Tracking device location identification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11197121-B2
Application number	US-202016833319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2020
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

A last known location of a tracking device can be determined by using location information received at a tracking system. A disconnection event is received at the tracking system indicating that a tracking device has disconnected from a mobile device. In response, the tracking system can generate a last known location for the tracking device. Other relevant location updates, such as recent locations of the mobile device or locations of other mobile devices that connect to the tracking device are collected and associated with the disconnection event. Based on the location updates, a last known location of the tracking device can be computed and stored.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a tracking server, a set of location updates, each location update including a location of a mobile device when the mobile device detects the tracking device, a timestamp of the detection, and an accuracy of the location; and
determining, by the tracking server, a last known location of the tracking device by combining the locations included within the set of location updates based on one or more of: the accuracies of the locations within the set of location updates and the timestamps of the detections within the set of location updates.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the locations are combined based at least in part on a recency of each timestamp within the set of location updates.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein more recent timestamps are weighted more heavily than less recent timestamps.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the locations are combined using a triangulation operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each accuracy is representative of a proximity of the tracking device to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein accuracies representative of closer proximity to the tracking device are weighted more heavily than accuracies representative of further proximity to the tracking device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying, by the tracking server, an interface displayed by a client device associated with an owner of the tracking device to indicate the determined last known location of the tracking device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a tracking device server, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving a set of location updates, each location update including a location of a mobile device when the mobile device detects a tracking device, a timestamp of the detection, and an accuracy of the location; and
determining a last known location of the tracking device by combining the locations included within the set of location updates based on one or more of: the accuracies of the locations within the set of location updates and the timestamps of the detections within the set of location updates.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the locations are combined based at least in part on a recency of each timestamp within the set of location updates.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein more recent timestamps are weighted more heavily than less recent timestamps.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the locations are combined using a triangulation operation.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein each accuracy is representative of a proximity of the tracking device to the mobile device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein accuracies representative of closer proximity to the tracking device are weighted more heavily than accuracies representative of further proximity to the tracking device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform further steps comprising:
modifying an interface displayed by a client device associated with an owner of the tracking device to indicate the determined last known location of the tracking device.

15. A tracking server comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause the tracking server to perform steps comprising:
receiving a set of location updates, each location update including a location of a mobile device when the mobile device detects the tracking device, a timestamp of the detection, and an accuracy of the location; and
determining a last known location of the tracking device by combining the locations included within the set of location updates based on one or more of: the accuracies of the locations within the set of location updates and the timestamps of the detections within the set of location updates; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions.

16. The tracking server of claim 15 , wherein the locations are combined based at least in part on a recency of each timestamp within the set of location updates.

17. The tracking server of claim 16 , wherein more recent timestamps are weighted more heavily than less recent timestamps.

18. The tracking server of claim 15 , wherein the locations are combined using a triangulation operation.

19. The tracking server of claim 15 , wherein each accuracy is representative of a proximity of the tracking device to the mobile device.

20. The tracking server of claim 19 , wherein accuracies representative of closer proximity to the tracking device are weighted more heavily than accuracies representative of further proximity to 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

• G08B21/0269

  System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• H04W4/02 Primary

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G08B21/24

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

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title