System and method of fault-tolerant and privacy-safe location tracking via email
First Claim
1. A method for locating an electronic device, comprising the steps of:
- 1. embedding or installing a relay agent in at least one remote computing unit capable of connecting to the internet;
2. embedding, installing or loading a tracking agent in said electronic device to automatically start and perform the sub-steps of;
a) determining location of said electronic device,b) composing a location information email including said location information and current time,c) sending said location information email directly to an email address, andd) in the event of failure of said location information email to reach said email address, transmitting said location information email to said relay agent on said remote computing unit;
3. receiving said location information email by said relay agent from said tracking agent; and
4. forwarding said location information email to its intended recipient email address by said relay agent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a location tracking method installed or embedded in an electronic device as an agent (for example software, firmware or hardware) that determines the location of the device and sends the location information to an owner'"'"'s email address directly or via a relay agent in a fault-tolerant and privacy-safe manner. Others can not track whereabouts of the owner and the device. The method does not use any monitoring server (or system) and does not use any personally identifying information to protect privacy of the device owner. The system'"'"'s enhanced privacy, multiple redundant location determination and location information delivery system that overcomes such common problems as: the need for a dedicated location monitoring system; location determination errors; IP address blocking; port blocking; owner'"'"'s email account failure; and other obstacles that hinder location information delivery to an owner'"'"'s email address. Additionally this system has an optional data destruction function that can be activated by a remote control program to destroy data on the device once the device establishes connection with the remote control program in an owner'"'"'s computer.
47 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for locating an electronic device, comprising the steps of:
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1. embedding or installing a relay agent in at least one remote computing unit capable of connecting to the internet; 2. embedding, installing or loading a tracking agent in said electronic device to automatically start and perform the sub-steps of; a) determining location of said electronic device, b) composing a location information email including said location information and current time, c) sending said location information email directly to an email address, and d) in the event of failure of said location information email to reach said email address, transmitting said location information email to said relay agent on said remote computing unit; 3. receiving said location information email by said relay agent from said tracking agent; and 4. forwarding said location information email to its intended recipient email address by said relay agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification