IP Library Granted Patent US 11,070,934
Granted Patent B2
US 11,070,934 · App. 16/843,877 · Granted Jul 20, 2021

Tracking device location identification

Inventors: Pierre-Marie Lévêque (San Francisco, CA); Wayne Patterson (Burlingame, CA); Arunkumar Puppala (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: TILE, Inc.
H04W4/02G08B21/24G08B25/10G08B21/0269G08B21/0272H04W4/029
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,070,934
App. No.
16/843,877
Granted
Jul 20, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a tracking system server from a first computing device in response to an event between the first computing device and a tracking device, a location associated with the tracking device and a timestamp. The method includes receiving, by the tracking system server, a set of location updates from a set of second computing devices, each location update including a location associated with the tracking device when the second computing device detects the tracking device and a timestamp. The method includes determining, by the tracking system server, a last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location update.

Claims (31)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a tracking system server from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices in response to an event between the first computing device and a tracking device, a location associated with the tracking device and a timestamp;

receiving, by the tracking system server, a set of location updates from a respective set of second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices, each location update including a location associated with the tracking device when the respective second computing device detects the tracking device and a timestamp; and

determining, by the tracking system server, a last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a disconnection event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location associated with the tracking device includes a location of the first computing device at a time of occurrence of the event and an approximate distance between the first computing device and the tracking device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a detection event.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device or second computing device is a mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tracking device comprises a transmitter for broadcasting a beacon signal and circuitry for executing instructions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device is based at least in part on the timestamp received from the first computing device and one or more of the timestamps received with the location updates.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates comprises weighting the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device based on the timestamp and weighting the one or more locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates based on one or more of the timestamps received with the location updates.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates comprises combining the locations using a triangulation operation.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates are each associated with a measure of accuracy.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining the last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates comprises weighting the locations based on their respective measures of accuracy.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein each respective second computing device sends the location update without notifying a user of the respective second computing device.

13. 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.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying software that is operable when executed by a processor of a tracking system server to:

receive, from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices in response to an event between the first computing device and a tracking device, a location associated with the tracking device and a timestamp;

receive a set of location updates from a respective set of second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices, each location update including a location associated with the tracking device when the respective second computing device detects the tracking device and a timestamp; and

determine a last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a disconnection event.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the location associated with the tracking device includes a location of the first computing device at a time of occurrence of the event and an approximate distance between the first computing device and the tracking device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a detection event.

18. A system 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 system to:

receive, from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices in response to an event between the first computing device and a tracking device, a location associated with the tracking device and a timestamp;

receive a set of location updates from a respective set of second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices, each location update including a location associated with the tracking device when the respective second computing device detects the tracking device and a timestamp; and

determine a last known location of the tracking device based on the location associated with the tracking device received from the first computing device and one or more of the locations associated with the tracking device received with the location updates.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the event between the first computing device and the tracking device is a disconnection event.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the location associated with the tracking device includes a location of the first computing device at a time of occurrence of the event and an approximate distance between the first computing device and the tracking device.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2024
From: LÉVÊQUE, PIERRE-MARIE; PATTERSON, WAYNE; PUPPALA, ARUNKUMAR
To: TILE, INC.
Reel/Frame 067052/0692 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2022
From: CAPITAL IP INVESTMENT PARTNERS LLC
To: TILE, INC.
Reel/Frame 058671/0383 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2021
From: TILE, INC.
To: CAPITAL IP INVESTMENT PARTNERS LLC AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 057633/0569 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 2, 2021
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: TILE, INC.
Reel/Frame 057650/0820 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,323,873