Systems and methods for locating a tracking device

• US 9,961,498 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TILE, INC. (Life360 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Evans, Nicholas George, Farley, Michael George
• Primary Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US15/439,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20170164156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

The principles described herein provide methods and systems for locating a tracking device. In particular, one disclosed method includes associating a user with a tracking device, receiving an indication that the tracking device is lost, setting a flag indicating that the tracking device is lost, receiving a location within a proximity of the tracking device from one of a plurality of mobile devices associated with a community of users, and providing the location to the user.

Claims

1. A method for locating a tracking device comprising:

displaying, by a first mobile device of a community of mobile devices, an interface identifying one or more tracking devices, each mobile device in the community of mobile devices including a tracking device application, the tracking device application configured to, when a mobile device in the community of mobile devices moves within a threshold proximity of a tracking device of the one or more tracking devices, automatically;

detect a communication from the tracking device;

detect a location of the mobile device; and

provide the detected location of the mobile device and an identity of the tracking device to a central server;

receiving, from a user of the first mobile device, a request to locate a first of the one or more tracking devices;

in response to the first tracking device being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device, configuring, by the first mobile device, the first tracking device to emit a sound; and

in response to the first tracking device not being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device;

displaying, by the first mobile device, a map interface;

receiving, by the first mobile device from the central server, a location representative of a last known location of the first tracking device, the last known location provided to the central server by a second mobile device of the community of mobile devices, the second mobile device configured to automatically detect the last known location of the first tracking device and to provide the last known location to the central server in response to moving within a threshold proximity of the first tracking device; and

modifying, by the first mobile device, the map interface to illustrate the last known location of the first tracking device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface indicates that the first mobile device is communicatively coupled to the first tracking device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the request to locate the first tracking device comprises receiving a selection of a button displayed by the interface that, when selected, configures the first tracking device to emit the sound.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to locate the first tracking device comprises receiving a selection of a button displayed by the interface associated with locating the first tracking device when the first mobile device is not communicatively coupled to the first tracking device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the user locating the first tracking device, receiving, from the user via the interface, a confirmation that the first tracking device has been found, the first mobile device configured to, in response to receiving the confirmation from the user, provide the confirmation that the first tracking device has been found to the central server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface partially displays the map interface before the request to locate the first tracking device is received, and wherein the interface is configured to fully display the map interface in response to a selection of the partially displayed map interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface includes an interface portion that identifies the first tracking device, the last known location of the tracking device, and a time when the last known location was received by the central server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a plurality of interface portions, and wherein each of the interface portions identifies a different tracking device of the one or more tracking devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface identifies an object to which each of the one or more tracking devices is coupled.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface identifies a first set of tracking devices in a first interface portion and a second set of tracking devices in a second interface portion, the first set of tracking devices comprising tracking devices owned by the user, and the second set of tracking devices comprising tracking devices owned by someone other than the user but shared with the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is associated with a second user, and wherein the second mobile device detects the last known location of the first tracking device and provides the last known location to the central server without informing the second user and without input from the second user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the last known location of the first tracking device is provided to the central server without including information identifying the second mobile device or a second user associated with the second mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each mobile device of the community of mobile devices continuously scans for nearby tracking devices and automatically provides an identity and location of any found tracking devices to the central server in response to detecting a signal from the found tracking devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second mobile device is associated with a second user, and wherein the second mobile device detects the last known location of the tracking device and provides the last known location to the central server without informing the second user and without input from the second user.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the last known location of the tracking device is provided to the central server without including information identifying the second mobile device or a second user associated with the second mobile device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein each mobile device of the community of mobile devices continuously scans for nearby tracking devices and automatically provides an identity and location of any found tracking devices to the central server in response to detecting a signal from the found tracking devices.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions for locating a tracking device, the instructions, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, configured to perform steps comprising:

displaying, by the first mobile device of a community of mobile devices, an interface identifying one or more tracking devices, each mobile device in the community of mobile devices including a tracking device application, the tracking device application configured to, when a mobile device in the community of mobile devices moves within a threshold proximity of a tracking device of the one or more tracking devices, automatically;

detect a communication from the tracking device;

detect a location of the mobile device; and

provide the detected location of the mobile device and an identity of the tracking device to a central server;

receiving, from a user of the first mobile device, a request to locate a first of the one or more tracking devices;

in response to the first tracking device being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device, configuring, by the first mobile device, the first tracking device to emit a sound; and

in response to the first tracking device not being communicatively coupled to the first mobile device;

displaying, by the first mobile device, a map interface;

receiving, by the first mobile device from central server, a location representative of a last known location of the first tracking device, the last known location provided to the central server by a second mobile device of the community of mobile devices, the second mobile device configured to automatically detect the last known location of the first tracking device and to provide the last known location to the central server in response to moving within a threshold proximity of the first tracking device; and

modifying, by the first mobile device, the map interface to illustrate the last known location of the first tracking device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the interface indicates that the first mobile device is communicatively coupled to the first tracking device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein receiving the request to locate the first tracking device comprises receiving a selection of a button displayed by the interface that, when selected, configures the first tracking device to emit the sound.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein receiving the request to locate the first tracking device comprises receiving a selection of a button displayed by the interface associated with locating the first tracking device when the first mobile device is not communicatively coupled to the first tracking device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the instructions, when executed, configured to perform further steps comprising:

in response to the user locating the first tracking device, receiving, from the user via the interface, a confirmation that the first tracking device has been found, the first mobile device configured to, in response to receiving the confirmation from the user, provide the confirmation that the first tracking device has been found to the central server.

22. The non-transitory compute//r-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the interface partially displays the map interface before the request to locate the first tracking device is received, and wherein the interface is configured to fully display the map interface in response to a selection of the partially displayed map interface.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the interface includes an interface portion that identifies the first tracking device, the last known location of the tracking device, and a time when the last known location was received by the central server.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the interface includes a plurality of interface portions, and wherein each of the interface portions identifies a different tracking device of the one or more tracking devices.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the interface identifies an object to which each of the one or more tracking devices is coupled.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the interface identifies a first set of tracking devices in a first interface portion and a second set of tracking devices in a second interface por/tion, the first set of tracking devices comprising tracking devices owned by the user, and the second set of tracking devices comprising tracking devices owned by someone other than the user but shared with the user.

27. A method for locating a tracking device comprising:

displaying, by a first mobile device of a community of mobile devices, an interface identifying a tracking device, each mobile device in the community of mobile devices including a tracking device application configured to automatically, when a mobile device in the community of mobile devices moves within a threshold proximity of the tracking device, detect a location of the mobile device and provide the location of the mobile device and an identity of the tracking device to a central server;

receiving, from a user of the first mobile device, a request to locate the tracking device when the first mobile device is not within the threshold proximity of the tracking device;

displaying, by the first mobile device, a map interface;

receiving, by the first mobile device from the central server, a last known location of the tracking device, the last known location provided to the central server by a second mobile device of the community of mobile devices, the second mobile device configured to automatically detect the last known location of the tracking device and to provide the last known location to the central server in response to moving within a threshold proximity of the tracking device; and

modifying, by the first mobile device, the map interface to illustrate the last known location of the tracking device.