Tracking systems for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449270-B2
Application number	US-202117359124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2021
Priority date	Sep 16, 2016
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry for locating lost items. The control circuitry may determine where an item is located and may use the display or other output device to guide a user to the item. The display may display a visual guide such as an arrow, a sphere, a circle, a compass, or other visual aid that points the user in the direction of the item. The control circuitry may change the size or other characteristic of the visual aid on the display as the distance between the electronic device and the object changes. The control circuitry may change the location of the visual aid on the display as the orientation of the electronic device relative to the object changes. The display may overlay the visual aid onto live images of the user's surroundings as they are captured by a camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
ultra-wideband receiver circuitry configured to receive ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals from an object;
control circuitry configured to:
determine a non-zero angle of arrival of the ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals; and
determine an orientation of the electronic device relative to the object based on the non-zero angle of arrival of the ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals; and
determine a distance to the object based on the ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals; and

a display configured to display a visual guide on a non-camera view background that guides a user to the object, wherein the display:
changes a characteristic of the visual guide on the non-camera view background in response to a change in the distance to the object;
changes a location of the visual guide on the non-camera view background in response to a change in the orientation of the electronic device relative to the object; and
changes the non-camera view background to a live camera view background when the distance is less than a threshold distance, wherein the visual guide is displayed on the live camera view background.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output to guide the user to the object.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the haptic output device is configured to provide the haptic output when the electronic device is pointing towards the object.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of: shape, size, and color.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a speaker configured to provide audio output to guide the user to the object.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the visual guide comprises an arrow.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the display has upper and lower opposing edges and left and right opposing edges and wherein the arrow points to the right edge of the display when the object is to the right of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the arrow points to the upper edge of the display when the object is in front of the electronic device.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the non-camera-view background comprises a static background.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device has an axis that extends parallel to the display and wherein the control circuitry determines the orientation of the electronic device relative to the object by determining a non-zero angle between the object and the axis.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
wireless communications circuitry configured to receive radio-frequency signals from an object;
control circuitry configured to determine a location of the object based on the received radio-frequency signals; and
a display configured to:
display a first visual guide on a non-camera-view background when the received radio-frequency signals indicate that the electronic device is not within a predetermined range of the location; and
switch from the first visual guide to a second visual guide and switch from the non-camera-view background to a live camera view background when the received radio-frequency signals indicate that the electronic device is within the predetermined range of the location, wherein the first and second visual guides guide a user to the location of the object.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output based on the location of the object.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a speaker configured to provide audio output based on the location of the object.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the wireless communications circuitry comprises ultra-wideband receiver circuitry.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein at least some of the radio-frequency signals comprise ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals and wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
determine a non-zero angle of arrival of the ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals; and
change a location of the second visual guide on the display based on the non-zero angle of arrival of the ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals.

16. An electronic device, comprising:
ultra-wideband receiver circuitry configured to receive ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals from an object;
control circuitry configured to:
determine a distance to the object based on the ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals;
determine a non-zero angle of arrival of the ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals; and
determine the orientation of the electronic device relative to the object based on the non-zero angle of arrival of the ultra-wideband radio-frequency signals; and

a display configured to display a first arrow on a static background to guide a user to the object, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
change the static background to a different background when the distance is less than a threshold, wherein a second arrow is displayed on the different background to guide the user to the object; and
update a direction of the second arrow in response to a change in the orientation of the electronic device relative to the object.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the display is configured to display text indicating the distance to the object.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 further comprising a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output when the electronic device is pointing towards the object.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the display is configured to display text indicating which floor the object is located on.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Meyer Adam S
• Kerr Duncan Robert
• Hankey Martha Evans
• Tsoi Peter C
• Morrell John B
• Foster James H

Classifications

• G08B21/24

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

• H04M2250/10

  including a GPS signal receiver · CPC title

• G06F2221/2111

  Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G01C21/3647

  Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams · CPC title