# US 11,910,268 B2 · Systems and methods for locating a tracking device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,268 B2 - Document ID: US11910268B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/843,858 - Filed: 2020-04-08 - Published: 2020-07-23 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-29 - Assignees: Tile, Inc. - Applicants: Tile, Inc. - Inventors: Nicholas George Evans; Michael George Farley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910268B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - G06F 21/88: Detecting or preventing theft or loss - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W 4/21: for social networking applications - G06F 2221/2111: Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS - H04L 67/306: User profiles - H04L 67/55: Push-based network services - H04W 92/18: between terminal devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first computing device from a user of the first computing device, a request to locate a tracking device associated with the first computing device. The method includes sending, by the first computing device to a tracking system server in response to receiving the request to locate the tracking device from the user of the first computing device, a request for a location of the tracking device. The method includes receiving, by the first computing device from the tracking system server, a location of the tracking device, the location of the tracking device being a location associated with the tracking device determined by a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices and provided by the second computing device in response to the second computing device receiving a signal from the tracking device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: determining, by a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices, that a tracking device associated with the first computing device is not within a proximity of a current location of the first computing device; displaying, by the first computing device, an interface comprising a proximity indicator for the tracking device, wherein the proximity indicator comprises one or more iconographic indications of whether the tracking device is within the proximity of the current location of the first computing device and an interactive element configured to request a location associated with the tracking device; receiving, by the first computing device, from a user of the first computing device through interaction with the interactive element, a request to locate the tracking device associated with the first computing device; sending, by the first computing device to a tracking system server in response to receiving the request to locate the tracking device from the user of the first computing device, a request for a location associated with the tracking device; receiving, by the first computing device from the tracking system server, a location associated with the tracking device, the location associated with the tracking device being a location determined by a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices and provided by the second computing device without providing an identity of the second computing device in response to the second computing device receiving a signal from the tracking device; and displaying an interface comprising a visual representation of the received location associated with the tracking device determined by the second computing device and the current location of the first computing device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first computing device or the second computing device is a mobile device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises a transmitter for broadcasting a beacon signal and circuitry for executing instructions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the signal from the tracking device is a communication signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the signal from the tracking device indicates that the tracking device is in proximity to the second computing device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device communicates with the tracking system server via a first communication method and communicates with the tracking device via a second communication method. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the interface comprising the visual representation of the location associated with the tracking device is displayed responsive to receiving the request to locate the tracking device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the location associated with the tracking device is a map interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the interface comprising the proximity indicator for the tracking device further indicates that the first computing device is not communicatively coupled to the tracking device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the interface comprising the proximity indicator for the tracking device further identifies an object to which the tracking device is coupled or in which the tracking device is embedded. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each computing device in the plurality of computing devices is executing an application associated with the tracking system server, the application configured to, when the computing device receives a signal from the tracking device, determine a location associated with the tracking device and provide the location associated with the tracking device and an identity of the tracking device to the tracking system server without notifying a user of the computing device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the location associated with the tracking device determined by the second computing device is a location of the second computing device at a time that the second computing device receives the signal from the tracking device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity indicator further comprises one or more iconographic indications of an approximate proximity of a last known location of the tracking device to a current location of the first computing device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the each of the one or more iconographic indications corresponds to a specific threshold distance of the tracking device and display of the iconographic indication indicates that the tracking device is within the threshold distance. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying software that is operable when executed by a processor of a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices to: determine that a tracking device associated with the first computing device is not within a proximity of a current location of the first computing device; display an interface comprising a proximity indicator for the tracking device, wherein the proximity indicator comprises one or more iconographic indications of whether the tracking device is within the proximity of the current location of the first computing device and an interactive element configured to request a location associated with the tracking device; receive, by the first computing device, from a user of the first computing device through interaction with the interactive element, a request to locate the tracking device associated with the first computing device; send, by the first computing device to a tracking system server in response to receiving the request to locate the tracking device from the user of the first computing device, a request for a location associated with the tracking device; receive, by the first computing device from the tracking system server, a location associated with the tracking device, the location associated with the tracking device being a location determined by a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices and provided by the second computing device without providing an identity of the second computing device in response to the second computing device receiving a signal from the tracking device; and display an interface comprising a visual representation of the received location associated with the tracking device determined by the second computing device and the current location of the first computing device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first computing device or the second computing device is a mobile device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the tracking device comprises a transmitter for broadcasting a beacon signal and circuitry for executing instructions. ### Claim 18 A system comprising a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices, the first computing device comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the first computing device to: display an interface comprising a proximity indicator for a tracking device, wherein the proximity indicator comprises one or more iconographic indications of whether the tracking device is within the proximity of a current location of the first computing device and an interactive element configured to request a location associated with the tracking device; receive, by the first computing device, from a user of the first computing device through interaction with the interactive element, a request to locate the tracking device associated with the first computing device; send, by the first computing device to a tracking system server in response to receiving the request to locate the tracking device from the user of the first computing device, a request for a location associated with the tracking device; receive, by the first computing device from the tracking system server, a location associated with the tracking device, the location associated with the tracking device being a location determined by a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices and provided by the second computing device without providing an identity of the second computing device in response to the second computing device receiving a signal from the tracking device; and display an interface comprising a visual representation of the received location associated with the tracking device determined by the second computing device and the current location of the first computing device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the system or the first computing device is a mobile device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the tracking device comprises a transmitter for broadcasting a beacon signal and circuitry for executing instructions.