Electronic-device detection and activity association

• US 10,805,775 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2017
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leeo, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Jon Castor
• Inventors: Castor, Jon, Stevens, Andrew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sciacca, Scott M
• Application Number:
  US15/783,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3404 for parallel or distributed programming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

An electronic device may receive information associated with another electronic device that is proximate to the electronic device. Then, the electronic device may identify the other electronic device based on an identifier (such as a Media Access Control address) that is included in the information that is associated with the other electronic device. Moreover, the electronic device may access a pattern of activity for a region that includes the electronic device, where the pattern of activity includes events and identifiers of one or more electronic devices in the region during the events. For example, the events may include reported criminal activity. Next, the electronic device may determine an association between the other electronic device and at least one of the events based on the pattern of activity. Furthermore, the electronic device may provide a notification based on the determined association.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an interface circuit configured to communicate with one or more other electronic devices;

a processor electrically coupled to the interface circuit; and

memory, electrically coupled to the processor, storing program instructions, wherein, when executed by the processor, the program instructions cause the electronic device to perform one or more operations comprising;

receiving, using the interface circuit, first association information for a first set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the first association information is based at least in part on a presence of a monitoring electronic device at a fixed location for a first time duration, and wherein the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices are within a first distance of the fixed location;

establishing one or more associations with the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices based at least in part on the first association information;

receiving, using the interface circuit, second association information for a second set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the second association information is based at least in part on a presence of the monitoring electronic device at the fixed location for a second time duration, wherein the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices are within a second distance of the fixed location, and wherein the second time duration is greater than the first time duration, and the second distance is greater than the first distance;

establishing one or more associations with the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices based at least in part on the second association information;

receiving, using the interface circuit, information associated with another electronic device;

identifying the other electronic device based on an identifier included in the information that is associated with the other electronic device;

accessing a pattern of activity for a region that includes the electronic device, wherein the pattern of activity is associated with information associated with one or more of;

the monitoring electronic device, a first additional monitoring electronic device in the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices, or a second additional monitoring electronic device in the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the pattern of activity comprises events and identifiers of one or more electronic devices in the region during the events, wherein a presence of a given identifier of a given one of the one or more electronic devices indicates that the given one of the one or more electronic devices was in the region during a given event in the pattern of activity, and wherein the one or more electronic devices have dynamic positions that are sometimes outside of the region;

determining an association between the other electronic device and at least one of the events based on the pattern of activity, wherein the determining the association comprises determining a statistical association between the other electronic device and at least the one of the events; and

providing a notification based on the determined association.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the events comprise one of:

reported criminal activity, a type of service, or another neighborhood activity.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises one of:

a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the other electronic device;

or is associated with an application that is installed on the other electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein accessing the pattern of activity comprises:

providing, via the interface circuit, a request intended for a computer for the pattern of activity; and

receiving, via the interface circuit, a response associated with the computer with the pattern of activity.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the pattern of activity is associated with a time interval.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the other electronic device is received using wireless communication.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises a recommendation that the other electronic device be allowed to pair, connect or associate with a wireless network in the region based on a repeated presence of the other electronic device in the region.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with an electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein, when executed by the electronic device, the program instructions cause the electronic device to provide a notification by performing one or more operations, comprising:

receiving, using an interface circuit in the electronic device, first association information for a first set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the first association information is based at least in part on a presence of a monitoring electronic device at a fixed location for a first time duration, and wherein the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices are within a first distance of the fixed location;

establishing one or more associations with the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices based at least in part on the first association information;

receiving, using the interface circuit, second association information for a second set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the second association information is based at least in part on a presence of the monitoring electronic device at the fixed location for a second time duration, wherein the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices are within a second distance of the fixed location, and wherein the second time duration is greater than the first time duration, and the second distance is greater than the first distance;

establishing one or more associations with the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices based at least in part on the second association information;

receiving, using the interface circuit, information associated with another electronic device;

identifying the other electronic device based on an identifier included in the information that is associated with the other electronic device;

accessing a pattern of activity for a region that includes the electronic device, wherein the pattern of activity is associated with information associated with one or more of;

the monitoring electronic device, a first additional monitoring electronic device in the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices, or a second additional monitoring electronic device in the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the pattern of activity comprises events and identifiers of one or more electronic devices in the region during the events, wherein a presence of a given identifier of a given one of the one or more electronic devices indicates that the given one of the one or more electronic devices was in the region during a given event in the pattern of activity, and wherein the one or more electronic devices have dynamic positions that are sometimes outside of the region;

determining an association between the other electronic device and at least one of the events based on the pattern of activity, wherein the determining the association comprises determining a statistical association between the other electronic device and at least the one of the events; and

providing the notification based on the determined association.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the events comprise one of:

reported criminal activity, a type of service, or another neighborhood activity.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the identifier comprises one of:

a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the other electronic device;

or is associated with an application that is installed on the other electronic device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein accessing the pattern of activity comprises:

providing, via the interface circuit, a request intended for a computer for the pattern of activity; and

receiving, via the interface circuit, a response associated with the computer with the pattern of activity.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the pattern of activity is associated with a time interval.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the other electronic device is received using wireless communication.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the notification comprises a recommendation that the other electronic device be allowed to pair, connect or associate with a wireless network in the region based on a repeated presence of the other electronic device in the region.

15. A method for providing a notification, comprising:

by an electronic device;

receiving, using an interface circuit in the electronic device, first association information for a first set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the first association information is based at least in part on a presence of a monitoring electronic device at a fixed location for a first time duration, and wherein the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices are within a first distance of the fixed location;

establishing one or more associations with the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices based at least in part on the first association information;

receiving, using the interface circuit, second association information for a second set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the second association information is based at least in part on a presence of the monitoring electronic device at the fixed location for a second time duration, wherein the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices are within a second distance of the fixed location, and wherein the second time duration is greater than the first time duration, and the second distance is greater than the first distance;

establishing one or more associations with the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices based at least in part on the second association information;

receiving, using the interface circuit, information associated with another electronic device;

identifying the other electronic device based on an identifier included in the information that is associated with the other electronic device;

accessing a pattern of activity for a region that includes the electronic device, wherein the pattern of activity is associated with information associated with one or more of;

the monitoring electronic device, a first additional monitoring electronic device in the first set of additional monitoring electronic devices, or a second additional monitoring electronic device in the second set of additional monitoring electronic devices, wherein the pattern of activity comprises events and identifiers of one or more electronic devices in the region during the events, wherein the events in the pattern of activity occurred at or proximate locations of the one or more electronic devices that are different from a location of the electronic device;

determining an association between the other electronic device and at least one of the events based on the pattern of activity, wherein a presence of a given identifier of a given one of the one or more electronic devices indicates that the given one of the one or more electronic devices was in the region during a given event in the pattern of activity, and wherein the one or more electronic devices have dynamic positions that are sometimes outside of the region; and

providing the notification based on the determined association.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the events comprise one of:

reported criminal activity, a type of service, or another neighborhood activity.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the identifier comprises one of:

a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the other electronic device;

or is associated with an application that is installed on the other electronic device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein accessing the pattern of activity comprises:

providing, via the interface circuit, a request intended for a computer for the pattern of activity; and

receiving, via the interface circuit, a response associated with the computer with the pattern of activity.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification comprises a recommendation that the other electronic device be allowed to pair, connect or associate with a wireless network in the region based on a repeated presence of the other electronic device in the region.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the information associated with the other electronic device is received using wireless communication.