Alert generation based on distance between two wirelessly connected electronic devices

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a first electronic device, that a distance between the first electronic device and a second electronic device has exceeded a first distance threshold;

determining, by the first electronic device, whether movement of the first electronic device or the second electronic device caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold by analyzing accelerometer data from at least one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device to determine which of the first electronic device or the second electronic device caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold; and

generating, by the first electronic device, a user alert on at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based, at least in part, on the determination of whether movement of the first electronic device or the second electronic device caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold, wherein generating the user alert comprises determining an alert urgency based, at least in part, on a velocity of movement of either the first electronic device or the second electronic device, and wherein generating the user alert comprises generating the alert urgency based, at least in part, on determining that the distance exceeds a second distance threshold and that the velocity of either the first electronic device or the second electronic device exceeds a velocity threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining that a distance has exceeded the first distance threshold is performed while the first electronic device is in a standby state.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

monitoring, by an inter-sensor hub of the first electronic device, movement of the first electronic device while the first electronic device is in the standby state,

wherein the step of determining that the distance has exceeded the first distance threshold is performed by an embedded controller of the first electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the user alert comprises transmitting an alert instruction from the first electronic device to the second electronic device after the first electronic device determines that movement of the second electronic device caused the distance to exceed the threshold.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein transmitting the alert instruction comprises transmitting an instruction for the second electronic device to emit an audible tone, wherein the audible tone increases in volume as the distance between the first electronic device and the second electronic device increases.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing, by the first electronic device, either the first electronic device or the second electronic device to enter a secure mode by revoking a credential for at least one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device based, at least in part, on the determination that the first distance threshold has been exceeded and the determination of whether movement of the first electronic device or the second electronic device caused the first distance threshold to be exceeded.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that a distance between the first electronic device and the second electronic device has exceeded a first distance threshold comprises determining, by the first electronic device, at least one of an angle of arrival or an angle of departure of wireless signals from at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, and the distance is based, at least in part, on the at least one of an angle of arrival or an angle of departure.

8. An electronic device comprising:

an inter-sensor hub coupled to an accelerometer;

an embedded controller coupled to the inter-sensor hub;

a processor coupled to the embedded controller; and

a memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the embedded controller is configured to perform, while the electronic device is in a standby state with the processor in a sleep state, steps comprising:

receiving sensor information from the inter-sensor hub;

determining, based, at least in part, on the sensor information, that a distance between the electronic device and a second electronic device has exceeded a first distance threshold;

determining whether movement of the electronic device or the second electronic device caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold by analyzing accelerometer data from the accelerometer to determine which of the electronic device or the second electronic device caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold; and

waking the processor based, at least in part, on the determining that the distance exceeded the first distance threshold, and

wherein the processor is configured to perform, in response to the waking by the embedded controller, steps comprising:

generating a user alert on at least one of the electronic device and the second electronic device based, at least in part, on the determination of whether movement of the electronic device or the second electronic device caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold, wherein generating the user alert comprises generating an alert urgency based, at least in part, on determining that the distance exceeds a second distance threshold and that a velocity of either the first electronic device or the second electronic device exceeds a velocity threshold.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein generating a user alert comprises transmitting an alert instruction from the electronic device to the second electronic device, after the electronic device determines that movement of the second electronic device caused the distance to exceed the threshold.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein transmitting the alert instruction comprises transmitting an instruction for the second electronic device to emit an audible tone, wherein the audible tone increases in volume as the distance between the electronic device and the second electronic device increases.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform steps comprising:

causing either the electronic device or the second electronic device to enter a secure mode by revoking a credential for at least one of the electronic device or the second electronic device based, at least in part, on the determination that the first distance threshold has been exceeded and the determination of whether movement of the electronic device or the second electronic device caused the first distance threshold to be exceeded.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform steps comprising:

determining that a distance between the electronic device and the second electronic device has exceeded a first distance threshold comprises determining at least one of an angle of arrival or an angle of departure of wireless signals from at least one of the electronic device and the second electronic device, and the distance is based, at least in part, on the at least one of an angle of arrival or an angle of departure.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein waking the processor comprises performing an embedded controller interface write to transmit a signal to an operating system service executing on the processor.

14. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein generating the user alert comprises:

generating a low priority user alert based, at least in part, on determining that the distance exceeds the second distance threshold and that the velocity of at least one of the electronic device or the second electronic device exceeds a velocity threshold; and

generating a high priority user alert based, at least in part, on determining that the distance does not exceed the second distance threshold and that the velocity of the at least one of the electronic device or the second electronic device exceeds a velocity threshold.

15. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein generating the user alert comprises:

determining a direction of view of the user, wherein the user alert is generated on at least one of the electronic device and the second electronic device based, at least in part, on the direction of view of the user.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for causing an information handling system to perform steps comprising:

determining, by an embedded controller, that a distance between a peripheral device and the information handling system has exceeded a first distance threshold;

determining, by the embedded controller, whether movement of the information handling system or the peripheral device caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold by analyzing accelerometer data from at least one of the information handling system or the peripheral device to determine which of the peripheral device or the information handling system caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold;

waking, by the embedded controller, a processor based, at least in part, on the determining that the distance exceeded the first distance threshold for generating a user alert on at least one of the information handling system and the peripheral device based, at least in part, on the determination of whether movement of the information handling system or the peripheral device caused the distance to exceed the first distance threshold; and

generating, by the embedded controller, an alert urgency based, at least in part, on determining that the distance exceeds a second distance threshold and that a velocity of either the first electronic device or the second electronic device exceeds a velocity threshold.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises instructions for causing the information handling system to perform steps comprising:

determining the alert urgency based, at least in part, on the velocity of movement of either the information handling system or the peripheral device.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein generating a user alert comprises transmitting an alert instruction from the information handling system to the peripheral device, after the information handling system determines that movement of the peripheral device caused the distance to exceed the threshold.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein instructions for determining that a distance between the first electronic device and the second electronic device has exceeded a first distance threshold comprises instructions for determining at least one of an angle of arrival and an angle of departure of wireless signals from at least one of the information handling system and the peripheral device, and the distance is based, at least in part, on the at least one of an angle of arrival or an angle of departure.