SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC LOSS PREVENTION OF MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20170337802A1
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safety Direct LLC (Richard Abramson)
• Original Assignee: Richard Abramson
• Inventors: Abramson, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 10,115,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

The solution is to create a device, where if the mobile device or important small item is removed beyond a user-defined distance, such as 2 meters, a visual and noise alarm will activate, thus immediately letting the owner and others know that a theft has occurred.

One embodiment of the invention is a device called an Automatic Loss Prevention Alert Trigger (ALPAT) and software on a mobile device called Automatic Loss Prevention Alert Software (ALPAS).

The ALPAT can be in the form of a small device that a person can keep with them and optionally secure to a keychain. The ALPAS will then keep track of whether the ALPAT is more than a user defined distance from the mobile device.

If the mobile device is removed beyond a user determined distance, such as a distance of 2 m from the device, a visual and noise alarm will activate from the mobile device and possibly form the ALPAT, depending on user settings. This will immediately let the owner and others know that a theft has occurred.

Claims

1. A system for the automatic prevention of the loss of mobile communication devices by an owner, the system comprising:

a mobile device that includes a processor and memory;

Automatic Loss Prevention Alert Software (“

ALPAS”

) installed on the mobile device;

a device which functions as an Automatic Loss Prevention Alert Trigger (“

ALPAT”

);

an owner-defined distance after which alarms will activate on either the mobile device, the ALPAT or both;

the ALPAS having the ability to detect when the ALPAT has moved away from the mobile device at the owner-defined distance;

the ALPAS having the ability to activate an alarm that will flash the screen of the mobile device brightly on and off and play a pre-recorded audio message repeatedly;

the ALPAT having the ability to play audio at a fixed decibel;

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the mobile device can potentially be any computing device, including a smartphone, a tablet or a wearable electronic device;

wherein only the owner of the mobile device can deactivate the alert by utilizing a unique password, or fingerprint, or other electronic id that is unique to the owner;

wherein the ALPAT can be a stand-alone small device, or can be an app on a wearable device.

3. The system of claim 2,

Wherein the audio played in the event of an alarm on either the mobile device with the ALPAS or the ALPAT can be customized by the owner.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

the ALPAS configured to have the option to enter an “

at home safe zone”

mode;

the ALPAS configured to have the option to turn on a “

sync to activate”

option;

in the “

at home safe zone”

mode, the ALPAS is configured to deactivate so that if the ALPAT is more than the user defined distance away from the mobile device with ALPAS, then ALPAS will not initiate an alarm;

if the ALPAT is taken more than the user defined distance away from the mobile device, and then returns to within the user defined distance from the mobile device, the ALPAS is configured to reactivate if the “

sync-to-activate”

option is turned on in the ALPAS.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

the ALPAS configured to have the ability to offer a reward and bonus reward to someone who finds the mobile device, with an option to return the mobile device to the owner without meeting the owner in person;

the ALPAS configured to allow the owner to customize the reward and bonus reward offered through ALPAS;

the ALPAS configured to cycle through different rewards over fixed periods of time.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

in the event of a theft, the ALPAS configured to notify the owner in real time that the mobile device has been returned by a human, is secure, and has been accepted by a delivery service which provides a tracking number in order to track the mobile device;

the ALPAS configured to send the tracking number to the owner'"'"'s email address.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

in the event of a theft, the ALPAS configured to offer bonus reward money if the mobile device is returned within a limited time, where the time is set by the owner.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

the ALPAS communicating with the ALPAT through Bluetooth;

the ALPAS constantly analyzing the strength of the Bluetooth signal in order to determine the distance the ALPAT is away from the mobile device;

the ALPAS activating its alarm if the distance of the ALPAT from the mobile device is determined to be larger than the owner-defined distance.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

the ALPAS keeping track of the GPS location of the mobile device it is on;

the ALPAT keeping track of its GPS location;

the ALPAT having a data connection to the internet and broadcasting its GPS location such that the ALPAS can receive the GPS location through the internet;

the ALPAS constantly calculating the distance between the GPS location of the mobile device and the GPS location of the ALPAT;

the ALPAS activating its alarm if the calculated distance is larger than the user-defined distance.

10. A method for the automatic prevention of the loss of mobile communication devices by an owner, the method comprising:

installing Automatic Loss Prevention Alert Software (“

ALPAS”

) on a mobile device that includes a processor and memory;

the ALPAS communicating with a device which functions as an Automatic Loss Prevention Alert Trigger (“

ALPAT”

);

the ALPAS constantly analyzing whether the ALPAT has moved away from the mobile device at an owner-defined distance;

the ALPAS having the ability to activate an alarm that will flash the screen of the mobile device brightly on and off and play a pre-recorded audio message repeatedly;

the ALPAS activating the alarm on either the mobile device, the ALPAT or both, if the ALPAS detects that the ALPAT has moved away from the mobile device at an owner-defined distance;

the ALPAT having the ability to play audio at a fixed decibel;

11. The method of claim 10,

wherein the mobile device can potentially be any computing device, including a smartphone, a tablet or a wearable electronic device;

wherein only the owner of the mobile device can deactivate the alert by utilizing a unique password, or fingerprint, or other electronic id that is unique to the owner;

wherein the ALPAT can be a stand-alone small device, or can be an app on a wearable device.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein the audio played in the event of an alarm on either the mobile device with the ALPAS or the ALPAT can be customized by the owner.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

the ALPAS having the option to enter an “

at home safe zone”

mode;

the ALPAS having the option to turn on a “

sync to activate”

option;

in the “

at home safe zone”

mode, the ALPAS deactivating so that if the ALPAT is more than the user defined distance away from the mobile device with ALPAS, then ALPAS will not initiate an alarm;

if the ALPAT is taken more than the user defined distance away from the mobile device, and then returns to within the user defined distance from the mobile device, the ALPAS reactivating if the “

sync-to-activate”

option is turned on in the ALPAS.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

the owner customizing a reward and bonus reward offered through ALPAS in the event the mobile device is stolen;

the ALPAS offering a reward and a bonus reward to someone who finds the mobile device in the event the mobile device is stolen, with an option to return the mobile device to the owner without meeting the owner in person;

the ALPAS cycling through different rewards over fixed periods of time in the event the mobile device is stolen.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in the event of a theft, the ALPAS notifying the owner in real time that the mobile device has been returned by a human, is secure, and has been accepted by a delivery service which provides a tracking number in order to track the mobile device;

the ALPAS sending this tracking number to the owner'"'"'s email address.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in the event of a theft, the ALPAS offering bonus reward money if the mobile device is returned within a limited time, where the time is set by the owner.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

the ALPAS communicating with the ALPAT through Bluetooth;

the ALPAS constantly analyzing the strength of the Bluetooth signal in order to determine the distance the ALPAT is away from the mobile device;

the ALPAS activating its alarm if the distance of the ALPAT from the mobile device is determined to be larger than the owner-defined distance.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

the ALPAS keeping track of the GPS location of the mobile device it is on;

the ALPAT keeping track of its GPS location;

the ALPAT having a data connection to the internet and broadcasting its GPS location such that the ALPAS receiving the GPS location through the internet;

the ALPAS constantly calculating the distance between the GPS location of the mobile device and the GPS location of the ALPAT;

the ALPAS activating its alarm if the calculated distance is larger than the user-defined distance.