# US 10,373,476 B2 · Preventing the loss of wireless accessories for mobile devices

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- Number: US 10,373,476 B2
- Document ID: US10373476B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/800,117
- Filed: 2017-11-01
- Published: 2019-03-28
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-25
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Luke N. Buschmann; Brad Hoover; John Werner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373476B2

## CPC

- G08B 21/24: Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
- G08B 21/0277: {Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth®, piconet, Zigbee®, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]}
- G08B 21/22: responsive to presence or absence of persons
- H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- G08B 21/0269: {System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS}
- G08B 21/0272: {System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS}
- H04M 1/6066: {including a wireless connection}
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for preventing the loss of wireless accessories for mobile devices. Aspects include calculating, by a processor, a distance between a mobile device and at least one of two or more wireless accessories in communication with the mobile device an determining whether the distance between the mobile device and the at least one of two or more wireless accessories is greater than a first threshold distance. Aspects also include generating an alert by the mobile device that indicates that the at least one of two or more wireless accessories is greater than the threshold distance away from the mobile device based on a determination that the distance between the mobile device and the at least one of two or more wireless accessories is greater than the first threshold distance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer implemented method for preventing a loss of wireless accessories for a mobile device, the computer implemented method comprises:
calculating, by a processor, a distance between a mobile device and at least one of two or more wireless accessories in communication with the mobile device;
determining whether the distance between the mobile device and the at least one of two or more wireless accessories is greater than a first threshold distance;
determining a distance between each of the two or more wireless accessories;
determining whether the distance between the two or more wireless accessories is greater than a second threshold distance;
based on a determination that the distance between the mobile device and the at least one of two or more wireless accessories is greater than the first threshold distance, generating an alert by the mobile device that indicates that the at least one of two or more wireless accessories is greater than the threshold distance away from the mobile device; and
based on a determination that the distance between the two or more wireless accessories is greater than the second threshold distance, generating an alert by the mobile device that the distance between the two or more wireless accessories is greater than the second threshold distance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first threshold distances and the second threshold distance are determined based on a location of the mobile device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein cognitive analytics are used to monitor locations visited by a user of the mobile device and at least one of the first threshold distance and the second threshold distance varies based on a current location of the mobile device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a location of the at least one of the two or more wireless accessories is greater than the first threshold distance; and
including an indication of the location in the alert.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the alert is transmitted to one of the two or more wireless accessories within the threshold distance of the mobile device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the distance between the mobile device and the at least one of two or more wireless accessories in communication with the mobile device is calculated based on a Friis transmission equation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance between each of the two or more wireless accessories comprises determining a location of each of the two or more wireless accessories and calculating the distance between each of the two or more wireless accessories.