Systems and methods for detecting associated devices

• US 9,313,233 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Plastic Techniques, Inc.
• Inventors: Sprague, Matthew, Isaacson, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US14/027,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20150080012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/302 gathering intelligence information for situation awareness or reconnaissance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting associated devices. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided for detecting associated devices. The method includes obtaining information about a target device and determining, based on the information about the target device, one or more target observations that include a target time and a target location. The method also includes identifying one or more second observations of one or more candidate devices, wherein the candidate observations include a second time and a second location that correspond with the target time and the target location. In addition, the method includes determining, from the one or more candidate devices, any associated devices that may correspond with the target device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media that store instructions; and

one or more processors that execute the instructions to;

obtain information about a target device;

determine, based on the information about the target device, one or more target observations that include a target time and a target location;

identify one or more candidate observations of one or more candidate devices, wherein the candidate observations include a second time and a second location that correspond with the target time and the target location; and

designate the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices that correspond with the target device if a number of candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices is more than or equal to a predefined number.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to designate the one or more devices as being associated devices based on a number of candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to designate the one or more devices as being associated devices if a number of unique second locations within the one or more candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices is more than or al to a redefined number.

4. A method performed by at least one electronic device comprising one or more processors, the method comprising:

obtaining information about a target device;

determining, based on the information about the target device, one or more target observations that include a target time and a target location;

identifying one or more candidate observations of one or more candidate devices, wherein the candidate observations include a second time and a second location that correspond with the target time and the target location; and

designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices that correspond with the target device if an amount of candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices is more than a predefined number.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending information related to any designated associated devices to a display.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second time is within a predefined time period from the target time, and wherein the second location is within a predefined distance from the target location.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the second location identifies a second cell tower and the target location identifies a target cell tower, and wherein the second cell tower is located within a predefined distance from the target cell tower.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices comprises designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices based on a number of candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices comprises determining a predefined number of the one or more candidate devices having the most candidate observations.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices comprises determining that any of the one or more candidate devices has a number of candidate observations that is more than or equal to a predefined number of candidate observations.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices comprises designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices if a number of unique second locations within the one or more candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices is more than or equal to a predefined number.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices comprises designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices based on a variability of the second times of the one or more candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices comprises designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices based on an average distance between the second locations of the one or more candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions that are executable by one or more electronic devices, each having one or more processors, to cause the one or more electronic devices to perform a method, the method comprising:

obtaining information about a target device;

determining, based on the information about the target device, one or more target observations that include a target time and a target location;

identifying one or more candidate observations of one or more candidate devices, wherein the candidate observations include a second time and a second location that correspond with the target time and the target location; and

designate the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices that correspond with the target device if an amount of candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices is more than a predefined number.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more electronic devices to cause the one or more electronic devices to perform the following operation:

sending information related to the any associated devices to a display.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second time is within a predefined time period from the target time, and wherein the second location is within a predefined distance from the target location.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second location identifies a second cell tower and the target location identifies a target cell tower, and wherein the second cell tower is located within a predefined distance from the target cell tower.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more electronic devices to cause the one or more electronic devices to perform the following operation:

designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices based on a predefined number of the one or more candidate devices having the most candidate observations.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more electronic devices to cause the one or more electronic devices to perform the following operation:

designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices if a number of unique second locations within the one or more candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices is more than or equal to a predefined number.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable by the one or more electronic devices to cause the one or more electronic devices to perform the following operation:

designating the one or more candidate devices as being associated devices based on a variability of the second times of the one or more candidate observations of the one or more candidate devices.