information may include the device key. In some embodiments, the registration information may include an identifier for the electronic device  102  or an identifier for the transaction conducted at  302 . 
     Upon receiving the registration information, the user device  106  may convey at least a portion of that registration information to the mobile application server  108  at  308 . Additionally, the user device  106  may convey a user identifier to the mobile application server  108  at  308 . 
     Upon receiving the registration information and user identifier at the mobile application server  108 , the mobile application server  108  may identify an account associated with the user device  106  based on the received user identifier at  310 . At this step, the mobile application server  108  may also identify one or more electronic devices  102  to be associated with that account based on the received registration information. The mobile application server  108  may further make a determination as to whether the one or more electronic devices  102  were legitimately obtained (e.g., legitimately sold) at this point. In some embodiments, once the one or more electronic devices have been identified and the electronic devices  102  are confirmed to have been sold or otherwise obtained legitimately, the mobile application server  108  may link the electronic devices  102  to the identified account. 
     Once the device keys for the electronic devices  102  have been identified, the mobile application server  108  may transmit those device keys to the user device  106  at  312 . A mobile application installed upon, and executed from, the user device  106  may then store the device keys in local memory of the user device  106  for future use. In some embodiments, the device keys may be encrypted prior to being stored. Each device key may subsequently be used to issue commands to the corresponding electronic device  102  at  314 . 
     In embodiments of a second variation of the process  300  (Variation 2), the access device  104  may convey a user identifier (collected at  302 ) to the mobile application server  108  at  316 . As described above, the user identifier may be any identifier capable of being used to identify a particular user, communication channel, and/or account. The user identifier may be provided to the mobile application server  108  along with an indication of an electronic device  102  and/or a completed transaction. 
     Upon receiving the user identifier, the mobile application server  108  may identify an account associated with the user identifier at  318 . The mobile application server  108  may identify one or more electronic devices  102  to be associated with the identified account based on the indication of the electronic device  102  or completed transaction. The mobile application server  108  may also identify device keys corresponding to each of the identified electronic devices  102 . Additionally, the mobile application server  108  may identify contact information for a user device  106  associated with the identified account. For example, the mobile application server  108  may retrieve a phone number on record for the account. 
     Once the device keys for the electronic devices  102  have been identified, the mobile application server  108  may transmit those device keys to the user device  106  at  320 . In some embodiments, the mobile application server  108  may transmit the device keys via contact information identified at  318 . A mobile application installed upon, and executed from, the user device  106  may then store the device keys in local memory of the user device  106  for future use. In some embodiments, the device keys may be encrypted prior to being stored. Each device key may subsequently be used to issue commands to the corresponding electronic device  102  at  322 . 
       FIG. 4  depicts an illustrative example of an interaction that may occur using embodiments of the system described herein. The interaction of  FIG. 4  is depicted during four different phases of the interaction, which are labeled  402 ,  404 ,  406 , and  408 . As depicted at  402 , a mobile application server  410  may detect an update to an ownership or authorization status regarding an electronic device (e.g., as a result of a sale or rental) or other suitable indication that a device key is needed. In response, the mobile application server  410  may identify a device key  414  for the electronic device and transmit that device key  414  to a user device  412  determined to be authorized to access the electronic device. In some embodiments, the mobile application server  410  may transmit a number of device keys  414  to the user device  412 . Each of these keys may be mapped to an identifier for an electronic device. It should be noted that the device keys  414  may be transmitted one at a time (e.g., as separate communications) or as a set of device keys  414 . Once received by the user device  412 , the device keys (along with their corresponding electronic device identifiers) may be stored in memory of the user device  412 . 
     As depicted at  404 , a user device  412  may connect with a number of electronic devices  416 . In some cases, a short-range wireless communication means may be activated on the user device  412 . Upon activation, the user device  412  may detect a number of electronic devices  416  in the vicinity of the user device  412  (e.g., within communication range of the short-range communication means). Each electronic device  416  may provide a corresponding identifier (ID) by which that electronic device can be identified. In some embodiments, a format or indicator within the identifier may be used to determine a type or category of the electronic device  416 . It should be noted that in embodiments of the electronic device in which a circuit (e.g., circuit  230  of  FIG. 2 ) is independently powered, the electronic devices  416  may be detected even if the electronic devices  416  themselves are not powered. 
     Upon receiving identifiers from the electronic devices within the vicinity of the user device  412 , the user device  412  may determine for which electronic devices in its vicinity it has stored a corresponding device key. As depicted at  406 , the user device  412  may compile a list  418  of detected devices  416  which may be presented to a user. In some embodiments, the list  418  of detected devices  416  may be accompanied by an indication  420  of one or more commands available to the user of the user device  412 . In some embodiments, the list  418  of detected devices  416  may include all electronic devices detected in the vicinity of the user device  412 , which includes electronic devices  422  for which no device key is available. In some embodiments, the list  418  of detected devices  416  may include only electronic devices for which a device key is currently stored in memory of the user device. 
     As depicted at  408 , a user of the user device  412  may issue commands to one or more of the electronic devices  416 . To do this, the user device  412  may be configured to transmit the command along with a device key corresponding to the electronic device  416 . It should be noted that in embodiments of the electronic device in which a circuit (e.g., circuit  230  of  FIG. 2 ) is independently powered, commands may be transmitted to the electronic devices  416  even if the electronic devices  416  themselves are not powered. 
       FIG. 5  depicts a first illustrative example of a user interaction enabled via a mobile application GUI executed on a user device in accordance with at least some embodiments. The illustrated user interaction results in enabling commands to be issued to the electronic device  502  via a user device  504 . In  FIG. 5 , the interaction is illustrated via a mobile application GUI (executed from a user device) depicted during two different phases of the interaction, which are labeled  506  and  508 . In some embodiments, the mobile application may be associated with an account maintained by a mobile application server (e.g., mobile application server  108  described with respect to  FIG. 1 ). In order to use the mobile application, a user may be required to log into the account, which may involve authenticating the user via user-provided login credentials or some other authentication means (e.g., biometrics). 
     In accordance with at least some embodiments, a receipt  510  may be generated upon completion of a sale of an electronic device  502 . A receipt  510  as described herein may be physical (e.g., printed) or virtual (e.g., digital) in nature and may include registration information  512  that may be used to authenticate an owner of the electronic device  502 . In some embodiments, the registration information  512  may be formatted in a manner suitable to be read by a human user. In some embodiments, the registration information  512  may be formatted in a manner which can be read by a user device  504 . For example, the registration information  512  may be encoded into a machine-readable code. In some embodiments, the registration information  512  may be provided in both formats. 
     As depicted at  506 , the GUI may display a number of electronic devices detected within the vicinity of the user device  504 . In some cases, a short-range wireless communication means may be activated on the user device  504 . Upon activation, the user device  504  may detect a number of electronic devices  502  in the vicinity of the user device  504  (e.g., within communication range of the short-range communication means). Each electronic device  502  may provide a corresponding identifier (ID) by which that electronic device can be identified. Upon receiving identifiers from the electronic devices within the vicinity of the user device  504 , the user device  504  may determine for which electronic devices in its vicinity it has stored a corresponding device key. As depicted at  506 , the user device  504  may compile a list  514  of detected devices which may be presented to a user. In some embodiments, the list  514  of detected devices may be accompanied by an indication  516  of one or more commands available to the user of the user device  504  for electronic devices which do correspond to a device key stored in memory. 
     In some embodiments, upon determining that the user device  504  does not currently have a device key in memory for a detected electronic device  502 , the mobile application may enable a user of the user device  504  to attempt to register the electronic device. In some cases, user device  504  may transmit a query to a mobile application server that includes an identifier for the electronic device  502  to determine that the electronic device  502  is not already registered as well as that the electronic device  502  has been legitimately sold. In some embodiments, registration information  512  may be generated upon a legitimate sale of an electronic device  502 , such that it is only available for electronic devices which have been legitimately sold. Additionally, a mobile application server may maintain a record of sales of electronic devices which may be consulted to determine whether an electronic device  502  has been legitimately sold. 
     Upon receiving instructions from a user of the user device  504  to register an electronic device  502 , the GUI may provide a prompt  520  to provide details from the registration information  512  in order to authenticate that the user is the legitimate purchaser of the electronic device  502 . In some embodiments, the details may be manually input by a user (e.g., via a keypad). In some embodiments, the details may be input using a barcode scanner or other input device in communication with the user device  504 . Upon receiving those details, the user device  504  may convey the details to a mobile application server, which may compare the entered details to those on record. Provided that the details match, the mobile application server may respond by retrieving the device key associated with the electronic device  502  and transmitting that device key to the user device  504 . The list of detected devices  514  may then be updated to indicate that a command is available to be provided to the electronic device  502 . The user device  504  may then be used to issue commands to the electronic device  502  using the received device key. It should be noted that in the illustrative interaction described with respect to  FIG. 5 , the electronic device need not be linked to an account. Additionally, in embodiments in which prior registration is not checked, any person in possession of the receipt may gain access to the device key. This enables the original owner of the electronic device  502  to sell the electronic device to a new owner and enable that new owner to obtain a device key on his or her own user device. 
       FIG. 6  depicts a second illustrative example of a user interaction enabled via a mobile application GUI executed on a user device in accordance with at least some embodiments. The illustrated user interaction results in linking an electronic device to an account as well as enabling commands to be issued to the electronic device via a user device. In  FIG. 6 , the interaction is illustrated via a mobile application GUI (executed from a user device) depicted during four different phases of the interaction, which are labeled  602 ,  604 ,  606 , and  608 . In some embodiments, the mobile application may be associated with an account maintained by a mobile application server (e.g., mobile application server  108  described with respect to  FIG. 1 ). In order to use the mobile application, a user may be required to log into the account, which may involve authenticating the user via user-provided login credentials or some other authentication means (e.g., biometrics). 
     As depicted at  602 , the mobile application GUI may display a list  610  of electronic devices currently associated with the account linked to the mobile application. In some embodiments, the mobile application may store the list  610  of electronic devices (and corresponding device keys) locally in the memory of the user device on which it is executed. In some embodiments, the list may be generated upon the mobile application causing the user device to communicate with a mobile application server in order to request the current list  610  of electronic devices. In some embodiments, the list  610  of electronic devices may include only those electronic devices detected as being within wireless communication range of the user device. In other embodiments, the list  610  of electronic devices may include all electronic devices currently linked with the account associated with the mobile application. 
     Along with the list  610  of electronic devices, the mobile application GUI may display additional information  612  for each electronic device in the list  610 . For example, the mobile application GUI may display additional information  612  which includes a name (or nickname) of the electronic device, a status of the electronic device, available commands for the electronic device, an indication as to whether the electronic device is in range, etc. In some embodiments, the additional information  612  may be dynamically updated based on information about each electronic device. For example, if a current status of a tool is “locked” then “unlock” may be displayed as an available command, whereas “lock” may not be displayed as an available command. By way of a second example, a command may be greyed out on the GUI or made unavailable if the electronic device is not currently within wireless range of the user device. In some embodiments, the types of commands available for a particular electronic device may vary based on the type or category of that electronic device. 
     As depicted at  604 , an additional electronic device may be linked to an account associated with a mobile application using a receipt  614  generated from a sale of the electronic device. In some embodiments, the receipt may include a machine-readable code  616  which has registration details encoded within it. In order to link the electronic device to an account associated with the mobile application, the user device may be used to scan the machine-readable code  616 . For example, an image  618  of the machine-readable code  616  may be captured using a camera device installed on the user device and accessed by the mobile application. The mobile application may then decode the registration information encoded within the machine-readable code  616 . In some embodiments, the mobile application may be caused to automatically (i.e., without human interaction) take an action regarding the registration information. 
     The registration information encoded into the machine-readable code  616  may include any suitable information that may be used to link one or more electronic devices to an account. In some embodiments, the registration information may include device identifiers, such as a serial numbers, for each of the electronic devices purchased in a transaction. In some embodiments, the registration information may include a transaction identifier that may be used to identify a particular completed transaction. In some embodiments, the registration information may include a link or location indicator which causes the mobile application to access a location in which various electronic device details are stored. In some embodiments, the registration information may include a code or PIN associated with the completed transaction which may be used to verify that the user of the user device is in physical possession of the receipt  614 . 
     In some embodiments, the registration information may include one or more device keys to be associated with the electronic devices. In other embodiments, the registration information may not include those device keys, such that the device keys must be retrieved from a mobile application server. For example, upon completion of a transaction at a resource provider, that resource provider may independently provide a record of the transaction to a mobile application server. The mobile application server may then update a status associated with each electronic device involved in the transaction to indicate that the electronic device has been legitimately sold. Continuing with the above example, a mobile application that has obtained registration information associated with an electronic device (or electronic devices) from a machine-readable code  616  may communicate that registration information to the mobile application server. The mobile application server may then determine that the electronic devices identified in relation to the registration information have been legitimately sold and have not already been registered. Upon making this determination, the mobile application server may then link the electronic devices to the account associated with the mobile application, identify the corresponding device keys for each of the electronic devices, and transmit each of the corresponding device keys to the mobile application. 
     As depicted at  606 , once an electronic device has been successfully linked to an account associated with the mobile application, a notification  620  may be displayed indicating that the electronic device has been successfully linked to the account. In some embodiments, the mobile application may receive a device key from the mobile application server upon the electronic device being successfully linked to the account. In some embodiments, the mobile application may receive a device key from the registration information encoded into the machine-readable code  616 , which may then be stored in association with the electronic device by the mobile application. 
     As depicted at  608 , the mobile application GUI may display an updated list  622  of electronic devices currently linked to the account associated with the mobile application once the electronic device has been linked to the account. The mobile application GUI may also display updated additional information  624  for each of the electronic devices in the list  622 . Once the electronic device has been linked to the account, the mobile application GUI may be used to issue commands to the electronic device using the received device key. 
       FIG. 7  depicts a third illustrative example of a user interaction enabled via a mobile application GUI executed on a user device in accordance with at least some embodiments. The illustrated user interaction results in enabling commands to be issued to the electronic device  702  via a user device  704  for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., as a rental). In  FIG. 7 , the interaction is illustrated via a mobile application GUI (executed from a user device) depicted during two different phases of the interaction, which are labeled  706  and  708 . 
     As depicted at  706 , the GUI may display a number of electronic devices detected within the vicinity of the user device  704 . As depicted at  706 , the user device  704  may compile a list  710  of detected devices which may be presented to a user. In some embodiments, the list  710  of detected devices may be accompanied by an indication  712  of one or more commands available to the user of the user device  704  for electronic devices which correspond to a device key stored in memory of the user device  704 . 
     In some embodiments, upon determining that the user device  704  does not currently have a device key in memory for a detected electronic device  702 , the mobile application may enable a user of the user device  704  to attempt to rent the electronic device (e.g., via button). In some cases, user device  704  may transmit a query to a mobile application server that includes an identifier for the electronic device  702  and the mobile application server may respond that the electronic device  702  is available for rent. In some embodiments, the mobile application server may also provide a link to a location (e.g., a uniform resource locator (URL)) which will enable the user of the user device to initiate a transaction to rent the electronic device. For example, upon selection of a button  714  to rent the electronic device  702 , the mobile application GUI may load a webpage  716  hosted by the mobile application server. Upon completion of a transaction by the user, the mobile application server may transmit a device key associated with the electronic device  702  to the user device  704 , though the device key may be encrypted as described below. 
     Each electronic device  702  may include a secure memory element having associated with it a cryptographic key. In some embodiments, the cryptographic key may be part of a cryptographic key pair that can be used to securely communicate with the secure memory element. In these embodiments, the mobile application server, upon completion of a transaction for rental of an electronic device  702  as described above, may generate a packet of data that includes at least an expiration date/time as well as the device key. The mobile application server may then encrypt that packet so that it may only be decrypted using the cryptographic key of the secure element. One skilled in the art would recognize that this would prevent the user device from capturing the device key despite having possession of the encrypted packet. The user device  704  is then able to issue a command to the electronic device  702  by providing the encrypted packet that includes the device key. In these embodiments, the commands would continue to be executed until the expiration date/time is reached, after which the electronic device  702  may no longer accept the encrypted packet. In some embodiments, the electronic device  702  may revert to a “locked” state upon reaching the indicated expiration date/time. 
       FIG. 8  depicts a flow diagram illustrating a process for updating an authorization status of an electronic device and providing a device key to a user device in accordance with at least some embodiments. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the process  800  of  FIG. 8  may be performed by at least the mobile application server  108  shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Process  800  may begin at  802  upon receiving an indication of an update to an authorization status of an electronic device. The indication may include at least an identifier for the electronic device. An authorization status for an electronic device may be any indication of which users are authorized to issue commands to the electronic device. In some embodiments, an update to the authorization status of the electronic device may be a sale of the electronic device. In some embodiments, an update to the authorization status of the electronic device may be caused by a rental or lending of the electronic device. 
     At  804 , the process  800  may involve identifying a device key associated with the electronic device. The device key may be associated with only a single electronic device. In some embodiments, the device key may be identified by querying a database of mappings between electronic device identifiers and device keys stored in memory of the mobile application server (e.g., device key data  212  of  FIG. 2 ). 
     At  806 , the process  800  may involve determining an account associated with the update to the authorization status of the electronic device. The account may be determined based upon a received user identifier. For example, upon a sale of the electronic device, an access device (e.g., a point-of-sale terminal) may provide a user identifier to the mobile application server which may be used to identify the account. Such a user identifier may be at least one of a loyalty account number, credit card number, phone number, email address, or user name. In some embodiments, the process  800  may further involve associating the electronic device with the account. 
     At  808 , the process  800  may involve determining a user device associated with the update to the authorization status of the electronic device. In some embodiments, the user device is determined by virtue of being associated with the determined account. In some embodiments, the process  800  may further involve receiving a request for the device key from the user device, and the user device may be determined by virtue of having provided the request. In these embodiments, the request may include a transaction identifier capable of being used to identify the update to the authorization status of the electronic device. 
     At  810 , the process  800  may involve transmitting the device key to the user device. Once received, the device key is usable by the user device to issue commands to the electronic device. For example, the user device may issue at least a command to lock the electronic device or a command to unlock the electronic device. In some embodiments, the device key is transmitted to the user device via a push notification. In some embodiments, the user device is operated by an agent of a resource provider providing access to the electronic device. In some embodiments, the user device is operated by a purchaser of the electronic device. 
     Embodiments of the disclosure provide for a number of technical advantages over conventional systems. For example, embodiments of the invention can enable owners of an electronic device to lock and unlock that electronic device in a manner which deprives any unauthorized user of the benefit of the electronic device. When such an electronic device is locked, it remains locked until it is unlocked using the secret device key. The result is that devices which are stolen while locked will be virtually worthless to any would-be thief By reducing the value of the electronic device to a potential thief, the disclosed system discourages theft of electronic devices. In the case that thieves are aware that a particular resource provider locks all electronic devices until a legitimate purchase is made, those thieves are likely to steal from other resource providers. 
     Additionally, the system enables new functionality to be implemented in existing electronic devices. Workers can lock or unlock their tools upon entering/exiting a job site, which can lead to fewer accidents caused by unintentional tool activations. Owners of a tool can rent out or lend out their tools knowing that the tool will lock upon expiration of the rental period, ensuring that a failure to return the tool will not benefit the lendee. One skilled in the art would recognize a number of additional benefits gained from the system described herein. 
     Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. 
     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
     Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. 
     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.