Mobile phone locator

• US 8,412,226 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ron, Uri, Bychkov, Eyal, Sherman, Itay, Kremer, Nataly
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US12/144,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20090318197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/466, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 370/338, 715/255, 342/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A method for locating a misplaced mobile phone, including receiving, by a mobile phone, a transmitted message, identifying, by the mobile phone, the transmitted message as being an alert request, and in response to the identifying, generating, by the mobile phone, an alert. A mobile phone is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for locating a mobile phone, the method comprising:

setting at least one parameter value for an alert request intended for a mobile phone, wherein the at least one parameter value designates a custom sound pattern for an audible alert, and wherein the custom sound pattern is distinct from any ringtones stored in the mobile phone;

transmitting a message to the mobile phone, wherein the message includes a designated header and the at least one parameter value;

receiving, by the mobile phone, the transmitted message;

identifying, by the mobile phone, the message as being an alert request based on the designated header; and

in response to said identifying, generating, by the mobile phone, the custom sound pattern in accordance with the at least one.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating an alert comprises sounding an audible alert for a pre-designated amount of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating an alert comprises sounding an audible alert at a pre-designated volume.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating an alert comprises sounding an audible alert according to a pre-designated sound pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating an alert comprises emitting light.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating an alert comprises vibrating the mobile phone.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to said identifying, displaying, by the mobile phone, a pre-designated image.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to said identifying, playing, by the mobile phone, a pre-designated audio recording.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to said identifying, playing, by the mobile phone, a pre-designated video recording.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted message is an MMS message.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted message is transmitted via an unlicensed wireless network.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted message is transmitted via a Wi-Fi network.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted message is transmitted via a web server.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted message is transmitted via Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the received message is transmitted via Wi-Fi.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said identifying identifies the alert request within a data section of a beacon frame.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter value indicates a time duration for an audible alert.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter value indicates a volume for an audible alert.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter values indicates a sound pattern for an audible alert.

15. A system comprising:

a message editor for setting at least one parameter value for an alert request intended for a mobile phone, wherein the at least one parameter value designates a custom sound pattern for an audible alert, and wherein the custom sound pattern is distinct from any ringtones stored in the mobile phone;

a transmitter for transmitting a message to the mobile phone, wherein the message includes a designated header and the at least one parameter value; and

a mobile phone, comprising;

a receiver for receiving the message from said transmitter;

message parser circuitry, coupled with said receiver, for identifying the message as being an alert request based on the designated header; and

at least one speaker, coupled with said message parser circuitry, for sounding the custom sound pattern in accordance with the at least one parameter value, in response to said message parser identifying the alert request.

16. The mobile phone of claim 15 wherein said at least one speaker sounds the audible alert for a pre-designated amount of time.

17. The mobile phone of claim 15 wherein said at least one speaker sounds the audible alert at a pre-designated volume.

18. The mobile phone of claim 15 wherein said at least one speaker sounds the audible alert according to a pre-designated sound pattern.

19. The mobile phone of claim 15 further comprising a display, coupled with said message parser, for displaying a pre-designated image in response to said message parser identifying the alert request.

20. The mobile phone of claim 15 further comprising a light emitter, coupled with said message parser, for emitting light in response to said message parser identifying the alert request.

21. The mobile phone of claim 15 further comprising a vibrator, coupled with said message parser, for vibrating the mobile phone in response to said message parser identifying the alert request.

22. The mobile phone of claim 15 further comprising an audio player for playing a pre-designated audio recording, in response to said message parser identifying the alert request.

23. The mobile phone of claim 15 further comprising a video player for playing a pre-designated video recording, in response to said message parser identifying the alert request.

24. The mobile phone of claim 15 wherein said receiver is an MMS message receiver.

25. The mobile phone of claim 15 wherein said receiver comprises a short range radio receiver.

26. The mobile phone of claim 15 wherein the short range radio receiver comprises a Wi-Fi receiver.

36. The mobile phone of claim 15 wherein the received message is transmitted via Wi-Fi.

37. The mobile phone of claim 36 wherein said message parser identifies the alert request within a data section of a beacon frame.

38. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter value indicates a time duration for an audible alert.

39. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter value indicates a volume for an audible alert.

40. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter values indicates a sound pattern for an audible alert.

27. A method for locating an electronic communication device, the method comprising:

setting at least one parameter value for an alert request intended for an electronic communication device, wherein the at least one parameter value designates a custom sound pattern for an audible alert, and wherein the custom sound pattern is distinct from any ringtones stored in the electronic communication device;

transmitting a message to the electronic communication device, wherein the message includes a designated header and the at least one parameter value;

receiving, by the electronic communication device, the transmitted message;

identifying, by the electronic communication device, the message as being an alert request based on the designated header; and

in response to said identifying, generating, by the electronic communication device, the custom sound pattern in accordance with the at least one parameter value.

41. The method of claim 27 wherein the received message is transmitted via Wi-Fi.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said identifying identifies the alert request within a data section of a beacon frame.

43. The method of claim 27 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter value indicates a time duration for an audible alert.

44. The method of claim 27 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter value indicates a volume for an audible alert.

45. The method of claim 27 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter values indicates a sound pattern for an audible alert.

28. A system comprising:

a message editor for setting at least one parameter value for an alert request intended for an electronic communication device, wherein the at least one parameter value designates a custom sound pattern for an audible alert, and wherein the custom sound pattern is distinct from any ringtones stored in the electronic communication device;

a transmitter for transmitting a message to the electronic communication device, wherein the message includes a designated header and the at least one parameter value; and

an electronic communication device, comprising;

a receiver for receiving the message from said transmitter;

message parser circuitry, coupled with said receiver, for identifying the message as being an alert request based on the designated header; and

at least one speaker, coupled with said message parser circuitry, for sounding the custom sound pattern in accordance with the at least one parameter value, in response to said message parser identifying the alert request.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said electronic communication device is a portable digital assistant (PDA).

30. The system of claim 28 wherein said electronic communication device is a pager.

46. The electronic communication device of claim 28 wherein the received message is transmitted via Wi-Fi.

47. The electronic communication device of claim 46 wherein said message parser identifies the alert request within a data section of a beacon frame.

48. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter value indicates a time duration for an audible alert.

49. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter value indicates a volume for an audible alert.

50. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one dynamic alert setting parameter values indicates a sound pattern for an audible alert.