Patent ID: 8548499

Claim:
A method for determining the last known location of a lost or stolen portable electronic device based on the lost or stolen portable electronic device's last communication with a data network, comprising: setting up a portable electronic device from a second client communicating with a remote server monitoring the portable electronic device to receive at least one of a locate command, ringtone override command, lock code command, and wipe command initiated by a second client associated for electronic messaging communications with the portable electronic device, the second client communicating with the remote server and with the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device obtains a new wireless connection to a data network and to find the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device communicates its location to at least one of a server or through a server to the second client using electronic messaging as the location of the device changes and after the device obtains a new wireless connection to a data network; registering a most recent communication of location information from the portable electronic device to the server as the last known location of the portable electronic device; and the portable electronic device communicates its location including map rendering information to facilitate finding a lost or stolen portable electronic device based on at least one of a wireless data network router IP address location or GPS location after the device obtains a wireless connection to a data network.