Tracking device wireless preconfiguration

• US 10,114,988 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Depew, John Mathew, Farley, Michael George
• Primary Examiner(s): Dsouza, Adolf
• Application Number:
  US15/467,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20180276427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10227 loading programming parameters or programs into the interrogator, e.g. for configuring the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A preconfiguration system preconfigures tracking devices before they are received by a user of the tracking devices. The preconfiguration system generates an activation signal that can be detected by an activation signal detector on a tracking device. Upon detecting the activation signal, the tracking device begins to operate in a preconfiguration mode and establishes a communicative connection with the preconfiguration system. The preconfiguration system can then communicate with the tracking device to perform a variety of tasks, including receiving a tracking device identifier from the tracking device so that the tracking device identifier can be associated with the user identifier for the user who purchased the tracking device.

Claims

1. A tracking device, comprising:

a hall effect sensor configured to, when the tracking device is configured to operate in a sleep mode, detect a magnetic field and produce an output voltage based on a strength of the magnetic field;

a communication interface configured to establish a communicative connection with a preconfiguration system; and

a controller coupled to the hall effect sensor and the communication interface, the controller configured to;

responsive to receiving, from the hall effect sensor, an output voltage exceeding a threshold voltage, configure the tracking device to operate in a preconfiguration mode,

when configured to operate in the preconfiguration mode, establish the communicative connection with the preconfiguration system via the communication interface,

provide a tracking device identifier uniquely identifying the tracking device over the communicative connection to the preconfiguration system, the preconfiguration system configured to associate the tracking device identifier with a user account, and

responsive to providing the tracking device identifier to the preconfiguration system, configure the tracking device to operate in the sleep mode.

2. The tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a battery coupled to the controller and configured to provide power to the controller when the controller is configured to operate in the preconfiguration mode.

3. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the output voltage of the hall effect sensor provides power to the controller when the controller is configured to operate in the preconfiguration mode.

4. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the controller, when configured to operate in the preconfiguration mode, is further configured to:

receive a firmware update for tracking device over the communicative connection; and

apply the firmware update to the tracking device.

5. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the controller, when configured to operate in the preconfiguration mode, is further configured to:

perform a testing process on the tracking device, the performance of the testing process comprising one or more communications with the preconfiguration system over the communicative connection, the communications comprising providing a result of the testing process to the preconfiguration system.

6. A method for preconfiguring a tracking device, comprising:

detecting, at a hall effect sensor of the tracking device while the tracking device is configured to operate in a sleep mode, a magnetic field;

producing, by the hall effect sensor, an output voltage based on a strength of the detected magnetic field;

in response to the output voltage exceeding a threshold voltage, configuring, by a controller of the tracking device, the tracking device to operate in a preconfiguration mode;

when configured to operate in the preconfiguration mode, establishing, via a communication interface of the tracking device, a communicative connection with a preconfiguration system;

providing, by the controller of the tracking device, a tracking device identifier uniquely identifying the tracking device over the communicative connection to the preconfiguration system; and

in response to providing the tracking device identifier, configuring, by the controller of the tracking device, the tracking device to operate in the sleep mode.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

when configured to operate in the preconfiguration mode, receiving a firmware update for tracking device over the communicative connection; and

applying the firmware update to the tracking device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

when configured to operate in the preconfiguration mode, performing a testing process on the tracking device, the performing of the testing process comprising one or more communications with the preconfiguration system over the communicative connection, the communications comprising providing a result of the testing process to the preconfiguration system.

9. A preconfiguration system for preconfiguring a tracking device, comprising:

an activation signal generator configured to generate a wireless activation signal in proximity to the tracking device, the tracking device having an activation signal detector coupled to a controller, wherein the controller is configured to reconfigure the tracking device from a sleep mode to a preconfiguration mode responsive to the activation signal detector detecting the activation signal;

a communication interface configured to establish a communicative connection with the tracking device when the tracking device is operating in the preconfiguration mode; and

a preconfiguration manager configured to;

receive, from a central tracking system, a user identifier of an owner of the tracking device,

receive, from the communication interface over the communicative connection, a tracking device identifier uniquely identifying the tracking device, and

provide the tracking device identifier and the user identifier to the central tracking system, the central tracking system configured to associate the tracking device identifier with the user identifier.

10. The preconfiguration system of claim 9, wherein the wireless activation signal comprises a magnetic field having a strength above a threshold strength.

11. The preconfiguration system of claim 9, wherein the wireless activation signal is a light flash.

12. The preconfiguration system of claim 9, wherein the wireless activation signal is physical motion.

13. The preconfiguration system of claim 9, wherein the wireless activation signal is a sound.

14. The preconfiguration system of claim 9, wherein the central tracking system is further configured to, prior to associating the tracking device identifier with the user identifier, determine whether the tracking device identifier is associated with a different user identifier.

15. The preconfiguration system of claim 9, wherein the tracking device is inside a sealed package containing a plurality of tracking devices, wherein the activation signal generator generates the wireless activation signal in proximity to the plurality of tracking devices inside the package, wherein the user identifier identifies the owner of each of the plurality of tracking devices, and wherein the preconfiguration manager is further configured to:

receive, from the communication interface over the communicative connection, a plurality of tracking device identifiers, each of the plurality of tracking device identifier received from one of the plurality of tracking devices; and

provide the plurality of tracking device identifiers to the central tracking system, the central tracking system configured to associate each of the plurality of tracking device identifiers with the user identifier.

16. The preconfiguration system of claim 9, wherein the preconfiguration manager is further configured to provide a firmware update to the tracking device over the communicative connection.

17. The preconfiguration system of claim 9, wherein the preconfiguration manager is further configured to operate a testing process on the tracking device over the communicative connection, the operation of the testing process comprising receiving a result of the testing process from the tracking device over the communicative connection.

18. A method for preconfiguring a tracking device, comprising:

receiving, at a preconfiguration system from a central tracking system, a user identifier of an owner of the tracking device;

generating a wireless activation signal in proximity to the tracking device, the tracking device having an activation signal detector coupled to a controller, wherein the controller is configured to reconfigure the tracking device from a sleep mode to a preconfiguration mode responsive to the activation signal detector detecting the activation signal;

establishing, by a communication interface of the preconfiguration system, a communicative connection with the tracking device when the tracking device is operating in the preconfiguration mode;

receiving, over the communicative connection, a tracking device identifier uniquely identifying the tracking device; and

providing the tracking device identifier and the user identifier to the central tracking system, the central tracking system configured to associate the tracking device identifier with the user identifier.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein generating the wireless activation signal comprises generating a magnetic field with a magnitude greater than a threshold magnitude.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein generating the wireless activation signal comprises generating an emission of light.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein generating the wireless activation signal comprises subjecting the tracking device to a physical motion.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein generating the wireless activation signal comprises generating an audio signal.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the central tracking system is further configured to, prior to associating the tracking device identifier with the user identifier, determine whether the tracking device identifier is associated with a different user identifier.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the tracking device is inside a sealed package containing a plurality of tracking devices, wherein the wireless activation signal is generated in proximity to the plurality of tracking devices inside the package, wherein the user identifier identifies the owner of each of the plurality of tracking devices, and further comprising:

receiving a plurality of tracking device identifiers, each of the plurality of tracking device identifiers received from one of the plurality of tracking devices; and

providing the plurality of tracking device identifiers to the central tracking system, the central tracking system configured to associated each of the plurality of tracking device identifiers with the user identifier.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a firmware update to the tracking device over the communicative connection.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising operating a testing process on the tracking device over the communicative connection, the operation of the testing process comprising receiving a result of the testing process from the tracking device over the communicative connection.