LOCALIZED DETECTION OF MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20090247184A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Various aspects are disclosed herein for detection of mobile devices. Detection of mobile devices can be localized to an environment that is radio frequency enclosed. Within this environment, any packages can be scanned for the presence of mobile devices and for the interrogation of information from such mobile devices, such as the mobile device number and mobile device equipment information. The environment can contain an antenna for communicating with any mobile devices within the environment and a receiver component configured to receive information from any contacted mobile device. Based on this information, a determination can be made whether to validate a contacted mobile device or to take any alternative action.

Claims

1. A system for localized detection of mobile devices, comprising:

an enclosed radio frequency environment, configured to house at least one package;

an antenna residing inside said enclosed radio frequency environment;

a scanner operatively coupled to said antenna, wherein said scanner is configured to broadcast a plurality of bands of frequencies inside said radio frequency enclosed environment using said antenna; and

a receiver component configured to receive at least one signal from at least one mobile device inside said at least one package in response to said broadcast of said plurality of bands of frequencies.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of bands of frequencies correspond to frequencies used by devices of different types.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is at least one of (a) a cellular phone and (b) a personal digital assistant.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is configured to emit signals with high enough power to communicate with said at least one mobile device but low enough power to contain such emitted signals within said enclosed radio frequency environment.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said enclosed radio frequency environment is extendible to house additional packages to said at least one package.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one signal includes information about at least one of (a) a phone number of said mobile device and (b) equipment identification of said mobile device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said enclosed radio frequency environment is a Faraday cage.

8. A method for manufacturing an environment for localized detection of mobile devices, comprising:

constructing said environment configured to be radio frequency enclosed;

attaching an antenna inside said radio frequency enclosed environment;

configuring a component to broadcast a plurality of bands of frequencies inside said radio frequency enclosed environment via said antenna; and

configuring a receiver component to receive a signal from a mobile device inside said radio frequency enclosed environment in response to said broadcast of plurality of bands of frequencies.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising configuring a component to check said signal for information regarding the mobile device against a database.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising configuring a component to make a determination based on said information whether to validate said mobile device.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said information comprises at least one of (a) said mobile device phone number and (b) said mobile device equipment information.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising configuring a component to send a signal from said broadcast component to said mobile device in order to control said mobile device.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein said signal to control said mobile device turns off said mobile device.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising configuring said component to broadcast said plurality of bands of frequencies inside said radio frequency enclosed environment to emit any signals to be confined to said environment.

15. A computer readable medium storing thereon computer executable instructions configured to interact with mobile devices inside radio frequency enclosed environments, comprising:

at least one instruction that sends a signal to at least one mobile device in said radio frequency enclosed environment;

at least one instruction that receives a response from said at least one mobile device, wherein said response includes at least one of a phone number associated with said at least one mobile device and equipment information about said at least one mobile device;

at least one instruction that checks said information against a database;

at least one instruction that makes a determination regarding the validity of said information based on a result obtained from said database; and

at least one instruction that displays a result based on said determination.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, at least one instruction that controls the strength of said signal to be confined to said radio frequency enclosed environment.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, at least one instruction to adjust said signal in strength if no response is returned from said at least one mobile device.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, at least one instruction that sends a control signal in order to control said at least one mobile device.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said signal is sent to a plurality of computing devices of different type employing different types of frequency bands.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said signal is from at least one frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands.