The term computer equipment is intended to embrace such items as monitors, printers, system units, file servers and keyboards.

Nowadays, most home and office computer equipment is compact and highly portable.

While this is extremely convenient to the user, it also means that the equipment is vulnerable to theft. Of course, many businesses guard their premises by means of intruder alarms and/or use of surveillance cameras, but such systems can be expensive to install and operate. Many small businesses and domestic properties are therefore relatively unprotected against theft. Moreover, even sophisticated security systems may not be effective where the theft occurs by employees themselves or at least with their assistance.

As an alternative to guarding the premises in which the computer equipment is installed, or in addition thereto, it would be useful to be able to prevent the equipment from being physically removed from a particular location. In this way, even if a would-be thief was able to circumvent or disable an alarm or surveillance system, he would either be unable to move the equipment to a different location or be severely hindered in doing so.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a means by which computer equipment can be secured to a object which is not readily portable, such as to a large piece of furniture or to a building fixture.

As is well known, communication between one piece of computer equipment and another is usually achieved using signal cabling. Such cabling is most commonly connected to the equipment by means of cable connectors which are push fitted onto respective signal or cable ports provided on the equipment. There are generally two types of cable connectors, male or female, for example 28-pin or 9-pin connectors, which are designed to connect respectively with cable ports of the female or male type on the equipment. However, there is

a risk that the cables may become accidentally detached from the equipment if reliance is made only upon the friction fit between male and female parts.

For the above reason, the majority of computer equipment is therefore provided with at least one cable port which is not only adapted for connection with a cable connector but also has associated means by which the cable connector can be securely fixed to the equipment. The two most common ways of positively fixing the cable connector to the equipment are by means of one or more, usually two, screws carried on the connector which may be screwed into corresponding screw holes or bores provided on the computer equipment adjacent the cable port or by means of one or more, usually two, spring clips provided on the equipment adjacent the cable port and adapted to clip over the connector once in position. Such positive fixing means guards against the cable connector being inadvertently detached from the equipment.

Typical examples of connectors which embody additional fixing means are those known in the art as"RS232"type connectors and"SVGA"monitor connectors.

The Applicant has recognised that such cable ports on the equipment may also be utilised for securing the equipment, for example by using securing means such as a security cable in conjunction with a cable port, to prevent unauthorised removal or relocation of the equipment.

Accordingly, from its broadest aspect, the invention resides in a method of securing computer equipment against theft, characterised in that the computer equipment is secured via the medium of a cable port provided on the equipment.

Preferably, the method of securing computer equipment using the cable port is achieved by means of a device for use with lockable securing means, the device comprising: (i) a connector adapted to connect to the cable port; (ii) means for fixing the connector to the computer equipment; and (iii) a sheath for the connector; wherein the securing means co-operates with the connector to maintain the sheath in a position in which access to the fixing means is prevented.

By means of the invention, the connector can be anchored to the computer equipment and provide an attachment location for the lockable securing means. Moreover, by virtue of the securing means co-operating with the connector, access to the fixing means is prevented or at least substantially hindered by the sheath. Without such access, it is not possible for unauthorised personnel to sever the link between the computer equipment and the securing means, at least not without causing severe damage to cable port which is likely to render the equipment unusable.

In a preferred embodiment, the connector and sheath are provided with complementary apertures such that the lockable securing means may pass through both the connector and the sheath.

Expressed in a different way, the invention resides in an anti-theft device for computer equipment comprising: (i) a connector adapted to connect with a cable port on the equipment, (ii) means for fixing the connector to the equipment; and (iii) a sheath for the connector; wherein the connector is adapted to co-operate with lockable securing means to maintain the sheath in a position in which access to the fixing means is prevented.

Advantageously, the connector and sheath of the device are provided with complementary apertures for receiving lockable securing means therethrough.

In such an embodiment, it is possible to feed a securing means, for example in the form of a security cable, through the complementary apertures on the connector and the sheath so that the sheath is retained in a position where it shields the fixing means. The security cable or other such securing means can then be passed around or looped through a relatively permanent fixture and locked, for example, by means of a padlock or the like. Since the fixing means which secures the connector to the equipment is shielded and therefore cannot be"undone", the equipment is effectively locked to the permanent fixture via the security cable.

Of course, it will be appreciated that the lockable securing means which co-operates in use with the connector may not necessarily be directly attached to a permanent fixture, but may be indirectly attached to the same, for example, by means of a further lockable security cable.

A particular advantage of the anti-theft device of the present invention is that it does not require any modification of equipment because it is designed to be fitted to an existing a cable port. Moreover, it will be readily understood by persons contemplating theft of computer equipment secured via the medium of the cable port that the use of force to attempt to break the linkage of the cable connector to the equipment is likely to result in damage to the port and hence make the equipment unusable.

It will be appreciated that the connector will be provided with either female or male connecting means for connecting to the cable port, depending on whether the cable port is of the male or female type.

In one embodiment of the invention, the connector comprises a cable connector, in other words, a connector which is directly wired to a signal cable. Such a cable connector may be modified from cable connectors hitherto known by virtue of the inclusion of means through which a security cable can be passed. For example, such means may be in the form of a closed loop attached to or integral with the cable connector or in the form of an aperture through the cable connector body, either option permitting securing means to be passed therethrough.

While it should be possible to re-design a conventional cable connector to incorporate a loop attachment or accommodate an aperture for the securing means to pass through, it is not practical to modify existing equipment in this way. Moreover, any loop attachment must be provided in such a way that it cannot easily be removed from the body of the connector as otherwise this might circumvent the whole object of the invention.

For these reasons, the connector of the invention preferably comprises an adapter, such an adapter being provided not only with means for connection to a cable port but also with

means for connection to a cable connector. In this way, the connector can be interposed between a cable port and a cable connector thereby avoiding any necessity to modify existing hardware. For most purposes therefore, the adapter will be provided at opposite ends with male and female type connections. In order to be compatible with existing equipment, the adapter preferably has a 28-pin or 9-pin configuration.

The adapter is of course provided with fixing means with which to secure it to the computer equipment. Most conveniently, the fixing means for the adapter corresponds to the same such means conventionally found on the cable connector and discussed hereinabove. For example, the adapter may carry one or more screws for screwing into corresponding screw holes on the equipment adjacent the cable port. Alternatively, the adapter may be designed to co-operate with spring clips provided on the equipment adjacent the cable port.

In order to guard against the cable connector becoming detached from the adapter, it is further preferred that the adapter be similarly provided with means for fixing the cable connector thereto, such as by means of screw holes or spring clips or their equivalent. In this way, the benefits of providing fixing means between the cable connector and the computer equipment is not lost.

The adapter may perform other functions aside from its security role. For example, the adapter may additionally comprise a dongle. In this way, the adapter may further serve to prevent unauthorised use of the computer equipment or access to its software.

Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the adapter may incorporate an alarm, such as a motion sensor alarm or tamper alarm. The alarm may simply provide an audible warning when triggered or may provide a signal to a remote surveillance facility.

Once the connector, be it in the form of a cable connector or an adapter to which a cable connector may be fitted, has been located on the computer equipment port and has been fixed thereto, the sheath is then positioned in relation to the connector, for example so that their respective apertures are aligned. When the securing means is then introduced to the connector, it serves to retain the sheath in its operative position so that access to the fixing means is substantially prevented.

The sheath is preferably shaped to slide over the connector and may conveniently take the form of an open-ended sleeve, for example, of a generally rectangular shape. An aperture is preferably provided on each of two opposed faces of the sleeve thereby to allow a security cable or other securing means to be fed in through one aperture, pass through the complementary aperture provided through the connector, and then out through the aperture on the opposed face of the sleeve.

Since the main purpose of the sheath is to prevent access to the fixing means, which otherwise would allow unauthorised personnel to detach the computer equipment from the securing means, the sheath is desirably made of a material which cannot readily be broken or cut through. A tough plastics material or even armoured steel are particularly suitable for the sheath material.

The securing means may be in the form of a clamp-type element or padlock, which in turn may be secured by secondary securing means to a relatively immovable object. More preferably, the securing means comprises a security cable. In this regard, security cables are well known, for example, they may comprise armoured cables, or wire cables or metal chains sheathed in plastic. Often one end of the cable is permanently fixed to a padlock or other such locking device and the other, free end adapted to be received in the padlock and locked thereto. Unlocking of the cable to release its free end can only be achieved by means of a key held by authorised personnel.

An embodiment of the invention will now be shown by way of example with reference to the following drawing in which :- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an anti-theft device in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

In particular, Fig. 1 shows a generally rectangular adapter 2 provided at one end with female type connection 4 for attaching to a cable port on the computer equipment (not shown) and at its opposite end with a male type connection 4'for attaching to a cable connector (not shown). Fixing means in the form of screws 6,6' are carried on the adapter 2 adjacent the

female type connection 4 for fixing the adapter 2 to the computer equipment adjacent the cable port. Further fixing means in the form of screw holes or nuts 8,8' are provided adjacent the male type connection 6 for fixing the adapter to the cable connector. The adapter 2 has an aperture 10 which passes through its body.

Sheath 12 in the form of a generally rectangular sleeve is adapted to slide over the adapter 2.

An aperture 14 is provided on its upper face in use and a corresponding aperture (not shown) is provided on its lower face. When the sheath 12 is slid over adapter 2, the aperture 10 on the adapter 2 aligns with the apertures on the sheath to allow a security cable 16 to be passed through.

Once the security cable 16 has been fed through the apertures, 10,14 it may be looped around an immovable object and its free end 18 inserted into slot 20 of lock 22. In such a position, the sheath 12 is unable to move relative to the adapter 2 and covers screws 6,6' thereby preventing the adapter 2 from being unscrewed from the computer equipment.

Although the invention has been particularly described, it should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment illustrated. Modifications and variations are therefore included within the scope of the invention. For example, the anti-theft device may be used in relation to equipment, other than computer equipment, which carries cable ports of the type described.