User intervention based on proximity between tracking devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11895558-B2
Application number	US-202217864403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2022
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A tracking system can provide intervention notifications to a user to notify the user that a tracking device is potentially lost or is in a predicted state. The tracking system may notify the user that a tracking device is potentially lost or in a predicted state based on a number of factors, including: a proximity of a tracking device to other tracking devices or a user's mobile device, a movement of a tracking device to more than a threshold distance away from a mobile device or other tracking devices, a location of a tracking device relative to a geographic location or to geographic boundaries, a usage or movement behavior of the tracking device, a usage or movement behavior of a user or owner of a tracking device, information received from an external source, or information received from sensors within the tracking device or a user's mobile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for locating a tracking device, comprising:
receiving, at a central tracking system, a first location of a first tracking device and a second location of a second tracking device from one or more mobile devices that detect the first tracking device and the second tracking device;
selecting a threshold distance based on historical distances between the first tracking device and the second tracking device at historical dates and times corresponding to a current date and time;
modifying a status of the second tracking device maintained by a tracking device database to indicate that the second tracking device is lost only in response to determining that a distance between the first location and the second location is greater than the threshold distance; and
in response to modifying the status of the second tracking device, providing a notification to a device of an owner of the second tracking device indicating that the second tracking device may be lost.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first mobile device receives a signal from the first tracking device and, in response to receiving the signal, determines a location of the first mobile device using a location-detection apparatus and provides the determined location to the central tracking device system in association with an identity of the first tracking device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the historical distance is received from the owner.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mobile devices are owned by the owner.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mobile devices are owned by one or more users other than the owner.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first tracking device and the second tracking device are coupled to objects associated with one of: the owner's home, the owner's work, and the owner's school.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification includes text requesting that the owner confirm that the second tracking device is lost, and further includes a selectable interface element that, when selected by the owner, provides confirmation to the central tracking system that the second tracking device is lost.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving, at a central tracking system, a first location of a first tracking device and a second location of a second tracking device from one or more mobile devices that detect the first tracking device and the second tracking device;
selecting a threshold distance based on historical distances between the first tracking device and the second tracking device at historical dates and times corresponding to a current date and time;
modifying a status of the second tracking device maintained by a tracking device database to indicate that the second tracking device is lost only in response to determining that a distance between the first location and the second location is greater than the threshold distance; and
in response to modifying the status of the second tracking device, providing a notification to a device of an owner of the second tracking device indicating that the second tracking device may be lost.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the first mobile device receives a signal from the first tracking device and, in response to receiving the signal, determines a location of the first mobile device using a location-detection apparatus and provides the determined location to the central tracking device system in association with an identity of the first tracking device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the historical distance is received from the owner.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more mobile devices are owned by the owner.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more mobile devices are owned by one or more users other than the owner.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the first tracking device and the second tracking device are coupled to objects associated with one of: the owner's home, the owner's work, and the owner's school.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the notification includes text requesting that the owner confirm that the second tracking device is lost, and further includes a selectable interface element that, when selected by the owner, provides confirmation to the central tracking system that the second tracking device is lost.

15. A central tracking system for locating a tracking device, comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving, at the central tracking system, a first location of a first tracking device and a second location of a second tracking device from one or more mobile devices that detect the first tracking device and the second tracking device;
selecting a threshold distance based on historical distances between the first tracking device and the second tracking device at historical dates and times corresponding to a current date and time;
modifying a status of the second tracking device maintained by a tracking device database to indicate that the second tracking device is lost only in response to determining that a distance between the first location and the second location is greater than the threshold distance; and
in response to modifying the status of the second tracking device, providing a notification to a device of an owner of the second tracking device indicating that the second tracking device may be lost.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first mobile device receives a signal from the first tracking device and, in response to receiving the signal, determines a location of the first mobile device using a location-detection apparatus and provides the determined location to the central tracking device system in association with an identity of the first tracking device.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the historical distance is received from the owner.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more mobile devices are owned by the owner.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more mobile devices are owned by one or more users other than the owner.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first tracking device and the second tracking device are coupled to objects associated with one of: the owner's home, the owner's work, and the owner's school.

Assignees

• Tile Inc

Inventors

• De Barros Chapiewski Guilherme
• Quintana Melody
• Kumar Mayank
• Lettau Tyler
• Patterson Wayne

Classifications

• H04W4/023 Primary

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

• G08B13/14

  by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles · CPC title

• G08B13/1427

  with transmitter-receiver for distance detection · CPC title

• G08B13/2462

  Asset location systems combined with EAS (inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00) · CPC title

• G08B21/24

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