Tracking device location determination in a communicatively-restricted environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10405147-B1
Application number	US-201816005254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	Jun 11, 2018
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A tracking device has a first transceiver, a second transceiver, and control logic. The first transceiver can transmit a first tracking signal for locating the tracking device to mobile devices via a first network. The mobile devices provide the first tracking signal to a tracking server. The second transceiver can transmit a second tracking signal for locating the tracking device to the tracking server via a second network. The control logic can configure the tracking device in a first state in which the first transceiver transmits the first tracking signal, and the second transceiver is disabled and does not transmit the second tracking signal. In response to determining that the tracking device cannot connect to the tracking server via the first network, the control logic configures the tracking device in a second state in which the second transceiver is enabled and transmits the second tracking signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tracking device comprising:
a first transceiver configured to transmit a first tracking signal for locating the tracking device to at least one of a plurality of mobile devices via a first network, the plurality of mobile devices configured to provide the first tracking signal to a tracking server;
a second transceiver configured to transmit a second tracking signal for locating the tracking device to the tracking server via a second network, the second network different from the first network; and
control logic configured to:
configure the tracking device in a first state wherein the first transceiver transmits the first tracking signal and wherein the second transceiver is disabled and does not transmit the second tracking signal; and
in response to determining that the tracking device has been unable to reach at least one of the plurality of mobile devices via the first network for a threshold amount of time determined based on historic behavior of the tracking device, configure the tracking device in a second state wherein the second transceiver is enabled and transmits the second tracking signal.

2. The tracking device of claim 1 , wherein determining that the tracking device has been unable to reach at least one of the plurality of mobile devices via the first network comprises receiving a wake signal from the tracking server via the second network, and wherein the second transceiver being disabled in the first state comprises operating in a low power mode.

3. The tracking device of claim 1 , wherein the second transceiver is turned off when the tracking device is configured in the first state, and configuring the tracking device in the second state comprises turning the second transceiver on.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold length of time is determined based additionally on a most recent detected location of the tracking device.

5. The tracking device of claim 1 , the second transceiver further configured to:
receive, from a stationary device via the second network, an identifier of the stationary device; and
transmit the identifier of the stationary device in the second tracking signal, wherein the identifier of the stationary device is used by the tracking server to determine a location associated with the tracking device.

6. The tracking device of claim 1 , wherein the tracking device is configured to determine a geographical location of the tracking device, and the second transceiver is further configured to transmit the geographical location of the tracking device in the tracking signal.

7. The tracking device of claim 1 , the control logic further configured to:
determine that the second tracking signal has been successfully transmitted to the tracking server; and
in response to the successful transmission, configuring the tracking device in the first state.

8. The tracking device of claim 1 , the control logic further configured to:
receive a confirmation signal from one of the plurality of mobile devices that the first tracking signal was received, the first tracking signal transmitted while the tracking device is in the second state; and
in response to receiving the confirmation signal, configure the tracking device in the first state wherein the second transceiver is disabled and does not transmit the second tracking signal.

9. The tracking device of claim 1 , wherein:
the tracking device further comprises a third transceiver configured to receive information for locating the tracking device; and
the control logic further is configured to include the information for locating the tracking device in the second tracking signal transmitted by the second transceiver.

10. A method for providing location information for locating a tracking device comprising:
determining that a first transceiver of the tracking device has been unable to provide a first tracking signal for locating the tracking device to at least one of a plurality of mobile devices via a first network for a threshold amount of time determined based on historic behavior of the tracking device;
in response to determining that the first transceiver has been unable to provide the first tracking signal via the first network, enabling a second transceiver for providing a second tracking signal via a second network;
determining location information of the tracking device;
generating the second tracking signal, the second tracking signal including the determined location information;
transmitting, by the second transceiver, the second tracking signal via the second network; and
disabling the second transceiver.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining that the first transceiver has been unable to provide a first tracking signal via the first network comprises receiving a wake signal from the tracking server via the second network, and wherein disabling the second transceiver comprises placing the second transceiver in a low power mode.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein disabling the second transceiver comprises turning the second transceiver off, and enabling the second transceiver comprises turning the second transceiver on.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the threshold length of time based additionally on a most recent detected location of the tracking device.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from a stationary device via the second network, an identifier of the stationary device; and
transmitting the identifier of the stationary device in the second tracking signal, wherein the identifier of the stationary device is used by the tracking server to determine a location associated with the tracking device.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving data for determining a geographical location of the tracking device;
determining the geographical location of the tracking device; and
transmitting the geographical location of the tracking device in the tracking signal.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining that the second tracking signal has been successfully transmitted to the tracking server; and
in response to the successful transmission, disabling the second transceiver.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a confirmation signal from one of a plurality of mobile devices that the first tracking signal was received, the first tracking signal transmitted while the second transceiver is enabled; and
in response to receiving the confirmation signal, disabling the second transceiver.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, at a third receiver, information for locating the tracking device; and
including the information for locating the tracking device in the second tracking signal.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform steps comprising:
determining that a first transceiver of the tracking device has been unable to provide a first tracking signal for locating the tracking device to at least one of a plurality of mobile devices via a first network for a threshold amount of time determined based on historic behavior of the tracking device;
in response to determining that the first transceiver has been unable to provide the first tracking signal via the first network, enabling a second transceiver for providing a second tracking signal via a second network;
determining location information of the tracking device;
gen

Assignees

• Tile Inc

Inventors

• Mahmoud Mohamed Sameh
• Umair Muhammad
• Depew John Mathew
• Sillman Richard Philip

Classifications

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · 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

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• G06F16/29

  Geographical information databases · CPC title