Tracking device location determination in a communicatively-restricted environment

• US 10,405,147 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mahmoud, Mohamed Sameh, Umair, Muhammad, Depew, John Mathew, Sillman, Richard Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D
• Application Number:
  US16/005,254
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A tracking device has a first transceiver, a second transceiver, and control logic. The first transceiver can transmit a first tracking signal for locating the tracking device to mobile devices via a first network. The mobile devices provide the first tracking signal to a tracking server. The second transceiver can transmit a second tracking signal for locating the tracking device to the tracking server via a second network. The control logic can configure the tracking device in a first state in which the first transceiver transmits the first tracking signal, and the second transceiver is disabled and does not transmit the second tracking signal. In response to determining that the tracking device cannot connect to the tracking server via the first network, the control logic configures the tracking device in a second state in which the second transceiver is enabled and transmits the second tracking signal.

Claims

1. A tracking device comprising:

a first transceiver configured to transmit a first tracking signal for locating the tracking device to at least one of a plurality of mobile devices via a first network, the plurality of mobile devices configured to provide the first tracking signal to a tracking server;

a second transceiver configured to transmit a second tracking signal for locating the tracking device to the tracking server via a second network, the second network different from the first network; and

control logic configured to;

configure the tracking device in a first state wherein the first transceiver transmits the first tracking signal and wherein the second transceiver is disabled and does not transmit the second tracking signal; and

in response to determining that the tracking device has been unable to reach at least one of the plurality of mobile devices via the first network for a threshold amount of time determined based on historic behavior of the tracking device, configure the tracking device in a second state wherein the second transceiver is enabled and transmits the second tracking signal.

2. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein determining that the tracking device has been unable to reach at least one of the plurality of mobile devices via the first network comprises receiving a wake signal from the tracking server via the second network, and wherein the second transceiver being disabled in the first state comprises operating in a low power mode.

3. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver is turned off when the tracking device is configured in the first state, and configuring the tracking device in the second state comprises turning the second transceiver on.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold length of time is determined based additionally on a most recent detected location of the tracking device.

5. The tracking device of claim 1, the second transceiver further configured to:

receive, from a stationary device via the second network, an identifier of the stationary device; and

transmit the identifier of the stationary device in the second tracking signal, wherein the identifier of the stationary device is used by the tracking server to determine a location associated with the tracking device.

6. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is configured to determine a geographical location of the tracking device, and the second transceiver is further configured to transmit the geographical location of the tracking device in the tracking signal.

7. The tracking device of claim 1, the control logic further configured to:

determine that the second tracking signal has been successfully transmitted to the tracking server; and

in response to the successful transmission, configuring the tracking device in the first state.

8. The tracking device of claim 1, the control logic further configured to:

receive a confirmation signal from one of the plurality of mobile devices that the first tracking signal was received, the first tracking signal transmitted while the tracking device is in the second state; and

in response to receiving the confirmation signal, configure the tracking device in the first state wherein the second transceiver is disabled and does not transmit the second tracking signal.

9. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein:

the tracking device further comprises a third transceiver configured to receive information for locating the tracking device; and

the control logic further is configured to include the information for locating the tracking device in the second tracking signal transmitted by the second transceiver.

10. A method for providing location information for locating a tracking device comprising:

determining that a first transceiver of the tracking device has been unable to provide a first tracking signal for locating the tracking device to at least one of a plurality of mobile devices via a first network for a threshold amount of time determined based on historic behavior of the tracking device;

in response to determining that the first transceiver has been unable to provide the first tracking signal via the first network, enabling a second transceiver for providing a second tracking signal via a second network;

determining location information of the tracking device;

generating the second tracking signal, the second tracking signal including the determined location information;

transmitting, by the second transceiver, the second tracking signal via the second network; and

disabling the second transceiver.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the first transceiver has been unable to provide a first tracking signal via the first network comprises receiving a wake signal from the tracking server via the second network, and wherein disabling the second transceiver comprises placing the second transceiver in a low power mode.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling the second transceiver comprises turning the second transceiver off, and enabling the second transceiver comprises turning the second transceiver on.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining the threshold length of time based additionally on a most recent detected location of the tracking device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from a stationary device via the second network, an identifier of the stationary device; and

transmitting the identifier of the stationary device in the second tracking signal, wherein the identifier of the stationary device is used by the tracking server to determine a location associated with the tracking device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving data for determining a geographical location of the tracking device;

determining the geographical location of the tracking device; and

transmitting the geographical location of the tracking device in the tracking signal.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the second tracking signal has been successfully transmitted to the tracking server; and

in response to the successful transmission, disabling the second transceiver.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation signal from one of a plurality of mobile devices that the first tracking signal was received, the first tracking signal transmitted while the second transceiver is enabled; and

in response to receiving the confirmation signal, disabling the second transceiver.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at a third receiver, information for locating the tracking device; and

including the information for locating the tracking device in the second tracking signal.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform steps comprising:

determining that a first transceiver of the tracking device has been unable to provide a first tracking signal for locating the tracking device to at least one of a plurality of mobile devices via a first network for a threshold amount of time determined based on historic behavior of the tracking device;

in response to determining that the first transceiver has been unable to provide the first tracking signal via the first network, enabling a second transceiver for providing a second tracking signal via a second network;

determining location information of the tracking device;

generating the second tracking signal, the second tracking signal including the determined location information;

transmitting, by the second transceiver, the second tracking signal via the second network; and

disabling the second transceiver.