PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-12106641-B2
Application Number: US-202217669279-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Devices and methods for locating accessories of an electronic device

Abstract:
Devices and methods for locating accessories of an electronic device are provided. In one example, a method may include detecting parameters associated with disconnecting an accessory from the electronic device. The electronic device, or an associated device, may store the detected parameters so that the detected parameters are accessible if the accessory becomes lost. The electronic device may receive a request from a user of the electronic device for assistance in locating the accessory. In response to the request for assistance in locating the accessory, the electronic device may provide the stored parameters to the user of the electronic device to aid them in searching for their lost accessory.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors of a first electronic device to perform operations comprising:
 sending, from a first electronic device, a first request to a second electronic device to authorize aid in provision of a location of an accessory device associated with the first electronic device; 
 in response to the first request, receiving, from the second electronic device, an authorization to provide aid in locating the accessory device; 
 receiving, at the first electronic device, a location of the accessory device, the location of the accessory device determined based on the location of the second electronic device and a wireless signal received from the accessory device by the second electronic device; and 
 presenting, within a user interface on the first electronic device, information on a distance between the first device and the accessory device using the received location of the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are part of a network of devices authorized to locate the accessory device. 
     
     
       3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, at the first electronic device, an indication of a connection between the second electronic device and the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 3 , the operations further comprising:
 detecting, at the second electronic device, a disconnection from the accessory device; and 
 storing a last known location for the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, at the second electronic device, an indication of a connection between the second electronic device and the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device is linked to the first electronic device as known to the first electronic device. 
     
     
       7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
 detecting, at the second electronic device, a disconnection from the accessory device; and 
 storing a last known location for the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal is received at the second electronic device when the accessory device is within a certain distance to the second electronic device. 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein determining the location of the accessory electronic device includes:
 determining the location of the second electronic device via a location determination system of the second electronic device; 
 determining a distance between the accessory device and the second electronic device based on one or more characteristics of the wireless signal received by the second electronic device; and 
 transmitting the location of the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the location determination system includes a satellite-based positioning system. 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the wireless signal received by the second electronic device include a signal strength of the wireless signal. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the wireless signal from the accessory device includes an identifier. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
 presenting, within the user interface, an indicator of a relative proximity of the first electronic device to the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 sending, from a first electronic device, a first request to a second electronic device to authorize aid in provision of a location of an accessory device associated with the first electronic device; 
 in response to the first request, receiving, from the second electronic device, an authorization to provide aid in locating the accessory device; 
 receiving, at the first electronic device, a location of the accessory device, the location of the accessory device determined based on the location of the second electronic device and a wireless signal received from the accessory device by the second electronic device; and 
 presenting, within a user interface on the first electronic device, information on a distance between the first device and the accessory device using the received location of the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device are part of a network of devices authorized to locate the accessory device. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , the method comprising:
 receiving, at the first electronic device, an indication of a connection between the second electronic device and the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , the method further comprising:
 detecting, at the second electronic device, a disconnection from the accessory device; and 
 storing a last known location for the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , the method further comprising:
 receiving, at the second electronic device, an indication of a connection between the second electronic device and the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second electronic device is linked to the first electronic device as known to the first electronic device. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 14 , the method further comprising:
 detecting, at the second electronic device, a disconnection from the accessory device; and 
 storing a last known location for the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the wireless signal is received at the second electronic device. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 14  wherein determining the location of the accessory electronic device includes:
 determining the location of the second electronic device via a location determination system of the second electronic device; 
 determining a distance between the accessory device and the second electronic device based on one or more characteristics of the wireless signal received by the second electronic device; and 
 transmitting the location of the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the location determination system includes a satellite-based positioning system. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the wireless signal received by the second electronic device include a signal strength of the wireless signal. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the wireless signal from the accessory device includes an identifier. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 14 , the method further comprising:
 presenting, within the user interface, an indicator of a relative proximity of the first electronic device to the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       27. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising:
 a location determination system including a global positioning system receiver; memory to store instructions; and 
 one or more processors to execute the instructions, wherein the one or more processors are to: 
 send, from a first electronic device, a first request to a second electronic device to authorize aid in provision of a location of an accessory device associated with the first electronic device; 
 in response to the first request, receive, from the second electronic device, an authorization to provide aid in locating the accessory device; 
 receive, at the first electronic device, a location of the accessory device, the location of the accessory device determined based on the location of the second electronic device and a wireless signal received from the accessory device by the second electronic device; and 
 present, within a user interface on the first electronic device, information on a distance between the first device and the accessory device using the received location of the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       28. The electronic device of  claim 27 , wherein the first and second electronic devices are part of a network of devices authorized to locate the accessory device. 
     
     
       29. The electronic device of  claim 27 , the one or more processors further execute the instructions:
 receive, at the first electronic device, an indication of a connection between the second electronic device and the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       30. The electronic device of  claim 29 , the one or more processors further execute the instructions:
 detect, at the second electronic device, a disconnection from the accessory device; and 
 store a last known location for the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       31. The electronic device of  claim 27 , the one or more processors further execute the instructions:
 receive, at the second electronic device, an indication of a connection between the second electronic device and the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       32. The electronic device of  claim 27 , wherein the second electronic device is linked to the first electronic device as known to the first electronic device. 
     
     
       33. The electronic device of  claim 27 , the one or more processors further execute the instructions:
 detect, at the second electronic device, a disconnection from the accessory device; and 
 store a last known location for the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       34. The electronic device of  claim 27 , wherein the wireless signal is received at the second electronic device. 
     
     
       35. The electronic device of  claim 27 , wherein determining the location of the accessory electronic device includes:
 determine the location of the second electronic device via a location determination system of the second electronic device; 
 determine a distance between the accessory device and the second electronic device based on one or more characteristics of the wireless signal received by the second electronic device; and 
 transmit the location of the accessory device. 
 
     
     
       36. The electronic device of  claim 35 , wherein the location determination system includes a satellite-based positioning system. 
     
     
       37. The electronic device of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the wireless signal received by the second electronic device include a signal strength of the wireless signal. 
     
     
       38. The electronic device of  claim 27 , the one or more processors further execute the instructions:
 present, within the user interface, an indicator of a relative proximity of the first electronic device to the accessory device.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation Application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/563,539, entitled “Devices and Methods for Locating Accessories of an Electronic Device,” filed Sep. 6, 2019, which is a Continuation Application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/722,830, entitled “Devices and Methods for Locating Accessories of an Electronic Device,” filed Oct. 2, 2017, which is a Continuation Application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/659,217, entitled “Devices and Methods for Locating Accessories of an Electronic Device,” filed Oct. 24, 2012, each of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to devices and methods for locating accessories of an electronic device. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Many accessories are currently available for use with electronic devices. For example, such accessories may include headphones (e.g., wired, wireless), adaptor cables (e.g., for connecting the electronic device to a computer), power cables (e.g., for powering the electronic device and/or for charging a battery of the electronic device), keyboards, docking stations, and speakers. Certain accessories may interchangeably be connected to multiple electronic devices, and users routinely move accessories from one device to another. One unfortunate consequence of such interconnectivity and mobility is that individuals that use accessories with different electronic devices may inadvertently misplace their accessories. 
     To aid an individual in finding some accessories, the accessories may include electronics to transmit signals to another device. Based on characteristics of the transmitted signals, the receiving device may be able to determine if the accessory is within a certain range. However, some accessories have limited abilities, or no ability, to transmit signals to another device. For example, wired headsets, adaptor cables, power cables, keyboards, docking stations, and speakers may have no ability to transmit signals. Moreover, wireless headphones may have limited abilities to transmit signals (e.g., they may be limited to providing signals only when another device is within a limited transmission range of the wireless headphones). 
     SUMMARY 
     A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods for locating accessories of an electronic device. By way of example, a method for locating accessories of an electronic device may include detecting parameters associated with disconnecting an accessory from the electronic device. The electronic device, or an associated device, may store the detected parameters so that the detected parameters are accessible if the accessory becomes lost. The electronic device may receive a request from a user of the electronic device for assistance in locating the accessory. In response to the request for assistance in locating the accessory, the electronic device may provide the stored parameters to the user of the electronic device to aid them in searching for their lost accessory. 
     Various refinements of the features noted above may be made in relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone, or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of embodiments of the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic block diagram of an electronic device that may be configured to aid a user in locating accessories of the electronic device, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of a notebook computer representing an embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a front view of a handheld device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a front view of a tablet device representing a further embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a flowchart describing a method for locating accessories of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  6    illustrates a screen of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    that may be displayed when an accessory is disconnected from the electronic device, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  7    illustrates screens of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    that may aid a user of the electronic device in finding a lost accessory, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  8    illustrates a screen of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    that may provide a user of the electronic device with relative proximity of an accessory, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  9    is a flowchart describing a method for locating accessories of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    using a background process, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  10    is a diagram illustrating a user of the electronic device locating accessories using the method described in  FIG.  9   , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  11    is another diagram illustrating a user of the electronic device locating accessories using the method described in  FIG.  9   , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  12    is a flowchart describing a method for locating accessories of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    using a second electronic device, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  13    is a diagram illustrating a user of the electronic device locating accessories using the method described in  FIG.  12   , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  14    is another diagram illustrating a user of the electronic device locating accessories using the method described in  FIG.  12   , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  15    is a flowchart describing a method for providing feedback to a user of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    when the electronic device falls, in accordance with an embodiment; and 
         FIG.  16    is a diagram illustrating a user of the electronic device receiving feedback using the method described in  FIG.  15   , in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. 
     As mentioned above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods for locating accessories of an electronic device. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods to aid a user of the electronic device in finding accessories that are not capable of providing feedback to the electronic device (e.g., wired headphones, an adaptor cable, a power cable, a keyboard, a docking station, a speaker). For example, the electronic device may provide information relating to when the accessory was last used to aid the user in finding the accessory. Moreover, the present disclosure also relates to methods to aid a user of the electronic device in finding accessories that have limited capabilities of providing feedback to the electronic device (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled technology, such as wireless headphones). Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to methods of using multiple electronic devices to find a lost accessory. The present disclosure also relates to methods for detecting free fall of an electronic device and providing a notification to a user before the electronic device becomes lost. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may facilitate finding accessories and/or inhibiting loss of accessories of an electronic device. 
     With the foregoing in mind, a general description of suitable electronic devices that may employ methods for finding accessories and/or inhibiting loss of accessories of the electronic device is described below. In particular,  FIG.  1    is a block diagram depicting various components that may be present in an electronic device suitable for executing such methods.  FIGS.  2 ,  3 , and  4    illustrate views of a suitable electronic device, which may be, as illustrated, a notebook computer, a handheld electronic device, or a tablet electronic device. 
     Turning first to  FIG.  1   , an electronic device  10  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include, among other things, one or more processor(s)  12 , memory  14 , nonvolatile storage  16 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , an input/output (I/O) interface  24 , network interfaces  26 , and a power source  28 . The various functional blocks shown in  FIG.  1    may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium) or a combination of both hardware and software elements. It should be noted that  FIG.  1    is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in the electronic device  10 . 
     By way of example, the electronic device  10  may represent a block diagram of the notebook computer depicted in  FIG.  2   , the handheld electronic device depicted in  FIG.  3   , the tablet electronic device depicted in  FIG.  4   , or similar devices. It should be noted that the processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may be generally referred to herein as “data processing circuitry.” This data processing circuitry may be embodied wholly or in part as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the data processing circuitry may be a single contained processing module or may be incorporated wholly or partially within any of the other elements within the electronic device  10 . As presented herein, the data processing circuitry may be configured to execute instructions for performing the methods described below. 
     In the electronic device  10  of  FIG.  1   , the processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may be operably coupled with the memory  14  and the nonvolatile memory  16  to execute instructions. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor(s)  12  may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture that includes one or more tangible, computer-readable media at least collectively storing the instructions or routines, such as the memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16 . The memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16  may include any suitable articles of manufacture for storing data and executable instructions, such as random-access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard drives, and optical discs. Also, programs (e.g., an operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions that may be executed by the processor(s)  12 . 
     The display  18  may be a touch-screen liquid crystal display (LCD), for example, which may enable users to interact with a user interface of the electronic device  10 . In some embodiments, the electronic display  18  may be a MultiTouch™ display that can detect multiple touches at once. 
     The input structures  22  of the electronic device  10  may enable a user to interact with the electronic device  10  (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease a volume level). The I/O interface  24  may enable the electronic device  10  to interface with various other electronic devices, as may the network interfaces  26 . The network interfaces  26  may include, for example, interfaces for a personal area network (PAN), such as a Bluetooth network, for a local area network (LAN), such as an 802.11x Wi-Fi network, and/or for a wide area network (WAN), such as a 3G or 4G cellular network. The power source  28  of the electronic device  10  may be any suitable source of power, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and/or an alternating current (AC) power converter. 
     The electronic device  10  may take the form of a computer or other type of electronic device (e.g., television). Such computers may include computers that are generally portable (such as laptop, notebook, and tablet computers) as well as computers that are generally used in one place (such as conventional desktop computers, workstations and/or servers). In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  in the form of a computer may be a model of a MacBook®, MacBook® Pro, MacBook Air®, iMac®, Mac® mini, or Mac Pro® available from Apple Inc. By way of example, the electronic device  10 , taking the form of a notebook computer  30 , is illustrated in  FIG.  2    in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The depicted computer  30  may include a housing  32 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , and ports of an I/O interface  24  (e.g., for attaching accessories). In one embodiment, the input structures  22  (such as a keyboard and/or touchpad) may be used to interact with the computer  30 , such as to start, control, or operate a GUI or applications running on computer  30 . For example, a keyboard and/or touchpad may allow a user to navigate a user interface or application interface displayed on the display  18 . As illustrated, a power cable  33  may be used to connect the computer  30  to a power source. 
     Moreover,  FIG.  3    depicts a front view of a handheld device  34 , which represents one embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  34  may represent, for example, a portable phone, a media player, a personal data organizer, a handheld game platform, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device  34  may be a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. 
     The handheld device  34  may include an enclosure  36  to protect interior components from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. The enclosure  36  may surround the display  18 , which may display indicator icons  38 . The indicator icons  38  may indicate, among other things, a cellular signal strength, Bluetooth connection, and/or battery life. The I/O interfaces  24  may open through the enclosure  36  and may include, for example, a proprietary I/O port from Apple Inc. to connect to external devices (e.g., accessories such as an adaptor cable  39 , a power cable, a keyboard, a docking station, etc.). 
     User input structures  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46 , in combination with the display  18 , may allow a user to control the handheld device  34 . For example, the input structure  40  may activate or deactivate the handheld device  34 , the input structure  42  may navigate a user interface to a home screen, a user-configurable application screen, and/or activate a voice-recognition feature of the handheld device  34 , the input structures  44  may provide volume control, and the input structure  46  may toggle between vibrate and ring modes. A microphone  48  may obtain a user&#39;s voice for various voice-related features, and a speaker  50  may enable audio playback and/or certain phone capabilities. A headphone input  52  may provide a connection to external speakers and/or headphones (e.g., wired headphones  53 ). The electronic device  10  may also be a tablet device  54 , as illustrated in  FIG.  4   . For example, the electronic device  10  may be a model of an iPad® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. The tablet device  54  may have external speakers  55  connected to the headphone input  52  for providing audio output. Moreover, the tablet device  54  may communicate with a docking station  56  using the I/O interface  24 , such as for charging the tablet device  54 . As illustrated, a wireless keyboard  58  may communicate with the tablet device  54  for providing input to the tablet device  54 . 
     As discussed above, various wired and wireless accessories may be attached and/or connected to the electronic device  10 . For example, accessories may include wired headphones, wireless headphones, a Bluetooth device, a Wi-Fi device, an adaptor cable, a power cable, a keyboard, a docking station, and a speaker. Such accessories may become lost or misplaced (e.g., unable to be found or located by a user of the accessories). Moreover,  FIG.  5    is a flowchart describing a method  60  for locating accessories of the electronic device  10  of  FIG.  1   . 
     The electronic device  10  may be configured to detect parameters associated with disconnecting an accessory from the electronic device  10  (block  62 ). The detected parameters may include any suitable information relating to the connection between the accessory and the electronic device  10 . For example, the detected parameters may include information that is directly associated with disconnecting the accessory from the electronic device  10  (e.g., a time when the accessory was disconnected from the electronic device  10 , a date when the accessory was disconnected from the electronic device  10 , a location where the accessory was disconnected from the electronic device  10 , a media file being used while the accessory was disconnected from the electronic device  10 , a program being used while the accessory was disconnected from the electronic device  10 , and so forth). 
     As another example, the detected parameters may include information that is indirectly associated with disconnecting the accessory from the electronic device  10  (e.g., a time when the accessory was connected to the electronic device  10 , a date when the accessory was connected to the electronic device  10 , a location where the accessory was connected to the electronic device  10 , a media file last used before the accessory was disconnected from the electronic device  10 , a program last used before the accessory was disconnected from the electronic device  10 , device identification data of the accessory, and so forth). As may be appreciated, the location parameter may be a latitude and a longitude, an address, a name of a business, a predefined location identifier, a GPS labeled pin on a map, a compass showing direction from the electronic device to the accessory, or any other suitable type of information to identify a location. Moreover, the media file parameter may be a song title, an album name, an artist, a movie name, a file name, and so forth, that a user was listening to and/or watching when the accessory (e.g., headset) was disconnected to provide a “memory clue” to help the user remember where the accessory was last used (e.g., misplaced). Further, the device identification data may be data that corresponds to the accessory. For example, the device identification data may be a MAC address, a serial number, a part number, a device name, a device type, or any other suitable identification data (e.g., a unique identifier). 
     After the parameters are detected by the electronic device  10 , the detected parameters may be stored (block  64 ). In some embodiments, the detected parameters may be stored in the memory  14  and/or storage  16  of the electronic device  10 . Moreover, in other embodiments, the detected parameters may be stored remotely from the electronic device  10  (e.g., on another device accessible by a network connection). The electronic device  10  may receive a request for assistance in locating the accessory (block  66 ). For example, a user of the electronic device  10  may provide input to the electronic device  10  to request assistance in locating the accessory. 
     In response to the request for assistance, the electronic device  10  may provide the stored parameters to the user (block  68 ). For example, the electronic device  10  may display the stored parameters on the display  18  of the electronic device  10 . In some embodiments, the electronic device  10  may show a location of an accessory on a map. In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may provide data corresponding to a distance between the electronic device  10  and the accessory (block  70 ). For example, in embodiments where the accessory is a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi device, the electronic device  10  may detect data that corresponds to a distance between the electronic device  10  and the accessory, and may provide the data to the user of the electronic device  10 . 
     Screens of the electronic device  10  that may be used in conjunction with the method  60  of  FIG.  5    are further illustrated in  FIGS.  6  through  8   . For example,  FIG.  6    illustrates a screen of the electronic device  10  that may be displayed when an accessory is disconnected from the electronic device  10 ,  FIG.  7    illustrates screens of the electronic device  10  that may aid a user of the electronic device  10  in finding a lost accessory, and  FIG.  8    illustrates a screen of the electronic device  10  that may provide a user of the electronic device  10  with relative proximity of an accessory. 
     Turning now to  FIG.  6   , a screen  72  is illustrated to show what may be displayed on the display  18  of the electronic device  10  when wired headphones  53  are disconnected from the electronic device  10 , as shown by arrow  76 . For example, the screen  72  may include a section  78  that displays media file parameters that correspond to media that is currently being played. Moreover, the section  78  may include song information  80 , such as a track, an artist, and/or an album of a song currently being played. As may be appreciated, the section  78  may include any suitable media file parameters for media that is being played (e.g., a song title, an album name, an artist, a movie name, a file name, and so forth). 
     The screen  72  may also include a current time  82 . As discussed above, the electronic device  10  may be configured to detect and store parameters associated with disconnecting the accessory. Accordingly, when the wired headphones  53  are disconnected from the electronic device  10 , the electronic device  10  may detect and store parameters, such as the song information  80 , the current time  82 , a location, and so forth (e.g., Track—I&#39;m out of here, Artist—Lost, Album—Detached, Time of Disconnect—2:30 PM). Such information may be stored for later recall to assist the user in remembering when and/or where the headphones  53  were disconnected from the electronic device  10 . 
     As discussed above, the electronic device  10  may receive a request from a user for assistance in locating a lost accessory in a variety of ways.  FIG.  7    illustrates screens of the electronic device  10  that may aid the user in finding the lost accessory. A screen  84  provides the user with an icon  86  configured to facilitate finding the lost accessory. After the icon  86  is selected, a screen  88  may be displayed. As illustrated, the screen  88  may provide the user with a “find accessory” menu  90 . Various accessories may be provided on the screen  88  that the user may desire to find. For example, wired headphones  92 , wireless headphones  94 , an adaptor cable  96 , a power cable  98 , a keyboard  100 , a docking station  102 , and a speaker  104 , may be available for the user to select. 
     As may be appreciated, the electronic device  10  may execute different instructions based on which accessory is selected. For example, certain instructions executed by the electronic device  10  may correspond to finding accessories that are not capable of providing feedback to the electronic device  10  (e.g., wired headphones, an adaptor cable, a power cable, a keyboard, a docking station, a speaker). Moreover, other instructions executed by the electronic device  10  may correspond to finding accessories that have limited capabilities of providing feedback to the electronic device  10  (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled technology, such as wireless headphones). As may be appreciated, some instructions may be more suitable for finding certain accessories. For example, a song, a time, and/or a location may work best for finding headphones or speakers, while a time, a location, and/or a device identifier may work best for finding an adaptor cable, a power cable, a keyboard, or a docking station. 
     In the present embodiment, the wired headphones  92  may be selected. Accordingly, after selecting the wired headphones  92 , a screen  106  may be displayed. As illustrated, the screen  106  may provide the user with information corresponding to the wired headphone  92  via a “wired headphones” menu  108 . The information may aid the user in finding wired headphones  53 , such as by jogging the user&#39;s memory with information about prior use of the wired headphones  53 . For example, the information may include a date and/or a time  110  when the wired headphones  53  were connected to the electronic device  10 , a location  112  where the wired headphones  53  were connected to the electronic device  10 , a date and/or a time  114  when the wired headphones  53  were disconnected from the electronic device  10 , a location  116  where the wired headphones  53  were disconnected from the electronic device  10 , and/or media information  118  corresponding to media last played with the wired headphones  53  connected to the electronic device  10 . 
     Moreover, in certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may be configured to provide data corresponding to a distance between the electronic device  10  and an accessory.  FIG.  8    illustrates a screen of the electronic device  10  that may provide a user of the electronic device  10  with a relative proximity of the accessory (e.g., a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi device) from the electronic device  10 . For example, a screen  120  may be displayed with a “wireless headphones” menu  122 . The screen  120  may provide an indication  124  that corresponds to a signal strength received from wireless headphones  126 . In certain embodiments, the indication  124  on the screen  120  may be a compass or map. 
     The signal strength may relate to a distance  128  between the electronic device  10  and the wireless headphones  126 . As illustrated, the indication  124  may indicate whether the electronic device  10  is getting more “Hot” or more “Cold” in relation to the wireless headphones  126 . For example, as the electronic device  10  approaches the wireless headphones  126  an indicator, such as the illustrated bars, may show that the electronic device  10  is getting hotter. Moreover, as the electronic device  10  gets further away from the wireless headphones  126  the indicator may show that the electronic device  10  is getting colder. Thus, a user may monitor the indicator to aid in determining the location of the wireless headphones  126 . 
     The electronic device  10  may include a background process for aiding a user in finding a lost accessory. Accordingly,  FIG.  9    is a flowchart describing a method  130  for locating accessories of the electronic device  10  using a background process. For example, the electronic device  10  may receive an indication that an accessory is lost (block  132 ). The indication may be received by the user of the electronic device  10  selecting an icon (e.g., or another selection) indicating that an accessory is lost. Moreover, the electronic device  10  may receive the indication from another device. 
     The electronic device  10  may initiate a background process as a result of the received indication (block  134 ). In certain embodiments, after being initiated, the background process may operate without interfering with a user operating other applications. The background process may be configured to periodically search for the lost accessory until the lost accessory is found and/or until an indication is received to stop searching for the lost accessory. Accordingly, the user may initiate the background process and may forget that the background process was initiated (e.g., because it may not be readily presented to the user on the display  18  that the background process is operating). 
     The electronic device  10  may detect the lost accessory using the background process (block  136 ). For example, the background process may detect the lost accessory after the electronic device  10  is within a certain distance from the lost accessory. As another example, the background process may detect that a second electronic device is within a certain distance from the lost accessory, as explained in detail below. Moreover, the background process may detect that a second electronic device is connected to the lost accessory, also as explained in detail below. After the accessory has been detected, the electronic device  10  may provide a notification to the electronic device  10  to indicate that the accessory has been detected (block  138 ). For example, the electronic device  10  may display a message that states “Wireless Headphones Found.” As may be appreciated, the time between when the background process is initiated and when the notification is provided may be long. For example, the time may be approximately one to five hours, days, weeks, months, and so forth. 
     In one embodiment, the background process may facilitate the electronic device  10  directly detecting the lost accessory. Accordingly,  FIGS.  10  to  11    illustrate diagrams of a user of the electronic device  10  attempting to locate a lost accessory using the method  130  described in  FIG.  9   . In  FIG.  10   , a user  140  lost the wireless headphones  126  within a building  142 . The user  140  may initiate a background process of the electronic device  10  so that the background process will operate as the user  140  performs their regular daily routine and moves throughout the building  142 . Therefore, the user  140  may not be actively searching for the wireless headphones  126 , yet the electronic device  10  may actively be searching for the wireless headphones  126 . 
     As illustrated, the wireless headphones  126  have a transmission range  144 . As such, the electronic device  10  may detect the wireless headphones  126  if the electronic device  10  is within the transmission range  144 . In  FIG.  11   , the user  140  and the electronic device  10  enter within the transmission range  144 . After the electronic device  10  enters the transmission range  144 , the background process of the electronic device  10  may detect the wireless headphones  126  and provide a notification to the user  140  that the wireless headphones  126  have been found (e.g., that the wireless headphones  126  are within a certain distance from the electronic device  10 ). In certain embodiments, such as embodiments in which the electronic device  10  stores data corresponding to where an accessory was last disconnected or used, the background process may be configured to provide notification to the user  140  when the electronic device  10  is located near the GPS location stored by the electronic device  10  for the accessory. For example, the user  140  may inadvertently disconnect and leave their headphones  53  at a friend&#39;s house. The background process may remind the user  140  to look for the headphones  53  when the electronic device  10  detects (e.g., using GPS) that the electronic device  10  is located near the friend&#39;s house. Accordingly, the background process may aid the user  140  in finding the wireless headphones  126 . 
     As discussed above, the electronic device  10  may use other electronic devices to aid the electronic device  10  in finding a lost or misplaced accessory. As such,  FIG.  12    is a flowchart describing a method  146  for locating accessories of the electronic device  10  using a second electronic device. Moreover, the electronic device  10  (e.g., first electronic device) may receive an indication that an accessory is lost (block  148 ). The indication may be received by the user  140  of the electronic device  10  selecting an icon indicating that an accessory is lost, or via any suitable means. Moreover, the electronic device  10  may receive the indication from another device. The electronic device  10  may send a request for a second electronic device (e.g., either directly or indirectly) to aid the electronic device  10  in finding the lost accessory (block  150 ). For example, the second electronic device may aid the electronic device  10  by determining whether the lost accessory is connected to the second electronic device as discussed in  FIG.  13    and/or by determining whether the lost accessory is within a certain distance from the second electronic device as discussed in  FIG.  14   . After the accessory has been located, the electronic device  10  may provide a notification to the user  140  that the accessory has been found (block  152 ). 
     The second electronic device may aid the electronic device  10  by determining whether the lost accessory is connected to the second electronic device.  FIG.  13    is a diagram illustrating the user  140  of the electronic device  10  locating accessories with the aid of the second electronic device. Accordingly, the user  140  may be located at the building  142  and may be attempting to find the wired headphones  53 . After receiving an indication that the wired headphones  53  are lost, the electronic device  10  may send a request to another electronic device  154  to aid the electronic device  10  in finding the wired headphones  53 . In certain embodiments, the electronic device  154  may be physically located at the user&#39;s home  156 ; however, the electronic device  154  may be physically located in any suitable location. 
     Moreover, in some embodiments, the electronic device  10  and the electronic device  154  may be commonly owned by (e.g., and registered to) the user  140 . In other embodiments, the electronic device  154  may be associated with the electronic device  10  by some link other than a link between devices commonly owned by the user  140 . For example, the electronic devices  10  and  154  may be linked together using a linking software that facilitates linking devices together for finding lost accessories. As another example, the electronic devices  10  and  154  may be linked together via a virtual relationship (e.g., the user  140  may add devices owned by known individuals to a “friend network” if the known individuals authorize such a link). In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  and the electronic device  154  may be linked using iCloud. 
     After receiving the request to aid the electronic device  10 , the electronic device  154  may detect accessories attached to the electronic device  154  and may determine whether the detected accessories correspond to the lost accessory. For example, the electronic device  154  may detect that the wired headphones  53  are attached to the electronic device  154 . Accordingly, the electronic device  154  may provide a notification to the electronic device  10  that the wired headphones  53  are attached to the electronic device  154 . As may be appreciated, certain accessories may include a unique identifier (e.g., serial number, part number, MAC address, etc.). The electronic device  154  may provide the unique identifier to the electronic device  10  to aid the electronic device  10  in determining whether the appropriate accessory was detected by the electronic device  154 . Moreover, the electronic device  10  may also provide a unique identifier to the electronic device  154  for the electronic device  154  to aid the electronic device  10  in finding the correct accessory. As such, the electronic device  154  may aid the electronic device  10  in finding the lost accessory. 
     As discussed above, a second electronic device may aid the electronic device  10  by determining whether a lost accessory is within a certain distance from the second electronic device. Accordingly,  FIG.  14    is a diagram illustrating such a scenario. For example, the user  140  may be attending an event  158 , such as a concert, where many other people are also attending. The user  140  may lose an accessory of their electronic device  10 , such as the wireless headphones  126 . Moreover, the user  140  may provide an indication to the electronic device  10  indicating that the wireless headphones  126  are lost. Thereafter, the electronic device  10  may provide a request to one or more electronic devices to aid the electronic device  10  in finding the wireless headphones  126 . For example, users  160 ,  164 ,  168 , and  172  may be at the event  158  and may have respective electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174 . The electronic device  10  may provide the request for aid to one or more of the electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174 . 
     In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may only provide the request for aid to electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174  that have a virtual relationship with the electronic device  10  (e.g., the electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174  that are owned by a friend or a known individual). In other embodiments, the electronic device  10  may provide the request for aid to all of the electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174 . In such an embodiment, each of the electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174  may determine whether they will help in finding the wireless headphone  126 . For example, the electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174  may enable a user to globally allow the electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174  to assist in finding lost accessories. As another example, the electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174  may enable a user to selectively allow the electronic devices  162 ,  166 ,  170 , and  174  to assist in finding lost accessories. 
     In the present embodiment, if any of the electronic devices  162 ,  166 , and  170  receives a request for aid from the electronic device  10 , the electronic devices  162 ,  166 , and  170  may not detect the wireless headphones  126  unless they enter within the transmission range  144  of the wireless headphones  126 . Conversely, if the electronic device  174  receives the request for aid from the electronic device  10 , the electronic device  174  may detect a distance between the wireless headphones  126  and the electronic device  174  while the electronic device  174  is within the transmission range  144  of the wireless headphones  126 . Accordingly, the electronic device  174  may provide the electronic device  10  with information so that the electronic device  10  may notify the user  140  with information about the location of the wireless headphones  126 . Thus, a second electronic device may aid the electronic device  10  in finding the lost accessory. 
     The electronic device  10  may be configured to provide an alert to an accessory before the electronic device  10  itself becomes lost, such as when the electronic device  10  enters a free fall condition. Accordingly,  FIG.  15    is a flowchart describing a method  176  for providing feedback to the user  140  of the electronic device  10  when the electronic device  10  falls. For example, the electronic device  10  may be configured to detect free fall of the electronic device  10  (block  178 ). The electronic device  10  may detect its own free fall using an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or any other suitable sensing device. After detecting its own free fall, the electronic device  10  may provide an alert (block  180 ). In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may provide an audible alert. In other embodiments, the electronic device  10  may provide an alert to an accessory, such as an audible alert to the wireless headphones  126 . The audible alert may facilitate helping the user  140  to not lose the electronic device  10 . 
     Turning to  FIG.  16   , the user  140  of the electronic device  10  is illustrated. In this embodiment, the user  140  drops the electronic device  10  and the electronic device  10  enters free fall, as illustrated by arrow  182 . After the electronic device  10  detects that it has entered free fall, the electronic device  10  may provide an audible alert to the user  140  using the wireless headphones  126  to alert the user  140  that the electronic device  10  is falling. Accordingly, the user  140  may be able to retrieve the electronic device  10  so that it does not become lost. 
     The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20220210
Publication Date: 20241001
Grant Date: 20241001
Priority Date: 20121024
Inventors: Ingrassia, Jr., Michael Ignazio
HRAMITS, NATHANIEL P.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G08B21/24", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B21/0277", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B21/0247", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B21/24", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B21/0277", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B21/0247", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B13/1427", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B13/1427", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B21/0277", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B21/0247", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B21/24", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G08B13/1427", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 50484830