Method and apparatus for location-based recovery of stolen mobile devices

• US 10,346,644 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sandage, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie B
• Application Number:
  US16/046,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20190108369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for locating mobile devices. The system includes a location-aware mobile device. The location-aware mobile device includes a location-aware mechanism embedded in a platform firmware layer of the location-aware mobile device. The system also includes a central database to receive location information from the location-aware mobile device over a network. If the location-aware mobile device has been stolen, lost, or misplaced, the central database reports the stolen, lost, or misplaced location-aware mobile device and its location to appropriate persons to enable the location-aware mobile device to be recovered.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device comprising:

a display;

a network interface card;

a storage drive;

at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a cellular receiver, or a Wi-Fi network adapter;

at least one processor;

a platform firmware layer including instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to;

transmit, using the network interface card, an identifier for the computing device to a remote server;

determine a location of the computing device based on the at least one of the GPS receiver, the cellular receiver, or the Wi-Fi network adapter of the computing device, the location corresponding to a longitude and a latitude; and

transmit, using the network interface card, the location corresponding to the computing device to the remote server to facilitate recovery of the computing device if stolen, lost, or misplaced, the platform firmware layer being separate from an operating system of the computing device to (i) remain able to determine and report the location of the computing device after replacement of the operating system of the computing device and (ii) remain able to determine and report the location of the computing device after replacement of the storage drive having the operating system of the computing device.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is to transmit, using the network interface card, the location corresponding to the computing device in response to a request from the remote server.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is to transmit, using the network interface card, the location corresponding to the computing device in response to a determination that the computing device is connected to a network.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the platform firmware layer is digitally signed.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the platform firmware layer includes the at least one of the GPS receiver, the cellular receiver, or the Wi-Fi network adapter.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device corresponds to one of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, or a pager.

7. A system comprising:

a central database;

a first mobile computing device to communicate with the central database via a network, the first mobile computing device having first firmware to cause the first mobile computing device to;

transmit first identification information to the central database, the first identification information to identify the first mobile computing device;

determine a first location of the first mobile computing device based on the at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a cellular receiver, or a Wi-Fi network adapter of the first mobile computing device, the first location corresponding to a longitude and a latitude; and

transmit the first location corresponding to the first mobile computing device to the central database to facilitate recovery of the first mobile computing device if stolen, lost, or misplaced, the first firmware being separate from a first operating system of the first mobile computing device to (i) remain able to determine and report the location of the first mobile computing device after replacement of the first operating system of the first mobile computing device and (ii) remain able to determine and report the location of the first mobile computing device after replacement of a first storage drive including the first operating system of the first mobile computing device; and

a second mobile computing device to communicate with the central database via the network, the second mobile computing device having second firmware to cause the second mobile computing device to;

transmit second identification information to the central database, the second identification information to identify the second mobile computing device;

determine a second location of the second mobile computing device based on the at least one of a GPS receiver, a cellular receiver, or a Wi-Fi network adapter of the second mobile computing device, the second location corresponding to a longitude and a latitude; and

transmit the second location corresponding to the second mobile computing device to the central database to facilitate recovery of the second mobile computing device if stolen, lost, or misplaced, the second firmware being separate from a second operating system of the second mobile computing device to (i) remain able to determine and report the location of the second mobile computing device after replacement of the second operating system of the second mobile computing device and (ii) remain able to determine and report the location of the second mobile computing device after replacement of a second storage drive having the second operating system of the second mobile computing device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the central database is to send a request to at least one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device, the at least one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device to transmit the corresponding first or second location in response to the request.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first mobile computing device is to transmit the first location in response to a determination that the first mobile computing device is connected to the network.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first firmware is digitally signed.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one of the GPS receiver, the cellular receiver, or the Wi-Fi network adapter of the first mobile computing device is built into a platform firmware layer associated with the first firmware.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first mobile computing device corresponds to one of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, or a pager.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the central database collects the first location of the first mobile computing device and the second location of the second mobile computing device to keep track of inventory.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the central database is to report at least one of the first location of the first mobile computing device or the second location of the second mobile computing device to at least one of a corporate information technology department, a service provider, an owner of the first or second mobile computing devices, a user of the first mobile computing device, or a law enforcement official.

15. At least one computer readable storage medium comprising instructions implemented in firmware in a computing device, the instructions, when executed, to cause the computing device to at least:

provide an identifier for the computing device to a remote server; and

determine a location of the computing device based on at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a cellular receiver, or a Wi-Fi network adapter of the computing device, the location corresponding to a longitude and a latitude; and

provide the location corresponding to the computing device to the remote server to facilitate recovery of the computing device if stolen, lost, or misplaced, the firmware separate from an operating system of the computing device to (i) remain able to determine and report the location of the computing device after replacement of the operating system of the computing device and (ii) remain able to determine and report the location of the computing device after replacement of a storage drive having the operating system of the computing device.

16. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to provide the location corresponding to the computing device in response to a request from the remote server.

17. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to provide the location corresponding to the computing device in response to a determination that the computing device is connected to a network.

18. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the firmware is digitally signed.

19. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the GPS receiver, the cellular receiver, or the Wi-Fi network adapter of the computing device is built into a platform firmware layer associated with the firmware.

20. A mobile computing device comprising:

a display;

a network interface card to transmit an identifier for the mobile computing device to a remote server;

a storage drive;

at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a cellular receiver, or a Wi-Fi network adapter;

at least one processor; and

a firmware layer including means for determining a location of the mobile computing device based on the at least one of the GPS receiver, the cellular receiver, or the Wi-Fi network adapter of the mobile computing device, the location corresponding to a longitude and a latitude, the network interface card to transmit the location corresponding to the mobile computing device to the remote server to facilitate recovery of the mobile computing device if stolen, lost, or misplaced, the firmware layer separate from an operating system of the mobile computing device to enable the determining means to (i) remain able to determine the location of the mobile computing device after replacement of the operating system of the mobile computing device and (ii) remain able to determine the location of the mobile computing device after replacement of the storage drive having the operating system of the mobile computing device.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the network interface card is to transmit the location corresponding to the mobile computing device in response to a request from the remote server.

22. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the network interface card is to transmit the location corresponding to the mobile computing device in response to a determination that the mobile computing device is connected to a network.

23. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the firmware layer includes the at least one of the GPS receiver, the cellular receiver, or the Wi-Fi network adapter.

24. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the mobile computing device corresponds to one of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, or a pager.