# US 2014/0197952 A1 · Alert for real-time risk of theft or loss

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- Number: US 2014/0197952 A1
- Document ID: US20140197952A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/217,861
- Filed: 2014-03-18
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-09
- Assignees: Absolute Software Corporation
- Applicants: Absolute Software Corporation
- Inventors: Timothy Parker; Damien Gerard Loveland
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197952A1

## CPC

- G08B 13/22: Electrical actuation
- G08B 13/14: by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
- G08B 21/22: responsive to presence or absence of persons
- G08B 31/00: Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data
- H04W 12/12: Detection or prevention of fraud
- H04W 12/126: Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
- G08B 13/1427: {with transmitter-receiver for distance detection}
- H04W 12/63: Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
- H04W 12/67: Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Devices, methods, systems and a computer readable medium for the provision of alerts to electronic devices in response to real-time, location based analysis of the risk of theft or loss of such devices are provided. A continually updated database of locations of thefts, losses and/or stolen or lost electronic devices is accessed in order to provide the alerts to the electronic devices.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-11. (canceled)

### Claim 12

A computer-implemented method of determining whether to alert a user of a monitored electronic device regarding risk of theft, the method comprising:
determining a location of the monitored electronic device;
retrieving location data associated with other monitored electronic devices;
determining a zone for assessing a theft risk associated with the location of the monitored electronic device, wherein determining the zone comprises determining a zone size based at least partly on the retrieved location data associated with the other monitored devices; and
determining, based at least partly on location data associated with reported thefts of the monitored electronic devices, whether to alert the user of a theft risk level associated with location;
said method performed programmatically by a computerized system.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining the zone comprises determining the zone size based at least partly on a density of monitored electronic devices.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining the zone comprises defining the zone as an area within a selected distance of the monitored electronic device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the zone size is based additionally on a precision with which location coordinates of the monitored electronic device are detected.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the location data associated with reported thefts comprises theft location data.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the location data associated with reported thefts comprises locations of monitored devices that are currently reported as stolen.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether to alert the user comprises calculating the theft risk level of the zone substantially in real time.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether to alert the user comprises determining whether a number of reported thefts within the zone within a selected time period satisfies a threshold.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether to alert the user comprises taking into consideration dates of reported thefts within the zone.

### Claim 21 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising providing the alert to the user by transmitting to the monitored electronic device a message that causes the monitored electronic device to output an alert message.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising calculating a time-averaged risk profile of the zone based at least partly on the location data associated with reported thefts, and providing the time-averaged risk profile to a third party.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the time-averaged risk profile indicates a risk level trend of the zone.

### Claim 24 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the monitored electronic device is a device that is not currently reported as stolen.

### Claim 25 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the method is performed by a monitoring system that monitors locations and theft statuses of the monitored electronic devices.

### Claim 26

Non-transitory computer storage having stored thereon executable program code that directs a computer system to at least:
maintain a database of data regarding locations and thefts of mobile electronic devices;
define a zone for assessing theft risk, wherein defining the zone comprises selecting a zone size based at least partly on said data;
determining a risk level associated with the zone based at least partly on said data; and
determining, based on the risk level, whether to provide an alert to a mobile electronic device located in the zone.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 26, wherein the zone size is selected based at least partly on a density of the mobile electronic devices.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 26, wherein the zone is defined as an area falling within a selected distance of said mobile electronic device.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 26, wherein the zone size is based additionally on a precision with which a location of the mobile electronic device is known.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 26, wherein the risk level is determined based at least partly on a number of theft events within the zone.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 30, wherein the risk level is determined based additionally on dates of the theft events.

### Claim 32 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 26, wherein the risk level is determined substantially in real time for the mobile electronic device.

### Claim 33 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 26, wherein the program code further directs the computer system to generate a time-averaged risk profile of the zone based on said data.

### Claim 34

A method of determining whether to alert a user of a mobile electronic device regarding risk of theft, the method comprising:
receiving information indicative of a current location of the mobile electronic device;
dynamically defining a zone centered about the mobile electronic device; and
determining, based at least partly on mobile electronic device theft events occurring within the dynamically defined zone, whether to alert the user of a theft risk associated with said location;
said method performed programmatically by a computerized system that communicates with and monitors a plurality of mobile electronic devices.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein dynamically defining the zone comprises dynamically selecting a zone size.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the zone size is selected based at least partly on a density of monitored mobile electronic devices.

### Claim 37 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein determining whether to alert the user comprises determining whether a number of theft events within the zone within a selected time period satisfies a threshold.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein the determination of whether to alert the user is based additionally on dates of said theft events within the zone.