Systems and methods for locating a tracking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9961498-B2
Application number	US-201715439056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2013
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

The principles described herein provide methods and systems for locating a tracking device. In particular, one disclosed method includes associating a user with a tracking device, receiving an indication that the tracking device is lost, setting a flag indicating that the tracking device is lost, receiving a location within a proximity of the tracking device from one of a plurality of mobile devices associated with a community of users, and providing the location to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for locating a tracking device comprising:
displaying, by a first mobile device of a community of mobile devices, an interface identifying one or more tracking devices, each mobile device in the community of mobile devices including a tracking device application, the tracking device application configured to, when a mobile device in the community of mobile devices moves within a threshold proximity of a tracking device of the one or more tracking devices, automatically:
detect a communication from the tracking device;
detect a location of the mobile device; and
provide the detected location of the mobile device and an identity of the tracking device to a central server;

receiving, from a user of the first mobile device, a request to locate a first of the one or more tracking devices;
in response to the first tracking device being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device, configuring, by the first mobile device, the first tracking device to emit a sound; and
in response to the first tracking device not being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device:
displaying, by the first mobile device, a map interface;
receiving, by the first mobile device from the central server, a location representative of a last known location of the first tracking device, the last known location provided to the central server by a second mobile device of the community of mobile devices, the second mobile device configured to automatically detect the last known location of the first tracking device and to provide the last known location to the central server in response to moving within a threshold proximity of the first tracking device; and
modifying, by the first mobile device, the map interface to illustrate the last known location of the first tracking device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface indicates that the first mobile device is communicatively coupled to the first tracking device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the request to locate the first tracking device comprises receiving a selection of a button displayed by the interface that, when selected, configures the first tracking device to emit the sound.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request to locate the first tracking device comprises receiving a selection of a button displayed by the interface associated with locating the first tracking device when the first mobile device is not communicatively coupled to the first tracking device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the user locating the first tracking device, receiving, from the user via the interface, a confirmation that the first tracking device has been found, the first mobile device configured to, in response to receiving the confirmation from the user, provide the confirmation that the first tracking device has been found to the central server.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface partially displays the map interface before the request to locate the first tracking device is received, and wherein the interface is configured to fully display the map interface in response to a selection of the partially displayed map interface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface includes an interface portion that identifies the first tracking device, the last known location of the tracking device, and a time when the last known location was received by the central server.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface includes a plurality of interface portions, and wherein each of the interface portions identifies a different tracking device of the one or more tracking devices.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface identifies an object to which each of the one or more tracking devices is coupled.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface identifies a first set of tracking devices in a first interface portion and a second set of tracking devices in a second interface portion, the first set of tracking devices comprising tracking devices owned by the user, and the second set of tracking devices comprising tracking devices owned by someone other than the user but shared with the user.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second mobile device is associated with a second user, and wherein the second mobile device detects the last known location of the first tracking device and provides the last known location to the central server without informing the second user and without input from the second user.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the last known location of the first tracking device is provided to the central server without including information identifying the second mobile device or a second user associated with the second mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein each mobile device of the community of mobile devices continuously scans for nearby tracking devices and automatically provides an identity and location of any found tracking devices to the central server in response to detecting a signal from the found tracking devices.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second mobile device is associated with a second user, and wherein the second mobile device detects the last known location of the tracking device and provides the last known location to the central server without informing the second user and without input from the second user.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the last known location of the tracking device is provided to the central server without including information identifying the second mobile device or a second user associated with the second mobile device.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein each mobile device of the community of mobile devices continuously scans for nearby tracking devices and automatically provides an identity and location of any found tracking devices to the central server in response to detecting a signal from the found tracking devices.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions for locating a tracking device, the instructions, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, configured to perform steps comprising:
displaying, by the first mobile device of a community of mobile devices, an interface identifying one or more tracking devices, each mobile device in the community of mobile devices including a tracking device application, the tracking device application configured to, when a mobile device in the community of mobile devices moves within a threshold proximity of a tracking device of the one or more tracking devices, automatically:
detect a communication from the tracking device;
detect a location of the mobile device; and
provide the detected location of the mobile device and an identity of the tracking device to a central server;

receiving, from a user of the first mobile device, a request to locate a first of the one or more tracking devices;
in response to the first tracking device being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device, configuring, by the first mobile device, the first tracking device to emit a sound; and
in response to the first tracking device not being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device:
displaying, by the first mobile device, a map interface;
receiving, by the first mobile device from central server, a location representative of a last known location of the first tracking device, the last known location provided to the central server by a second mobile device of the community of mobile devices, the second mobile device configured to automatically detect the la

Assignees

• Tile Inc

Inventors

• Evans Nicholas George
• Farley Michael George

Classifications

• H04W4/21

  for social networking applications · CPC title

• G06F21/88

  Detecting or preventing theft or loss · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

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

• G06F2221/2111

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