METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOBILE DEVICE SECURITY

• US 20140038555A1
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: HENDERSON, Donnie
• Granted Patent: US 9,342,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/79 Radio fingerprint

Abstract

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for providing security on a mobile endpoint device are disclosed. For example, the method scans for a radio frequency signal, determines a state of the mobile endpoint device and triggers an alarm on the mobile endpoint device if the radio frequency signal is not detected for a predefined period of time and the state of the mobile endpoint device is an inactive state.

Claims

1. A method for triggering an alarm on a mobile endpoint device, comprising:

scanning, by a processor, for a radio frequency signal;

determining, by the processor, a state of the mobile endpoint device; and

triggering, by the processor, the alarm on the mobile endpoint device when the radio frequency signal is not detected for a predefined period of time and the state of the mobile endpoint device is an inactive state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning is performed by a near field communications reader on the mobile endpoint device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency signal is emitted by a radio frequency tag located proximate to a user of the mobile endpoint device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm comprises an audible notification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a communication that includes location information of the mobile endpoint device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication is sent to an alternate endpoint device of a user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication is sent to an alternate contact that is predefined by a user.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication is sent to a network service provider and the network service provider is tasked with contacting a user of the mobile endpoint device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication comprises a message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the message includes a multimedia attachment.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication comprises an automated telephone call.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when the radio frequency signal is not detected for a second predefined period of time and the state of the mobile endpoint device is the inactive state, locking the mobile endpoint device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for triggering an alarm on a mobile endpoint device, the operations comprising:

scanning for a radio frequency signal;

determining a state of the mobile endpoint device; and

triggering the alarm on the mobile endpoint device when the radio frequency signal is not detected for a predefined period of time and the state of the mobile endpoint device is an inactive state.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the scanning is performed by a near field communications reader on the mobile endpoint device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the radio frequency signal is emitted by a radio frequency tag located proximate to a user of the mobile endpoint device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

sending a communication that includes location information of the mobile endpoint device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the communication is sent to an alternate endpoint device of a user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the communication is sent to an alternate contact that is predefined by a user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the communication is sent to a network service provider and the network service provider is tasked with contacting a user of the mobile endpoint device.

20. An apparatus for triggering an alarm on a mobile endpoint device, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

scanning for a radio frequency signal;

determining a state of the mobile endpoint device; and

triggering the alarm on the mobile endpoint device when the radio frequency signal is not detected for a predefined period of time and the state of the mobile endpoint device is an inactive state.