Safe zones in tracking device environments

• US 10,475,328 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2019
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Doxey, Robert, Puppala, Arunkumar, Patterson, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Timory, Kabir A
• Application Number:
  US16/401,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20190259264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 194 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0252 System arrangements wherein the child unit emits, i.e. the child unit incorporates the emitter
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• 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 tracking system determines if a tracking device is located within a safe zone based on whether a set of safe conditions are satisfied. The set of safe conditions includes a geographic boundary or a geographic location and corresponding threshold distance. The set of safe conditions can also include a time window during which a safe zone is active. When a tracking device is within a safe zone (e.g., geographically and temporally), the tracking device is determined to be safe, and notifications associated with the tracking device can be minimized. The safe zones may be user-selected, user-defined, or determined based on data analytics. If a set of safe conditions are not satisfied, the tracking system generates and sends a notification to the user of the tracking device indicating that the tracking device may be lost.

Claims

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

receiving, by a tracking system from a first mobile device, a location of the tracking device;

determining, by the tracking system, if a set of safe conditions is satisfied based at least in part on whether the location of the tracking device is within a geographic boundary associated with the set of safe conditions; and

in response to determining that the set of safe conditions are satisfied;

identifying, by the tracking system, one or more notifications generated in response to one or more lost conditions being satisfied and indicating that the tracking device may be lost; and

decreasing, by the tracking system, a frequency that the identified notifications are sent to a second mobile device of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasing the frequency that the identified notifications are sent to the second mobile device comprises preventing the identified notifications from being set to the second mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic boundary is defined by a threshold distance from a geographic location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the geographic location is based on a location of another tracking device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of safe conditions is defined by the user of the tracking device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of safe conditions is determined based on historical data associated with the tracking device without input from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is configured to generate a user interface, and wherein displaying the notification comprises displaying an indication that the set of safe conditions associated with the tracking device are satisfied.

8. A tracking system for locating a tracking device of a user, comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving a location of the tracking device;

determining if a set of safe conditions is satisfied based at least in part on whether the location of the tracking device is within a geographic boundary associated with the set of safe conditions; and

in response to determining that the set of safe conditions are satisfied;

identifying one or more notifications generated in response to one or more lost conditions being satisfied and indicating that the tracking device may be lost; and

decreasing a frequency that the identified notifications are sent to a second mobile device of the user.

9. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein decreasing the frequency that the identified notifications are sent to the second mobile device comprises preventing the identified notifications from being set to the second mobile device.

10. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein the geographic boundary is defined by a threshold distance from a geographic location.

11. The tracking system of claim 10, wherein the geographic location is based on a location of another tracking device.

12. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein the set of safe conditions is defined by the user of the tracking device.

13. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein the set of safe conditions is determined based on historical data associated with the tracking device without input from the user.

14. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein the second mobile device is configured to generate a user interface, and wherein displaying the notification comprises displaying an indication that the set of safe conditions associated with the tracking device are satisfied.

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

receiving, by a tracking system from a first mobile device, a location of the tracking device;

determining, by the tracking system, if a set of safe conditions is satisfied based at least in part on whether the location of the tracking device is within a geographic boundary associated with the set of safe conditions; and

in response to determining that the set of safe conditions are satisfied;

identifying, by the tracking system, one or more notifications generated in response to one or more lost conditions being satisfied and indicating that the tracking device may be lost; and

decreasing, by the tracking system, a frequency that the identified notifications are sent to a second mobile device of the user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein decreasing the frequency that the identified notifications are sent to the second mobile device comprises preventing the identified notifications from being set to the second mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the geographic boundary is defined by a threshold distance from a geographic location.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the geographic location is based on a location of another tracking device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the set of safe conditions is defined by the user of the tracking device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the set of safe conditions is determined based on historical data associated with the tracking device without input from the user.