Leash notification for tracking device

• US 9,685,066 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vega, Jose Pons, Ancheta, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US15/348,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20170132903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391-53932, 3405721, 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• 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

The communication between a tracking device and a secondary device that tracks the tracking device can be severed. On detecting a loss of connection, the secondary device retrieves a last known location of the tracking device from the tracking server. On receiving the last known location, the secondary device activates location detection functionality to determine a current location of the secondary device. If the current location is further than a predetermined threshold distance from the last known location of the tracking device, a notification is displayed by the secondary device indicating that the connection to the tracking device is lost. If the secondary device is within the predetermined threshold distance from the tracking device'"'"'s last known location, the secondary device waits for a predetermined interval of time to elapse, and if the tracking device is not detected during this interval, a notification is displayed by the secondary device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a mobile device, a loss of connection with a tracking device;

determining, by the mobile device, a current location of the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device, that a distance between the current location of the mobile device and a last known location of the tracking device exceeds a predetermined distance threshold;

in response to determining that the distance exceeds the predetermined distance threshold, notifying a user of the tracking device that the tracking device is located outside of a communicative range of the mobile device; and

in response to determining that

     1) the distance does not exceed the predetermined distance threshold, and that

     2) the connection between the mobile device and the tracking device has not been re-established during a passage of a threshold interval of time, notifying the user of the tracking device that the tracking device is located outside of the communicative range of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined current location of the mobile device comprises geographic coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location of the mobile device is determined by activating a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the user comprises at least one of displaying a visual indicator, playing an audio indicator, or emitting a vibration indicator on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein notifying the user further comprises displaying an indication of an identity of the tracking device and an indication that the tracking device is located outside of the communicative range of the mobile device.

6. A system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions for;

detecting, by a mobile device, a loss of connection with a tracking device;

determining, by the mobile device, a current location of the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device, that a distance between the current location of the mobile device and a last known location of the tracking device exceeds a predetermined distance threshold;

in response to determining that the distance exceeds the predetermined distance threshold, notifying a user of the tracking device that the tracking device is located outside of a communicative range of the mobile device; and

in response to determining that

     1) the distance does not exceed the predetermined distance threshold, and that

     2) the connection between the mobile device and the tracking device has not been re-established during a passage of a threshold interval of time, notifying the user of the tracking device that the tracking device is located outside of the communicative range of the mobile device; and

a processor configured to execute the computer instructions.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the determined current location of the mobile device comprises geographic coordinates.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the current location of the mobile device is determined by activating a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein notifying the user comprises at least one of displaying a visual indicator, playing an audio indicator, or emitting a vibration indicator on the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein notifying the user further comprises displaying an indication of an identity of the tracking device and an indication that the tracking device is located outside of the communicative range of the mobile device.

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

detecting, by a mobile device, a loss of connection with a tracking device;

determining, by the mobile device, a current location of the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device, that a distance between the current location of the mobile device and a last known location of the tracking device exceeds a predetermined distance threshold;

in response to determining that the distance exceeds the predetermined distance threshold, notifying a user of the tracking device that the tracking device is located outside of a communicative range of the mobile device; and

in response to determining that

     1) the distance does not exceed the predetermined distance threshold, and that

     2) the connection between the mobile device and the tracking device has not been re-established during a passage of a threshold interval of time, notifying the user of the tracking device that the tracking device is located outside of the communicative range of the mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determined current location of the mobile device comprises geographic coordinates.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the current location of the mobile device is determined by activating a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein notifying the user comprises at least one of displaying a visual indicator, playing an audio indicator, or emitting a vibration indicator on the mobile device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein notifying the user further comprises displaying an indication of an identity of the tracking device and an indication that the tracking device is located outside of the communicative range of the mobile device.