User intervention based on external data in a tracking device environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9965941-B2
Application number	US-201615339750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2016
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

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:
determining, by a central tracking device system, a location of a tracking device of a user, the tracking device coupled to an object;
determining, by the central tracking device system, a location of the user; and
in response to the location of the tracking device being more than a threshold distance from the user:
accessing, by the central tracking device system, external data from an external data source associated with the object by transmitting a request to the external data source for the external data via an application programming interface associated with the external data source;
determining, by the central tracking device system, based on the accessed external data from the external data source, that possession of the object is likely to be useful to the user;
generating, by the central tracking device system, a notification identifying the tracking device and recommending that the user obtain the object; and
providing, by the central tracking device system, the generated notification to a mobile device of the user, the mobile device of the user configured to display the notification to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data is accessed in response to receiving a request from the mobile device of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data is accessed in response to movement of the tracking device or movement of the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data is accessed in response to the tracking device connecting communicatively with a mobile device of a second user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data is accessed in response to determining the location of the tracking device or the location of the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data is received periodically from the external data source.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data comprises information about events on a schedule associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external data comprises at least one of messages associated with the user or calendar items from a calendar associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external data describes a school-related event on the schedule of the user, and the object is an object associated with school.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the school object is one of a textbook, a pencil case, a notebook, or a laptop.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining that possession of the object is likely to be useful to the user is based on a type of the school event on the schedule.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external data describes a work-related event on the schedule of the user, and the object is an object associated with work.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the work-related object is one of a laptop, a tablet, a phone, an ID badge, headphones, or a briefcase.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external data describes a trip on the schedule of the user, and the object is a travel object.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the travel object is one of luggage, a phone charger, a laptop charger, a toiletry bag, a passport, an eBook, a computer, a tablet, or a phone.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining that possession of the object is likely to be useful to the user is based on a destination of the trip.

17. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external data is received from at least one of a calendaring system, a messaging system, a travel system, or a transport system.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external data source is a weather service, and wherein the external data comprises weather information.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the object is one of a rain-gear object, a snow-gear object, or a warm-weather object.

20. A system for locating a tracking device, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions that, when executed, perform steps comprising:
determining a location of a tracking device of a user, the tracking device coupled to an object;
determining a location of the user; and
in response to the location of the tracking device being more than a threshold distance from the user:
accessing external data from an external data source associated with the object by transmitting a request to the external data source for the external data via an application programming interface associated with the external data source;
determining based on the accessed external data from the external data source, that possession of the object is likely to be useful to the user;
generating a notification identifying the tracking device and recommending that the user obtain the object; and
providing the generated notification to a mobile device of the user, the mobile device of the user configured to display the notification to the user; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions.

Assignees

• Tile Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• G08B25/08

  using communication transmission lines {(G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• G08B21/24 Primary

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