Tracking device location identification

• US 10,536,798 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2019
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Leveque, Pierre-Marie, Patterson, Wayne, Puppala, Arunkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US16/525,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20190357002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 169 Days
• 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 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes 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 last known location of a tracking device can be determined by using location information received at a tracking system. A disconnection event is received at the tracking system indicating that a tracking device has disconnected from a mobile device. In response, the tracking system can generate a last known location for the tracking device. Other relevant location updates, such as recent locations of the mobile device or locations of other mobile devices that connect to the tracking device are collected and associated with the disconnection event. Based on the location updates, a last known location of the tracking device can be computed and stored.

Claims

1. A method for determining a last known location of a tracking device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a tracking server from a first mobile device in response to the first mobile device disconnecting from the tracking device, a location of the first mobile device when the tracking device disconnects from the first mobile device and a first timestamp of the disconnection;

receiving, by the tracking server, a set of location updates, each location update including a location of a mobile device when the mobile device detects the tracking device and a timestamp of the detection; and

determining, by the tracking server, a last known location of the tracking device by combining the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined based at least in part on the first timestamp and one or more of the timestamps included within the received location updates.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are weighted based on the first timestamp and the one or more of the timestamps before combination.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined using a triangulation operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are each associated with a measure of accuracy representative of a proximity of the tracking device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined using a weighted average operation based at least in part on the measures of accuracy.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying, by the tracking server, an interface displayed by a client device associated with an owner of the tracking device to indicate the determined last known location of the tracking device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a tracking device server, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving, by a tracking server from a first mobile device in response to the first mobile device disconnecting from the tracking device, a location of the first mobile device when the tracking device disconnects from the first mobile device and a first timestamp of the disconnection;

receiving, by the tracking server, a set of location updates, each location update including a location of a mobile device when the mobile device detects the tracking device and a timestamp of the detection; and

determining, by the tracking server, a last known location of the tracking device by combining the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined based at least in part on the first timestamp and one or more of the timestamps included within the received location updates.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are weighted based on the first timestamp and the one or more of the timestamps before combination.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined using a triangulation operation.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are each associated with a measure of accuracy representative of a proximity of the tracking device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined using a weighted average operation based at least in part on the measures of accuracy.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the tracking server is further configured to modify an interface displayed by a client device associated with an owner of the tracking device to indicate the determined last known location of the tracking device.

15. A tracking server for determining a last known location of a tracking device, comprising:

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

receiving, from a first mobile device in response to the first mobile device disconnecting from the tracking device, a location of the first mobile device when the tracking device disconnects from the first mobile device and a first timestamp of the disconnection;

receiving a set of location updates, each location update including a location of a mobile device when the mobile device detects the tracking device and a timestamp of the detection; and

determining a last known location of the tracking device by combining the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions.

16. The tracking server of claim 15, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined based at least in part on the first timestamp and one or more of the timestamps included within the received location updates.

17. The tracking server of claim 16, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are weighted based on the first timestamp and the one or more of the timestamps before combination.

18. The tracking server of claim 15, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined using a triangulation operation.

19. The tracking server of claim 15, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are each associated with a measure of accuracy representative of a proximity of the tracking device.

20. The tracking server of claim 15, wherein the location of the first mobile device and one or more of the locations included within the received location updates are combined using a weighted average operation based at least in part on the measures of accuracy.