# US 10,771,571 B2 · Method and system for pinpointing the location of an electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,571 B2 - Document ID: US10771571B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/268,137 - Filed: 2019-02-05 - Published: 2020-08-06 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-05 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: John Whiting - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771571B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal - G06F 9/4401: Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - G06F 16/90335: {Query processing} - H04L 61/5038: for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN] - H04L 61/5076: Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS - H04N 1/00928: {Initialisation or control of normal start-up or shut-down, i.e. non failure or error related} - H04W 4/33: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings - G06F 3/1204: {resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data} - G06F 3/1231: {Device related settings, e.g. IP address, Name, Identification} - G06F 3/1243: {Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning} - H04L 2101/622: Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method and system for determining the location of an electronic device, can involve detecting a change in a unique identifier associated with an electronic device connected to a subnetwork, registering a notification on the electronic device, in response to detecting the change in the unique identifier, and receiving data regarding the electronic device including a physical location of the electronic device, after the notification has been registered on the electronic device and in response to a query generated after a subsequent boot up of the electronic device. The subnetwork can include a portion of a network that shares a common address component, and the unique identifier can include a MAC (Media Access Control) address that uniquely identifies the electronic device on the network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for determining the location of an electronic device, comprising: detecting a change in a unique identifier associated with an electronic device connected to a subnetwork, wherein the change comprises at least one of a change in an address associated with the unique identifier and an addition of the address associated with the unique identifier; registering a notification on the electronic device, in response to detecting the change in the unique identifier associated with the electronic device; receiving data regarding the electronic device including a physical location of the electronic device and contact information, after the notification has been registered on the electronic device and in response to a query generated after a subsequent boot up of the electronic device; and after the subsequent boot up of the electronic device, invoking a user to define an exact physical location of the electronic device and other pertinent changes that have taken place concurrently with the change to the unique identifier. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the subnetwork comprises a portion of a network that shares a common address component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier comprises a MAC (Media Access Control) address that uniquely identifies the electronic device on the network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 further comprising triggering the change in the unique identifier associated with the electronic device by a change in the MAC address. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the change in the unique identifier associated with the electronic device comprises physical location information in addition to the MAC address. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) and wherein the invoking of the user, further comprises graphically displaying a relocation card for the user to define the exact physical location of the electronic device and the other pertinent changes. ### Claim 7 A system for determining the location of an electronic device, comprising: at least one processor; and a non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium capable of communicating with the at least one processor, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor and configured for: detecting a change in a unique identifier associated with an electronic device connected to a subnetwork, wherein the change comprises at least one of a change in an address associated with the unique identifier and an addition of the address associated with the unique identifier; registering a notification on the electronic device, in response to detecting the change in the unique identifier associated with the electronic device; receiving data regarding the electronic device including a physical location of the electronic device and contact information, after the notification has been registered on the electronic device and in response to a query generated after a subsequent boot up of the electronic device; and after the subsequent boot up of the electronic device, invoking a user to define an exact physical location of the electronic device and other pertinent changes that have taken place concurrently with the change to the unique identifier. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the subnetwork comprises a portion of a network that shares a common address component. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the subnetwork comprises a subnet comprising a logical partition of an IP (Internet Protocol) network into at least one network segment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the unique identifier comprises a MAC (Media Access Control) address that uniquely identifies the electronic device on the network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the instructions are further configured for triggering the change in the unique identifier associated with the electronic device by a change in the MAC address. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the change in the unique identifier associated with the electronic device comprises physical location information in addition to the MAC address. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the electronic device comprises an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) and wherein the invoking of the user, further comprises graphically displaying a relocation card for the user to define the exact physical location of the electronic device and the other pertinent changes. ### Claim 14 A system for determining the location of an electronic device, comprising: a subnetwork and an electronic device associated with a unique identifier, wherein a change in the unique identifier is detectable, wherein the change comprises at least one of a change in an address associated with the unique identifier and an addition of the address associated with the unique identifier; wherein in response to detecting the change in the unique identifier, a notification is registered on the electronic device, and wherein data regarding the electronic device including a physical location of the electronic device and contact information is received, after the notification has been registered on the electronic device and in response to a query generated after a subsequent boot up of the electronic device; and wherein after the subsequent boot up of the electronic device, invoking a user to define an exact physical location of the electronic device and other pertinent changes that have taken place concurrently with the change to the unique identifier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the subnetwork comprises a portion of a network that shares a common address component. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the subnetwork comprises a subnet comprising a logical partition of an IP (Internet Protocol) network into at least one network segment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16 wherein the unique identifier comprises a MAC (Media Access Control) address that uniquely identifies the electronic device on the network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein the change in the unique identifier associated with the electronic device is triggered by a change in the MAC address. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the change in the unique identifier associated with the electronic device comprises physical location information in addition to the MAC address. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the electronic device comprises an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) and wherein the invoking of the user, further comprises graphically displaying a relocation card for the user to define the exact physical location of the electronic device and the other pertinent changes.