Wearable device detection

• US 10,149,109 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nishitani, Yusuke, Saitoh, Masaki, Unno, Asuka
• Primary Examiner(s): Bataille, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US15/209,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes, by a first terminal device among a plurality of terminal devices in a vicinity of a user, receiving a frequency of coexistence from each of one or more second terminal devices among the plurality of terminal devices. The first terminal device and each of the second terminal devices each store a frequency of coexistence, wherein the frequency of coexistence shows a frequency that a terminal device which stores the frequency of coexistence and each of one or more other terminal devices coexisted in the vicinity at a predetermined location. The method further includes calculating a mean value of the frequencies of coexistence for each of the terminal devices which are not currently in the vicinity of the user, and, if the mean value is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, concluding that a terminal device is not in the vicinity of the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising, by a first terminal device among a plurality of terminal devices which are currently in a vicinity of a user:

receiving an indication, wherein the indication includes the first terminal device being at predetermined location at a predetermined time;

receiving a frequency of coexistence from each of one or more second terminal devices among the plurality of terminal devices, wherein the first terminal device and each of the second terminal devices each store a frequency of coexistence, wherein the frequency of coexistence shows a frequency that a terminal device which stores the frequency of coexistence and each of one or more other terminal devices coexisted in the vicinity at the predetermined location and the predetermined time;

calculating, from the frequency of coexistence which is stored in the first terminal device and the received frequencies of coexistence, a mean value of the frequencies of coexistence for each of the terminal devices which are not currently in the vicinity of the user; and

if the mean value is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, concluding that a terminal device associated with the mean value is not in the vicinity of the user.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal device is selected from the group consisting of a terminal device having a high computing performance, a terminal device having a high remaining battery, or a terminal device that the user carries.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined location or the predetermined time is determined using at least one of history information that the user moved and information on time that the user moved.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined location is determined using information on a location where a number of the terminal devices in the vicinity of the user either remained the same or changed.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined location is determined using information on a time that a number of terminal devices in the vicinity of the user either remained the same or changed.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is determined using a time in a case where a number of the terminal devices in the vicinity of the user or a set of terminal devices either remained the same or changed.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is determined using a time period that a set of terminal devices are in the vicinity of the user.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising, by at least one terminal device among a plurality of terminal devices which are currently or were in the vicinity of the user:

detecting one or more terminal devices with which a communication can be allowable or the change of a numbers of terminal devices in the vicinity of the user or a number of terminal devices with which a communication can be allowable; and

in response to the detection, determining a predetermined location or predetermined time.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined location or predetermined time is transferred to others among the plurality of terminal devices.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising, by at least one terminal device among a plurality of terminal devices which are currently or were in the vicinity of the user:

detecting one or more terminal devices with which a communication can be allowable or the change of a numbers of terminal devices in the vicinity of the user or a number of terminal devices with which a communication can be allowable;

transmitting identification information on the one or more detected terminal devices to a server; and

receiving a predetermined location or predetermined time from the server, wherein the predetermined location or predetermined time is determined by the server, based on the identification information on the one or more detected terminal devices.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the receipt of the frequency of coexistence is carried out by a communication between the first terminal device and each of the second terminal devices.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the receipt of the frequency of coexistence is carried out by an access point or server between the first terminal device and each of the second terminal devices.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein in response to the conclusion that a terminal device associated with the mean value is not in the vicinity of the user, the first terminal device further carries out notifying the user of an alert.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein, in response to the conclusion that a terminal device associated with the mean value is not in the vicinity of the user, at least one terminal device among the plurality of terminal devices which are currently in the vicinity of the user is made unusable.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein, in response to the conclusion that a terminal device associated with the mean value is not in the vicinity of the user, an authentication level associated with at least one terminal device among the plurality of terminal devices which are currently in the vicinity of the user is changed.

16. A terminal device comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

computer program instructions;

the computer program instructions being stored on the one or more computer readable storage media;

the computer program instructions comprising instructions to, by a first terminal device among a plurality of terminal devices which are currently in the vicinity of the user;

receive an indication, wherein the indication includes the first terminal being at a predetermined location at a predetermined time;

receive a frequency of coexistence from each of one or more second terminal devices among the plurality of terminal devices, wherein the first terminal device and each of the second terminal devices each store a frequency of coexistence;

the frequency of coexistence shows a frequency that a terminal device which stores the frequency of coexistence and each of one or more other terminal devices coexisted in the vicinity at the predetermined location and the predetermined time;

calculate, from the frequency of coexistence which is stored in the first terminal device and the received frequencies of coexistence, a mean value of the frequencies of coexistence for each of the terminal devices which are not currently in the vicinity of the user; and

if the mean value is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, conclude that a terminal device associated with the mean value is not in the vicinity of the user.

17. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on said one or more computer readable storage media, said program instructions comprising instructions to, by a first terminal device, the first terminal device being among a plurality of terminal devices which are currently in the vicinity of the user:

receive an indication, wherein the indication includes the first terminal being at a predetermined location at a predetermined time;

receive a frequency of coexistence from each of one or more second terminal devices among the plurality of terminal devices, wherein the first terminal device and each of the second terminal devices each store a frequency of coexistence, wherein the frequency of coexistence shows a frequency that a terminal device which stores the frequency of coexistence and each of one or more other terminal devices coexisted in the vicinity at the predetermined location and the predetermined time;

calculate, from the frequency of coexistence which is stored in the first terminal device and the received frequencies of coexistence, a mean value of the frequencies of coexistence for each of the terminal devices which are not currently in the vicinity of the user; and

if the mean value is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, conclude that a terminal device associated with the mean value is not in the vicinity of the user.