Method, apparatus, and mobile terminal for collecting location information
A self-reporting mobile device can allow a user to local the mobile device, regardless of whether the mobile device is reachable via a wireless or wired network. During operation, the mobile device can read one or more local data sources to obtain contextual information corresponding to a state of the mobile device. The mobile device can analyze the contextual information based on a condition for capturing location-identifying information for the mobile computing device to determine whether the contextual information satisfies the condition. If so, the mobile device may collect location-identifying information from one or more sensors of the mobile device, and can upload the location-identifying information to a server. Making this location-identifying information available on the server can facilitate a user to locate the mobile computing device.
1. A method, comprising:
obtaining, by a mobile computing device from one or more data sources of the mobile computing device, contextual information corresponding to a state of the mobile computing device;
analyzing the contextual information based on a condition for capturing location-identifying information for the mobile computing device,
wherein obtaining the contextual information involves obtaining a power balance from a power meter, and wherein the condition includes criteria for determining whether the power balance is less than or equal to a predetermined low-power threshold; and
in response to determining that the contextual information satisfies the condition:
obtaining, by the mobile computing device, a location identifier for a location of the mobile computing device;
capturing an image from an image sensor of the mobile computing device;
in response to determining that a first timestamp for the location identifier matches a second timestamp for the image, associating the location identifier with the image; and
transmitting the location identifier and the associated image to a server, thereby facilitating a user to locate the mobile computing device by querying the server for the location identifier and the associated image.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the contextual information further involves determining a time interval since location-identifying information was last uploaded to the server, and wherein the condition further includes criteria for determining whether the time interval is greater than or equal to a predetermined time interval.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the contextual information further involves obtaining a mode of operation for the mobile computing device, and wherein the condition further includes criteria for determining whether the mobile computing device is entering a standby or power-down mode of operation.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
inserting the location identifier into the captured image; and
inserting a matching timestamp into the location identifier and the captured image.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a site corresponding to the captured image and the location identifier.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a mobile computing device from one or more data sources of the mobile computing device, contextual information corresponding to a state of the mobile computing device;
analyzing the contextual information based on a condition for capturing location-identifying information for the mobile computing device,
wherein obtaining the contextual information involves obtaining a power balance from a power meter, and wherein the condition includes criteria for determining whether the power balance is less than or equal to a predetermined low-power threshold; and
in response to determining that the contextual information satisfies the condition, collecting location-identifying information from one or more sensors of the mobile computing device:
obtaining, by the mobile computing device, a location identifier for a location of the mobile computing device;
capturing an image from an image sensor of the mobile computing device;
in response to determining that a first timestamp for the location identifier matches a second timestamp for the image, associating the location identifier with the image; and
transmitting the location identifier and the associated image to a server, thereby facilitating a user to locate the mobile computing device by querying the server for the location identifier and the associated image.
7. The storage medium of claim 6 , wherein obtaining the contextual information further involves determining a time interval since location-identifying information was last uploaded to the server, and wherein the condition further includes criteria for determining whether the time interval is greater than or equal to a predetermined time interval.
8. The storage medium of claim 6 , wherein obtaining the contextual information further involves obtaining a mode of operation for the mobile computing device, and wherein the condition further includes criteria for determining whether the mobile computing device is entering a standby or power-down mode of operation.
9. The storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
inserting the location identifier into the captured image; and
inserting a matching timestamp into the location identifier and the captured image.
10. The storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
identifying a site corresponding to the captured image and the location identifier.
11. A computer system, comprising:
a processor; and
a storage device storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a mobile computing device from one or more data sources of the mobile computing device, contextual information corresponding to a state of the mobile computing device;
analyzing the contextual information based on a condition for capturing location-identifying information for the mobile computing device,
wherein obtaining the contextual information involves obtaining a power balance from a power meter, and wherein the condition includes criteria for determining whether the power balance is less than or equal to a predetermined low-power threshold; and
in response to determining that the contextual information satisfies the condition, collecting location-identifying information from one or more sensors of the mobile computing device:
obtaining, by the mobile computing device, a location identifier for a location of the mobile computing device;
capturing an image from an image sensor of the mobile computing device;
in response to determining that a first timestamp for the location identifier matches a second timestamp for the image, associating the location identifier with the image; and
transmitting the location identifier and the associated image to a server, thereby facilitating a user to locate the mobile computing device by querying the server for the location identifier and the associated image.
12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein obtaining the contextual information further involves determining a time interval since location-identifying information was last uploaded to the server, and wherein the condition further includes criteria for determining whether the time interval is greater than or equal to a predetermined time interval.
13. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein obtaining the contextual information further involves obtaining a mode of operation for the mobile computing device, and wherein the condition further includes criteria for determining whether the mobile computing device is entering a standby or power-down mode of operation.
14. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
inserting the location identifier into the captured image; and
inserting a matching timestamp into the location identifier and the captured image.
15. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
identifying a site corresponding to the captured image and the location identifier.