Methods and arrangements for tracking and locating laptops

• US 10,368,233 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2007
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Waltermann, Rod D., Kelso, Scott E., Mese, John C., Peterson, Nathan J., Weksler, Arnold S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US11/772,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,413 Days
• Field of Search: 370338, 370350, 455410, 455418, 455420, 4554561- 2, 4554565, 726 22- 27, 726 4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

An arrangement for employing a host of receivers that may already be present in a laptop, to enable the laptop to collect a significant amount of data about its location. Once the system then finds a readily available connection, it can then transmit information about its location as well as other information to help pinpoint the location of the laptop.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, when a mobile device is not connected to a communications network and responsive to receiving an incorrect login attempt at the mobile device, data relating to a location of the mobile device using a receiver that receives the data from user devices in a vicinity of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device obtains an identifier broadcast from each of the user devices;

storing the data including the broadcast identifiers of the user devices within the mobile device;

thereafter transmitting, after establishing a communications network connection, the data including the broadcast identifiers of the user devices; and

determining, based on the received broadcast identifiers, a location of the mobile device;

wherein the user devices comprise two or more fixed devices and mobile devices and wherein the data comprises two or more of;

an access point ID, a cell phone tower ID, and signal strength information.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising scanning for an open access point among the user devices in a vicinity of the mobile device;

and

wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting information using the open access point used for the connection to the communications network connection.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said obtaining comprises employing an item selected from the group consisting of:

a 802.11 receiver, a WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) receiver, an FM receiver, and a short range wireless communication receiver.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining comprises obtaining, with regard to the user devices, location information and signal strength information.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising ascertaining a location based on information transmitted in said transmitting.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining comprises obtaining a WWAN cell phone tower ID.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user devices transmit data using a different communication protocol.

7. A mobile device, comprising:

a receiver;

a CPU;

a system memory in communication with said CPU that stores code executable by said CPU to;

obtain, when the mobile device is not connected to a communications network and responsive to receiving an incorrect login attempt at the mobile device, data relating to a location of the mobile device using the receiver that receives the data from user devices in a vicinity of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device obtains an identifier broadcast from each of the user devices;

store the data including the broadcast identifiers of the user devices within the mobile device;

thereafter transmit, after establishing a communications network connection, the data including the broadcast identifiers of the user devices; and

determine, based on the received broadcast identifiers, a location of the mobile device;

wherein the user devices comprise two or more fixed devices and mobile devices and wherein the data comprises two or more of;

an access point ID, a cell phone tower ID, and signal strength information.

8. The mobile device according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of receivers scan for an open access point among the user devices in a vicinity of the mobile device;

and

wherein said data further comprises information transmitted using the open access point used for the connection to the communications network connection.

9. The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of receives includes a wireless module selected from the group consisting of:

a 802.11 receiver, a WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) receiver, an FM receiver, and a short range wireless communication receiver.

10. The mobile device according to claim 7, wherein said mobile device acts to obtain, with regard to the user devices, location information and signal strength information.

11. The mobile device according to claim 7, wherein said mobile device acts to obtain a WWAN cell phone tower ID.

12. The mobile device according to claim 7, wherein said mobile device comprises a laptop computer system.

13. Hardware readable by machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine, the instructions comprising:

code that obtains, when a mobile device is not connected to a communications network and responsive to receiving an incorrect login attempt at the mobile device, data relating to a location of the mobile device using a receiver that receives the data from user devices in a vicinity of the mobile device, wherein the code obtains an identifier broadcast from each of the user devices;

code that stores the data including the broadcast identifiers of the user devices within the mobile device;

code that thereafter transmits, after establishing a communications network connection, the data including the broadcast identifiers of the user devices; and

code that determines, based on the received broadcast identifiers, a location of the mobile device,

wherein the user devices comprise two or more fixed devices and mobile devices and wherein the data comprises two or more of;

an access point ID, a cell phone tower ID and signal strength information.