Method and system for deterring theft of mobile electronic devices

• US 20070035391A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamzy, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,314,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.230
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection

Abstract

A method and system for notifying an owner of a mobile electronic device of an unauthorized movement of the mobile electronic device from a physical location.

Claims

1. A method of alerting an individual of unauthorized movement of a mobile electronic device having a hard disk drive with a motion sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an unauthorized movement of the mobile electronic device from a physical location using the motion sensor; and

alerting the owner of the mobile electronic device of the unauthorized movement.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

destroying data stored on the mobile electronic device if the owner fails to take a predetermined action after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the unauthorized movement of the mobile electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of detecting includes:

determining that the detected movement is unauthorized if the detected movement exceeds the value of a predetermined parameter.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the predetermined parameter is distance.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of alerting includes:

sounding an alarm.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of alerting includes:

providing a visual warning.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of alerting includes sounding an alarm.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the mobile device is a laptop.

9. An apparatus for alerting an individual of unauthorized movement of a mobile electronic device having a hard disk drive with a motion sensor, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting an unauthorized movement of the mobile electronic device from a physical location using the motion sensor; and

means for alerting the owner of the mobile electronic device of the unauthorized movement.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

means for destroying data stored on the mobile electronic device if the owner fails to take a predetermined action after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the unauthorized movement of the mobile electronic device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means for detecting includes:

means for determining that the detected movement is unauthorized if the detected movement exceeds the value of a predetermined parameter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the predetermined parameter is distance.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for alerting includes:

means for sounding an alarm.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for alerting includes:

means for providing a visual warning.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means for alerting includes sounding an alarm.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for alerting an individual of unauthorized movement of a mobile electronic device, the computer program product including:

computer usable program code for detecting an unauthorized movement of the mobile electronic device from a physical location using the motion sensor; and

computer usable program code for alerting the owner of the mobile electronic device of the unauthorized movement.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

computer usable program code for destroying data stored on the mobile electronic device if the owner fails to take a predetermined action after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the unauthorized movement of the mobile electronic device.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the computer usable program code for detecting includes:

computer usable program code for determining that the detected movement is unauthorized if the detected movement exceeds the value of a predetermined parameter.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the predetermined parameter is distance.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the computer usable program code for alerting includes:

computer usable program code for sounding an alarm.