Mobile device tracking and location awareness

• US 7,973,655 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc E., Blinnikka, Tomi, Bennett, Jeffery
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/945,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.22, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• 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 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A system is provided for tracking a mobile device by enabling a user to remotely monitor the external surrounding environment of the mobile device. Initially, a mobile device is configured to selectively report on the device'"'"'s surrounding environment based on one or more reporting events. Upon an occurrence of a reporting event, the mobile device generates a report by capturing at least one sensory datum related to its external surrounding environment. At least one locating datum is included in the report which can provide at least an approximate geographic location of the mobile device at the time the report is generated. Once the report is generated, the mobile device selectively sends the report to a tracking assist server, which makes the report remotely accessible to the user. Accordingly, when a mobile device is missing, a user can review one or more reports accessible on the server to determine whether the mobile device is stolen. Additionally, the at least one sensory datum provided in the one or more reports can be used to assist the user or others in identifying persons and/or objects in the surrounding environment of the mobile device, which may lead to the identification of the thief and/or recovery of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A mobile device that reports on its external surrounding environment over a network to assist a user in tracking the mobile device, comprising:

a sensor;

a memory for storing processor executable instructions; and

a processor for executing the stored instructions to enable actions, including;

enabling manual configuring of the mobile device to automatically report on its surrounding environment to a server over the network based on a subsequent occurrence of at least one selected type of a plurality of types of reporting events;

if the at least one selected type of reporting event occurs, capturing at least one sensory datum related to the external surrounding environment of the mobile device via the sensor and at least one locating datum that is provided prior to an occurrence of the reporting event, wherein the at least one locating datum includes an IP address that is currently valid and assigned to the mobile device and further corresponds to an entry in a table of IP addresses that are mapped to geographic locations;

generating a report that includes the at least one sensory datum and the at least one locating datum, wherein the locating datum is employed to provide at least an approximate geographic location of the mobile device for display on a map; and

sending the report over the network to the server to enable the user to review the type of the reporting event, the sensory datum and the location displayed on the map for remotely monitoring the surrounding environment of the mobile device at the time that the at least one selected type of the reporting event occurred.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is at least one of:

a camera, a thermometer, a microphone, an accelerometer, a light meter, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, or a transceiver.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensory datum includes at least one of:

an image of the surrounding environment, an audio recording of the surrounding environment, an acceleration associated with the surrounding environment, a light level of the surrounding environment, a location of the surrounding environment, or an identifying information of a network device in the surrounding environment.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one locating datum can be used to determine a geographic location of the mobile device and includes at least one of:

a street address, a latitude coordinate, a longitude coordinate, a zip code, a network address, the IP address, a cell tower identification, or an access point name.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the reporting event is one of:

a startup of a browser application, a startup of the mobile device, an awakening of the mobile device from a sleep mode, a gaining of an access to the network, a failed attempt to enter a password, a failed attempt to unlock the mobile device, or a request for a report received over the network.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the actions further include:

registering the mobile device with the server;

specifying to the server at least one known geographic location; and

configuring the server to alert the user if the at least one locating datum indicates that the mobile device is located outside of the at least one known geographic location.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the user is alerted by at least one of:

an email, a text message, a page, or a telephone call.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the action of sending includes encrypting at least a portion of the report.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is integrated with a vehicle to thereby assist in the tracking of the vehicle.

10. A system for monitoring the external surrounding environment of a mobile device to assist a user in tracking the mobile device, the system comprising a client and a server, wherein:

the client executes stored instructions to enable client actions, including;

enabling manual configuring of the mobile device to automatically report on its surrounding environment to the server based on a subsequent occurrence of at least one selected type of a plurality of types of reporting events;

if the at least one selected type of reporting event occurs, capturing at least one sensory datum related to the external surrounding environment of the mobile device via the sensor and at least one locating datum;

if the at least one selected type of reporting event occurs, capturing at least one sensory datum related to the external surrounding environment of the mobile device via the sensor and at least one locating datum that is provided prior to an occurrence of the reporting event, wherein the at least one locating datum includes an IP address that is currently valid and assigned to the mobile device and further corresponds to an entry in a table of IP addresses that are mapped to geographic locations;

generating a report that includes the at least one sensory datum and the at least one locating datum, wherein the locating datum is employed to provide at least an approximate geographic location of the mobile device for display on a map; and

sending the report to the server; and

the server executes stored instructions to enable server actions, including;

enabling the user to access the report received from the client to allow the user to review the type of the reporting event, the sensory datum and the location displayed on the map for remotely monitoring the surrounding environment of the mobile device at the time that the at least one selected type of reporting event occurred.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the client actions further include:

registering the mobile device with the server;

specifying to the server at least one known geographic location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the server actions further include:

determining whether the at least one locating datum indicates that the mobile device is located outside of the at least one known geographic location; and

if the mobile device is located outside of the at least one known geographic location, alerting the user.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is arranged as one of the mobile device or a networked device.

14. A processor-readable non-transitory storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, enables actions, comprising:

enabling manual configuring of the mobile device to automatically report on its surrounding environment to a server over the network based on a subsequent occurrence of at least one selected type of a plurality of types of reporting events;

if the at least one selected type of reporting event occurs, capturing at least one sensory datum related to the external surrounding environment of the mobile device via the sensor and at least one locating datum that is provided prior to an occurrence of the reporting event, wherein the at least one locating datum includes an IP address that is currently valid and assigned to the mobile device and further corresponds to an entry in a table of IP addresses that are mapped to geographic locations;

generating a report that includes the at least one sensory datum and at the least one locating datum, wherein the locating datum is employed to provide at least an approximate geographic location of the mobile device for display on a map; and

sending the report over the network to the server to enable the user to review the type of the reporting event, the sensory datum and the location displayed on the map for remotely monitoring the surrounding environment of the mobile device at the time that the at least one selected type of reporting event occurred.

15. The processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the actions further comprise:

registering the mobile device with the server;

specifying to the server at least one known geographic location; and

configuring the server to alert the user if the at least one locating datum indicates that the mobile device is located outside of the at least one known geographic location.

16. The processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the actions further comprise encrypting at least a portion of the report.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 14 wherein at least one of the processor-executable instructions is downloaded.

18. A method for remotely monitoring on the external surrounding environment of a mobile device to assist a user in tracking the mobile device, comprising:

enabling manual configuring of the mobile device to automatically report on its surrounding environment to a server over the network based on a subsequent occurrence of at least one selected type of a plurality of types of reporting events, wherein the mobile device is configured to perform actions if the reporting event occurs, the actions including;

if the at least one selected type of reporting event occurs, capturing at least one sensory datum related to the external surrounding environment of the mobile device via the sensor and at least one locating datum that is provided prior to an occurrence of the reporting event, wherein the at least one locating datum includes an IP address that is currently valid and assigned to the mobile device and further corresponds to an entry in a table of IP addresses that are mapped to geographic locations;

generating a report that includes the at least one sensory datum and the at least one locating datum, wherein the locating datum is employed to provide at least an approximate geographic location of the mobile device for display on a map; and

sending the report over the network to the server to enable the user to review the type of the reporting event, the sensory datum and the location displayed on the map; and

enabling remote monitoring of the surrounding environment of the mobile device at the time that the at least one selected type of reporting event occurred by accessing the report sent to the server.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

registering the mobile device with the server;

specifying to the server at least one known geographic location; and

configuring the server to alert a user if the at least one locating datum indicates that the mobile device is located outside of the at least one known geographic location.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the action of sending includes the action of encrypting at least a portion of the report.