Systems and Methods for Managing Lost Devices

• US 20120075099A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Certicom Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Brown, Daniel Richard L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,836,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for a device to determine that it has been lost is provided. The method comprises the device determining its current location, the device comparing its current location to a plurality of stored locations, and the device determining that it has been lost when its current location is a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is unlikely to be located or is not a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is likely to be located.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a component configured such that when the device learns that the device has been lost, the device produces at least one alert that includes at least one of;

a flashing of a camera flash component on the device;

a flashing of a display screen on the device;

upon the device detecting that the device is in a location with a wireless internet connection, a transmission of a message to a target device associated with the detected location; and

upon the device detecting that the device has moved, an emission of a visible or audible signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device learns that the device has been lost by receiving a message indicating that the device has been lost.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device learns that the device has been lost without receiving a message indicating that the device has been lost.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device learns that the device has been lost by:

the device determining its current location;

the device comparing its current location to a plurality of stored locations; and

the device determining that it has been lost when its current location is one of;

a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is unlikely to be located, and

not a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is likely to be located.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the device learns that the device has been lost by at least one of:

the device determining by means of a positioning system that the device has not moved for a period of time longer than a pre-specified period of time, and determining that the device is not in a location where a lack of movement of the device is considered likely;

the device determining by a lack of detected sound that the device is in an unoccupied location, and determining by means of a positioning system that the device is not in a location that is considered likely to be unoccupied;

the device detecting a sound associated with a location where the device is unlikely to be located; and

the device failing for a pre-specified length of time to detect a sound associated with a location where the device is likely to be located.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is further capable, upon learning that the device has been lost, of producing at least one alert that includes at least one of:

a display of a message on a display screen on the device;

an emission of an audible signal; and

a production of a spoken message transmitted to the device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the device produces a plurality of alerts in a pre-specified sequence, relatively less noticeable alerts occurring earlier in the sequence than relatively more noticeable alerts.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the device does not produce at least one of the alerts when a battery level of the device is below a pre-specified level.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the device selects an alert based on a characteristic of an environment detected by the device, the selected alert being a light-based alert when the device detects that the device is in an environment with a light level below a pre-specified value, and the selected alert being a sound-based alert when the device detects that the device is in an environment with a sound level below a pre-specified value.

10. A method for a device to determine that it has been lost, comprising:

the device determining its current location;

the device comparing its current location to a plurality of stored locations; and

the device determining that it has been lost when its current location is one of;

a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is unlikely to be located, and

not a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is likely to be located.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, upon the device determining that it has been lost, the device produces at least one alert that includes at least one of:

a flashing of a camera flash component on the device;

a flashing of a display screen on the device;

upon the device detecting that the device is in a location with a wireless internet connection, a transmission of a message to a target device associated with the detected location;

upon the device detecting that the device has moved, an emission of a visible or audible signal;

a display of a message on a display screen on the device;

an emission of an audible signal; and

a production of a spoken message transmitted to the device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the device produces a plurality of alerts in a pre-specified sequence, relatively less noticeable alerts occurring earlier in the sequence than relatively more noticeable alerts.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the device does not produce at least one of the alerts when a battery level of the device is below a pre-specified value.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the device selects an alert based on a characteristic of an environment detected by the device, the selected alert being a light-based alert when the device detects that the device is in an environment with a light level below a pre-specified value, and the selected alert being a sound-based alert when the device detects that the device is in an environment with a sound level below a pre-specified value.

15. A device, comprising:

a component configured such that the device emits light intermittently when the device learns that the device has been lost.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the intermittent light is produced by at least one of:

a camera flash component on the device; and

a display screen on the device.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is further capable, upon learning that the device has been lost, of producing at least one alert in addition to the intermittent emission of light.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the at least one additional alert includes at least one of:

upon the device detecting that the device is in a location with a wireless internet connection, a transmission of a message to a target device associated with the detected location; and

upon the device detecting that the device has moved, an emission of a visible or audible signal.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the device learns that the device has been lost by receiving a message indicating that the device has been lost.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the device learns that the device has been lost by at least one of:

the device determining its current location, comparing its current location to a plurality of stored locations, and determining that it has been lost when its current location is a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is unlikely to be located or is not a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is likely to be located;

the device determining by means of a positioning system that the device has not moved for a period of time longer than a pre-specified period of time, and determining that the device is not in a location where a lack of movement of the device is considered likely;

the device determining by a lack of detected sound that the device is in an unoccupied location, and determining by means of a positioning system that the device is not in a location that is considered likely to be unoccupied;

the device detecting a sound associated with a location where the device is unlikely to be located; and

the device failing for a pre-specified length of time to detect a sound associated with a location where the device is likely to be located.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the device is further capable, upon learning that the device has been lost, of producing at least one alert that includes at least one of:

a display of a message on a display screen on the device;

an emission of an audible signal; and

a production of a spoken message transmitted to the device.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the device produces a plurality of alerts in a pre-specified sequence, relatively less noticeable alerts occurring earlier in the sequence than relatively more noticeable alerts.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the device does not produce at least one of the alerts when a battery level of the device is below a pre-specified value.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the device selects an alert based on a characteristic of an environment detected by the device, the selected alert being a light-based alert when the device detects that the device is in an environment with a light level below a pre-specified value, and the selected alert being a sound-based alert when the device detects that the device is in an environment with a sound level below a pre-specified value.