Patent Application
20150350051
1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to locating mobile devices.
2. Background of the Related Art
The recent past has seen an enormous growth in the usage and capabilities of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and the like. Such devices comprise fast processors, large amounts of memory, gesture-based multi-touch screens, and integrated multi-media and GPS hardware chips. Many of these devices use open mobile operating systems, such as Android. The ubiquity, performance and low cost of mobile devices have opened the door for creation of a large variety of mobile applications.
Personal devices of this type, however, are becoming smaller and also easier to misplace. It is not always easy to locate them, or the location where they may have been misplaced may have exceeded the range of the embedded transmission device. Also, the device battery may have become too weak to operate and send signals that would facilitate its recovery. As an example, users often make use of a Bluetooth technology headset for their smartphones. If the user misplaces the headset outside of the home, for example, it may become hard to locate the device and also to find out where it was misplaced. If the user is outside of the range of the headset, it may not be possible to use Bluetooth technology to locate it. The problem is exacerbated in the scenario where the user has multiple computing devices (e.g., a smartphone, and a tablet) that connect to the headset, or where the lost device is shared among multiple users each having their own computing device.
According to this disclosure, a set of computing devices (e.g., mobile devices) are assumed to be networked together (i.e., in communication range) and keep track of one another. Each computing device in the set executes an application (e.g., a mobile app) that maintains data about the other computing devices in the set and, in particular, a time and location of a last successful connection between the computing device and one or more of the other computing devices. The data at a particular computing device is updated as computing devices in the set move out of communication range with one another. In particular, preferably the data at the particular computing device is updated (a) when the particular computing device itself loses contact with one of the other computing devices in the set, or (b) when the particular computing device receives a notification from one of the other computing devices that such other computing device has lost contact with a computing device that the other computing device had been in contact with. In this manner, the particular computing device in the set obtains a time and location of some last successful connection with respect to some other computing device in the set even if the latter computing device is not (or indeed never was) directly connected to the particular computing device. Stated another way, the computing devices that are networked together share (among each other) “last successful connection” data indicating when a particular computing device in the set last had a successful connection to some other computing device.
Subsequently, and upon receipt of a request to locate a lost computing device that is one of the set of computing devices, an exact or last known location of the lost computing device is identified using the updated data maintained at the device that receives the request. This updated data identifies the location either directly (when the computing device that receives the request had the last successful connection to the lost computing device), or indirectly, by identifying a second computing device that had a last successful connection to the lost computing device. If the computing device that receives the request to locate the lost computing device does not have the most current location information for the lost computing device, it then queries the second computing device to obtain the last known location of the lost computing device.
Preferably, the mechanism is implemented in software executing on each computing device, and each computing device includes communication technologies that provide for the network connectivity.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent features of the disclosed subject matter. These features should be construed to be merely illustrative. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed subject matter as will be described.
For a more complete understanding of the disclosed subject matter and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
With reference now to the drawings and in particular with reference to
With reference now to
With reference now to
Processor unit 204 serves to execute instructions for software that may be loaded into memory 206. Processor unit 204 may be a set of one or more processors or may be a multi-processor core, depending on the particular implementation. Further, processor unit 204 may be implemented using one or more heterogeneous processor systems in which a main processor is present with secondary processors on a single chip. As another illustrative example, processor unit 204 may be a symmetric multi-processor system containing multiple processors of the same type.
Memory 206 and persistent storage 208 are examples of storage devices. A storage device is any piece of hardware that is capable of storing information either on a temporary basis and/or a permanent basis. Memory 206, in these examples, may be, for example, a random access memory or any other suitable volatile or non-volatile storage device. Persistent storage 208 may take various forms depending on the particular implementation. For example, persistent storage 208 may contain one or more components or devices. For example, persistent storage 208 may be a hard drive, a flash memory, a rewritable optical disk, a rewritable magnetic tape, or some combination of the above. The media used by persistent storage 208 also may be removable. For example, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 208.
Communications unit 210, in these examples, provides for communications with other data processing systems or devices. In these examples, communications unit 210 is a network interface card. Communications unit 210 may provide communications through the use of either or both physical and wireless communications links.
Input/output unit 212 allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be connected to data processing system 200. For example, input/output unit 212 may provide a connection for user input through a keyboard and mouse. Further, input/output unit 212 may send output to a printer. Display 214 provides a mechanism to display information to a user.
Instructions for the operating system and applications or programs are located on persistent storage 208. These instructions may be loaded into memory 206 for execution by processor unit 204. The processes of the different embodiments may be performed by processor unit 204 using computer implemented instructions, which may be located in a memory, such as memory 206. These instructions are referred to as program code, computer-usable program code, or computer-readable program code that may be read and executed by a processor in processor unit 204. The program code in the different embodiments may be embodied on different physical or tangible computer-readable media, such as memory 206 or persistent storage 208.
Program code 216 is located in a functional form on computer-readable media 218 that is selectively removable and may be loaded onto or transferred to data processing system 200 for execution by processor unit 204. Program code 216 and computer-readable media 218 form computer program product 220 in these examples. In one example, computer-readable media 218 may be in a tangible form, such as, for example, an optical or magnetic disc that is inserted or placed into a drive or other device that is part of persistent storage 208 for transfer onto a storage device, such as a hard drive that is part of persistent storage 208. In a tangible form, computer-readable media 218 also may take the form of a persistent storage, such as a hard drive, a thumb drive, or a flash memory that is connected to data processing system 200. The tangible form of computer-readable media 218 is also referred to as computer-recordable storage media. In some instances, computer-recordable media 218 may not be removable.
Alternatively, program code 216 may be transferred to data processing system 200 from computer-readable media 218 through a communications link to communications unit 210 and/or through a connection to input/output unit 212. The communications link and/or the connection may be physical or wireless in the illustrative examples. The computer-readable media also may take the form of non-tangible media, such as communications links or wireless transmissions containing the program code. The different components illustrated for data processing system 200 are not meant to provide architectural limitations to the manner in which different embodiments may be implemented. The different illustrative embodiments may be implemented in a data processing system including components in addition to or in place of those illustrated for data processing system 200. Other components shown in
In another example, a bus system may be used to implement communications fabric 202 and may be comprised of one or more buses, such as a system bus or an input/output bus. Of course, the bus system may be implemented using any suitable type of architecture that provides for a transfer of data between different components or devices attached to the bus system. Additionally, a communications unit may include one or more devices used to transmit and receive data, such as a modem or a network adapter. Further, a memory may be, for example, memory 206 or a cache such as found in an interface and memory controller hub that may be present in communications fabric 202.
Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object-oriented programming language such as Java™, Smalltalk, Objective C, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. Program code may be written in interpreted languages, such as Python. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). The techniques herein may also be implemented in non-traditional IP networks.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in
Without limitation, the techniques described herein may operate in conjunction within mobile devices operating according to a standard client-server paradigm in which client machines communicate with an Internet-accessible server(s) executing on a set of one or more machines. In such a scenario, end users operate Internet-connectable devices (e.g., Internet-enabled mobile devices, or the like) that are capable of accessing and interacting with the server(s). Typically, each client or server machine is a data processing system such as illustrated in
As described above, mobile device technologies also are well-known. In a representative but non-limiting embodiment, a mobile device is a smartphone or tablet, such as the iPhone® or iPad®, an Android™-based mobile device, or the like. Referring back to
More generally, the mobile device is any wireless client device, e.g., a cellphone, pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA, e.g., with GPRS NIC, WiFi card, etc.), a mobile computer with a smartphone client, or the like. Typical wireless protocols are: WiFi, GSM/GPRS, CDMA or WiMax. These protocols implement the ISO/OSI Physical and Data Link layers (Layers 1 & 2) upon which a traditional networking stack is built, complete with IP, TCP, SSL/TLS and HTTP.
For example, a mobile device as used herein is a 3G- (or next generation) compliant device that may include a subscriber identity module (SIM), which is a smart card that carries subscriber-specific information, mobile equipment (e.g., radio and associated signal processing devices), a man-machine interface (MMI), and one or more interfaces to external devices. The techniques disclosed herein are not limited for use with a mobile device that uses a particular access protocol. The mobile device typically also has support for wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies, such as Wi-Fi. WLAN is based on IEEE 802.11 standards.
Generalizing, the mobile device is any wireless client device, e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA, e.g., with GPRS or WiFi-based NIC), a mobile computer with a smartphone or tablet-like client, or the like. Other mobile devices in which the technique may be practiced include any access protocol-enabled device (e.g., a Blackberry® device, an Android™-based device, or the like) that is capable of sending and receiving data in a wireless manner using a wireless protocol. Typical wireless protocols are: WiFi, GSM/GPRS, CDMA or WiMax. These protocols implement the ISO/OSI Physical and Data Link layers (Layers 1 & 2) upon which a traditional networking stack is built, complete with IP, TCP, SSL/TLS and HTTP.
Typically, computing devices such as described also implement networking technology for exchanging data over short distances, such as Bluetooth, which is a wireless technology standard that uses short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz). Devices that implement Bluetooth can create personal area networks (PANs). Bluetooth can connect to several devices at once. Alternatives to Bluetooth include, without limitation, ultra wideband, induction wireless, and others.
The underlying network transport may be any communication medium including, without limitation, cellular, wireless, Wi-Fi, small cell (e.g., femto), and combinations thereof.
A computing device as described herein may not include processor but may be a simple device that just includes basic hardware and networking technology, such as a Bluetooth-based headset.
According to this disclosure, a set of computing devices (e.g., mobile devices) are assumed to be networked together (i.e., in communication range) and keep track of one another. Due to movement of the devices (or of the users having possession thereof), the set of computing devices typically changes dynamically over time as given one(s) of the computing devices move out of communication range with one another. There is no requirement herein that each computing device be in communication range of any number of the other computing devices in the set, although typically it will be the case each such computing device will have been in communication range of at least one such other computing device in the (typically, constantly changing) set. A computing device may include a processor and one or more software programs executing in that processor, but this is not a requirement, as a particular computing device may just include dedicated or special-purpose hardware (e.g., firmware). Each computing device of the set, however, will include an appropriate networking mechanism or technology to provide the network connectivity to one or more other computing devices (or, more generally, the underlying network transport for communications). The nature and type of the underlying network transport may vary, but typically it will be some form of wireless infrastructure, network and/or set of support devices and systems. As noted above, the particular details of the network transport are not a limitation of this disclosure, as the device location techniques herein may be used with any such transport, irrespective of the technical standard, transport medium, or otherwise. Thus, as used herein, computing devices include the appropriate networking technology that is necessary to enable them to communicate data over the underlying network transport.
According to this basic technique of this disclosure, each computing device in the set executes an application (e.g., a mobile app, a native application, an execution thread of another application having some other function, etc.) that maintains data about the other computing devices in the set and, in particular, a time and location of a last successful connection between the computing device and one or more of the other computing devices. This “data” (or data set) is sometimes referred to herein as a “connection table.” The data at a particular computing device is updated (e.g., modified, edited, changed, augmented, supplemented, as the case may be) as computing devices in the set move out of communication range with one another. In particular, preferably the data at the particular computing device is updated (a) when the particular computing device itself loses contact with one of the other computing devices in the set, or (b) when the particular computing device receives a notification from one of the other computing devices that such other computing device has lost contact with a computing device that the other computing device had been in contact with. In this manner, the particular computing device in the set obtains a time and location of some last successful connection with respect to some other computing device in the set even if the latter computing device is not (or indeed never was) directly connected to the particular computing device. Stated another way, the computing devices that are networked together share (among each other) “last successful connection” data indicating when a particular computing device in the set last had a successful connection to some other computing device.
Subsequently, and upon receipt of a request to locate a lost computing device that is one of the set of computing devices, an exact or last known location of the lost computing device is identified using the updated data maintained at the device that receives the request. This updated data identifies the location either directly (when the computing device that receives the request had the last successful connection to the lost computing device), or indirectly, by identifying a second computing device that had a last successful connection to the lost computing device. If the computing device that receives the request to locate the lost computing device does not have the most current location information for the lost computing device, it then queries the second computing device to obtain the last known location of the lost computing device.
The term “lost” as used herein is not limited to the situation where a device cannot be found, but it should also be construed to extend to a lost connection, such as when a device moves out of a communication range. A “lost” device is sometimes referred to as “missing.”
The term “location” or “whereabouts” as used herein is not limited to a precise physical location (such as determined by x, y and z coordinates), but it may also include an area or region surrounding a physical location or in which the physical location may be found. A “current” location may be an actual location, or more typically, a relative location.
A “time” as used herein need not be limited to a precise clock time, but it may also include a defined temporal period (e.g., a minute, an hour, a day, a week, etc.) in which the clock time may be found. A “current” time may be an actual time or, more typically, a relative time.
A “request” to locate (find) a lost device may be manual (on demand), automatic, or under program control.
A “last successful connection” may occur at a “time” certain or within a time period, and optionally in association with a “location” as defined herein.
To facilitate locating of lost devices, data in a computing device's connection table is updated, preferably upon two (2) distinct types of events: (a) when the computing device itself loses contact with one of the other computing devices in the set, and (b) when the computing device receives a notification from a second computing device that the second computing device has lost contact with a third computing device in the set. In addition, the data in a computing device's connection table may be updated (such as shown in comparing
For simplicity,
A skilled person will appreciate that, depending on the nature of the computing devices involved (and their type of usage), the relative degree of movement among the devices may be static; as such, and given the updating function described, the information in the connection tables thus may become synchronized. If the connection tables across the then connected computing devices are identical, a particular device's connection table should include all information necessary for that computing device to identify a current or last known location for a missing device. Given the relative movement of the computing devices will be the usual case, however, typically connection tables across the set of computing devices will not be synchronized (or at least for any substantial period of time).
Particular computing devices may execute authentication or authorization functions before they become members of the set of computing devices for which the subject technique may be used. The authentication/authorization functions may use a central authority or operate peer-to-peer, or in any combination thereof. A computing device thus may only become one of the set of computing devices that keep track of one another if it is authenticated and/or authorized to do so. Typically, a user will control which devices are permitted to join the set of computing devices, which preferably each include the mobile app (or its equivalent) that enables the described functionality.
The approach herein provides significant advantages. It enables a user to quickly locate a lost device that is connectable to multiple of the user's computing devices (e.g., a smartphone, and a tablet), or where the lost device is shared among multiple users each having their own computing device. The latter scenario is quite useful where the lost device is shared among the multiple users but one of the users has misplaced it and the other user needs to find it. The device location technique enables a user looking for a lost device to find it even though the actual computing device(s) in the user's possession (e.g., the one that needs to locate the lost device) is not able to communicate with the lost device; by using the connection tables described, the user's current device can locate at least one other computing device that was last in communication with the lost device and then reach out to query that intermediary for the current or last known location of the lost device. This “relaying” of the location request can continue as necessary until the lost device's location or last known location can be ascertained and returned to the querying device.
The approach thus enables quick location of devices by interacting with an inquiring of other devices that had at some point communicated with the missing device. The approach takes advantage of the set of computing devices that keep track of each other; the update to a device's “local” connection table enables the device to make note of a last point and time of lost communication with some device in the set, or to identify a computing device in the set that has such data. The technique provides for an efficient way to query the devices that are within communication range about the location of the missing device and, if necessary, the last point of contact with the missing device. As noted, the approach advantageously enables devices that are within communication range broadcast a request (to locate a missing device) to other devices, and to relay back their responses.
Thus, for example, a user may have intentionally left a Bluetooth device at his or her home. When the user is at a remote location, the mobile device in the user's possession remembers the last location of the Bluetooth device. Assume, however, that the user's toddler at home who plays with the Bluetooth device misplaces it. Using the described technique, the user's mobile device (even at the remote location) reaches out to other of the user's (or other permitted) computing devices with which it can communicate to ask for the location of the Bluetooth device. Those other devices, if they are not able to locate the Bluetooth device, may also relay the query to still other devices with which they can communicate (now two steps removed from the user's original device from which the “find” query originates). The user's mobile device is then provided with more accurate information as to the whereabouts or last known whereabouts of the Bluetooth device.
As another example, assume a user's Bluetooth device can be connected to the user's first computing device (a smartphone), and to the user's second computing device (a pervasive computing platform/system operating in the user's automobile). The user leaves his or her house and takes the train to work, taking the smartphone but not the headset. Now, the user's adult daughter takes the headset and drives the user's car to a second location, where she inadvertently leaves the headset. When the user comes home from work, the smartphone seeks to locate the headset automatically. The smartphone's connection table shows the headset being located at home, while the automobile's connection table shows the headset being located at the second location. Because the smartphone's connection table cannot provide the location, the smartphone queries all (or at least some) other connected devices about the headset. The smartphone finds that the user's automobile had the headset last (e.g., at GPS coordinates that correspond to the second location). The smartphone then has two pieces of information, the last location and potentially the last use (in the automobile).
Of course, the above scenarios are merely exemplary and should not be taken to limit the disclosure. As noted, the techniques may be used with any type of computing device, any underlying network transport, and the like.
As another example, assume a user's portable heart rate monitor is connected to her tablet device. The user leaves her home in the morning with her smartphone, but without connecting the heart rate monitor to the smart phone. At this point the smartphone and heart rate monitor are not aware of each other. The user, however, can determine the location of the heart rate monitor (using the smartphone) by asking any other devices within range of the smartphone, and she can also determine the last time each device was connected to the heart rate monitor (the lost device). Thus, if the user's laptop was connected to the heart rate monitor say, one week earlier, the user's smartphone can request information from the laptop, which would respond “connected 7 days ago” or the like. If the battery dies on the heart rate monitor after the user leaves home, when she returns the smartphone and the tablet share information, and the tablet will report it was connected to the monitor in the morning (say, before the user left) and provide that location.
The functionality described above may be implemented as a standalone approach, e.g., a software-based function executed by a processor. The particular hardware and software implementation details described herein are merely for illustrative purposes are not meant to limit the scope of the described subject matter.
More generally, computing devices within the context of the disclosed subject matter are each a data processing system (such as shown in
Still more generally, the subject matter described herein can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment (including firmware), an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements. In a preferred embodiment, the device location function is implemented in software, which includes but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, and the like. Furthermore, as noted above, the entropy pooling functionality can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain or store the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The medium can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or a semiconductor system (or apparatus or device). Examples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W) and DVD. The computer-readable medium is a tangible item.
The computer program product may be a product having program instructions (or program code) to implement one or more of the described functions. Those instructions or code may be stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system after being downloaded over a network from a remote data processing system. Or, those instructions or code may be stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system and adapted to be downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium within the remote system.
In a representative embodiment, the connection table management and lost device location functionality are implemented in a special purpose computing entity, preferably in operating system or application software executed by one or more processors (see, e.g.,
While the techniques are described in the context of a mobile device, they may be used in other devices including, without limitation, desktop computers that include touchpads as input devices, in automobile man-machine interfaces, in general appliances that include touchpads or similar input screens, and the like, of wherever such one or more of such devices or systems are in relative (physical and/or temporal) movement to one another. The functions described herein (in whole or in part) may be implemented as an adjunct or extension to an existing application, device, system or process.
While the above describes a particular order of operations performed by certain embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that such order is exemplary, as alternative embodiments may perform the operations in a different order, combine certain operations, overlap certain operations, or the like. References in the specification to a given embodiment indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic.
Finally, while given components of the system have been described separately, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that some of the functions may be combined or shared in given instructions, program sequences, code portions, and the like.
Any application or functionality described herein may be implemented as native code, by providing hooks into another application, by facilitating use of the mechanism as a plug-in, by linking to the mechanism, and the like.
The techniques disclosed herein are not limited to a mobile device having the characteristics of the type described, but this will be a typical implementation. As noted, the above-described function may be used in any system, device, sub-system, site, or the like wherein computing devices use networking technology to communicate with one another. The computing devices may be mobile-based, or fixed (e.g., an appliance). Generalizing, a computing device it may any pervasive computing device regardless of how supported.
