Computational systems and methods for locating a mobile device

• US 9,332,393 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2011
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Burger, Douglas C., Lord, Robert W., Wood, Victoria Y. H., Kare, Jordin T., Tegreene, Clarence T., Chandra, Ranveer, Malamud, Mark A., Zhong, Lin, Levien, Royce A., Whitmer, Charles, Dyor, Matthew G., Mundie, Craig J., Bahl, Paramvir, Lord, Richard T., Wood, JR., Lowell L., Gates, William, Myhrvold, Nathan P., Holman, Pablos, Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Hyde, Roderick A., Paek, Tim, Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Tan, Desney S.
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US13/341,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,585 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/550.1, 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/566, 455/572, 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0221 power availability or consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are described relating to accepting an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device; and presenting an indication of location of the at least one mobile device at least partially based on accepting the indication of the inertial impact associated with the at least one mobile device. Additionally, systems and methods are described relating to means for accepting an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device; and means for presenting an indication of location of the at least one mobile device at least partially based on accepting the indication of the inertial impact associated with the at least one mobile device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

(a) an accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices; and

(b) a presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module, including at least;

(1) a hibernation mode accepter module configured to initiate a hibernation mode of the at least one mobile device responsive at least in part to receiving an indication at least in part via the accepter module that the at at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen; and

wherein at least one of the accepter module or the presenter module is implemented at least in part with hardware.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing comprises:

an accelerometer accepter module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices comprises:

a switch accepter module configured to receive an indication of an inertial impact associated with the at least one mobile device wherein the at least one mobile device includes at least an intertial switch that is configured, responsive to an indication of an inertial impact, to disable at least one function of the at least one mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices comprises:

a vibration accepter module.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the vibration accepter module comprises:

a seismic accepter module.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices comprises:

a threshold accepter module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices comprises:

an application terminator module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the application terminator module comprises:

a program terminator module.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the application terminator module comprises:

a link terminator module configured to save battery power at least in part by terminating a wireless communication link to at least a wireless router.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices comprises:

a phone location accepter module.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices comprises:

a computer location accepter module.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices comprises:

a power failure accepter module, configured to accept an indication of at least a partial power failure proximate to the inertial impact associated with the at least one mobile device, wherein the at least one mobile device includes at least a back-up power source.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the accepter module configured to accept an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the accepter module configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices comprises:

a temperature accepter module.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module comprises:

a second device presenter module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second device presenter module comprises:

a mobile device presenter module.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second device presenter module comprises:

a dedicated presenter module.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module comprises:

a location transmitter module.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module comprises:

a sound presenter module.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the sound presenter module comprises:

a computer sound presenter module.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer sound presenter module comprises:

a computer voice presenter module.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module comprises:

a vibration presenter module.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module comprises:

a visible indication presenter module.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the visible indication presenter module comprises:

a light presenter module.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module comprises:

a third party presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device to a third party.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the third party presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device to a third party comprises:

a service presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device to at least one of a phone locating service, a phone service provider, or another mobile device.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module comprises:

a remote presenter module.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the presenter module configured to present an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the presenter module configured to be responsive at least in part to the accepter module comprises:

a GPS presenter module.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the hibernation mode accepter module configured, responsive at least in part to receiving an indication at least in part via the accepter module that the at at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, to initiate a hibernation mode of the at least one mobile device comprises:

a second impact accepter module.

29. A system comprising:

(a) circuitry for accepting an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the circuitry for accepting configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices; and

(b) circuitry for presenting an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the circuitry for presenting configured to be responsive at least in part to the circuitry for accepting, including at least;

(1) circuitry for initiating a hibernation mode of the at least one mobile device responsive at least in part to receiving an indication, at least in part via the circuitry for accepting, that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen.

30. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory medium bearing;

(a) one or more instructions for accepting an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device indicative that the at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen, the one or more instructions for accepting configured to accept as the indication of the inertial impact an indication received at least in part via one or more sensing devices; and

(b) one or more instructions for presenting an indication of location of the at least one mobile device, the one or more instructions for presenting configured to be responsive at least in part to the one or more instructions for accepting, including at least;

(1) one or more instructions for initiating a hibernation mode of the at least one mobile device responsive at least in part to receiving an indication, at least in part via the one or more instructions for accepting, that the at at least one mobile device has at least one of dropped or fallen.