Locating a wireless device

• US 20050285731A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Outlaw, Michael P., Trevathan, Matthew B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,205,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for locating and contacting an owner of a lost wireless device. A first person having a first wireless device finds a lost wireless device belonging to a second person. The first wireless device and the lost wireless device each comprise a same discoverable wireless protocol. The first person enters a lost key code on the lost wireless device. The lost wireless device establishes, a connection between the lost wireless device and the first wireless device. The first person accesses data stored on the first wireless device. The first person selects specified data from the data stored on the first wireless device. The first person downloads to the lost wireless device, the specified data from the first wireless device and sends the specified data to a communication device so that the second person may retrieve the specified data through the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for locating a lost wireless device, comprising:

finding by a first person having a first wireless device, the lost wireless device belonging to a second person, wherein the first wireless device and the lost wireless device each comprise a same discoverable wireless protocol;

entering by the first person, a lost key code on the lost wireless device;

establishing by the lost wireless device in response to the lost key code, a connection between the lost wireless device and the first wireless device;

accessing by the first person, data stored on the first wireless device;

selecting by the first person, specified data from the data stored on the first wireless device;

receiving by the lost wireless device, the specified data from the first wireless device; and

sending by the lost wireless device, the specified data to a communication device so that the second person can retrieve the specified data through the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the discoverable wireless protocol is selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth wireless protocol, a radio frequency identification (RFID) wireless protocol, and an 802.11 wireless protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a cordless telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, and a global positioning satellite (GPS) device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lost wireless device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, PDA, a computer, and a GPS device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified data comprises information selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a location address, an email address, an instant messenger name, short message service (SMS) contact information, and multimedia message service (MMS) contact information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said entering comprises enabling at least one switch on the lost wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the lost key code comprises an alpha/numeric code.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

manually entering by the first person, additional data into the lost wireless device; and

sending by the lost wireless device, the additional data to the second person to a communication device so that the second person can retrieve the specified data through the communication device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the additional data comprises information selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a location address, an email address, an instant messenger name, short message service (SMS) contact information, and multimedia message service (MMS) contact information.

10. A method for locating a lost wireless device, comprising:

finding by a first person, the lost wireless device belonging to a second person;

entering by the first person, a lost key code on the lost wireless device;

establishing by the lost wireless device in response to the lost key code, a connection between the lost wireless device and a communication device belonging to the second person; and

relaying information by the first person using the lost wireless device, to the second person using the communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said establishing comprises automatically dialing a pre-configured telephone number for the communication device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the lost wireless device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, and a global positioning satellite (GPS) device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a telephone, PDA, a computer, and a GPS device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a location address, an email address, an instant messenger name, short message service (SMS) contact information, and multimedia message service (MMS) contact information.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said entering comprises enabling at least one switch on the lost wireless device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the lost key code comprises an alpha/numeric code.

17. A method for locating a lost wireless device, comprising:

finding by a first person, the lost wireless device belonging to a second person;

entering by the first person, a lost key code on the lost wireless device;

manually entering by the first person, personal data into the lost wireless device;

establishing by the lost wireless device, a connection between the lost wireless device and a communication device belonging to the second person;

sending by the lost wireless device, the personal data to the second person; and

retrieving by the second person, the personal data through the communication device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the lost wireless device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, a telephone, PDA, a computer, and a GPS device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the personal data comprises information selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, a location address, an email address, an instant messenger name, short message service (SMS) contact information, and multimedia message service (MMS) contact information.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said entering comprises enabling at least one switch on the lost wireless device.