Patent Publication Number: US-8121617-B1

Title: Method of remotely locating a mobile device equipped with a radio receiver

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/201,204, filed on Dec. 9, 2008, incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a method of remotely locating a mobile device equipped with a radio signal receiver. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Numerous portable or mobile devices generate an audible signal upon occurrence of a particular event. These devices include mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, digital media players, like MP3 players, etc. The invention is not limited to particular ones of such devices. An audible sound feature of a mobile device should be silenced when the mobile device is located in certain environments, such as a theater, school or church and wherever persons, animals or objects in its vicinity should not be disturbed by sound from the mobile device. The device may be set to silence the audible signal, such as a ring tone, or the device may be set to vibrate only without producing an audible signal. Upon the silenced mobile device or a person carrying the device leaving one of the environments, the person carrying the device may forget to restore or may delay restoring the audible signal feature volume on the mobile device. A person may misplace his mobile device or leave it behind when he leaves a location. The device is now set not to provide a ring or only to vibrate. 
     A common solution for locating a mobile device is for the person, particularly a searcher, trying to locate it to call the mobile device if it is or includes a telephone or to send an electronic message from another telephone or other transmitting device in the hope of locating the mobile device by someone hearing the audible signal feature of the mobile device that has been called. Unfortunately, in cases when the audible signal feature is silent, the person searching for the mobile device cannot locate the device by this method. Also, when the mobile device is left at another location than the one from which the searcher is calling, the caller will not hear the audible signal feature even if the caller is able to activate that feature by a telephone call, or the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method of remotely controlling the mobile device audible sound feature settings and volume by using a caller ID or identification function already in or specially programmed into the mobile device, such as that function which is present now in mobile telephones, and by installing specialized firmware programmed in the mobile device and tied with a unique service intended to remotely cause the mobile device audible signal feature to generate a selected, preferably maximum, volume audible signal or a visible signal for an extended period of time, to enable location of the mobile device. The invention provides a secure method of performing this audible sound or visible signal generation feature change so that inadvertent or unintended adjustments to the audible sound feature volume or other elements of a sound pattern or a visible signal may be avoided. 
     The present invention also concerns apparatus which can perform the method, including programming installed in the mobile device to perform the method and programming at a below described central calling authority to attempt to locate the mobile device upon a searcher looking for the mobile device activating performance of the method steps by the central calling authority. 
     Also, if the mobile device being sought is equipped with a global positioning system-based location function, or the mobile device service provider has an alternate means of determining the physical location of the mobile device, then the actual location of the mobile device may be made known to the central calling authority and that authority can also provided to the person searching for the device with information about its location within the accuracy afforded by such features or methods. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of one exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a flow diagram of the central calling authority registration process. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of the owner initialization process. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of the mobile device setup and operation. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram demonstrating the mobile device location sequence. 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a central calling authority and a mobile device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention provides a method of remotely controlling a mobile device&#39;s audible signal feature volume by using a caller ID identification function such as a caller ID programmed in the mobile device  20  that is tied to a unique service offering from a central calling authority  10  which is able to remotely adjust the mobile device&#39;s audible signal feature, for example, to a selected volume or its maximum volume and/or to for example, adjust the audible signal pattern and/or to adjust a visible signal for an extended time period for a searcher locating the mobile device. Alternatively, some other content change or unusual patterns or audible signal from the device may be enabled. The invention provides for a secure method of performing this mobile device audible signal feature volume, pattern, or visible signal, etc. change so that inadvertent or unintended adjustments to the audible signal feature volume or pattern and to the audible signal feature producing a sound or to a visible signal can be avoided. 
     The description herein uses a mobile telephone as an example of a mobile device  20  ( FIG. 5 ) according to the invention. But, the invention concerns any mobile device configured to be capable of receiving and acting in response to radio or electrical signals transmitted through the air, via a telephone call, a text message, or the Internet, or other known communication means. 
     Two distinct elements are provided to allow this new service and feature to be added to mobile device systems. The first element is a central calling authority  10  ( FIG. 5 ), which is an entity that is programmed to interface with the mobile device owner, make wireless or electrical contact with the mobile device  20  being sought and receive and pass unique security codes and location information back and forth with the device. The second element is a change to the mobile device firmware or other devices in the mobile device by applicable programming to enable the mobile device to answer or respond to a call from a unique calling number or caller, which can be identified by the mobile device caller ID identification feature, and then causes the mobile device to operate its audible signal or visible signal feature, preferably for a defined period of time, and to implement any other programmed mobile device location actions. 
     The Figures and the descriptions herein describe one implementation of the invention which utilizes a telephone call from the person searching for such a mobile device to an entity called herein a central calling authority, which is to be followed by a telephone call from the central calling authority to the mobile device. Any of the communication paths can be independently mutually exclusively replaced by applicable programming with text messages (via short message service), Web-based services, or other forms of communications services, as appropriate for each of respective communication path and for the respective mobile device being sought. The steps described below are performed respectively either on the mobile device, and particularly on its medium for storing its programming, or by a programmed apparatus associated with the central calling authority. 
       FIG. 1  shows a flow diagram of the central calling authority registration process, describing the steps that a mobile device owner may follow to register a mobile device, which may be later sought, with the central calling authority. During initiation of the registration process  100 , the central calling authority conducts an assignment  110 , preferably by two unique security codes relating to the device owner. The first code is an owner identification or sender/searcher security code which can be used by a searcher seeking the mobile device to uniquely identify himself when he calls the central calling authority to start the device location sequence. The second code  114  is the mobile device security code which is a unique code that the owner of the mobile device programs  130  ( FIG. 2 ) into the mobile device so that when the central calling authority calls the mobile device, the mobile device identifies the caller&#39;s number and detects that the call is an authenticated request to begin the device location sequence. 
     The central calling authority may also provide the owner of the mobile device with two telephone numbers. The first number is called the central calling authority contact phone number  116 , which requests the authority to start the mobile device location sequence. The second number is called the central calling authority originating phone number  118 , which is the telephone number or identification number or signal from which the central calling authority will call and which the mobile device&#39;s caller identification feature will use. The latter number  118  causes the mobile device to start its portion of the device location sequence  120 . Note that the central calling authority originating telephone number may be embedded in the mobile device security code, if desired, since the person seeking the device need not be aware of this telephone number. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of the owner initialization process. The device owner completes registration of the device with the central calling authority  128 . The device owner programs the central calling authority originating phone number  118  and the mobile device security code  112  into the mobile device  130 . The owner should record the central calling authority contact phone number and owner identification security code (OSIC) for future reference  140 . 
     Prior to the initialization process in  FIG. 2 , the firmware in the mobile device is modified per the specification and set forth in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  is a flow diagram representing steps associated with the mobile device setup and operation. In order to allow the mobile device to adjust its audible signal feature volume or other search assist characteristics, such as frequency of signal elements, including rings or sound and/or light, on command from the central calling authority. Several changes and additions may be made, e.g., to the mobile device&#39;s firmware or other components which store instructions for the device. Provision is made to program the central calling authority originating phone number  200  and mobile device security code  210  into the mobile device. 
     When any telephone call is received, the mobile device firmware checks the caller identification number associated with the incoming call  220 . Many mobile devices may have been previously programmed to perform this function to operate the feature of a unique ringer pattern for calls from different incoming numbers  235 . If the incoming call is identified as coming from the central calling authority (i.e. the central calling authority originating phone number is detected as the incoming phone number)  230 , the call is automatically accepted by the mobile device and the normal protocol takes place to establish a voice call communication path  240 . 
     Once the communication path has been established, the central calling authority transmits the mobile device security code to the mobile device. The mobile device compares the received version of the mobile device security code to the stored version of the mobile device security code  250 . If the codes do not match, the call is terminated  260 . 
     If the codes match, the mobile device starts the device location sequence  270  that, for example, turns on the mobile device&#39;s audible signal feature at maximum volume for a period of “X” minutes, with “X” being a variable that could be fixed, preset during the initial service registration, and/or provided by the owner during the call to the central calling authority that started the particular instance of the device location sequence. “X” may be set to keep the mobile device ringing or sending some audible or visible pattern continuously or at intervals until the searcher finds the mobile device and terminates the device location sequence  280 , or the mobile device&#39;s battery runs out of power or is removed or for a preset time interval. For security and to prevent unauthorized termination of the location sequence, while permitting the searcher or a person with authority to terminate the location sequence, to terminate the location sequence, the device may first have to be provided an identification security code, e.g., the original code for that device that was transmitted to the device during the device location sequence. The mobile device is programmed to then enable such termination. 
     The mobile device&#39;s global positioning system-based location feature (or other feature that the service provider utilizes for determining the physical location of the mobile device), if any is present in the device, is also turned on and programmed to transmit the mobile device location to the central calling authority, and the mobile device is programmed so that its display screen will display an owner-provided message  270  before terminating the call  280 . The central calling authority provides the location to the searcher  290 , if it has been determined. 
     Upon finding the mobile device, the searcher enters a command or performs an action to terminate the device location sequence  292 , including by simply turning off the mobile device. The termination of the device location sequence could be controlled by a security feature for example, requiring the owner identification security code, or other code  294 , to be entered into the mobile device that had been located to terminate the device location sequence to prevent persons other than the owner from terminating the device location sequence. Also, the owner may program the mobile device  270  with desired information to be displayed on the screen of the mobile device when the device location sequence is active. This may enable a person in the vicinity of the mobile device, who is alerted to it by the audible signal or light feature or other pattern, to be provided with information that would assist a person who sees the information to learn steps to alert the searcher and to cause the mobile device to be returned to the searcher. Such information might include an address, an e-mail address, a telephone number, or other information selected by the owner  150 . 
     Although the foregoing states that turning off the mobile device, which stops reception of all calls by the mobile device, thereby makes the feature described above inoperable, the mobile device may be additionally programmed to treat a call signal from the programmed call number of the central calling authority as an instruction to override the turn off and become reactivated in order to perform the device location sequence. However, if the power source or battery has been removed from the mobile device, this addition will not operate. 
     One example of a way to enable the mobile device to respond to a call from the central calling authority when the mobile device had been earlier turned off is described. The mobile device is programmed to include a low-power, listen-only mode that acts more like a conventional listen-only pager which runs for weeks on a battery. This can be set up in several ways. The feature is always active and cannot be disabled. This works well on a mobile device from which the battery cannot be removed. A variant for a device with a removable main battery is to provide a small, non-removable battery in the device that still performs the function even if the main battery is removed. The owner could be given the option of disabling the feature using the security code. But, this reduces the ability to find the device. In either case, once the device receives the signal, from the central calling authority, the device is programmed to turn fully on to participate in the device location sequence, to the extent it can. Also, the central calling authority could ask the owner or searcher where the phone might be to limit the broadcast of the pager-like signal to a smaller geographical area, which can later be expanded and does not need to be contiguous (e.g., at home or a recent visited place). Particularly for mobile telephones that are on and actively communicating with the network, the network knows which cell site is closest to the phone, which is how it knows where to direct normal incoming calls. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow diagram demonstrating the mobile device location sequence. Upon the eventual searcher for, or owner, of the mobile device discovering that the mobile device is lost  300 , the searcher calls the central calling authority to start the device location sequence  310 . The central calling authority validates the searcher  312  by the searcher providing the owner identification security code. Once the searcher&#39;s identity is confirmed, the central calling authority calls the mobile device  320  to start the device location sequence and transmits the mobile device security code to the mobile device to activate the audible signal feature or sound pattern preferably to its full volume  320  or activates the visible signal. The central calling authority also initiates determination of the physical location of the mobile device using available geo-location methods that the mobile device enables and provides location information to the searcher  325 . The searcher terminates the call  332  with the central calling authority and the searcher may locate the mobile device using the audible signal feature sound or other signal and using any location information provided by the central calling authority  330 . 
     Although the present invention has been described in detail and via a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art should understand that they can make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form. Therefore, the scope of the invention is limited by the following claims.