METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LOCATING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20160205502A1
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Parikh, Jiren, Podolsky, Leon
• Application Number:
  US14/995,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20160205502A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and system for locating a target electronic device utilizes the wireless capabilities of multiple third party devices thereby allowing these devices to search for the target electronic device on a large scale. The third party devices electronically sense other electronic devices and report the location of the third part device when the target device is sensed.

Claims

1. A process for locating a target device, the process comprising:

generating a search request seeking the target device;

forwarding the search request by a server to one or more devices linked to the server through one or more networks;

wirelessly sensing nearby electronic devices by the one or more linked devices;

receiving a signal from at least one of the one or more linked devices which have sensed the target device; and

transmitting data from the at least one linked device that has sensed the target device to the server.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the search request includes a device-specific identification of the target device.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the search request is a user-generated search request received at the server.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein the user-generated search request is generated on a user device.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the search request is generated at a server in response to a prompt from a user.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein prior to wirelessly sensing, at least one of the one or more linked devices enters a mode enabling the at least one linked device to wirelessly sense other electronic devices.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the data includes a geographical location of the at least one linked device that has sensed the target device.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein the geographical location comprises one or more of GPS coordinates, IP addresses, cell tower identities, and satellite identities.

9. The process of claim 6, further comprising, after transmitting the geographical location of the at least one linked device to the server, transmitting, by the server, the geographical location to a user device linked to the server.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising processing the geographical location of the at least one linked device prior to transmitting by the server.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing includes triangulation of two or more geographical locations.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the forwarding is to one or more devices running software which enables the one or more devices to receive search requests.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic devices include software configured to run on the devices, the software enabling the devices to receive search requests.

13. A system for locating a target device, the system comprising:

a server linked to one or more networks; and

electronic devices linked to the server through the one or more networks;

wherein, upon receiving a search request from the server identifying a target device, the linked electronic devices wirelessly sense other electronic devices within range and the linked electronics device sensing the target device transmits a location to the server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein one or more of the linked electronic devices include a mode enabling sensing of other electronic devices.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a user device linked to the server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server receives a prompt from the user device.

18. A locating system comprising:

a server linked to one or more networks;

one or more wireless technology-enabled electronic devices linked to the server through the one or more networks;

a WPAN-enabled target device; and

a user device including software configured to communicate a prompt to the server, the prompt including an identification of the target device;

wherein, upon receiving the prompt from the user device, the server transmits to the one or more electronic devices a search request including the identification of the target device, the search request enabling all wireless technologies of the one or more electronic devices to enter a discovery mode to sense other electronic devices;

wherein, at least one of the one or more electronic devices senses the target device and transmits geographical location data of the electronic device to the server; and

the server communicates the location to the user device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the target device is a WPAN-enabled target device.