# US 11,026,402 B2 · Method and system for tracking animals and alerting animal owners of lost animals

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- Number: US 11,026,402 B2
- Document ID: US11026402B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/650,009
- Filed: 2018-09-25
- Published: 2020-09-03
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-26
- Assignees: Boeringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc.
- Applicants: Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc.
- Inventors: Pierre-Emmanuel Deliou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11026402B2

## CPC

- A01K 11/008: {incorporating global positioning system [GPS]}
- A01K 11/007: {Boluses}
- A01K 15/023: {Anti-evasion devices}
- A01K 29/007: {for pets}
- H04B 5/77: for interrogation
- H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A computer system and method for tracking a companion animal and alerting an owner of the companion animal when the companion animal is lost may include a server generating a web page associated with a near-field-communication (NFC) portion of an electronic tag. The electronic tag may be coupled to the companion animal with a mechanical device. The server may generate a geo-fence that is associated with the electronic tag and the server may monitor the geo-fence to determine if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence. The server may send a message to the web page if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence. The server may then send an alert to a portable computing device if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence. The server may send a command to the electronic tag to change from a first rate to a second rate for a device identifier reporting rate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for tracking a companion animal and alerting an owner of the companion animal when the companion animal is lost, the method comprising:
a server generating a web page associated with a near-field-communication (NFC) portion of an electronic tag, the electronic tag being coupled to the companion animal;
the server generating a geo-fence associated with the electronic tag;
the server monitoring the geo-fence to determine if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence;
the server sending a message to the web page if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence;
the server sending an alert to a portable computing device if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence;
the server sending a command to the electronic tag to change from a first rate to a second rate for a device identifier reporting rate;
the server sending a command to the electronic tag to report its present battery level status to a communications network;
receiving a request from the communications network for an increased frequency of reporting of the location for the electronic tag; and
the server sending a command to the electronic tag to change the second rate to a third rate for sending the device identifier to the communications network.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising powering the NFC portion of the electronic tag from energy produced by a scan of the electronic tag.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a low power wide area (LPWA) chip or circuit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the device identifier comprises one of an alpha, numeric, or alphanumeric character set assigned to the NFC portion of the tag during its manufacture.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the LPWA chip or circuit sends the device identifier to one or more cellular network towers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the NFC portion of the electronic tag has been scanned by a portable computing device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a portable digital assistant (PDA), a portable game console, a navigation device, and a tablet computer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is a hand-held device.

### Claim 9

A computer system for tracking a companion animal and alerting an owner of the companion animal when the companion animal is lost, the computer system comprising:
a server generating a web page associated with a near-field-communication (NFC) portion of an electronic tag, the electronic tag being coupled to the companion animal;
the server generating a geo-fence associated with the electronic tag; the server monitoring the geo-fence to determine if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence;
the server sending a message to the web page if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence; the server sending an alert to a portable computing device if the electronic tag has exited the geo-fence;
the server sending a command to the electronic tag to change from a first rate to a second rate for a device identifier reporting rate;
the server sending a command to the electronic tag to report its present battery level status to a communications network, the electronic tag further comprising a low power wide area (LPWA) portion;
the server receiving a request from the communications network an increased frequency of reporting for a location of the electronic tag; and the server sending a command to the electronic tag to change the second rate to a third rate for sending the device identifier to the communications network.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the NFC portion of the electronic tag is powered by a scan of the electronic tag.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic tag comprises a mechanical device for coupling the electronic tag to the companion animal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the device identifier comprises one of an alpha, numeric, or alphanumeric character set assigned to the NFC portion of the tag during its manufacture.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the LPWA portion sends the device identifier to one or more cellular network towers.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising determining if the NFC portion of the electronic tag has been scanned by a portable computing device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, further comprising the server sending an alert to the portable computing device if the NFC portion of the electronic tag has been scanned by a device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a portable digital assistant (PDA), a portable game console, a navigation device, and a tablet computer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is a hand-held device.