Tracking Proximities of Devices and/or Objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022408216-A1
Application number	US-202217880293-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2022
Priority date	Nov 3, 2017
Publication date	Dec 22, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for tracking proximities of devices and/or objects. In one embodiment, the system operates by determining whether a plurality of devices of a tethered segment are inside or outside a predefined area. The system also operates by determining that a first device of the plurality of devices is outside of the predefined area based at least partially on the determination of whether the plurality of devices are inside or outside the predefined area. The system further operates by transmitting at least one alert notification to at least one device based at least partially on the determination that the first device is outside the predefined area, wherein the alert notification identifies the first device outside the predefined area.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A lead device, comprising:
at least one processor; and a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to:
determine whether a mobile sensory device of a predefined set of devices for a user is inside a predefined area of the lead device, wherein the predefined set of devices includes at least the mobile sensory device; and
in response to a determination that the mobile sensory device is not inside the predefined area, transmit an alert notification to at least one other device within the predefined set of devices for the user to provide at least one feedback to the user.

3 . The lead device of claim 2 , wherein the lead device is substantially near a center of the predefined area of the lead device.

4 . The lead device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine that the lead device leaves or enters a predefined area of an audio responsive electronic device (ARED).

5 . The lead device of claim 4 , wherein to determine that the lead device enters the predefined area of the ARED, the at least one processor is further configured to determine the lead device wirelessly communicates with the ARED via a local area network in the predefined area of the ARED; and
to determine that the lead device leaves the predefined area of the ARED, the at least one processor is further configured to determine the lead device cannot wirelessly communicate with the ARED via the local area network in the predefined area of the ARED.

6 . The lead device of claim 2 , wherein to transmit the alert notification to the at least one other device, the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the alert notification to the at least one other device periodically.

7 . The lead device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
activate at least one feedback to be provided to the user by the lead device, wherein the at least one feedback indicates to the user that the mobile sensory device is not within the predefined area of the lead device.

8 . The lead device of claim 7 , wherein the feedback comprises at least one of visual feedback, auditory feedback, or haptic feedback.

9 . The lead device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive device activity information via a local area network from the mobile sensory device.

10 . The lead device of claim 9 , wherein the device activity information includes at least a device identifier of the mobile sensory device, a motion state of the mobile sensory device, a motion direction of the mobile sensory device, or an update time stamp for the mobile sensory device.

11 . The lead device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
update another device activity information stored in a data store based on the device activity information received from the mobile sensory device.

12 . A computer implemented method, comprising:
determining whether a mobile sensory device of a predefined set of devices for a user is inside a predefined area of a lead device, wherein the predefined set of devices includes at least the mobile sensory device; and in response to a determination that the mobile sensory device is not inside the predefined area, transmitting an alert notification to at least one other device within the predefined set of devices for the user to provide at least one feedback to the user.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the lead device is substantially near a center of the predefined area of the lead device.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
activating at least one feedback to be provided to the user by the lead device, wherein the at least one feedback indicates to the user that the mobile sensory device is not within the predefined area of the lead device.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining that the lead device leaves or enters a predefined area of an audio responsive electronic device (ARED).

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving device activity information via a local area network from the mobile sensory device.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the device activity information includes at least a device identifier of the mobile sensory device, a motion state of the mobile sensory device, a motion direction of the mobile sensory device, or an update time stamp for the mobile sensory device.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
updating another device activity information stored in a data store based on the device activity information received from the mobile sensory device.

19 . A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
determining whether a mobile sensory device of a predefined set of devices for a user is inside a predefined area of the computing device, wherein the predefined set of devices includes at least the mobile sensory device; and in response to a determination that the mobile sensory device is not inside the predefined area, transmitting an alert notification to at least one other device within the predefined set of devices for the user to provide at least one feedback to the user.

20 . The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
activating at least one feedback to be provided to the user by the computing device, wherein the at least one feedback indicates to the user that the mobile sensory device is not within the predefined area of the lead device.

21 . The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving device activity information via a local area network from the mobile sensory device.

Assignees

• Roku Inc

Inventors

• Hollinger Joseph

Classifications

• H04W4/022 Primary

  with dynamic range variability · 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

• H04W68/005

  Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title