Tracking device program with remote controls and alerts

• US 9,392,404 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PB, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PB, Inc.
• Inventors: Daoura, Daniel, Pearson-Franks, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US14/820,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.32, 340/539.13, 340/539.11, 340/426.1, 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.26, 455/404.1, 455/457, 455/466, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 15/00 Key-rings
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 15/005 Fobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1427 Housings

Abstract

In a tracking device 10, a crescent-shaped PCB 12 partially encircles a battery 15 to minimize thickness of the device 10. A speaker 23 and an LED 24 emit alerts upon command of a control apparatus 37 or in response to motion or temperature sensed by sensor 25. A local network 40 has one hub 41 to tracking devices 33 and a wider area network 45 has multiple hubs for more detailed tracking of devices 33. A wide area network 50 tracks devices anywhere and stores data of each tracking device including its last known position and its sensor data.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by a mobile device with multiple functions, cause the mobile device to:

store identification information associated with a predetermined tracking device in a memory of the mobile device;

receive a signal from a tracking device, the signal including identification information associated with the tracking device;

compare the received identification information associated with the tracking device to the stored identification information to determine whether the received identification information corresponds to the stored identification information associated with the predetermined tracking device; and

in response to determining that the received identification information corresponds to the stored identification information;

execute a predetermined function on the mobile device in response to determining that the received signal includes a trigger signal generated by the predetermined tracking device; and

transmit to the predetermined tracking device a trigger signal for remotely executing an alarm on the predetermined tracking device in response to determining that the received signal does not include a trigger signal generated by the predetermined tracking device;

wherein executing the predetermined function on the mobile device comprises;

generating an estimate of distance between the mobile device and the tracking device based upon the strength of the received signal, and

executing an alarm on the mobile device when the estimated distance between the mobile device and the tracking device is greater than a predetermined threshold.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the function executed on the mobile device comprises presenting a visual alarm.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein transmitting the trigger signal to the predetermined tracking device causes the predetermined tracking device to present a visual alarm.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the function executed on the mobile device comprises presenting an audible alarm.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein transmitting the trigger signal to the predetermined tracking device causes the predetermined tracking device to present an audible alarm.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the mobile device to trigger the alarm on the mobile device when the mobile device is at one or more of a first group of predetermined locations.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the mobile device to trigger the alarm on the mobile device when the mobile device is not at one or more of a second group of predetermined locations.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the mobile device to trigger the alarm on the mobile device during a predetermined period of time.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the function executed on the mobile device comprises taking a picture.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the function executed on the mobile device comprises sending a predetermined email.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the function executed on the mobile device comprises sending a predetermined text message.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the received signal further comprises sensor information from the tracking device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions further include displaying sensor information.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the sensor information includes acceleration of the tracking device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the sensor information includes velocity of the tracking device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the sensor information includes gyroscopic information of the tracking device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the sensor information includes global positioning information of the approximate location of the tracking device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein global positioning information includes the approximate latitude and longitude of the tracking device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein global positioning information includes the approximate altitude of the tracking device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the sensor information comprises motion and direction information corresponding the motion and direction of the tracking device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the motion information is three-axis information.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the motion information is six-axis information.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the motion information is nine-axis information.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions further include displaying the motion and direction of the tracking device.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the mobile device further executes a function of the mobile device in accordance with predetermined motion and direction information in the received signal from the tracking device.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the function of the mobile device includes one or more of group comprising taking a picture, sending a predetermined email, sending a predetermined text message, or operating an alarm on the mobile device.

27. The method of claim 12 wherein the sensor information is temperature information, pressure information or humidity information.

28. The method of claim 12 wherein sensor information received by the mobile device from the tracking device is paired with an alarm in the mobile device.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the mobile device receives a GPS signal for the location of the mobile device and the function executed by the mobile device depends upon the GPS signal received by mobile device.