ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND TRACKING METHOD

• US 20130157686A1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: WU, CHING-CHUNG, LIU, YOUNG-WAY
• Application Number:
  US13/465,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20130157686A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The disclosure provides an electronic device and a tracking method adapted for the apparatus. The device predefines a time period according to the requirement of a user and an alarm or information receiving party with which the device can communicate. If the device remains stationary during the time period, the device acquires a current location thereof and sends the location to the receiving party using another phone number, or an e-mail address. Therefore, the user associated with the receiving party can track and know the location of the device in real time.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a positioning unit to update a location of the electronic device in real time;

a communication unit to communicate with a preset receiving party;

a sensing unit to sense a movement of the electronic device in real time and generate a signal when the electronic device moves; and

a control unit comprising;

a motion evaluating module to determine whether the sensing unit has generated a signal within a preset time period;

a location acquiring module to acquire a current location of the electronic device from the positioning unit if the sensing unit did not generate a signal within the preset time period;

an editing module to edit and issue an alarm containing the current location of the electronic device from the location acquiring module; and

a sending control module to control the communication unit to send the alarm to the preset receiving party in a predetermined sending manner.

2. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is a G-sensor.

3. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the positioning unit is a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver.

4. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a defining module, the electronic device comprises a function interface, and the defining module is to define the preset time period and the preset receiving party on the function interface in response to user inputs.

5. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a timer, wherein when the sensing unit does not generate a signal, the motion evaluating module controls the timer to start measuring time and determines whether the sensing unit does generate the signal within the preset time period.

6. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device defines a deep sleeping mode, when the electronic device enters the deep sleeping mode in which the electronic device can consume a minimal amount of power, the control unit further comprises a mode control module to control the electronic device to enter the deep sleeping mode whenever the sending control module sends the alarm to the preset receiving party.

7. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein if the preset receiving party is a phone number, the sending control module sends a text message via SMS containing the alarm to the phone number, and if the preset receiving party is an email address, the sending control module sends an email containing the alarm to the email address.

8. A method for tracking an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a positioning unit to update a location of the electronic device in real time and a sensing unit to sense a movement of the electronic device in real time and generate a signal when the electronic device moves, the method comprising:

determining whether the sensing unit has generated a signal within a preset time period;

if the sensing unit did not generate a signal within the preset time period, acquiring a current location of the electronic device from the positioning unit;

editing and issuing an alarm containing the current location of the electronic device; and

sending the alarm to a preset receiving party in a predetermined sending manner.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the sensing unit is a G-sensor.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the positioning unit is a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the electronic device comprises a function interface, further comprising:

defining the preset time period and the preset receiving party on the function interface in response to user inputs.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, the step “

determining whether the sensing unit has generated a signal within a preset time period”

further comprising;

if the sensing unit does not generate a signal, starting measuring time and determining whether the sensing unit has generated a signal within the preset time period.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the electronic device defines a deep sleeping mode, when the electronic device enters the deep sleeping mode in which the electronic device can consume a minimal amount of power, the method further comprising:

controlling the electronic device to enter the deep sleeping mode whenever sending the alarm to the preset receiving party.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, the step “

sending the alarm to a preset receiving party in a predetermined sending manner”

further comprising;

if the preset receiving party is a phone number, sending a message via SMS containing the alarm to the phone number; and

if the preset receiving party is an email address, sending an email containing the alarm to the email address.