User-Portable Device Location Logging for Lost Mobile Device Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in determining the last known location of their mobile electronic devices, which can be misplaced, lost, or stolen, as existing technologies lack an adequate means to track their geographic location effectively.
Innovation Solution
A user-portable electronic device that establishes a transmission connection with mobile devices to log their geographic locations, allowing retrieval of the last known location, even when devices are disconnected, using geographic-location determining circuitry and log circuitry to store and display this information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no location tracking system is implemented, then device simplicity is maintained, but the ability to locate misplaced devices is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a location logging system that acts as an intermediary between mobile devices and users. The system automatically logs geographic locations when devices connect to the user-portable device, creating a historical record without requiring continuous active tracking or complex real-time location services. This mediator approach enables location retrieval while maintaining relative system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary location logging actions automatically when connections are established. By recording locations at connection points in advance, the system prepares location data before users need to retrieve it, enabling quick location recovery without requiring complex real-time tracking infrastructure.
2Measurement precision
If continuous location tracking is implemented, then location accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous tracking, the system implements periodic location logging that occurs at specific intervals - specifically when transmission connections are established or lost. This periodic approach captures location data at meaningful moments while allowing the system to remain in a low-power state between events, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The location logging system leverages existing connection events (when devices connect or disconnect) to trigger location recording. By using these self-occurring events as triggers, the system captures location data without requiring separate power-intensive tracking mechanisms, achieving accurate location recording with minimal additional energy consumption.
3Loss of information
If real-time location monitoring is implemented, then location availability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts location information from existing connection data rather than implementing a separate comprehensive tracking system. By taking out and utilizing the geographic location data that is already generated during transmission connections, the system achieves location information availability without the complexity of dedicated real-time monitoring infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing transmission connection framework for multiple purposes - both for data communication and for location logging. This multi-functional approach allows location tracking to be achieved through the same infrastructure used for normal device operations, avoiding the need for separate complex tracking systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a user-portable electronic device and in particular one which is capable of establishing transmission connection with one or more mobile electronic devices. A user-portable electronic device comprising transmission connection circuitry arranged to establish transmission connection between the user-portable electronic device and one or more mobile electronic devices; geographic-location determining circuitry arranged to determine a geographic location of the or each mobile electronic device associated with transmission connection of the user-portable electronic device and the or each mobile electronic device; and log circuitry arranged to allow storage of a geographic-location log including at least a last-known geographic location of the or each mobile electronic device.