Method and apparatus for notifying a user of separation from a mobile device

• US 8,068,847 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2006
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Opiyo, Lawrence Ongud, Hepworth, Neil, Hamilton, Katherine, Fegan, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, KUO-KONG
• Application Number:
  US11/463,523
• Time in Patent Office: 1,938 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/423, 455/67.12, 455/550.1, 455/456.3, 370/223, 340/571, 340/539, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/505, 342/457, 709/223, 709/224, 709/204, 709/245, 701/207, 701/214
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system and method for notifying a person that they have become separated from their mobile communication device. A comparison between location information for the device and presence information for the person is used to determine whether or not a separation exists. Certain corrective actions are possible in order to mitigate the consequences of the separation. A separation may be allowed to exist within a certain maximum allowable distance of separation without the system or method notifying the person.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a person of a separation between the person and a cellular telephone, comprising:

a processor executing a notification application, a location determining application, and a presence application;

the notification application receiving physical location information for the cellular telephone from the location determining application;

the notification application receiving presence information from the presence application, wherein the presence information includes an approximate location for the person, wherein to generate the presence information the presence application;

receiving an electronic event;

determining that the electronic event pertains to the person;

determining an approximate physical location of the electronic event;

inferring that the person is located at the approximate physical location;

providing the approximate physical location as presence information;

the notification application comparing the physical location information for the cellular telephone and the approximate location for the person derived from the presence information;

the notification application determining if the physical location information for the cellular telephone and the approximate location for the person is different;

the notification application calculating the separation between the physical location information for the cellular telephone and the approximate location for the person;

the notification application comparing the separation to a predetermined distance;

when the separation is greater than the predetermined distance, the notification application determining that the person and the cellular telephone are separated; and

in response to determining that the person and the cellular telephone are separated, the notification application communicating with a secondary communication device to notify the person of the separation wherein the secondary communication device is in a vicinity of the person.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of notifying is achieved by means of an electronic message sent to the secondary communication device associated with the person.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the secondary communication device is chosen from a plurality of communications devices associated with the person, wherein the choice is made based on an analysis of the presence information for the person.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of notifying the person of the separation is achieved by means of an electronic message sent to all communication devices associated with the person.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the person for a course of action to be taken, wherein the course of action comprises at least one of;

a) reporting the cellular telephone stolen;

b) redirecting communications to an alternative communication device associated with the person;

c) enabling an unavailable message to be issued by the cellular telephone; and

d) sending a disable signal to the cellular telephone that causes the cellular telephone to shut down and lock.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is configurable and represents a maximum allowable distance of separation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of determining physical location information for the cellular telephone and determining the approximate physical location for the person are performed by applications external to the cellular telephone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of determining physical location information for the cellular telephone and determining the approximate physical location for the person are performed by applications internal to the cellular telephone.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the presence detection application includes a heuristic algorithm.

10. A notification system, comprising:

a wireless device associated with a person;

a location determining application configured to determine the GPS location of the wireless device using a GPS system of the wireless device;

a presence detection application configured to;

receive an electronic event;

determine that the electronic event pertains to the person;

determine an approximate physical location of the electronic event;

infer that the person is located at the approximate physical location;

provide the approximate physical location as presence information; and

a notification application configured to;

acquire location information for the wireless device from the location determining application;

acquire the approximate physical location for the person from the presence detection application;

determine if the physical location information for the cellular telephone and the approximate location for the person is different;

calculate a distance of the separation between the physical location information for the cellular telephone and the approximate location for the person;

compare the separation to a predetermined distance;

when the separation is greater than the predetermined distance, determine that the wireless device has become separated from the person; and

communicate with a secondary communication device to notify the person of the separation.

11. The notification system of claim 10, wherein the notification application is configured to notify the person by an electronic communication sent to the secondary communication device associated with the person.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the secondary communication device is chosen from a plurality of communications devices associated with the person, wherein the choice is made based on an analysis of the presence information for the person.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification application is configured to notify the person of the separation by means of an electronic message sent to all communication devices associated with the person.

14. The notification system of claim 10, wherein the notification application is configured to prompt the person for a course of action and executing the course of action, wherein the course of action comprises at least one of:

a) reporting wireless device stolen;

b) redirecting communications to an alternative communication device associated with the person; and

c) enabling an unavailable message to be issued by the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification application is configured to calculate the distance of separation based on the GPS location information for the wireless device and the approximate physical location for the person, and wherein the predetermined distance is a configurable parameter, wherein the configurable parameter represents a maximum allowable distance of separation.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification application and the presence detection application are external to the wireless device.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification application and the presence detection application are internal to the wireless device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the presence detection application comprises a heuristic algorithm.

19. A notification system, comprising:

a memory operable to store computer executable instructions;

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to execute a method for notifying a user of a separation between the user and a mobile device, the computer executable instructions comprising;

instructions for providing wireless communication with a cellular telephone;

instructions for determining a GPS location information for the cellular telephone;

instructions for receiving an electronic event;

instructions for determining that the electronic event pertains to the person;

instructions for determining an approximate physical location of the electronic event;

instructions for inferring that the person is located at the approximate physical location;

instructions for providing the approximate physical location as presence information;

instructions for determining if the physical location information for the cellular telephone and the approximate location for the person is different;

instructions for calculating a distance of the separation between the physical location information for the cellular telephone and the approximate location for the person;

instructions for comparing the distance of the separation to a predetermined distance;

when the separation is greater than the predetermined distance, instructions for determining that a separation exists between the cellular telephone; and

instructions for communicating with a secondary communication device to notify the user of the separation.

20. The notification system of claim 19, wherein the secondary communication device comprises a communication device other than the cellular telephone.