Security and protection device and methodology

Abstract

A mobile device includes a security device. The security device determines whether the mobile device is inside or outside security zones defined around a device being carried around by a user and an access point disposed at or near a place where the user regularly visit by detecting presence or absence of the wireless connection therewith. The device further determines whether or not there is an ongoing scheduled event and whether the mobile device is at or near an event location. The device further assesses a risk level of an environment where the mobile device is currently disposed based on determination results, and executes one of preset security action controls in response to the risk level determined to allow the mobile device to perform a security action to alert the user.

1 . A security device comprising:
 a security processor coupled to a mobile device and configured to control part of the mobile device to perform a security process for protecting the mobile device against theft or misplacement; and   a security data memory configured to retain data to be used in the security process, wherein,   the mobile device is configured to set up a plurality of wireless connections with wireless-enabled devices and includes a memory to retain schedule data indicative of times and locations of user events,   the security data memory stores
 a friendly device table that lists preselected wireless-enabled devices around which security zones are defined, the preselected wireless-enabled devices including at least one wireless-enabled device being carried around by a user and one wireless-enabled device disposed at or near a user residence, and 
 an event location table that lists event locations and corresponding wireless-enabled devices disposed at or near the event locations, 
   the security process includes
 determining whether the mobile device is inside or outside a security zone defined around each preselected wireless-enabled device by detecting presence or absence of wireless connection therewith, 
 determining whether or not there is an ongoing event by referring to the schedule data, and whether the mobile device is at or near an event location of the ongoing event by referring to the event location table and detecting presence or absence of wireless connection with the wireless-enabled device corresponding to the event location, 
 assessing a risk level of an environment where the mobile device is currently disposed based on determination results, and 
 executing one of a plurality of preset security action controls in response to the determined risk level. 
   
     
     
         2 . The security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the security process determines the mobile device is inside the security zone when strength of a signal from a preselected wireless-enabled device is larger than a preset value. 
     
     
         3 . The security device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of wireless connections includes a Bluetooth connection and a Wi-Fi connection,   the wireless-enabled device being at least one of a Bluetooth-enabled device connected to the mobile device and a Wi-Fi router disposed at or near a user residencer.   
     
     
         4 . The security device according to  claim 3 , wherein the risk level is determined to be a lowest when the mobile device is inside a security zone established around the Bluetooth-enabled device being carried around by a user. 
     
     
         5 . The security device according to  claim 2 , wherein the determining whether the mobile device is inside or outside a security zone includes setting a grace period during which the strength of the signal is less than the preset value and the security process still determines the mobile device is inside the security zone. 
     
     
         6 . The security device according to  claim 5 , wherein different grace periods are set to different security zones. 
     
     
         7 . The security device according to  claim 5 , wherein the grace period is set in response to a radius of the security zone. 
     
     
         8 . The security device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the mobile device further includes GPS capability,   the event location table lists event locations and corresponding geographical locations thereof, and   the determining whether the mobile device is at or near an event location of the ongoing event is performed by determining whether or not a current location of the mobile device measured with GPS matches the corresponding geographical location data listed in the event location table.   
     
     
         9 . The security device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the security data memory further retains information regarding a group of areas where a user regularly visits and corresponding wireless-enabled devices included therein, and   the security process establishes a security zone that covers the group of areas where a user regularly visits, and determines whether the mobile device is inside or outside the security zone.   
     
     
         10 . The security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the security process executes an additional security action control when the risk level does not go below a predetermined level within a preset time period after executing one of the preset security action controls. 
     
     
         11 . The security device according to  claim 4 , wherein the security process executes an additional security action control when the mobile device is determined to be outside a security zone established around the Bluetooth-enabled device. 
     
     
         12 . The security device according to  claim 11 , wherein the additional security action includes sending a text or email to the mobile device indicating the risk level and which security zones have been breached. 
     
     
         13 . A security device attached to a mobile device for protecting against theft or misplacement, the security device comprising:
 a plurality of wireless communication modules configured to set up wireless connections with wireless-enabled devices;   a security data memory configured to store
 schedule data indicative of times and locations of user events, 
 a friendly device table that lists preselected wireless-enabled devices around which security zones are defined, the preselected wireless-enabled devices including at least one wireless-enabled device being carried around by a user and one wireless-enabled device disposed at or near a user residence, and 
 an event location table that lists event locations and corresponding wireless-enabled devices disposed at or near the event locations; 
   a security processor configured to perform a security process including
 determining whether the mobile device is inside or outside a security zone defined around each preselected wireless-enabled device by detecting presence or absence of wireless connection therewith, 
 determining whether or not there is an ongoing event by referring to the schedule data, and whether the mobile device is at or near an event location of the ongoing event by referring to the event location table and detecting presence or absence of wireless connection with the wireless-enabled device corresponding to the event location, 
 assessing a risk level of an environment where the mobile device is currently disposed based on determination results, and 
 executing one of a plurality of preset security action controls in response to the determined risk level; and 
   an alert mechanism configured to perform an alert action in response to the security action control.   
     
     
         14 . The security device according to  claim 13 , wherein the security processor determines the mobile device is inside the security zone when strength of a signal from the preselected wireless-enabled device is larger than a preset value. 
     
     
         15 . A security method for protecting a mobile device against theft or misplacement, the anti-theft method comprising:
 storing, in memory, schedule data indicative of times and locations of user events;   storing, in the memory, a friendly device table that lists preselected wireless-enabled devices around which security zones are defined, the preselected wireless-enabled devices including at least one wireless-enabled device being carried around by a user and one wireless-enabled device disposed at or near a user residence;   storing, in the memory, an event location table that lists event locations and corresponding wireless-enabled devices disposed at or near the event locations;   determining, via a processor, whether the mobile device is inside or outside a security zone defined around each preselected wireless-enabled device by detecting presence or absence of wireless connection therewith;   determining, via the processor, whether or not there is an ongoing event by referring to the schedule data, and whether the mobile device is at or near an event location of the ongoing event by referring to the event location table and detecting presence or absence of wireless connection with the wireless-enabled device corresponding to the event location;   assessing, via the processor, a risk level of an environment where the mobile device is currently disposed based on determination results; and   executing one of a plurality of preset security action controls in response to the determined risk level.   
     
     
         16 . The security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the risk level is further assessed based on a plurality of sensor readings from the mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . The security device according to  claim 16 , wherein the sensors include, in part, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, sound sensors, imaging sensors, and bio-sensors. 
     
     
         18 . The security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the risk level is further assessed based information received by the mobile device from a plurality of external devices connected to the mobile device in a shared-risk network. 
     
     
         19 . The security device according to  claim 18 , wherein risk level is further assessed based on identified risk levels of the plurality of external devices connected to the mobile device in the shared-risk network. 
     
     
         20 . The security level device according to  claim 16 , wherein the amount of sensors used to determine the risk level is based on both the power level of the mobile device and an importance of currently executing tasks using one or more sensors.