Locating a lost device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10068456-B2
Application number	US-201615189269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2016
Priority date	Jun 22, 2016
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product and computer system for detecting a device. The embodiment may include a computing device that determines a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) of a beacon of a second device. The computing device may determine a first location of the first device. The computing device may determine whether the UUID of the beacon of the second device matches a UUID in a list of UUIDs, where each UUID in the list of UUIDs corresponds to a beacon associated with a device. The computing device may transmitting the UUID of the beacon of the second device and the first location to a third device, based on determining the UUID of the beacon of the second device matches an entry in the list.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for detecting a device, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive, by a first device having data connectivity with a service provider, a list of Universally Unique Identifiers (UUIDs);
program instructions to determine, by the first device without data connectivity with a service provider, a UUID of a beacon of a second device;
program instructions to determine a first location of the first device;
program instructions to determine, by the first device, whether the UUID of the beacon of the second device matches a UUID in a list of UUIDs, wherein each UUID in the list of UUIDs corresponds to a beacon associated with a device;
based on determining the UUID of the beacon of the second device matches an entry in the list and determining connectivity with the service provider has been reestablished with the first device, program instructions to transmit, by the first device, the UUID of the beacon of the second device and the first location to a third device.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising:
program instructions to determine, by the first device, an update to the UUID list is required, wherein the determining the update to the UUID list is required comprises one or more of:
program instructions to determine a second location of the first device, and determining the second location is different from the first location;
program instructions to determine a threshold time has been exceeded since; and
program instructions to request, by the first device, an update to the UUID list.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 , further comprising:
program instructions to receive, by the first device, the update to the UUID list, wherein the update to the UUID list only contains UUIDs corresponding to the second location; and
program instructions to add, by the first device, each UUID contained in the update to the UUID list into the list of UUIDs.

4. The computer program product of claim 2 , further comprising:
program instructions to receive, by the first device, the update to the UUID list, wherein the update to the UUID list contains UUIDs that are not relevant to the second location;
program instructions to remove, by the first device, each UUID contained in the update to the UUID list from the list of UUIDs.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising:
program instructions to receive, by the first device, a wireless signal with a new UUID;
program instructions to determine, by the first device, the new UUID is not contained in the UUID list; and
program instructions to add, by the first device, the new UUID to the UUID list.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein determining the UUID of the beacon of the second device further comprises:
program instructions to detect, by the first device, a wireless signal;
program instructions to determine, by the first device, a wireless UUID associated with the wireless signal;
program instructions to determine, by the first device, a tag in the wireless UUID, wherein the tag corresponds to a portion of the wireless UUID; and
program instructions to determine, by the first device, the tag matches a beacon tag from a list of beacon tags, wherein the list of beacon tags is one or more tags corresponding to a beacon signal.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein determining the first location of the first device further comprises determining a first signal strength of the second device;
program instructions to determine a second location of the first device and a second signal strength of the second device;
program instructions to determine a third location of the first device and a third signal strength of the second device;
program instructions to determine a location of the second device based on the first location of the first device, the second location of the first device, the third location of the first device, the first signal strength of the second device, the second signal strength of the second device, and the third signal strength of the second device; and
program instructions to transmit the location of the second device to the third device.

8. A computer system for detecting a device, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive, by a first device having data connectivity with a service provider, a list of Universally Unique Identifiers (UUIDs);
program instructions to determine, by the first device without data connectivity with a service provider, a UUID of a beacon of a second device;
program instructions to determine a first location of the first device;
program instructions to determine, by the first device, whether the UUID of the beacon of the second device matches a UUID in a list of UUIDs, wherein each UUID in the list of UUIDs corresponds to a beacon associated with a device;
based on determining the UUID of the beacon of the second device matches an entry in the list and determining connectivity with the service provider has been reestablished with the first device, program instructions to transmit, by the first device, the UUID of the beacon of the second device and the first location to a third device.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , further comprising:
program instructions to determine, by the first device, an update to the UUID list is required, wherein the determining the update to the UUID list is required comprises one or more of:
program instructions to determine a second location of the first device, and determining the second location is different from the first location;
program instructions to determine a threshold time has been exceeded since; and
program instructions to request, by the first device, an update to the UUID list.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , further comprising:
program instructions to receive, by the first device, the update to the UUID list, wherein the update to the UUID list only contains UUIDs corresponding to the second location; and
program instructions to add, by the first device, each UUID contained in the update to the UUID list into the list of UUIDs.

11. The computer system of claim 9 , further comprising:
program instructions to receive, by the first device, the update to the UUID list, wherein the update to the UUID list contains UUIDs that are not relevant to the second location;
program instructions to remove, by the first device, each UUID contained in the update to the UUID list from the list of UUIDs.

12. The computer system of claim 8 , further comprising:
program instructions to receive, by the first device, a wireless signal with a new UUID;
program instructions to determine, by the first device, the new UUID is not contained in the UUID list; and
program instructions to add, by the first device, the new UUID to the UUID list.

13. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein determining the UUID of the beacon of the second device further comprises:
program instructions to detect, by the first device, a wireless signal;
program instructions to determine, by the first devic

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Cox Benjamin D
• Craggs Daniel P
• Poole Christopher J

Classifications

• G01S2205/05

  Anti-theft or abduction · CPC title

• G01S5/0249

  Determining position using measurements made by a non-stationary device other than the device whose position is being determined · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G08B21/0286

  Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article · CPC title

• G08B21/0227

  System arrangements with a plurality of child units · CPC title