Recognizable local alert for stolen or lost mobile devices
AssigneeAbsolute Software Corporation
InventorDamien Gerard Loveland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system is disclosed in which an electronic device of a user emits an identifiable alert as a result of a trigger indicating loss or theft, or probability or risk of loss or theft. Alerts may be acoustic, either audible or inaudible and may be disguised. Alerts may also be short range radio signals. Other, local electronic devices of users may detect the alert and react by transmitting their location and the information in the alert to a monitoring center. The monitoring center may respond by sending a silence code or identification information to the device detecting the alert.
Claims16
A processor-implemented method for emitting an alert from a mobile electronic device, comprising:
- receiving in the mobile electronic device a trigger;
- and
- at least partly in response to the trigger, emitting from the mobile electronic device an acoustic alert that includes encoded information that identifies the mobile electronic device,
- wherein said acoustic alert comprises a header tone series that does not identify the mobile electronic device, followed by a tone code that identifies the mobile electronic device;
- wherein said information is discernable by a further electronic device that is local to the mobile electronic device;
- and
- wherein the trigger represents a loss, theft, likelihood of loss, or likelihood of theft of the mobile electronic device.
A mobile electronic device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory comprising computer readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the mobile electronic device to at least:
- detect a trigger event that represents a loss, theft, likelihood of loss, likelihood of theft, risk of loss or risk of theft of the mobile electronic device;
- and
- at least partly in response to the trigger event, emit an acoustic alert for reception by a further electronic device that is local to the mobile electronic device;
- wherein said acoustic alert comprises a first tone sequence that does not identify the mobile electronic device and a second tone sequence that identifies the mobile electronic device;
- and
- wherein said information is discernable by the further electronic device.
A system for facilitating recovery of a lost or stolen mobile device, the system comprising:
- a server system comprising one or more physical computers, the server system responsive to a reported theft or loss of a first mobile electronic device by causing the first mobile electronic device to emit an identifying alert signal that is capable of being detected by other mobile electronic devices that are in a vicinity of the first mobile electronic device;
- and
- an executable component that runs on a second mobile electronic device, said executable component configured to cause the second mobile electronic device to detect the identifying alert signal emitted by the first mobile electronic device, to extract an identifier of the first mobile electronic device from the identifying alert signal and to send the extracted identifier of the first mobile electronic device to the server system, wherein the identifying alert signal is an acoustic alert signal that includes a header tone series that does not identify the first mobile electronic device followed by a tone code that identifies the first mobile electronic device.
A non-transitory storage medium that stores executable program code that instructs a first mobile device of a user to at least:
- listen for alert signals emitted by other mobile devices;
- and
- in response to detecting an alert signal emitted by a second mobile device, extract an identifier of the second mobile device from the alert signal and transmit the identifier of the second mobile device to a server system together with location information corresponding to an alert detection location, wherein the alert signal is an acoustic alert signal that includes a header tone series that does not identify the second mobile device and a tone code that identifies the second mobile device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.