User intervention based on tracking device sensor data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9965942-B2
Application number	US-201615339751-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;
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, data from one or more sensors within the tracking device, wherein the one or more sensors includes an accelerometer and wherein the data includes motion data;
identifying, by the central tracking device system, based on the accessed data from the one or more sensors, the tracking device as potentially lost by at least in part determining that the motion data is representative of a motion of the tracking device being dropped by the user;
generating, by the central tracking device system, a notification identifying the tracking device and indicating the tracking device is potentially lost; 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 one or more sensors include a thermometer and wherein the data from the one or more sensors includes temperature data.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the location of the tracking device comprises determining that the tracking device is outside based on the temperature data.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the tracking device as potentially lost comprises determining, based on the temperature data, that an area around the tracking device is too warm or too cold for an object coupled to the tracking device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the tracking device is coupled to one of a laptop, a phone, a pet, or a child.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors includes an altimeter, and the data from the one or more sensors includes altitude data.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein identifying the tracking device as potentially lost comprises determining, based on the altitude data, that the tracking device is at a high altitude and that the location of the tracking device is not within a threshold distance of the location of the user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the tracking device is coupled to one of a water bottle, sunscreen, or sunglasses.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a barometer, and the data from the one or more sensors includes air pressure data.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tracking device is a rain-gear tracking device, and wherein identifying the tracking device as potentially lost comprises determining, based on the air pressure data, that the barometric pressure is decreasing.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the tracking device is coupled to one of a jacket, a hat, a poncho, an umbrella, or rain boots.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more sensors include an audio sensor, and the data from the one or more sensors includes audio data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein identifying the tracking device as potentially lost comprises determining, based on the audio data, whether a house in which the tracking device is located has been broken into.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the house has been broken into comprises determining whether a door or a window has been broken.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions for locating a tracking device, the computer program instructions comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a central tracking device system, cause the central tracking device system to:
determine a location of a tracking device of a user;
determine a location of the user; and
in response to the location of the tracking device being more than a threshold distance from the user:
access data from one or more sensors within the tracking device, wherein the one or more sensors includes an accelerometer and wherein the data includes motion data;
identify based on the accessed data from the one or more sensors, the tracking device as potentially lost by at least in part determining that the motion data is representative of a motion of the tracking device being dropped by the user;
generate a notification identifying the tracking device and indicating the tracking device is potentially lost; and
provide the generated notification to a mobile device of the user, the mobile device of the user configured to display the notification to the user.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a thermometer, altimeter, barometer, or audio sensor.

17. 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;
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 data from one or more sensors within the tracking device, wherein the one or more sensors includes an accelerometer and wherein the data includes motion data;
identifying based on the accessed data from the one or more sensors, the tracking device as potentially lost by at least in part determining that the motion data is representative of a motion of the tracking device being dropped by the user;
generating a notification identifying the tracking device and indicating the tracking device is potentially lost; 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.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a thermometer, altimeter, barometer, or audio sensor.

Assignees

• Tile Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• G08B13/14

  by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles · 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

• G06Q10/063116

  Schedule adjustment for a person or group · CPC title