Mobile device loss prevention using audio and spatial indicia

• US 9,564,037 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Belvin, Marcus L., Hillary, Matthew C., Rubinger, Benjamin I.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US14/718,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20160343235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

A processor of a first loss-prevention configured mobile device detects a second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device. Responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond a configured separation distance is detected. A voice of an owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device is detected at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance. An alert is generated at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device that indicates that the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device is separated from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, via a processor of a first loss-prevention configured mobile device, a second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device;

detecting, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond a configured separation distance;

detecting, at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, a voice of an owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device; and

generating an alert at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device that indicates that the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device is separated from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a loss-prevention friends profile comprising:

for each of at least the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices;

a loss-prevention profile record that comprises a user identifier (ID) of an owner of the respective loss-prevention configured mobile device, a voice sample profile of the respective owner, and a mobile device identifier (ID) of the respective loss-prevention configured mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, where:

detecting, via the processor of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device, the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device comprises;

detecting the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device for a configured duration of time specified within a loss-prevention friends profile, where the configured duration of time comprises a proximity monitoring threshold time to begin monitoring to detect spatial separation of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices beyond the configured separation distance; and

detecting, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, the spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond the configured separation distance comprises;

detecting, responsive to detecting the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity for the configured duration of time, the spatial separation of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices beyond an audio processing threshold distance specified within the loss-prevention friends profile.

4. The method of claim 1, where the configured separation distance is specified within a loss-prevention friends profile as an audio processing threshold distance, and where:

detecting, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, the spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond the configured separation distance comprises;

obtaining the audio processing threshold distance specified within the loss-prevention friends profile;

monitoring relative locations of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices; and

detecting movement of at least one of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices that results in the at least two loss-prevention configured mobile devices spatially separating beyond the audio processing threshold distance.

5. The method of claim 1, where detecting, at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, the voice of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device comprises:

capturing audio detected by the first loss-prevention configured mobile device;

performing voice recognition of the captured audio; and

determining that a recognized voice within the captured audio matches a voice sample profile of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising obtaining a loss-prevention friends profile configured with voice sample profiles of at least the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, and where:

determining that the recognized voice within the captured audio matches the voice sample profile of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device comprises;

comparing the recognized voice sequentially to the voice sample profiles configured within the loss-prevention friends profile; and

determining that the recognized voice matches one of the voice sample profiles within the loss-prevention friends profile.

7. The method of claim 1, where:

detecting, at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, the voice of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device comprises;

identifying a voice sample profile of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device configured within a loss-prevention friends profile using a recognized voice identified within audio captured by the first loss-prevention configured mobile device; and

retrieving, from the loss-prevention friends profile, an owner identifier (ID) of the owner and a mobile device identifier (ID) of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device correlated with the recognized voice; and

generating the alert at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device that indicates that the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device is separated from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device comprises;

generating the alert with output comprising the owner ID of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the mobile device ID of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, and a global positioning system (GPS) location of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.

8. A system, comprising:

an output device; and

a processor of a first loss-prevention configured mobile device programmed to;

detect a second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss loss-prevention configured mobile device;

detect, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond a configured separation distance;

detect via the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, a voice of an owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device; and

generate, using the output device, an alert at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device that indicates that the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device is separated from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.

9. The system of claim 8, where the processor of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device is further programmed to configure a loss-prevention friends profile comprising:

for each of at least the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices;

a loss-prevention profile record that comprises a user identifier (ID) of an owner of the respective loss-prevention configured mobile device, a voice sample profile of the respective owner, and a mobile device identifier (ID) of the respective loss-prevention configured mobile device.

10. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to:

detect the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device, the processor of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device is programmed to;

detect the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device for a configured duration of time specified within a loss-prevention friends profile, where the configured duration of time comprises a proximity monitoring threshold time to begin monitoring to detect spatial separation of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices beyond the configured separation distance; and

detect, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, the spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond the configured separation distance, the processor of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device is programmed to;

detect, responsive to detecting the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity for the configured duration of time, the spatial separation of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices beyond an audio processing threshold distance specified within the loss-prevention friends profile.

11. The system of claim 8, where the configured separation distance is specified within a loss-prevention friends profile as an audio processing threshold distance, and where, in being programmed to:

detect, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, the spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond the configured separation distance, the processor of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device is programmed to;

obtain the audio processing threshold distance specified within the loss-prevention friends profile;

monitor relative locations of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices; and

detect movement of at least one of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices that results in the at least two loss-prevention configured mobile devices spatially separating beyond the audio processing threshold distance.

12. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to detect, via the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, the voice of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the processor of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device is programmed to:

capture audio detected by the first loss-prevention configured mobile device;

obtain a loss-prevention friends profile configured with voice sample profiles of at least the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device;

perform voice recognition of the captured audio;

compare the recognized voice sequentially to the voice sample profiles configured within the loss-prevention friends profile; and

determine that the recognized voice matches one of the voice sample profiles within the loss-prevention friends profile.

13. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to:

detect, via the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, the voice of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the processor of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device is programmed to;

identify a voice sample profile of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device configured within a loss-prevention friends profile using a recognized voice identified within audio captured by the first loss-prevention configured mobile device; and

retrieve, from the loss-prevention friends profile, an owner identifier (ID) of the owner and a mobile device identifier (ID) of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device correlated with the recognized voice; and

generate, using the output device, the alert at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device that indicates that the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device is separated from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the processor of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device is programmed to;

generate, using the output device, the alert with output comprising the owner ID of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the mobile device ID of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, and a global positioning system (GPS) location of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, where the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se and where the computer readable program code when executed on a computer causes the computer to;

detect, via a first loss-prevention configured mobile device, a second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device;

detect, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond a configured separation distance;

detect, at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, a voice of an owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device; and

generate an alert at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device that indicates that the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device is separated from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to configure a loss-prevention friends profile comprising:

for each of at least the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices;

a loss-prevention profile record that comprises a user identifier (ID) of an owner of the respective loss-prevention configured mobile device, a voice sample profile of the respective owner, and a mobile device identifier (ID) of the respective loss-prevention configured mobile device.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, where, in causing the computer to:

detect, via the first loss-prevention configured mobile device, the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

detect the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device for a configured duration of time specified within a loss-prevention friends profile, where the configured duration of time comprises a proximity monitoring threshold time to begin monitoring to detect spatial separation of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices beyond the configured separation distance; and

detect, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, the spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond the configured separation distance, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

detect, responsive to detecting the second loss-prevention configured mobile device in proximity for the configured duration of time, the spatial separation of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices beyond an audio processing threshold distance specified within the loss-prevention friends profile.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, where the configured separation distance is specified within a loss-prevention friends profile as an audio processing threshold distance, and where, in causing the computer to:

detect, responsive to detecting the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices in proximity, the spatial separation of the first loss-prevention configured mobile device from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device beyond the configured separation distance, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

obtain the audio processing threshold distance specified within the loss-prevention friends profile;

monitor relative locations of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices; and

detect movement of at least one of the first and the second loss-prevention configured mobile devices that results in the at least two loss-prevention configured mobile devices spatially separating beyond the audio processing threshold distance.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, where, in causing the computer to detect, at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, the voice of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to:

capture audio detected by the first loss-prevention configured mobile device;

perform voice recognition of the captured audio; and

determine that a recognized voice within the captured audio matches a voice sample profile of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to obtain a loss-prevention friends profile configured with voice sample profiles of at least the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, and where, in causing the computer to:

determine that the recognized voice within the captured audio matches the voice sample profile of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

compare the recognized voice sequentially to the voice sample profiles configured within the loss-prevention friends profile; and

determine that the recognized voice matches one of the voice sample profiles within the loss-prevention friends profile.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, where, in causing the computer to:

detect, at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device located beyond the configured separation distance, the voice of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

identify a voice sample profile of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device configured within a loss-prevention friends profile using a recognized voice identified within audio captured by the first loss-prevention configured mobile device; and

retrieve, from the loss-prevention friends profile, an owner identifier (ID) of the owner and a mobile device identifier (ID) of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device correlated with the recognized voice; and

generate the alert at the first loss-prevention configured mobile device that indicates that the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device is separated from the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

generate the alert with output comprising the owner ID of the owner of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, the mobile device ID of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device, and a global positioning system (GPS) location of the second loss-prevention configured mobile device.