Tracking device location detection using access point collections
A tracking system determines a location of a tracking device associated with a user using one or more access points at the location. Each access point at the location is configured to detect and couple with the tracking device when the tracking device is within a communicative range of the access point. An access point provides updates on the tracking device's presence, as well as the tracking device's arrival to and departure from the communicative range of the access point, to a tracking server. The tracking server determines, from these updates, whether the tracking device is at the location. The user may be notified, via a mobile device, of the tracking device's location.
1. A method for locating a tracking device, comprising:
associating, by a tracking server, a set of access points, each access point located within a geographic boundary associated with a location, and each access point configured to detect tracking devices located within a proximity of the access point;
in response to determining that none of the set of access points have detected the tracking device within an interval of time, determining, by the tracking server, that the tracking device is not located at the location;
in response to determining that one or more of the set of access points have detected the tracking device within the interval of time:
determining, by the tracking server, that the tracking device is located at the location;
identifying, by the tracking server, an instruction to send to the tracking device; and
providing, by the tracking server, the identified instruction to each access point in the set of access points, each access point configured to provide the instruction to the tracking device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the tracking device is not located at the location, notifying, by the tracking server, a mobile device of a user that the tracking device is not located at the location.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tracking device, in response to receiving the instruction from at least one access point, is configured to execute the instruction.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction causes the tracking device to vibrate or emit a light.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction causes the tracking device to ring.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction causes the tracking device to communicatively couple with an access point.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein communicative coupling comprises pairing with the tracking device over Bluetooth.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving, by the tracking server, a notification that the access point is communicatively coupled to the tracking device, the notification including a location of the access point; and
notifying, by the tracking server, the mobile device of the location of the access point.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction is provided to the tracking server by the user.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic boundary is determined by a collective communicative range of the set of access points.
11. A system for locating a tracking device, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform steps comprising:
associating, by a tracking server, a set of access points, each access point located within a geographic boundary associated with a location, and each access point configured to detect tracking devices located within a proximity of the access point;
in response to determining that none of the set of access points have detected the tracking device within an interval of time, determining, by the tracking server, that the tracking device is not located at the location;
in response to determining that one or more of the set of access points have detected the tracking device within the interval of time:
determining, by the tracking server, that the tracking device is located at the location;
identifying, by the tracking server, an instruction to send to the tracking device; and
providing, by the tracking server, the identified instruction to each access point in the set of access points, each access point configured to provide the instruction to the tracking device; and
a processor to execute the instructions.
12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the tracking device is not located at the location, notifying, by the tracking server, a mobile device of a user that the tracking device is not located at the location.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the tracking device, in response to receiving the instruction from at least one access point, is configured to execute the instruction.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instruction causes the tracking device to vibrate or emit a light.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instruction causes the tracking device to ring.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instruction causes the tracking device to communicatively couple with an access point.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein communicative coupling comprises pairing with the tracking device over Bluetooth.
18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving, by the tracking server, a notification that the access point is communicatively coupled to the tracking device, the notification including a location of the access point; and
notifying, by the tracking server, the mobile device of the location of the access point.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instruction is provided to the tracking server by the user.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the geographic boundary is determined by a collective communicative range of the set of access points.