Multi-device architecture for tracking device access

• US 9,820,106 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2015
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Farley, Michael George, Vega, Jose Pons, Choi, Charles Y., Janjam, Renu
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US14/882,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20170105100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4563, 370338
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A tracking server stores information identifying one or more community mobile devices and information identifying one or more tracking devices within a proximity of each of the one or more community mobile devices. The tracking server receives a tracking device request from a mobile device. The tracking device request includes information identifying a tracking device and configuration instructions for configuring the tracking device. The tracking server identifies a community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices within a proximity of the tracking device. The tracking server sends the tracking device request to the identified community mobile device. The identified community mobile device is configured to forward the tracking device request to the tracking device and the tracking device is configured to re-configure the tracking device based on the configuration instructions included in the tracking device request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, at a tracking server, information identifying one or more community mobile devices and information identifying one or more tracking devices within a proximity of each of the one or more community mobile devices;

receiving, at the tracking server, a tracking device request from a mobile device, the tracking device request including information identifying a tracking device and including configuration instructions for configuring the tracking device, the configuration instructions identifying a tracking device beacon frequency;

identifying, by the tracking server, a community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices within a proximity of the tracking device; and

sending, by the tracking server, the tracking device request to the identified community mobile device, the identified community mobile device configured to forward the configuration instructions identifying the tracking device beacon frequency to the tracking device, the tracking device configured to change a frequency of beacon signal transmission by the tracking device to the tracking device beacon frequency identified by the configuration instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving, by the tracking server, a confirmation signal from the identified community mobile device, the confirmation signal indicating the configuration instructions were received by the tracking device;

and

sending, by the tracking server, a message to the mobile device, the message including the confirmation signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the message further comprises information associated with the identified community mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration instructions further comprise notification instructions configured to cause the tracking device to perform functions comprising one or more of:

emitting sound, playing a song, emitting light, or vibrating.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration instructions further comprise a list of mobile devices to add to a list of verified mobile devices stored by the tracking device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices comprises identifying the community mobile device closest to the tracking device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices comprises identifying a trusted community mobile device of the one or more community mobile devices.

8. A tracking server comprising:

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

storing information identifying one or more community mobile devices and information identifying one or more tracking devices within a proximity of each of the one or more community mobile devices;

receiving a tracking device request from a mobile device, the tracking device request including information identifying a tracking device and including configuration instructions for configuring the tracking device, the configuration instructions identifying a tracking device beacon frequency;

identifying a community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices within a proximity of the tracking device; and

sending the tracking device request to the identified community mobile device, the identified community mobile device configured to forward the configuration instructions identifying the tracking device beacon frequency to the tracking device, the tracking device configured to change a frequency of beacon signal transmission by the tracking device to the tracking device beacon frequency identified by the configuration instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions.

9. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, perform further steps comprising:

receiving a confirmation signal from the identified community mobile device, the confirmation signal indicating the configuration instructions were received by the tracking device; and

sending a message to the mobile device, the message including the confirmation signal.

10. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the message further comprises information associated with the identified community mobile device.

11. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein the configuration instructions further comprise notification instructions configured to cause the tracking device to perform functions comprising one or more of:

emitting sound, playing a song, emitting light, or vibrating.

12. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein the configuration instructions further comprise a list of mobile devices to add to a list of verified mobile devices stored by the tracking device.

13. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein identifying the community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices comprises identifying the community mobile device closest to the tracking device.

14. The tracking system of claim 8, wherein identifying the community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices comprises identifying a trusted community mobile device of the one or more community mobile devices.

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

storing information identifying one or more community mobile devices and information identifying one or more tracking devices within a proximity of each of the one or more community mobile devices;

receiving a tracking device request from a mobile device, the tracking device request including information identifying a tracking device and including configuration instructions for configuring the tracking device, the configuration instructions identifying a tracking device beacon frequency;

identifying a community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices within a proximity of the tracking device; and

sending the tracking device request to the identified community mobile device, the identified community mobile device configured to forward the configuration instructions identifying the tracking device beacon frequency to the tracking device, the tracking device configured to change a frequency of beacon signal transmissions of the tracking device to the tracking device beacon frequency identified by the configuration instructions.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, perform further steps comprising

receiving a confirmation signal from the identified community mobile device, the confirmation signal indicating the configuration instructions were received by the tracking device;

and

sending a message to the mobile device, the message including the confirmation signal.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the message further comprises information associated with the identified community mobile device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the configuration instructions further comprise notification instructions configured to cause the tracking device to perform functions comprising one or more of:

emitting sound, playing a song, emitting light, or vibrating.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the configuration instructions further comprise a list of mobile devices to add to a list of verified mobile devices stored by the tracking device.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein identifying the community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices comprises identifying the community mobile device closest to the tracking device.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein identifying the community mobile device from the one or more community mobile devices comprises identifying a trusted community mobile device of the one or more community mobile devices.