Remotely locating and commanding a mobile device

• US 8,666,367 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sharp, Christopher Brooke, McCarthy, Brendan A., Slack, Stuart, Guenther, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Prez-Gutirrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fang, Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/434,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455418-420, 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus are presented for processing a remote command message. In one aspect, a method includes accessing a subscribed topic hosted on a notification service, the subscribed topic corresponding to a mobile device, retrieving a remote command message included in the subscribed topic that identifies a command to be executed by the mobile device, determining whether the command can be executed by the mobile device, publishing a result message associated with the command, and executing, by the mobile device, the command based on the determining. Publishing the result message further can include identifying in the remote command message a result topic corresponding to the notification service and publishing the result message to the identified result topic. Additionally, the subscribed topic can be uniquely associated with the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:

accessing, by the mobile device, a notification service on a server separate from the mobile device, the notification service hosting a plurality of command collection topics, where a distinct mobile device is subscribed to each command collection topic;

accessing, by the mobile device, a command collection topic hosted on the notification service and subscribed to by the mobile device;

polling, by the mobile device, the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device to determine that one or more new remote command messages have been received by the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device;

retrieving, by the mobile device, in response to the determining that one or more new remote command messages have been received by the command collection topic, at least one of the one or more new remote command messages included in the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device, wherein the one or more new remote command messages identify commands to be executed by the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device, whether the command identified by the retrieved remote command message can be executed by the mobile device;

publishing, by the mobile device, a result message associated with the command to a result topic hosted on the notification service; and

selectively executing, by the mobile device, the command based on a result of the determining.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein publishing the result message further comprises:

identifying in the remote command message the result topic hosted on the notification service.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the command can be executed further comprises:

determining whether the command is supported by the mobile device; and

determining whether the command is enabled on the mobile device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the command comprises a locate command.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining one or more geographic coordinates indicating a location of the mobile device; and

including the one or more geographic coordinates in the result message.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device is uniquely associated with the mobile device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

publishing the result message in substantially real-time.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein multiple remote command messages are retrieved from the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device substantially simultaneously.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device includes a plurality of command nodes, where each command node corresponds to a distinct remote command type and the at least one remote command message is retrieved from one of the plurality of command nodes.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein multiple remote command messages are retrieved from the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device substantially simultaneously.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device includes a plurality of command nodes, where each command node corresponds to a distinct remote command type and the at least one remote command message is retrieved from one of the plurality of command nodes.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a data processing apparatus comprised within a mobile device, the instructions operable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

accessing a notification service on a server separate from the mobile device, the notification service hosting a plurality of command collection topics, where a distinct mobile device is subscribed to each command collection topic;

accessing a command collection topic hosted on the notification service and subscribed to by the mobile device;

polling the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device to determine that one or more new remote command messages have been received by the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device;

retrieving, in response to the determining that one or more new remote command messages have been received by the command collection topic, at least one of the one or more new remote command messages included in the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device, wherein the one or more new remote command messages identify commands to be executed by the mobile device;

determining whether the command identified by the retrieved remote command message is supported and enabled by the mobile device;

publishing a result message associated with the command to a result topic hosted on the notification service; and

selectively executing, based on the result of the determining, the command to generate output associated with the mobile device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying in the remote command message the result topic hosted on the notification service.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

supplying authentication credentials associated with the mobile device to the notification service.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the command comprises a locate command.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining one or more geographic coordinates indicating a location of the mobile device; and

inserting the one or more geographic coordinates into the result message.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

establishing a connection to the notification service over a wireless data connection.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

extracting, from the remote command message, a command parameter for use in executing the command.

19. A mobile device comprising:

processor electronics;

a storage medium storing instructions executable by the processor electronics to cause the processor electronics to;

establish a connection to a notification service on a server separate from the mobile device, the notification service hosting a plurality of command collection topics, where a distinct mobile device is subscribed to each command collection topic;

access a command collection topic hosted on the notification service and subscribed to by the mobile device;

poll the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device to determine that one or more new remote command messages have been received by the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device;

retrieve, in response to the determining that one or more new remote command messages have been received by the command collection topic, at least one of the one or more new remote command messages included in the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device, wherein the one or more new remote command messages identify commands to be executed by the mobile device;

execute a command identified by the retrieved remote command message;

identify in the remote command message a result topic hosted on the notification service; and

publish a result message associated with the command to the identified result topic hosted on the notification service.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor electronics to:

determine that the command is enabled on the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the command comprises a locate command.

22. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor electronics to:

retrieve one or more geographic coordinates from a location processor included in the mobile device; and

generate a result message including the one or more retrieved geographic coordinates.

23. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor electronics to:

establish a connection to the notification service over a wireless data connection.

24. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor electronics to:

present, in response to executing the command, a message on a display of the mobile device.

25. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor electronics to:

output, in response to executing the command, an alert comprising one or more sounds to a speaker included in the mobile device.

26. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor electronics to:

delete, in response to executing the command, data from the storage medium; and

restore a default configuration of the mobile device.

27. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein multiple remote command messages are retrieved from the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device substantially simultaneously.

28. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device includes a plurality of command nodes, where each command node corresponds to a distinct remote command type and the at least one remote command message is retrieved from one of the plurality of command nodes.