Methods, systems and computer program products for anonymous tracking of objects

A computer-implemented method of providing location information associated with moveable objects, the method comprising:

• receiving a tag identification at a mobile terminal using a short range wireless transmission protocol, wherein the mobile terminal does not have any knowledge of the source of the received tag identification;
• formatting the received tag identification as an ID information report;
• and then
• transmitting the ID information report to a location service over a wide area cellular network communicatively coupled to the mobile terminal.

A location server for providing location information associated with movable objects, the location server comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor that includes, for each of the movable objects, identification information associated with the respective movable object and an owner associated with the respective movable object;
• a communication interface coupled to the processor that is configured to receive tag identification (ID) information reports from tag sensors;
• an object location module executing on the processor that is configured to update location information associated with the movable objects, that is stored in the memory, responsive to received ID information reports to provide updated location information for the moveable objects;
• and
• a data access module executing on the processor that is configured allow access to the location information associated with respective ones of the movable objects only to requestors authorized by the owner associated with the respective ones of the movable objects,
• wherein the tag sensors have not been provided notification of the identification information associated with the respective movable objects or of the owners associated with the respective moveable objects.

A method for providing an anonymous short range wireless transmitter tag for use in locating a movable object, the method comprising the following carried out at the tag:

• determining a unique identity number for the tag;
• determining a variable number for inclusion with the unique identity number;
• adding the variable number to the identity number to provide identification data for the tag;
• encoding the identification data for transmission by the short range wireless transmitter as a tag identification;
• transmitting the tag identification using a short range wireless protocol and then
• determining a new variable number;
• adding the new variable number to the identity number to provide new identification data for the tag;
• encoding the new identification data for transmission by the short range wireless transmitter as a new tag identification;
• transmitting the new tag identification using the short range wireless protocol;
• and
• repeating determining a new variable number, adding the new variable number, encoding and transmitting using the new tag identification for the tag after a selected interval.

An anonymous tag, comprising:

• a processor;
• a short range wireless transmitter coupled to the processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor including a unique identity number for the tag and a key for use in encoding by the tag;
• a tag identification module configured to execute on the processor that repeatedly:
• determines a new variable number for inclusion with the unique identity number;
• adds the new variable number to the identity number to provide identification data for the tag;
• and
• encodes the identification data for transmission by the short range wireless transmitter as a tag identification, wherein the short range wireless transmitter transmits the tag identification.