Method for locating a stolen electronic device using electronic mail

• US 6,052,782 A
• Filed: 06/17/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Fleming, Hoyt A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): De Cady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, JASON E
• Application Number:
  US08/877,082
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 395/188.01, 395/200.49, 395/200.8, 395/824, 395/186, 395/200.55, 395/200.3, 395/200.36, 340/568, 713/202, 713/200, 709/219, 709/200, 709/206, 709/225, 710/4, 714/724
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is a method for locating an electronic device capable of sending e-mail. The method includes identifying that an e-mail is being sent from the electronic device. Next, the sender address is compared to an owner address. If the sender address does not match the owner address, the e-mail is redirected. In some embodiments, the method is performed by a computer. In other embodiments, the method is performed by a modem.

Claims

1. A method for locating an electronic device capable of sending e-mail, the method comprising:

identifying that an e-mail is being sent from the electronic device, the e-mail having a sender address;

comparing the sender address to an owner address; and

redirecting the e-mail if the sender address does not match the owner address.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said redirecting includes:

changing a recipient address to the owner address; and

sending the e-mail to the owner address.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein said redirecting includes:

sending the e-mail to the recipient address.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein said redirecting includes:

adding the owner address as an additional recipient address; and

sending the e-mail to a recipient address and the additional recipient address.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the e-mail to include an indication that the e-mail was redirected.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein said identifying includes:

monitoring a data stream transmitted by a modem to identify the e-mail being sent.

7. The method as in claim 1, the electronic device running an e-mail application program, wherein said identifying includes:

monitoring output data of the e-mail application program to identify the e-mail being sent.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein said identifying includes:

monitoring data sent through a data port to identify the e-mail being sent.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein said redirecting includes:

copying the e-mail to generate a copied e-mail; and

redirecting the copied e-mail.

10. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the e-mail to indicate the geographical position of the electronic device.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein said redirecting includes:

changing a recipient address to a third party address; and

sending the e-mail to the third party address.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein said changing includes:

changing the recipient address to the third party address, wherein the third party address is an e-mail address for a law enforcement agency.

13. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

storing the owner address in a setup memory of the electronic device.

14. The method as in claim 13, further comprising:

updating the owner address only when a predetermined password is provided.

15. The method as in claim 13, further comprising:

resetting the owner address to a default address when the setup memory is erased; and

modifying the e-mail to indicate an identifying characteristic of the electronic device or the owner of the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a computer.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a modem.

19. A method performed by an electronic device for locating the electronic device, the electronic device capable of sending e-mail, the method comprising:

determining that an e-mail is being sent from the electronic device;

comparing a component of the e-mail being sent against a stored e-mail component; and

redirecting the e-mail if the component of the e-mail being sent does not match the stored e-mail component.