Method and apparatus for reducing the likelihood of losing a portable electronic device

• US 6,836,212 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2002
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sawinski, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US10/268,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20040070499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.23, 340/546, 340/545.4, 340/551, 340/552, 340/562, 340/563, 340/561, 340/568.6, 340/568.7, 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.32, 340/573.1, 455/574, 455/575.1, 455/348, 455/346, 455/438, 455/351, 224/245, 224/197, 200/600, 341/33
• US Class Current: 340/539.23
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector

Abstract

A loss prevention system (e.g., 200) employs a method and apparatus for reducing the likelihood of losing a portable electronic device (100, 201) that has been inadvertently removed from its retaining device (e.g., 203, 300, 400). The loss prevention system includes the electronic device and its retaining device. The electronic device includes a proximity detector (103) that operates to detect the absence or removal of the device from the retaining device. The electronic device further includes a lost device detection circuit (102) that determines whether the removal was intentional and, if unintentional, alerts the user of the removal. By so alerting the user, the loss prevention system provides rapid feedback to the user after the user'"'"'s electronic device has inadvertently fallen out of its retaining device, thereby enabling the user to quickly retrieve the device before it gets damaged or taken by someone else.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the likelihood of losing a portable electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

determining that the portable electronic device has been removed from a retaining device;

determining whether the portable electronic device was removed by a human hand; and

alerting the user in the event that the portable electronic device was not removed by a human hand.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is a wireless communication device and wherein the step of determining whether the portable electronic device was removed by a human hand comprises the step of:

detecting an increase in capacitance between an antenna of the wireless communication device and ground.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the portable electronic device was removed by a human hand comprises the step of:

detecting an increase in capacitance between an external surface of a housing of the portable electronic device and ground.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of alerting the user comprises the step of:

sounding an audible alert.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of alerting the user comprises the step of:

automatically transmitting a predetermined message to a target device that is accessible by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that the portable electronic device has been removed from the retaining device comprises the step of:

detecting a reduction in intensity of a magnetic field between the portable electronic device and the retaining device.

7. A portable electronic device comprising:

a proximity detector that detects removal of the portable electronic device from a retaining device;

a housing having an external surface;

an external capacitance sensor arranged to detect a change in capacitance originating from the external surface of the housing; and

a lost device detection circuit operably coupled to the external capacitance sensor and the proximity detector, the lost device detection circuit determining whether removal of the portable electronic device from the retaining device was intentional based at least on an output of the external capacitance sensor.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7, further comprising:

an alert responsive to the lost device detection circuit and operable to inform a user that the portable electronic device has been removed from the retaining device in the event said removal was determined to be unintentional.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic device is a wireless communication device, the portable electronic device further comprising:

a transmitter responsive to the lost device detection circuit and operable to transmit a predetermined message to a target device that is accessible by a user of the wireless communication device in the event that removal of the portable electronic device was determined to be unintentional.

10. The of portable electronic claim 7, wherein the proximity detector comprises a magnetic field sensor.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic device is a wireless communication device, wherein the external capacitance sensor comprises at least an antenna, a lowpass filter and an amplifier operably coupled together in series, wherein the lowpass filter and the amplifier together present a high impedance at an operating frequency of the antenna, and wherein at least part of the antenna is positioned proximate the external surface of the housing.

12. The portable electronic device claim 7, wherein the external capacitance sensor comprises at least a metallic substrate, a lowpass filter, and an amplifier operably coupled together in series, and wherein the metallic substrate is positioned proximate the external surface of the housing.

13. The portable electronic of claim 7, wherein the lost device detection circuit comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes operating instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to at least determine whether removal of the portable electronic device from the retaining device was intentional based at least oil the output of the external capacitance sensor.

14. A loss prevention system comprising:

a wireless communication device that includes;

a proximity detector that detects the removal of the wireless communication device from a retaining device;

a housing having an external surface;

an external capacitance sensor arranged to detect a change in capacitance originating from the external surface of the housing; and

a lost device detection circuit operably coupled to the external capacitance sensor and the proximity detector, the lost device detection circuit determining whether removal of the wireless communication device from the retaining device was intentional based at least on an output of the external capacitance sensor; and

a retaining device for retaining the wireless communication device proximate to a user of the wireless communication device, the retaining device including;

a fastening mechanism for attaching the retaining device to personal property of the user;

a support mechanism for retaining the wireless communication device; and

means for enabling the proximity detector to determine whether the wireless communication device was removed from the support mechanism.