METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING LOCATION OF LOST OR MOTIONLESS MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20090305721A1
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dunko, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• 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 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Movement of a mobile communication device is monitored during any of its powered modes. Upon sensing lack of movement, the location of the device is identified. If no movement has been sensed during a predetermined time period, determination is made as to whether the location of the device has changed. If not, a call is initiated to a remote address to convey the location of the device.

Claims

1. A method for mobile device operation, the method comprising:

determining within a user mobile device whether the location of the device has changed during a predetermined time period;

initiating communication to a remote address if the device location has not changed during the determining step; and

conveying the location of the device during the call.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

monitoring movement of the device;

identifying the location of the device upon sensing termination of movement during the monitoring step;

sensing lack of movement of the device during the predetermined time period; and

comparing the location of the device with the identified location upon completion of the time period.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the initiating step comprises:

identifying the remote address in accordance with a preference of the user.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the identified remote address is the last address called by the device.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the identified remote address is an address most commonly called previously by the device.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the identified remote address corresponds to user contact information.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the user contact information comprises a prioritized list of addresses stored in the device.

8. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

judging whether the identified location is a normal location for the device; and

terminating call initiation if the location is judged to be a normal location.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of judging comprises:

comparing the identified location with a predefined normal location stored in the device.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein a list of a plurality of user predefined normal locations are stored in the device, and the step of judging comprises:

comparing the identified location with the stored list.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of initiating comprises:

determining that a location reporting operation has been set to an active condition in the device.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the active condition is set for specified times in accordance with a user established schedule.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a controller;

a communication interface; and

a motion sensor,

wherein the processor is configured to derive location information for the device and initiate a call to a remote address to convey the location information if there is no sensed motion of the device during a predetermined time period.

14. A mobile device as recited in claim 13, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

15. A mobile device as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a memory coupled to the controller,

wherein the memory comprises data corresponding to a user preference list.

16. A mobile device as recited in claim 15, wherein the user preference list comprises:

a prioritized list of addresses for call initiation after the predetermined time period.

17. A mobile device as recited in claim 15, wherein the user preference list corresponds to a location reporting operation schedule, and the controller is configured to initiate the call only at times set in the schedule.

18. A mobile device as recited in claim 15, wherein the user preference list comprises identification of normal locations of the device, and the controller is configured to initiate the call only if the derived spatial positioning information does not correspond to a normal location identified in the list.

19. A mobile device as recited in claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the location of the device has changed during the predetermined time period and to initiate the call only upon determination that the location has not changed.

20. A mobile device as recited in claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to identify an address most commonly called previously by the device for call initiation after the predetermined time period.