Remotely locating and commanding a mobile device

• US 9,979,776 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Slack, Stuart, McCarthy, Brendan A., Guenther, Carsten, Sharp, Christopher Brooke
• Primary Examiner(s): Fang, Keith
• Application Number:
  US14/250,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 455410, 455411, 455418-420, 455466, 4554141, 4554041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods and systems are presented for remotely commanding a mobile device. In one aspect, a method includes receiving input identifying a mobile device, presenting to a user one or more remote commands corresponding to the mobile device, receiving user input selecting a remote command from the one or more presented remote commands, generating a remote command message instructing the mobile device to execute the selected remote command, and transmitting the remote command message to a server for publication in a message topic. Further, a selectable list of mobile devices associated with a remote management account can be presented to the user, the selectable list including information uniquely identifying each mobile device. Additionally, the selectable list of mobile devices can include an indication of whether an included mobile device is online.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of remotely commanding a mobile device, the method comprising:

by a computing device;

receiving input uniquely identifying a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is remotely located from the computing device;

displaying a plurality of remote commands available to be performed by the mobile device, wherein the displaying includes identifying at least one of the plurality of remote commands as enabled for execution by the mobile device and at least one other of the plurality of remote commands as disabled for execution by the mobile device;

receiving input selecting a remote command from the plurality of displayed remote commands;

generating a remote command message instructing the mobile device to execute the selected remote command; and

transmitting the remote command message to a server to communicate the remote command message to the mobile device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein communicating the remote command message to the mobile device comprises the remote command message being retrieved from the server by the mobile device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the remote command message is retrieved from the server by the mobile device in response to a notification from the server indicating that the remote command message is available for retrieval from the server.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the transmitting the remote command message to a server comprises transmitting the remote command message to a notification server for publication in a command node included in a command collection topic uniquely subscribed to by the mobile device, where the command collection topic is one of a plurality of command collection topics hosted on the notification server and the command node is one of a plurality of command nodes included in the command collection topic, wherein the notification server notifies the mobile device that the remote command message is available for retrieval in the command node, and wherein the notification server transmits the remote command message to the mobile device only in response to the mobile device accessing the command node.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a selectable list of mobile devices associated with a remote management account, the selectable list including information uniquely identifying each mobile device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

indicating, for at least one mobile device included in the selectable list of mobile devices, whether the at least one mobile device is online.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a result message confirming execution of the selected remote command by the mobile device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the remote command comprises a locate command, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

receiving a result message including geographic coordinates corresponding to a location of the mobile device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the remote command comprises a wipe command, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

receiving a result message confirming initiation of a wipe process by the mobile device; and

identifying the mobile device as an inactive device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing instructions executable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to:

display a list of one or more mobile devices associated with a remote management account;

receive input selecting a mobile device included in the list of one or more mobile devices;

display a list of two or more remote commands available to be performed by the selected mobile device, wherein the displaying the list of two or more remote commands includes identifying at least one of the two or more remote commands as enabled for execution by the selected mobile device and at least one other of the two or more remote commands as disabled for execution by the mobile device;

receive input selecting a remote command from the list of two or more remote commands;

generate a remote command message identifying the selected remote command; and

transmit the remote command message to a server to communicate the remote command message to the mobile device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable to cause the one or more data processing apparatus to:

display, for one or more mobile devices included in the presented list, an indication that the mobile device is online.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable to cause the one or more data processing apparatus to:

display a prompt requesting an item of information in response to the selected remote command.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the item of information comprises a message to be displayed on the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein communicating the remote command message to the mobile device comprises the remote command message being retrieved from the server by the mobile device in response to a notification from the server indicating that the remote command message is available for retrieval from the server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the transmitting the remote command message to a server comprises transmitting the remote command message to a notification server for publication in a command node included in a command collection topic uniquely subscribed to by the selected mobile device, where the command collection topic is one of a plurality of command collection topics hosted on the notification server and the command node is one of a plurality of command nodes included in the command collection topic, wherein the notification server notifies the mobile device that the remote command message is available for retrieval in the command node, and wherein, only in response to the mobile device accessing the command node, the notification server transmits the remote command message to the mobile device.

16. A computing system comprising:

an input interface;

a display;

a network connection configured to interface with a communication network; and

processor electronics configured to;

present, on the display, a user interface listing one or more mobile devices associated with a remote management account;

receive, via the input interface, a selection corresponding to one of the one or more mobile devices;

present, in the user interface, two or more remote commands, wherein presenting the two or more remote commands includes identifying at least one of the two or more remote commands as enabled for execution by the selected mobile device and at least one other of the two or more remote commands as disabled for execution by the selected mobile device;

receive, via the input interface, a selection corresponding to one of the two or more remote commands; and

transmit, via the network connection, a remote command message corresponding to the selected remote command to a server to communicate the remote command message to the mobile device.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the transmitting the remote command message to a server comprises transmitting a remote command message corresponding to the selected remote command to the server for publication in one of a plurality of command nodes included in a command collection topic uniquely subscribed to by the selected mobile device, wherein the notification server notifies the mobile device that the remote command message is available for retrieval in the command node, and wherein, only in response to the mobile device accessing the command node, the notification server transmits the remote command message to the mobile device.

18. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the processor electronics are further configured to:

present, in the user interface, one or more disabled remote commands corresponding to the selected mobile device;

receive, through the input interface, a selection corresponding to one of the one or more disabled remote commands; and

transmit a message to the server to be communicated to the mobile device, the message enabling the disabled remote command for execution by the selected mobile device.