Crowd GPS Lost Device Tracking via Nearby Relay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile phone anti-theft systems that rely on internet connectivity are ineffective when the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is removed, as they lose access to current location information, preventing the location of stolen devices.
Innovation Solution
A method that enables devices without internet connectivity to transmit their last known location and lock commands, using a network of nearby devices (crowd GPS) to relay machine identification and location data to backend servers, allowing for the identification and locking of lost or stolen devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional anti-theft systems rely on internet connectivity through SIM cards to track devices, then current location information can be communicated to backend systems, but the system becomes ineffective when the SIM card is removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces nearby devices as intermediary nodes that relay location information from the lost device to backend systems. When a device is lost and its SIM card removed, other devices in the vicinity act as mediators to forward the location data, bypassing the need for direct internet connectivity from the lost device itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables any device in the network to serve multiple functions: normal communication, location tracking, and acting as a relay for lost devices. This multi-functionality allows the anti-theft system to operate effectively whether devices are connected directly to the internet or need to communicate through intermediaries.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the SIM card is removed from a stolen device to prevent tracking, then internet connectivity is terminated, but this also prevents the device from being located
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a network of nearby devices that are prepared and positioned to immediately relay location information if a device is lost. The infrastructure is pre-configured so that when a SIM card is removed, the relaying mechanism is already in place and can immediately take over the tracking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where nearby devices continuously monitor and report the presence and location of devices in their vicinity. This ongoing feedback ensures that even when a device's direct connectivity is severed, its location information continues to be captured and transmitted through the network.
3Reliability
If a communication channel is established through nearby devices to relay location data, then devices without internet connectivity can be tracked, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Nearby devices automatically and autonomously perform the relaying function without requiring manual configuration or intervention. The devices self-organize into relay paths and handle the forwarding of location data independently, reducing the operational complexity despite the increased structural complexity of the communication channel.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for lost device location is disclosed. The method includes transmitting a last known location from the lost device, receiving a command to lock the lost device at the lost device and locking the lost device. Machine identification data and current location data is transmitted from the lost device, that is accessible by a backend server, to a second device that is located within a designated proximity to the lost device.