Dedicated Network Slice for Lost Mobile Device Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile devices are vulnerable to loss or theft, leading to financial loss and data security risks, with existing technologies lacking effective methods to track and protect them.

Innovation Solution

A dedicated network slice is configured to manage lost or stolen mobile devices, modifying their settings to limit functionality and enable tracking, using a combination of IoT mode and location tracking mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a mobile device is lost or stolen, then the device can be tracked and protected via a dedicated network slice, but the device functionality must be limited which reduces user accessibility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice tracking reliabilityVSAvoiddevice functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The network is segmented into different slices: a dedicated network slice for tracking and protection functions, and regular network slices for normal device operations. This allows tracking functionality to operate independently without completely disabling device access, resolving the contradiction between reliable tracking and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts device functionality based on the lost/stolen status. The network slice can modify device settings to limit certain functions while maintaining tracking capabilities, and can restore full functionality when the device is recovered, making the system adaptive to different operational states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the mobile device settings are modified to limit functionality, then security is improved, but the device becomes less versatile

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata security riskVSAvoiddevice functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the dedicated network slice with security policies and tracking mechanisms before the device is lost or stolen. When loss is detected, these pre-configured security measures are automatically activated, limiting functionality and enhancing security without requiring real-time decision-making that could compromise versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If continuous location monitoring is enabled, then tracking accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation tracking precisionVSAvoiddevice energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic location reporting instead of continuous monitoring. The dedicated network slice can configure the mobile device to report its location at specified intervals or when location changes occur, maintaining tracking precision while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous real-time monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS20260067639A1Tracking and protecting lost or stolen mobile devices via a dedicated network slice

Publication Date: 2026.03.05 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

In one example, a method includes receiving a report indicating that a mobile device has been lost or stolen, sending, in response to the report, an instruction to the mobile device that causes the mobile device to connect to a network slice that is dedicated for protecting and tracking lost and stolen mobile devices, sending, in response to determining that the mobile device has connected to the network slice, a second instruction to the mobile device that causes the mobile device to modify a setting of the mobile device to limit a functionality of the mobile device and to permit tracking of the mobile device, receiving, via the network slice, a message from the mobile device indicating a current physical location of the mobile device, and reporting the current physical location of the mobile device.