Apparatus and method for finding and reporting lost items

• US 10,346,787 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumer Product Recovery and Finance Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Consumer Product Recovery and Finance Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Loutit, James F. R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/654,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20170316369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 340 758, 340571, 340 531, 340457, 3405721, 455410, 455411, 455418, 705 50, 705 75
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Provided is a system, having: a lost-and-found system, implemented with one or more processors, the lost-and-found system having a server and a data repository, the data repository storing venue records; and a plurality of mobile devices each having a lost-and-found mobile application, the lost-and-found mobile application being operative to report a found or a lost item and associate the found item or the lost item with one of the venue records.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data repository configured to store venue records; and

a server configured to;

receive a command from a first lost and found mobile application of a first mobile device;

in response to receiving the command, determine a venue associated with the first mobile device;

retrieve, from the data repository, a venue record associated with the venue, the venue record indicating venue information;

send the venue information to the first lost and found mobile application to initiate display, by the first mobile device, of a lost and found reporting interface, wherein a field of the lost and found reporting interface is pre-populated with field information that is based on the venue information;

receive a found item report from the first mobile device, the found item report indicating an item and the field information; and

update the data repository to indicate that a found item associated with the venue record corresponds to the item and that the item is associated with the field information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to:

receive a found item broadcast request from a second lost and found mobile application of a second mobile device, the found item broadcast request associated with the venue;

identify agents of the venue;

in response to determining that the found item associated with the venue record includes the item, generate a found item alert indicating the item; and

send the found item alert to a plurality of mobile devices associated with the agents of the venue.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to:

receive a lost item broadcast request, the lost item broadcast request associated with a geographic location and the item;

identify a plurality of mobile devices within a threshold distance of the geographic location; and

send a lost item alert to the plurality of mobile devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the item includes a particular mobile device, and wherein sending the lost item alert to the particular mobile device initiates display, on a lock screen of the particular mobile device, of contact information of an owner of the particular mobile device, location recovery instructions for the owner of the mobile device, or both.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the item includes a particular mobile device, wherein the server is further configured to send, to the particular mobile device, a request to signal a location of the particular mobile device, and wherein sending the request to the particular mobile device initiates an audible, haptic, or visual indication, by the particular mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the item includes a particular mobile device that includes a particular lost and found mobile application, and wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from a user device, a request for a location of the particular mobile device;

send a lost item query to the particular lost and found mobile application;

receive the location from the particular lost and found mobile application responsive to the lost item query;

determine a street address corresponding to the location of the particular mobile device; and

send the street address to the user device.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the item includes a particular mobile device, and wherein the server is further configured to:

receive a request to lock the particular mobile device; and

send, to a particular lost and found mobile application of the particular mobile device, a command to lock the particular mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to:

receive a lost item report from a second lost and found mobile application of a second mobile device, the lost item report indicating a lost-item location and the item; and

send map data to a plurality of devices, wherein sending the map data to a particular device initiates display, at the particular device, of a map depicting the lost-item location with a pin icon.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to send a command to a second lost and found mobile application of a second mobile device to present an lost-item reporting interface, wherein sending the command to the second lost and found mobile application initiates display, by the second mobile device, of a lost-item reporting interface pre-populated with location information of the venue, wherein the second mobile device is associated with the venue.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the field information indicates a name of the venue, a location of the venue, or a name of an agent of the venue.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the data repository indicates that the item was reported lost at the venue.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the field information indicates a location of the venue, and wherein the data repository indicates that the item was reported lost at the location.

13. A system comprising:

a data repository configured to store venue records; and

a server configured to;

receive a command from a first lost and found mobile application of a first mobile device;

in response to receiving the command, determine a venue associated with the first mobile device;

retrieve, from the data repository, a venue record associated with the venue, the venue record indicating venue information;

send the venue information to the first lost and found mobile application to initiate display, by the first mobile device, of a lost and found reporting interface, wherein a field of the lost and found reporting interface is pre-populated with field information that is based on the venue information;

receive a lost item report from the first mobile device, the lost item report indicating an item and the field information; and

update the data repository to indicate that a lost item associated with the venue record corresponds to the item and that the item is associated with the field information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the field information indicates a name of the venue, a location of the venue, or a name of an agent of the venue.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the field information indicates a name of an agent of the venue, and wherein the data repository indicates that the agent reported the item as found.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from the first lost and found mobile application, a request for found items associated with the venue;

determine that the venue record indicates that one or more found items are associated with the venue; and

send found item information of the one or more found items to the first lost and found mobile application.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is further configured to:

determine that the item matches a found item associated with the venue record; and

send found item information of the found item to the first lost and found mobile application.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a command from a first lost and found mobile application of a first mobile device;

in response to receiving the command, determining, at the server, a venue associated with or proximate to the first mobile device;

retrieving, from a data repository, a venue record associated with the venue, the venue record indicating venue information;

sending the venue information from the server to the first lost and found mobile application to initiate display, by the first mobile device, of a lost and found reporting interface, wherein a field of the lost and found reporting interface is pre-populated with first field information that is based on the venue information;

receiving a lost item report at the server from the first mobile device, the lost item report indicating an item and second field information of the field; and

updating the data repository to indicate that a lost item associated with the venue record corresponds to the item and that the item is associated with the second field information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first field information includes a name of the venue, a name of an agent of the venue, or a location of the venue.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second field information is the same as the first field information.