Amazon patents 'embarrassing' stolen device alert

Phil Taylor, 21-Jul-2015

Patent in book Online retailer Amazon has been granted a US patent for a system - designed for mobile device such as electronic readers, tablets and smartphones - which results in a loud audible alert after the device is stolen.

The alert is triggered after a device is registered as stolen and if the person using the device is unable to prove they are the legitimate owner when challenged. The alert may be "very loud and embarrassing", the audio equivalent of "a paint bomb that goes off when a thief steals a moneybag from a bank, says the patent.

The full text of the patent can be viewed below:

Audible alert for stolen user devices

Abstract: Tracking modes of a user device is described. In one method, the user device tracks the user device in a stolen mode and an elevated mode. The user device generates a challenge to authenticate a user as an owner of the user device when the user device is in the elevated mode. The challenge includes a question about a list of history items comprising at least one counterfeit history item and at least one valid history item. The user device generates an audible alert when the user device is in the stolen mode.

For the full patent text see: US Patent No. 9,069,994