IP Library Granted Patent US 8,682,400
Granted Patent B2
US 8,682,400 · App. 13/842,884 · Granted Mar 25, 2014

Systems and methods for device broadcast of location information when battery is low

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,682,400
App. No.
13/842,884
Granted
Mar 25, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Location information associated with a computing device may be transmitted from the computing device to a server. The transmitting of the location information may be performed in response to the battery of the computing device being at a low level. The location information may comprise a location of the computing device or information to identify the location of the computing device. As such, when the battery of the computing device approaches a low level, the location of the computing device may be transmitted from the computing device to a server. Thus, if the battery of the computing device is depleted, a user may obtain the last known location of the computing device that was transmitted when the battery was at a low level. The location information may also be used to identify the last known location for and to apply a security policy to the computing device.

Claims (34)

1. A method comprising:

on a mobile communications device, identifying that a battery level of the mobile communications device is below a threshold value;

obtaining, by the mobile communications device, location-related information associated with the mobile communications device at the time that the battery is level is identified as below the threshold value; and

at the mobile communications device, transmitting the location-related information to a server, the transmission initiated in response to the identification that the battery level of the mobile communications device is below the threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-related information comprises information related to a physical location of the mobile communications device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is before the battery is depleted.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving at the mobile communications device an indication to recover the mobile communications device, and further wherein the step of identifying that the battery level is below the threshold value is performed in response to receiving the indication to recover the mobile communications device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-related information comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) information.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-related information comprises cell tower information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-related information comprises Wi-Fi access point information.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the location-related to the server in response to the identification that the battery level of the mobile communications device is below the threshold value is performed on a periodic basis.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

on a mobile communications device, identifying that a battery level of the mobile communications device is below a threshold value;

obtaining, by the mobile communications device, location-related information associated with the mobile communications device at the time that the battery is level is identified as below the threshold value; and

at the mobile communications device, transmitting the location-related information to a server, the transmission initiated in response to the identification that the battery level of the mobile communications device is below the threshold value.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the location-related information comprises information related to a physical location of the mobile communications device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the threshold value is before the battery is depleted.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving at the mobile communications device an indication to recover the mobile communications device, and further wherein the operation of identifying that the battery level is below the threshold value is performed in response to receiving the indication to recover the mobile communications device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the location-related information comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the location-related information comprises cell tower information.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the location-related information comprises Wi-Fi access point information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the transmitting of the location-related to the server in response to the identification that the battery level of the mobile communications device is below the threshold value is performed on a periodic basis.

17. A system comprising:

at least one processor on a mobile communications device that perform operations instructed by:

a module to identify, on a mobile communications device, that a battery level of the mobile communications device is below a threshold value;

a module to obtain, by the mobile communications device, location-related information associated with the mobile communications device at the time that the battery is level is identified as below the threshold value; and

a module to transmit, at the mobile communications device, the location-related information to a server, the transmission initiated in response to the identification that the battery level of the mobile communications device is below the threshold value.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the location-related information comprises information related to a physical location of the mobile communications device.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the threshold value is before the battery is depleted.

20. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a module to receive at the mobile communications device an indication to recover the mobile communications device, and further wherein the identifying that the battery level is below the threshold value is performed in response to receiving the indication to recover the mobile communications device.

21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the location-related information comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) information.

22. The system of claim 17 , wherein the location-related information comprises cell tower information.

23. The system of claim 17 , wherein the location-related information comprises Wi-Fi access point information.

24. The system of claim 17 , wherein the transmitting of the location-related to the server in response to the identification that the battery level of the mobile communications device is below the threshold value is performed on a periodic basis.

Assignments (11)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2023
From: LOOKOUT, INC.
To: F-SECURE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065027/0342 →
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 59909 AND FRAME 0764 Recorded Jun 2, 2023
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: LOOKOUT, INC.
Reel/Frame 063844/0638 →
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST REEL 59909 AND FRAME 0764 Recorded Jun 2, 2023
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: LOOKOUT, INC.
Reel/Frame 064120/0985 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK (THE "BANK")
To: LOOKOUT, INC.
Reel/Frame 059909/0668 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2022
From: LOOKOUT, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 059909/0764 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2020
From: OBSIDIAN AGENCY SERVICES, INC.
To: LOOKOUT INC.
Reel/Frame 054716/0923 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2019
From: LOOKOUT, INC.
To: OBSIDIAN AGENCY SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 049408/0861 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2018
From: LOOKOUT, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 048208/0947 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2013
From: MAHAFFEY, KEVIN; HERING, JOHN G.; BURGESS, JAMES
To: LOOKOUT, INC.; FLEXILIS, INC.
Reel/Frame 030570/0249 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2013
From: MAHAFFEY, KEVIN; HERING, JOHN G.; BURGESS, JAMES
To: FLEXILIS, INC.
Reel/Frame 030570/0431 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 7, 2013
From: FLEXILIS, INC.
To: LOOKOUT, INC.
Reel/Frame 030582/0886 →