System and method for locating a mobile device

• US 9,131,341 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Ye, Yinghua, Hou, Yuejiao
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US14/226,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20140357198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A first mobile device reports its current location in response to a message from a second computing device. The first mobile device extracts a source identifier and a location inquiry from the message and determines whether the source identifier and the location inquiry satisfy pre-determined conditions. If it is determined that the pre-determined conditions are satisfied, the first mobile device retrieves current location information from a location positioning module in the first mobile device and generates a message including the current location information. The first mobile device then sends the message to the second computing device. Upon receipt of the message, an instant messaging application of the second computing device is configured to visualize the first mobile device'"'"'s location on a map application in accordance with the current location information extracted from the message.

Claims

1. A method of locating a mobile device, the method comprising:

at a first mobile device having one or more processors and memory;

receiving a message from a second computing device using an instant messaging application;

extracting a source identifier and a location inquiry from the message;

determining whether the source identifier and the location inquiry satisfy pre-determined conditions;

in accordance with a determination that the pre-determined conditions are satisfied, retrieving current location information from a location positioning module in the first mobile device;

generating a message, the message including the current location information; and

sending the message to the second computing device, wherein an instant messaging application of the second computing device is configured to visualize the first mobile device'"'"'s location on a map application in accordance with the current location information extracted from the message.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the current location information periodically in a preset time interval.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

acquiring first location information at a first time;

storing the first location information as the current location information;

acquiring second location information at a second time after the preset time interval from the first time;

calculating a variation value between the first location information and the second location information; and

in accordance with that the variation value is equal to or larger than a preset threshold, updating the current location information with the second location information.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

verifying whether the source identifier corresponds to a secure source registered with the first mobile device or the instant messaging application of the first mobile device for retrieving location information.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

verifying whether the location inquiry is a character string pre-defined in the first mobile device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instant messaging application of the first mobile device is configured to process the incoming message, retrieve the current location information, and generate the outgoing message including the current location information in parallel to an execution of another application on the first mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instant messaging application of the first mobile device is configured to operate in a backend process such that no visual cue is generated on a display of the first mobile device.

8. A first mobile device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more program modules stored in the memory and to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more program modules further including;

a receiving module configured to receive a message from a second computing device using an instant messaging application;

an extracting module configured to extract a source identifier and a location inquiry from the message;

a determination module configured to determine whether the source identifier and the location inquiry satisfy pre-determined conditions;

a retrieving module configured to retrieve current location information from a location positioning module in the first mobile device in accordance with a determination that the pre-determined conditions are satisfied;

a generating module configured to generate a message, the message including the current location information; and

a transmitting module configured to send the message to the second computing device, wherein an instant messaging application of the second computing device is configured to visualize the first mobile device'"'"'s location on a map application in accordance with the current location information extracted from the message.

9. The first mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the one or more program modules further include:

an obtaining module configured to obtain the current location information periodically in a preset time interval.

10. The first mobile device according to claim 9, wherein the obtaining module is further configured to:

acquire a first location information at a first time;

store the first location information as the current location information;

acquire a second location information at a second time following the first time in the preset time interval;

calculate a variation value between the first location information and the second location information; and

in accordance with that the variation value is equal to or larger than a preset threshold, update the current location information with the second location information.

11. The first mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the one or more program modules further include:

a verifying module configured to verify whether the source identifier indicates a secure source that exists in phone contacts of the first mobile device or an account list of the instant messaging application of the first mobile device.

12. The first mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the verifying module is further configured to verify whether the location inquiry is a character string pre-defined in the first mobile device.

13. The first mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the instant messaging application of the first mobile device is configured to process the incoming message, retrieve the current location information, and generate the outgoing message including the current location information in parallel to an execution of another application on the first mobile device.

14. The first mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the instant messaging application of the first mobile device is configured to operate in a backend process such that no visual cue is generated on a display of the first mobile device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing one or more program modules for execution by one or more processors of a first mobile device, the one or more program modules further including:

a receiving module configured to receive a message from a second computing device using an instant messaging application;

an extracting module configured to extract a source identifier and a location inquiry from the message;

a determination module configured to determine whether the source identifier and the location inquiry satisfy pre-determined conditions;

a retrieving module configured to retrieve current location information from a location positioning module in the first mobile device in accordance with a determination that the pre-determined conditions are satisfied;

a generating module configured to generate a message, the message including the current location information; and

a transmitting module configured to send the message to the second computing device, wherein an instant messaging application of the second computing device is configured to visualize the first mobile device'"'"'s location on a map application in accordance with the current location information extracted from the message.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the one or more program modules further include:

an obtaining module configured to obtain the current location information periodically in a preset time interval.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the obtaining module is further configured to:

acquire a first location information at a first time;

store the first location information as the current location information;

acquire a second location information at a second time following the first time in the preset time interval;

calculate a variation value between the first location information and the second location information; and

in accordance with that the variation value is equal to or larger than a preset threshold, update the current location information with the second location information.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the one or more program modules further include:

a verifying module configured to verify whether the source identifier indicates a secure source that exists in phone contacts of the first mobile device or an account list of the instant messaging application of the first mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the instant messaging application of the first mobile device is configured to process the incoming message, retrieve the current location information, and generate the outgoing message including the current location information in parallel to an execution of another application on the first mobile device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the instant messaging application of the first mobile device is configured to operate in a backend process such that no visual cue is generated on a display of the first mobile device.