Method and apparatus for detecting loss and location of a portable communications device

• US 20050046580A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ballantyne, Wayne W., Dvorak, Joseph L., Borras, Jaime A., Holland, Sacha B., Miranda-Knapp, Carlos A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,940,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.100
• 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: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

A portable communication device (10) includes a transceiver (12 and 14), an acceleration sensor (20) coupled to the transceiver, and a processor (16) coupled to the acceleration sensor. The processor is programmed to monitor (32) an acceleration profile of the portable communication device and compare (48 and 52) the acceleration profile of the portable communication device with at least one pre-stored acceleration profile (18).

Claims

1. A method of preventing the loss of a portable communication device, comprising the steps of:

monitoring an acceleration profile at the portable communication device; and

entering a secure mode which limits access to the portable communication device upon determining the acceleration profile matches a predetermined profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of transmitting location information from the portable communication device to one among a predetermined phone number, a predetermined voicemail, a predetermined email, and a remote requester having entered a predetermined access code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of alerting using at least one among a visual alert, an audible alert, a mechanical alert, and a tactile alert upon determining the acceleration profile matches the predetermined profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined profile is a profile representing at least one among a dropped portable communication device and a portable communication device that has not been in motion for an extended period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises the step of obtaining location information using at least one among GPS Information, time of arrival techniques, and last known location information.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the method comprises transmitting a time stamp along with location information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of monitoring at the portable communication device for a predetermined safe zone and monitoring for a predetermined battery threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the step at the portable communication device of transmitting a location of the portable communication device to a predetermined destination when the portable communication device is outside the predetermined safe zone and when a battery is below the predetermined battery threshold.

9. A method of detecting the loss of a portable communication device, comprising the steps of:

monitoring an acceleration profile of the portable communication device;

determining from the acceleration profile if the portable communication device has been dropped and picked up; and

entering the portable communication device into a security mode if the phone has been dropped only and a predetermined amount of time has lapsed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the security mode comprises the step of locking the portable communication device from further use until a security code is entered.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the security mode comprises the step of alerting a user through at least one among an audio, a visual, a tactile, and a mechanical alert.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises the step of determining a geographical location of the portable communication device using at least one among GPS Information, time of arrival techniques, and last known location information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the security mode comprises the step of alerting a user of the portable communication device by sending the geographical information over the air to at least one among a predetermined phone number, a voicemail system, and an email account.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the security mode comprises the step of alerting a user of the portable communication device by sending a canned message to at least one among a predetermined phone number, a voicemail system, and an email account.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises the step of determining a location of the portable communication device upon remotely receiving a request for location information using a predetermined passcode.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises the steps of monitoring at the portable communication device for a predetermined safe zone and monitoring for a predetermined battery threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises the step at the portable communication device of transmitting a location of the portable communication device to a predetermined destination when the portable communication device is outside the predetermined safe zone and when a battery is below the predetermined battery threshold.

18. A portable communication device, comprising:

a transceiver;

an acceleration sensor coupled to the transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the acceleration sensor, wherein the processor is programmed to;

monitor an acceleration profile of the portable communication device; and

compare the acceleration profile of the portable communication device with at least one pre-stored acceleration profile.

19. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the acceleration sensor is an accelerometer.

20. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine from the acceleration profile if the portable communication device has been dropped and picked up within a predetermined time period.

21. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to entering the portable communication device into a security mode if the phone has been dropped only and a predetermined amount of time has lapsed.

22. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to lock the portable communication device from further use until a security code is entered.

23. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to alert a user through at least one among an audio, a visual, a tactile, and a mechanical alert.

24. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine geographical information using at least one among GPS Information, time of arrival techniques, and last known location information.

25. The portable communication device of claim 24, wherein the processor is further programmed to alert the user of the loss of the portable communication device by sending the geographical information over the air to at least one among a predetermined phone number, a voicemail system, and an email account.

26. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to monitor for a predetermined safe zone, monitor for a predetermined battery threshold, and transmit a location of the portable communication device to a predetermined destination when the portable communication device is outside the predetermined safe zone and when a battery is below the predetermined battery threshold.

27. The portable communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to inhibit transmissions by the portable communication device when the portable communication device is in a predetermined safe zone.