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US 10,945,093 B2Granted
Systems and methods for locating a tracking device
AssigneeTile, Inc.
InventorsNicholas George Evans, Michael George Farley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- associating, by a tracking system using at least one processor, a user with a tracking device owned by the user;
- in response to the tracking device coming within a threshold proximity of a first mobile device of the user, receiving, by the tracking system, a location of the first mobile device, an identity of the tracking device, and an identity of the first mobile device and storing the received location as a last known location of the tracking device;
- and
- in response to the tracking device coming within a threshold proximity of a second mobile device of a second user, receiving, by the tracking system, a location of the second mobile device and the identity of the tracking device and storing the received location as a last known location of the tracking device without storing an identity of the second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device is configured to provide the location of the second mobile device to the tracking system without notifying the second user that the tracking device was detected by the second mobile device and without providing the identity of the second mobile device.
1 more element
A tracking system comprising:
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, performs steps comprising:
- associating a user with a tracking device owned by the user;
- in response to the tracking device coming within a threshold proximity of a first mobile device of the user, receiving a location of the first mobile device, an identity of the tracking device, and an identity of the first mobile device and storing the received location as a last known location of the tracking device;
- and
- in response to the tracking device coming within a threshold proximity of a second mobile device of a second user, receiving a location of the second mobile device and the identity of the tracking device and storing the received location as a last known location of the tracking device without storing an identity of the second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device is configured to provide the location of the second mobile device to the tracking system without notifying the second user that the tracking device was detected by the second mobile device and without providing the identity of the second mobile device;
- and
- a processor configured to execute the instructions.
4 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform steps comprising:
- associating, by a tracking system using at least one processor, a user with a tracking device owned by the user;
- in response to the tracking device coming within a threshold proximity of a first mobile device of the user, receiving, by the tracking system, a location of the first mobile device, an identity of the tracking device, and an identity of the first mobile device and storing the received location as a last known location of the tracking device;
- and
- in response to the tracking device coming within a threshold proximity of a second mobile device of a second user, receiving, by the tracking system, a location of the second mobile device and the identity of the tracking device and storing the received location as a last known location of the tracking device without storing an identity of the second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device is configured to provide the location of the second mobile device to the tracking system without notifying the second user that the tracking device was detected by the second mobile device and without providing the identity of the second mobile device.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.