Distance alarm and notification device for use with mobile phone

• US 7,006,822 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Hideji, Kashu, Hiroomi, Otsuka, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US10/047,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20020094784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/421, 455/456.1, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/41.2, 340/539.21, 340/539.23, 340/686.1, 340/571
• US Class Current: 455/421
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A mobile phone set including a mobile phone and a warning apparatus detects an electric field strength of a second electric wave transmitted from the mobile phone and the warning apparatus, and gives a warning sound and the like, which enables users to recognize the fact when the mobile phone is lost or stolen.

Claims

1. A mobile phone set including a mobile phone and a mobile warning apparatus,

wherein the mobile warning apparatus transmits a specific electric wave addressed to the mobile phone,

and the mobile phone comprises:

storage means for storing contact information of a predetermined party including a mail address and a warning message;

measuring means for measuring an electric field strength of the transmitted specific electric wave;

judging means for judging whether the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than a threshold value;

acquiring means for acquiring position information showing a position of the mobile phone; and

notifying means for notifying the predetermined party of the position information when the judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value,

wherein the notifying means includes;

mail generating means for reading the warning message, and generating first mail for informing the warning message, and second mail for informing the position information acquired by the acquiring means; and

mail transmitting means for reading the mail address and transmitting, to the mail address, the first mail and the second mail.

2. The mobile phone set of claim 1,

wherein the storage means stores a telephone number of a predetermined party,

and the notifying means further includes:

audio generating means for reading the warning message from the storage means, and generating audio data for the warning message and for the position information, according to the warning message and the position information acquired by the acquiring means;

connecting means the connecting the predetermined party by reading out the telephone number from the storage means, and by calling the telephone number; and

audio outputting means for outputting the audio data generated by the audio generating means.

3. The mobile phone set of claim 2,

wherein the mobile phone further comprises:

instruction receiving means for receiving an operation instruction from a user,

and control providing means for providing a control to invalidate the operation instruction from the user, when the judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value.

4. The mobile phone set of claim 3,

wherein the instruction receiving means further receives a personal identification number inputted by the user,

and the control providing means includes

a control canceling unit for canceling the control upon receiving the personal identification number.

5. The mobile phone set of claim 1,

wherein the mobile phone further comprises:

instruction receiving means for receiving an operation instruction from a user,

and control providing means for providing a control to invalidate the operation instruction from the user, when the judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value.

6. The mobile phone set of claim 5

wherein the instruction receiving means further receives a personal identification number inputted by the user,

and the control providing means includes

a control canceling unit for canceling the control upon receiving the personal identification number.

7. A mobile phone which receives a specific electric wave transmitted from a mobile warning apparatus, comprising:

storage means for storing contact information of a predetermined party including a mail address of the predetermined party and a warning message;

measuring means for measuring an electric field strength of the transmitted specific electric wave;

judging means for judging whether the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than a threshold value;

acquiring means for acquiring position information showing a position of the mobile phone; and

notifying means for notifying the predetermined party, when the judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value,

of the position information,

wherein the notifying means includes;

mail generating means for reading the warning message, and generating first mail for informing the warning message, and second mail for informing the position information acquired by the acquiring means;

mail transmitting means for reading the mail address and transmitting, to the mail address, the first mail and the second mail.

8. The mobile phone of claim 7,

wherein the storage means stores a telephone number of a predetermined party and a warning message,

and the notifying means includes:

audio generating means for reading the warning message from the storage means, and generating audio data for the warning message and for the position information, according to the warning message and the position information acquired by the acquiring means;

connecting means for connecting the predetermined party by reading out the telephone number from the storage means, and by calling the telephone number; and

audio outputting means for outputting the audio data generated by the audio generating means.

9. The mobile phone of claim 8,

wherein the mobile phone further comprises:

instruction receiving means for receiving an operation instruction from a user,

and control providing means for providing a control to invalidate the operation instruction from the user, when the judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value.

10. The mobile phone of claim 9,

wherein the instruction receiving means further receives a personal identification number inputted by the user,

and the control providing means includes

a control canceling unit for canceling the control upon receiving the personal identification number.

11. The mobile phone of claim 7,

wherein the mobile phone further comprises:

instruction receiving means for receiving an operation instruction from a user,

and control providing means for providing a control to invalidate the operation instruction from the user, when the judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value.

12. The mobile phone of claim 11,

wherein the instruction receiving means further receives a personal identification number inputted by the user,

and the control providing means includes

a control canceling unit for canceling the control upon receiving the personal identification number.

13. A mobile phone which receives a specific electric wave transmitted from a mobile warning apparatus, comprising:

storage means for storing contact information of a predetermined party;

instruction receiving means for receiving, from a user, a setting instruction for a first mode and a setting instruction for a second mode, each of the first and second modes having a threshold value for an electric field strength of the specific electric wave;

mode storage means for storing, in correspondence, a mode which is set to be on by the user and the threshold value,

measuring means for measuring the electric field strength for the specific electric wave;

first judging means for judging, when the first mode is set to be on, whether the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value for the first mode;

second judging means for judging, when the second mode is set to be on, whether the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value for the second mode;

notifying means for notifying the predetermined party when the first judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value; and

warning means for giving a warning when second judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value.

14. The mobile phone of claim 13, further comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring position information showing a position of the mobile phone;

wherein the notifying means notifies the predetermined party of the acquired position information by the acquiring means.

15. A mobile phone system comprising a reception apparatus located at a remote security company and the mobile phone which receives a specific electric wave and which is carried, by a user, with a mobile warning apparatus transmitting a specific electric wave to the mobile phone,

the mobile phone comprising:

measuring means for measuring an electric field strength of the specific electric wave;

judging means for judging whether the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value;

notifying means for notifying the reception apparatus, when the judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value, and

the reception apparatus comprising;

storage means for storing, in correspondence, identification data identifying one or more mobile phones registered in the security company in advance and countermeasure data showing a countermeasure to be executed for each mobile phone; and

specifying means for specifying the identification data of the mobile phone upon receiving the notification from the mobile phone, and for specifying countermeasure data which corresponds to the mobile phone by referring to the correspondence between the identification data and the countermeasure data.

16. The mobile phone of claim 15, further comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring position information showing a position of the mobile phone;

wherein the notifying means notifies the predetermined party of the acquired position information by the acquiring means.

17. The mobile phone of claim 16,

wherein the mobile phone further comprises:

instruction receiving means for receiving an operation instruction from a user,

and control providing means for providing a control to invalidate the operation instruction from the user, when the judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value.

18. The mobile phone of claim 17,

wherein the instruction receiving means further receives a personal identification number inputted by the user,

and the control providing means includes

a control canceling unit for canceling the control upon receiving the personal identification number.

19. A mobile phone which receives a specific electric wave transmitted from a mobile warning apparatus, comprising:

instruction receiving means for receiving, from a user, a setting instruction for a first mode and a setting instruction for a second mode, each of the first and second modes having a threshold value for an electric field strength of the specific electric wave;

mode storage means for storing, in correspondence, a mode which his set to be on by the user and the threshold value;

measuring means for measuring the electric field strength for the specific electric wave;

first judging means for judging, when the first mode is set to be on, whether a measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value for the first mode;

second judging means for judging, when the second mode is set to be on, whether the measured value of the electric filed strength is smaller than the threshold value for the second mode; and

notifying means for making a notification when the first judging means or the second judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value.

20. The mobile phone of claim 19 wherein,

the notifying means makes a notification in the first manner when the first judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value, and makes a notification in a second manner when the second judging means judges that the measured value of the electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value.