Alert for real-time risk of theft or loss

• US 8,878,672 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Inventors: Parker, Timothy, Loveland, Damien Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): DARAMOLA, ISRAEL O
• Application Number:
  US14/217,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 231 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/539.13, 340/572.1, 702/187, 726/35, 726/21, 455/411, 709/224
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles

Abstract

Devices, methods, systems and a computer readable medium for the provision of alerts to electronic devices in response to real-time, location based analysis of the risk of theft or loss of such devices are provided. A continually updated database of locations of thefts, losses and/or stolen or lost electronic devices is accessed in order to provide the alerts to the electronic devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining whether to alert a user of a monitored electronic device regarding risk of theft, the method comprising:

determining a location of the monitored electronic device;

retrieving location data associated with other monitored electronic devices;

determining a zone for assessing a theft risk associated with the location of the monitored electronic device, wherein determining the zone comprises determining a zone size based at least partly on the retrieved location data associated with the other monitored devices; and

determining, based at least partly on location data associated with reported thefts of the monitored electronic devices, whether to alert the user of a theft risk level associated with location;

said method performed programmatically by a computerized system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the zone comprises determining the zone size based at least partly on a density of monitored electronic devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the zone comprises defining the zone as an area within a selected distance of the monitored electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone size is based additionally on a precision with which location coordinates of the monitored electronic device are detected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data associated with reported thefts comprises theft location data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data associated with reported thefts comprises locations of monitored devices that are currently reported as stolen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to alert the user comprises calculating the theft risk level of the zone substantially in real time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to alert the user comprises determining whether a number of reported thefts within the zone within a selected time period satisfies a threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to alert the user comprises taking into consideration dates of reported thefts within the zone.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the alert to the user by transmitting to the monitored electronic device a message that causes the monitored electronic device to output an alert message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a time-averaged risk profile of the zone based at least partly on the location data associated with reported thefts, and providing the time-averaged risk profile to a third party.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the time-averaged risk profile indicates a risk level trend of the zone.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored electronic device is a device that is not currently reported as stolen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a monitoring system that monitors locations and theft statuses of the monitored electronic devices.

15. Non-transitory computer storage having stored thereon executable program code that directs a computer system to at least:

maintain a database of data regarding locations and thefts of mobile electronic devices;

define a zone for assessing theft risk, wherein defining the zone comprises selecting a zone size based at least partly on said data;

determining a risk level associated with the zone based at least partly on said data; and

determining, based on the risk level, whether to provide an alert to a mobile electronic device located in the zone.

16. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the zone size is selected based at least partly on a density of the mobile electronic devices.

17. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the zone is defined as an area falling within a selected distance of said mobile electronic device.

18. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the zone size is based additionally on a precision with which a location of the mobile electronic device is known.

19. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the risk level is determined based at least partly on a number of theft events within the zone.

20. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 19, wherein the risk level is determined based additionally on dates of the theft events.

21. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the risk level is determined substantially in real time for the mobile electronic device.

22. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the program code further directs the computer system to generate a time-averaged risk profile of the zone based on said data.

23. A method of determining whether to alert a user of a mobile electronic device regarding risk of theft, the method comprising:

receiving information indicative of a current location of the mobile electronic device;

dynamically defining a zone centered about the mobile electronic device; and

determining, based at least partly on mobile electronic device theft events occurring within the dynamically defined zone, whether to alert the user of a theft risk associated with said location;

said method performed programmatically by a computerized system that communicates with and monitors a plurality of mobile electronic devices.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein dynamically defining the zone comprises dynamically selecting a zone size.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the zone size is selected based at least partly on a density of monitored mobile electronic devices.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein determining whether to alert the user comprises determining whether a number of theft events within the zone within a selected time period satisfies a threshold.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the determination of whether to alert the user is based additionally on dates of said theft events within the zone.