Self-Reporting Mobile Device Location Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in locating lost or stolen mobile devices due to their inability to connect via wireless or wired networks, especially when the device is powered off, in a silent mode, or out of battery.
Innovation Solution
A self-reporting mobile device that collects location-identifying information under specific conditions, such as low power or time intervals, and uploads it to a server, allowing users to locate the device even when it's unreachable, using sensors like GPS, cameras, and Wi-Fi triangulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the mobile device is turned off or loses battery power to conserve energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but the ability to locate the device is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing location information before the device is turned off or loses power. The location data is captured and stored in local memory during periods when the device is operational, enabling subsequent retrieval and display of location even when the device is powered down.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism (local storage memory and automated collection software) that decouples the location recording function from the device's powered-on state. This intermediary allows location data to be captured and preserved independently of the device's operational status, bridging the gap between energy conservation and locatability.
2Reliability
If the device continuously collects and uploads location information to maintain locatability, then device locatability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous operation, the system employs periodic action by collecting location information at specific intervals or under specific conditions (such as when the device is idle or in standby mode). This periodic collection approach maintains adequate locatability information while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring and uploading.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs location collection in advance during periods when the device is operational but not actively being used. By proactively gathering location data before the device needs to be powered down for energy conservation, the system ensures locatability information is available without requiring continuous power consumption.
3Loss of energy
If the device is in silent mode or out of network range, then privacy and battery life are preserved, but the ability to receive location requests is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically collecting and storing location information without requiring user intervention or device responsiveness. The automated collection process operates independently of the device's communication state, allowing the device to maintain location records even when in silent mode or out of network range, and enabling users to retrieve this information later when the device is accessible.
Data Source
AI summary
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.