Localized detection of mobile devices

• US 8,417,259 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US12/059,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/509, 455/450, 455/435.1, 455/445, 455/16, 375/211, 375/219, 365/51, 365/63, 365/52, 365/244, 343/702, 343/895, 343/725, 343/825, 713/322, 713/321
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Various aspects are disclosed herein for detection of mobile devices. Detection of mobile devices can be localized to an environment that is radio frequency enclosed. Within this environment, any packages can be scanned for the presence of mobile devices and for the interrogation of information from such mobile devices, such as the mobile device number and mobile device equipment information. The environment can contain an antenna for communicating with any mobile devices within the environment and a receiver component configured to receive information from any contacted mobile device. Based on this information, a determination can be made whether to validate a contacted mobile device or to take any alternative action.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an enclosed wireless radio frequency environment configured to house at least one package;

an antenna residing inside the enclosed radio frequency environment;

a scanner operatively coupled to the antenna, wherein;

the scanner is configured to broadcast a plurality of bands of frequencies inside the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment using the antenna, wherein the broadcast of the plurality of bands of frequencies is confined within the enclosed wireless radio frequency environment;

the scanner is configured to adjust signal strength of the broadcast to select a frequency;

the scanner is configured to interact with at least one mobile device in the at least one package via the selected frequency; and

the scanner is configured to search for a frequency other than the selected frequency in a background mode while communicating on the selected frequency;

a receiver component configured to receive at least one signal from the at least one mobile device inside the at least one package in response to the broadcast of the plurality of bands of frequencies, wherein;

the scanner is configured to turn on and interrogate the at least one mobile device for information comprising at least one of a mobile identifier or a phone number; and

the scanner is configured to validate, against a database, the information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of bands of frequencies correspond to frequencies used by devices of different types.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one mobile device comprises at least one of a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is configured to emit signals with high enough power to communicate with said at least one mobile device but low enough power to contain such emitted signals within said enclosed radio frequency environment.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said enclosed radio frequency environment is extendible to house additional packages to said at least one package.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one signal includes information about at least one of a phone number of the at least one mobile device or equipment identification of the at least one mobile device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said enclosed radio frequency environment is a Faraday cage.

8. A method comprising:

constructing a wireless radio frequency enclosed environment configured to be radio frequency enclosed;

attaching an antenna inside the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment;

configuring a component to;

wirelessly broadcast a plurality of bands of frequencies inside the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment via the antenna, wherein the broadcast of the plurality of bands of frequencies is confined within the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment;

adjusting signal strength of the broadcast to select a frequency;

turn on and interact with a mobile device inside the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment via the selected frequency;

interrogate the mobile device for information comprising at least one of a mobile identifier or a phone number;

validate, against a database, the information;

search for a frequency other than the selected frequency in a background mode while communicating on the selected frequency and

configuring a receiver component to receive a signal from the at least one mobile device inside the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment in response to the broadcast of plurality of bands of frequencies.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising configuring a component to check said signal for information regarding the mobile device against a database.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising configuring a component to make a determination based on said information whether to validate said mobile device.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said information comprises at least one of the mobile device phone number or the mobile device equipment information.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising configuring a component to send a signal from said broadcast component to said mobile device in order to control said mobile device.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein said signal to control said mobile device turns off said mobile device.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising configuring said antenna to broadcast said plurality of bands of frequencies inside said radio frequency enclosed environment to emit any signals to be confined to said environment.

15. A computer readable storage medium, that is not a propagating signal, the computer readable storage comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

broadcasting, by a scanner operatively coupled to an antenna located within a wireless radio frequency enclosed environment, a plurality of bands of frequencies inside the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment using the antenna, wherein the broadcast of the plurality of bands of frequencies is confined within the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment;

adjusting signal strength of the broadcast to select frequency;

interacting, by the scanner, with at least one mobile device in the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment via the selected frequency;

searching, by the scanner, for a frequency other than the selected frequency in a background mode while communicating on the selected frequency;

receiving, by a receiver, at least one signal from the at least one mobile device in response to the broadcast of the plurality of bands of frequencies; and

turning on and interrogating, by the scanner, the at least one mobile device for information comprising at least one of a mobile identifier or a phone number; and

validating, by the scanner, against a database, the information.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising controlling a strength of the broadcast plurality of bands of frequencies to be confined to the wireless radio frequency enclosed environment.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising adjusting a strength of the broadcast plurality of bands of frequencies if no response is returned from the at least one mobile device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising sending a control signal in order to control the at least one mobile device.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the broadcast plurality of bands of frequencies is sent to a plurality of computing devices of different types employing different types of frequency bands.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein a determination regarding the validity of the information is based on a result obtained from the database.