User presence-enabled tracking device functionality

• US 10,462,611 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2019
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Klinkner, Steven R., de la Broise, Josselin
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US16/265,809
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A tracking system can provide configuration instructions to an electronic device based on user presence. The tracking system can determine a user'"'"'s location relative to a geographic boundary surrounding a geographic area associated with the user. Depending on the user'"'"'s location, the tracking system may send instructions to configure an electronic device to send a notification or change the operating mode of the electronic device in response to the user'"'"'s presence. The electronic device may be a scanning device that is configured to have a higher or lower scanning frequency, depending on the presence or absence of the user relative to the scanning device.

Claims

1. A method for locating a tracking device, comprising:

receiving, at a central tracking system, a first location of a tracking device of a user from a mobile device of the user at a first time and a second location of the tracking device from the mobile device at a second time later than the first time, the mobile device configured to provide locations of the tracking device to the central tracking system in response to receiving communications from the tracking device;

accessing, by the central tracking system, information describing a boundary associated with the user and corresponding to a geographic region;

detecting, by the central tracking system, that the tracking device has moved from outside the boundary to inside the boundary based on the first location of the tracking device and the second location of the tracking device; and

configuring, by the central tracking system, an operating mode of an electronic device located within the boundary in response to detecting that the tracking device has moved from outside the boundary to inside the boundary, the operating mode corresponding to a presence of the user within the geographic region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is located within a home of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is located within a place of employment of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device controls a temperature of a building or house located within the boundary.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a security system of a building or house.

6. A system for locating a tracking device, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising;

receiving, at a central tracking system, a first location of a tracking device of a user from a mobile device of the user at a first time and a second location of the tracking device from the mobile device at a second time later than the first time, the mobile device configured to provide locations of the tracking device to the central tracking system in response to receiving communications from the tracking device;

accessing, by the central tracking system, information describing a boundary associated with the user and corresponding to a geographic region;

detecting, by the central tracking system, that the user has moved from outside the boundary to inside the boundary based on the first location of the tracking device and the second location of the tracking device; and

configuring, by the central tracking system, an operating mode of an electronic device located within the boundary in response to detecting that the user has moved from outside the boundary to inside the boundary, the operating mode corresponding to a presence of the user within the geographic region; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is located within a home of the user.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is located within a place of employment of the user.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device controls a temperature of a building or house located within the boundary.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is a security system of a building or house.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions for locating a tracking device that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps, comprising:

receiving, at a central tracking system, a first location of a tracking device of a user from a mobile device of the user at a first time and a second location of the tracking device from the mobile device at a second time later than the first time, the mobile device configured to provide locations of the tracking device to the central tracking system in response to receiving communications from the tracking device;

accessing, by the central tracking system, information describing a boundary associated with the user and corresponding to a geographic region;

detecting, by the central tracking system, that the user has moved from outside the boundary to inside the boundary based on the first location of the tracking device and the second location of the tracking device; and

configuring, by the central tracking system, an operating mode of an electronic device located within the boundary in response to detecting that the user has moved from outside the boundary to inside the boundary, the operating mode corresponding to a presence of the user within the geographic region.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is located within a home of the user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is located within a place of employment of the user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the electronic device controls a temperature of a building or house located within the boundary.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is a security system of a building or house.