Patent Publication Number: US-2010113012-A1

Title: System and method for identifying status of a mobile phone

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an identifying system, and more particularly to a system and method for identifying status of a mobile phone. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Mobile phones have many advanced functions and auxiliary functions. The auxiliary functions of the mobile phones typically include a phone book system, ring tones, network settings, short message services, and reproducing media files. However, mobile phones are easily lost. Once the mobile phones are lost or stolen, it is difficult to find the mobile phones. 
     What is needed, therefore, is an improved system and method for identifying status of a mobile phone. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a mobile phone in communication with a plurality of electronic devices through a plurality of base stations. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of the mobile phone comprising an identifying system. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for identifying status of the mobile phone. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a distribution of base stations. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     All of the processes described may be embodied in, and fully automated via, functional code modules executed by one or more general purpose computers or processors. The code modules may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other storage device. Some or all of the methods may alternatively be embodied in specialized computer hardware or electronic apparatus. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a mobile phone  1  in communication with a plurality of electronic devices  3  through a plurality of base stations  4 . The mobile phone  1  includes an identifying system  10  operable to identify a status of the mobile phone  1 . In one embodiment, if the mobile phone  1  has been lost, then the identifying system  10  may identify that the mobile phone  1  is in a lost status and sends warning information to the plurality of electronic devices  3  via the plurality of base stations  4 . In one embodiment, the identifying system  10  is included in a computer readable medium or an operating system of the mobile phone  1 . 
     The mobile phone  1  may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card  12 , a processor  14 , and a storage system  16 . 
     The processor  14  executes one or more computerized operations of the mobile phone  1  and other applications, to provide functions of the mobile phone  1 . The storage system  16  stores one or more programs, such as programs of an operating system, other applications of the mobile phone  1 , and various kinds of data, such as the warning information, for example. In one embodiment, the storage system  16  may include a hard disk of the mobile phone  1 . 
     In one embodiment, the plurality of base stations  4  may be wireless base stations or mobile telephone base stations, for example. Each base station  4  emits radio signals periodically, and each electronic device  3  within a range of each base station  4  may identify a nearest base station  4  after receiving the radio signals. The plurality of electronic devices  3  may be mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or any other kind of computing device, for example. The plurality of electronic devices  3  may receive the warning information from the mobile phone  1  through the plurality of base stations  4  to determine that the mobile phone  1  is being in the lost status. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of the mobile phone  1  comprising the identifying system  10 . In one embodiment, the identifying system  10  includes a setting module  100 , an acquiring module  120 , a determining module  140 , an identifying module  160 , and a notifying module  180 . The modules  100 - 180  may comprise one or more computerized operations to be executed by the processor  14  to perform one or more operations of the mobile phone  1 , to identify if the mobile phone  1  is being in the lost status, and send the warning information to the plurality of electronic devices  3 . 
     The setting module  100  partitions a region for each of the plurality of base stations  4  according to distribution ranges of the plurality of base stations  4  and a cover region of radio signals of each of the plurality of base station  4 . For example, if a city has  100  base stations, then the city may be divided into  100  regions. The setting module  100  further assigns an identification (ID) number for each of the plurality of base stations  4 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the distribution ranges of the plurality of base stations  4  and the region of each of the plurality of base stations  4  are shown. As shown, the electronic device  3  is connected to the mobile phone  1  through a base station  4  having an ID number “ 3 .” In one embodiment, the ID number of each of the plurality of base stations  4  may be numerical, or alphanumerical, for example. 
     The setting module  100  sets an allowable settle time of the SIM card  12  of the mobile phone  1  corresponding to the region of each base station  4 . In one embodiment, the settle time of the SIM card  12  is the time that the SIM card  12  spends in a region of a base station  4  before moving to another base station. The setting module  100  also sets warning information and a notification number to receive the warning information if the mobile phone  1  is identified as being potentially missing. For example, the setting module  100  may set the allowable settle time as “3 hours” corresponding to the region of the base station  4  having an ID number “ 6 .” In one embodiment, the allowable settle time may be set according to user habits or appearance frequency in the region of the base station  4  on some regions of the base station  4 . The notification number may be a phone number of the electronic device  3 , for example. 
     The acquiring module  120  acquires an ID number of a base station  4  when the mobile phone  1  is in the region of the base station  4 , and determines a region corresponding to the base station  4 . 
     The determining module  140  determines if a settle time of the mobile phone  1  in the region of the base station  4  reaches the allowable settle time. 
     The identifying module  160  identifies the mobile phone  1  is being in the lost status if the settle time of the SIM card  12  in the region of the base station  4  reaches the allowable settle time. Then, the notifying module  180  sends the warning information to the notification number to signal the electronic device  3  that the mobile phone  1  is in a lost status. In one embodiment, the warning information may be sent in a message (e.g., short message service (SMS) or an e-mail format. 
     In another embodiment, the setting module  100  may further set an allowable use time of a new SIM card in the mobile phone  1 . The acquiring module  120  may set original IMSI data of the SIM card  12 , and acquire an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) data of a current SIM card. The determining module  140  determines if the acquired IMSI data is the same as the original IMSI data. The acquiring module  120  is further operable to acquire the ID number of the base station if the acquired IMSI data is the same as the original IMSI data, and the determining module  140  determines if a use time of the current SIM card reaches the allowable use time if the acquired IMSI data is not the same as the original IMSI data. When the usage time of the current SIM card reaches the allowable use time, then the mobile phone  1  is identified as being in the lost status and may send warning information to one of the electronic device  3 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for identifying status of mobile phone  1 . Depending on the embodiment, additional blocks may be added, others removed, and the ordering of the blocks may be replaced. 
     In block S 2 , the setting module  100  partitions a region for each of the plurality of base stations  4  according to distribution ranges of the plurality of base stations  4  and a cover region of radio signals of each of the plurality of base stations  4 , and assigns an ID number for each of the plurality of base stations  4 . 
     In block S 3 , the setting module  100  sets the allowable settle time of the SIM card  12  of the mobile phone  1  corresponding to the region of each base station, and sets warning information and the notification number to receive the warning information if the mobile phone  1  is identified as being in the lost status. For example, the setting module  100  may set the allowable settle time as “3 hour” corresponding to the region of the base station  4  having an ID number “ 6 .” In one embodiment, the allowable settle time may be set according to user life habits or appearance frequency in some region of the base station  4 . The setting module  100  further sets an allowable use time of a new SIM card in the mobile phone  1 . For example, the setting module  100  set the allowable use time as “15 minutes”, that is, the mobile phone  1  is identified as being in the lost status when the use time of the new SIM card reaches 15 minutes. Further, the setting module  100  sets original IMSI data of the SIM card  12  of the mobile phone  1 . 
     In block S 4 , the acquiring module  120  acquires the IMSI data of a current SIM card. 
     In block S 5 , the determining module  140  determines if the acquired IMSI data is the same as the original IMSI data of the SIM card  12 . 
     In block S 6 , the acquiring module  120  acquires the ID number of a base station  4  where the SIM card  12  settles if the acquired IMSI data is the same as the original IMSI data, and otherwise, the procedure goes to block S 9 . 
     In block S 7 , the acquiring module  120  determines the region corresponding to the base station  4  according to the acquired ID number. 
     In block S 8 , the determining module  140  determines if the settle time of the SIM card  12  in the region reaches the allowable settle time. If the settle time of the SIM card  12  in the region reaches the allowable settle time, in block S 10 , the identifying module  160  identifies the mobile phone  1  is being in the lost status. And the notifying module  180  sends the warning information to the notification number to tell the mobile phone  1  is being in the lost status. Otherwise, if the settle time of the SIM card in the region does not reach the allowable settle time, the procedure goes ends. 
     In block S 5 , if the acquired IMSI data is not same as the original IMSI data of the SIM card, the procedure goes to block S 8  to determine if the use time of the new SIM card reaches the allowable use time. If the use time of the new SIM card reaches the allowable use time, the procedure goes to block S 10 , otherwise, if the use time of the new SIM card does not reach the allowable use time, the procedure goes ends. 
     Although certain inventive embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.