Tracking device communication privacy controls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9848299-B1
Application number	US-201615390327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A tracking system can aid in the retrieval of a lost tracking device by facilitating communication between users of the tracking system. The users are able to specify privacy controls describing permitted communication settings for a communication session established by the tracking system. Specifically, the tracking system may receive privacy controls from an owner of the tracking device. Upon receiving a communication updating the location of the lost tracking device from a user other than the owner of the tracking device, the tracking system determines whether the tracking device is actually lost and identifies a “finder” of the tracking device. The tracking system then accesses the privacy controls received from the owner (and finder, if applicable) of the tracking device and establishes a communication session based on permitted communication settings described by the privacy controls.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for locating a tracking device, comprising:
receiving, at a tracking system, a set of privacy controls from an owner of the tracking device, the set of privacy controls describing one or more permitted communication settings for a communication session between a finder of the tracking device and the owner of the tracking device;
receiving, at the tracking system, a communication from the finder of the tracking device that the tracking device has been found;
providing, by the tracking system, information about the permitted communication settings to a device of the finder of the tracking device; and
in response to a request by the finder of the tracking device, establishing a communication session between the finder of the tracking device and the owner of the tracking device subject to the set of privacy controls, a first permitted communication setting described by the privacy controls including a structured interaction including one or more of: proposing a date to meet, proposing a time to meet, proposing a drop-off location, and selecting a drop-off location from a set of predetermined drop-off locations.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first permitted communication setting is associated with an object type, and wherein the communication session is established subject to a first permitted communication setting in response to the tracking device being coupled to an object of the object type.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first permitted communication setting is associated with a distance, and wherein the communication session is established subject to the first permitted communication setting when the finder is within the distance of the tracking device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication session is established subject to an identity of the finder being verified by the tracking system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first permitted communication setting is associated with a distance and a drop-off location, and wherein the communication session is established subject to the first permitted communication setting when the owner and the finder are within the distance from the drop-off location.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the tracking system, a request to a device of the owner to provide the set of privacy controls; and
responsive to the request, receiving, by the tracking system, the set of privacy controls from the owner of the tracking device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the communication from the finder of the tracking device, determining that the tracking device is lost.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining that the tracking device is lost comprises determining that the tracking device is flagged by the tracking system as lost.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining that the tracking device is lost comprises requesting that the owner of the tracking device confirm that the tracking device is lost.

10. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by the tracking system, confirming from the owner affirmatively indicating that the tracking device is lost.

11. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
receiving, from the finder, a second set of privacy controls describing an additional one or more permitted communication settings,
wherein the provided information is additionally based on the additional one or more permitted communication settings.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first permitted communication setting specifies that the communication session is anonymous.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first permitted communication setting specifies that the communication session include a chat room in which the owner and the finder can communicate via text-based messages.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first permitted communication setting specifies that the communication session include a call between the owner and the finder routed through the tracking system.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first permitted communication setting is associated with a tracking device type, and wherein the communication session is established subject to a first permitted communication setting in response to the tracking device comprising the tracking device type.

16. A system comprising: a processor;
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving, at a tracking system, a set of privacy controls from an owner of the tracking device, the set of privacy controls describing one or more permitted communication settings for a communication session between a finder of the tracking device and the owner of the tracking device;
receiving, at the tracking system, a communication from the finder of the tracking device that the tracking device has been found;
providing, by the tracking system, information about the permitted communication settings to a device of the finder of the tracking device; and
in response to a request by the finder of the tracking device, establishing a communication session between the finder of the tracking device and the owner of the tracking device subject to the set of privacy controls, a first permitted communication setting described by the privacy controls including a structured interaction including one or more of: proposing a date to meet, proposing a time to meet, proposing a drop-off location, and selecting a drop-off location from a set of predetermined drop-off locations.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein a first permitted communication setting is associated with a distance, and wherein the communication session is established subject to the first permitted communication setting when the finder is within the distance of the tracking device.

18. The system of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
receiving, from the finder, a second set of privacy controls describing an additional one or more permitted communication settings,
wherein the provided information is additionally based on the additional one or more permitted communication settings.

Assignees

• Tile Inc

Inventors

• Kumar Mayank
• De Barros Chapiewski Guilherme
• Donnelly Patrick
• Huq Yaneeka

Classifications

• H04W8/16

  selectively restricting mobility {data} tracking · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

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

• H04W76/20

  Manipulation of established connections · CPC title

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title

• H04W4/12

  Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements · CPC title