Safe zones in tracking device environments

• US 9,922,531 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• 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:
  US15/387,243
• Time in Patent Office: 454 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:

accessing, by a tracking system, a set of safe conditions associated with the tracking device, the set of safe conditions defining a geographic boundary, including a time window, and including an extension distance and an extension time;

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

determining, by the tracking system, if the set of safe conditions is satisfied based on

     1) whether a current time is within the time window and

     2) whether the tracking device is located more than the extension distance away from the geographic boundary or whether the tracking device is located outside the geographic boundary for an amount of time greater than the extension time; and

in response to determining that the set of safe conditions is not satisfied;

generating, by the tracking system, a notification indicating that the set of safe conditions are not satisfied; and

sending, by the tracking system, the generated notification to a second mobile device associated with the user, the second mobile device configured to display the notification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the set of safe conditions is satisfied, preventing, by the tracking system, one or more notifications from being sent 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 1, wherein the set of safe conditions further comprises a delay time, and further comprising, in response to determining that the set of safe conditions is not satisfied, waiting, by the tracking system, an amount of time equal to or greater than the delay time before sending the notification to the second mobile device.

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of safe conditions is determined by the tracking system 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 is not satisfied.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying an indication that the set of safe conditions associated with the tracking device is not satisfied comprises displaying one or more of:

an icon associated with the set of safe conditions not being satisfied, a color associated with the set of safe conditions not being satisfied, and text indicating that the set of safe conditions is not satisfied.

9. A tracking system comprising:

a processor; and

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

accessing, by the tracking system, a set of safe conditions associated with a tracking device of a user, the set of safe conditions defining a geographic boundary, including a time window, and including an extension distance and extension time;

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

determining, by the tracking system, if the set of safe conditions is satisfied based on

     1) whether a current time is within the time window and

     2) whether the tracking device is located more than the extension distance away from the geographic boundary or whether the tracking device is located outside the geographic boundary for an amount of time greater than the extension time; and

in response to determining that the set of safe conditions is not satisfied;

generating, by the tracking system, a notification indicating that the set of safe conditions are not satisfied; and

sending, by the tracking system, the generated notification to a second mobile device associated with the user, the second mobile device configured to display the notification.

10. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform further steps comprising:

in response to determining that the set of safe conditions is satisfied, preventing, by the tracking system, one or more notifications from being sent to the second mobile device.

11. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the geographic boundary is defined by a threshold distance from a geographic location.

12. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the set of safe conditions further comprises a delay time, and the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform further steps comprising:

in response to determining that the set of safe conditions is not satisfied, waiting, by the tracking system, an amount of time equal to or greater than the delay time before sending the notification to the second mobile device.

13. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the set of safe conditions is defined by the user of the tracking device.

14. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the set of safe conditions is determined by the tracking system based on historical data associated with the tracking device without input from the user.

15. The tracking system of claim 9, 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 is not satisfied.

16. The tracking system of claim 15, wherein displaying an indication that the set of safe conditions associated with the tracking device is not satisfied comprises displaying one or more of:

an icon associated with the set of safe conditions not being satisfied, a color associated with the set of safe conditions not being satisfied, and text indicating that the set of safe conditions is not satisfied.