Tracking device location identification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11070934-B2
Application number	US-202016843877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2020
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a tracking system server from a first computing device in response to an event between the first computing device and a tracking device, a location associated with the tracking device and a timestamp. The method includes receiving, by the tracking system server, a set of location updates from a set of second computing devices, each location update including a location associated with the tracking device when the second computing device detects the tracking device and a timestamp. The method includes determining, by the tracking system server, a last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location update.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a tracking system server from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices in response to an event between the first computing device and a tracking device, a location associated with the tracking device and a timestamp;
receiving, by the tracking system server, a set of location updates from a respective set of second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices, each location update including a location associated with the tracking device when the respective second computing device detects the tracking device and a timestamp; and
determining, by the tracking system server, a last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a disconnection event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location associated with the tracking device includes a location of the first computing device at a time of occurrence of the event and an approximate distance between the first computing device and the tracking device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a detection event.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device or second computing device is a mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tracking device comprises a transmitter for broadcasting a beacon signal and circuitry for executing instructions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device is based at least in part on the timestamp received from the first computing device and one or more of the timestamps received with the location updates.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates comprises weighting the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device based on the timestamp and weighting the one or more locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates based on one or more of the timestamps received with the location updates.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates comprises combining the locations using a triangulation operation.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates are each associated with a measure of accuracy.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining the last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates comprises weighting the locations based on their respective measures of accuracy.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein each respective second computing device sends the location update without notifying a user of the respective second computing device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein each computing device in the plurality of computing devices is executing an application associated with the tracking system server, the application configured to, when the computing device receives a signal from the tracking device, determine a location associated with the tracking device and provide the location associated with the tracking device and an identity of the tracking device to the tracking system server without notifying a user of the computing device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying software that is operable when executed by a processor of a tracking system server to:
receive, from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices in response to an event between the first computing device and a tracking device, a location associated with the tracking device and a timestamp;
receive a set of location updates from a respective set of second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices, each location update including a location associated with the tracking device when the respective second computing device detects the tracking device and a timestamp; and
determine a last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a disconnection event.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the location associated with the tracking device includes a location of the first computing device at a time of occurrence of the event and an approximate distance between the first computing device and the tracking device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a detection event.

18. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to:
receive, from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices in response to an event between the first computing device and a tracking device, a location associated with the tracking device and a timestamp;
receive a set of location updates from a respective set of second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices, each location update including a location associated with the tracking device when the respective second computing device detects the tracking device and a timestamp; and
determine a last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a disconnection event.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the location associated with the tracking device includes a location of the first computing device at a time of occurrence of the event and an approximate distance between the first computing device and the tracking device.

Assignees

• Tile Inc

Inventors

• Lévêque Pierre-Marie
• Patterson Wayne
• Puppala Arunkumar

Classifications

• G08B21/0272

  System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS · CPC title

• H04W4/02 Primary

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G08B25/10

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• G08B21/24

  Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms · CPC title