IP Library Granted Patent US 12,519,617
Granted Patent B2
US 12,519,617 · App. 18/808,084 · Granted Jan 6, 2026

Key diversification in a tracking device environment

Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner (Palo Alto, CA); Josselin de la Broise (Mountain View, CA); Ian Thomas Meyer (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Tile, Inc.
H04L9/0643H04L9/006H04L9/0844H04L9/088H04L9/14H04L9/3013H04L9/3073H04L9/3228
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,519,617
App. No.
18/808,084
Granted
Jan 6, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tracking device can use a permanent encryption key pair to encrypt a temporary private key that corresponds to a set of diversified temporary public keys. When a community mobile device subsequently detects the tracking device, the central tracking system provides a diversified temporary public key to the community mobile device. The community mobile device uses the diversified temporary public key to encrypt location data representative of a location of the community mobile device, and provides the encrypted location data to the central tracking system. When a user subsequently requests a location of the tracking device from the central tracking system, the central tracking system provides the encrypted temporary private key and the encrypted location data to a device of the user, and the device can decrypt the encrypted temporary private key using the permanent encryption key pair, and decrypt the encrypted location data using the decrypted temporary private key.

Claims (31)

1 . A method comprising:

accessing, for a tracking device, a set of diversified public keys that correspond to a private key of an encryption key pair associated with the tracking device;

providing, by a central tracking system to a community mobile device, a diversified public key associated with a hash key used to create a hashed identifier received by the community mobile device from the tracking device, the community mobile device configured to encrypt location data associated with the tracking device using the diversified public key and to provide the encrypted location data to the central tracking system; and

in response to receiving a request for a location of the tracking device, providing, by the central tracking system, an encrypted private key and the encrypted location data to an owner mobile device, the owner mobile device configured to decrypt the encrypted location data using the encrypted private key and a public key of the encryption key pair and display the decrypted location data, the encrypted private key comprising the private key encrypted with the public key.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of diversified public keys are generated using an Elgamal encryption operation.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of diversified public keys are generated using an ECIES encryption operation.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of diversified public keys are generated using a NaCl encryption operation.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of diversified public keys are generated using a set of elliptical curves.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the private key can decrypt the location data encrypted with any of the set of diversified public keys.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the encryption key pair is generated by one of the owner mobile device and the central tracking system.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the encryption key pair is generated in response to activating the tracking device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tracking device is configured to include the hashed identifier in an advertising packet transmitted by the tracking device.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the community mobile device, in response to receiving the hashed identifier from the tracking device, is configured to activate a GPS receiver of the community mobile device and to determine a location of the community mobile device using the GPS receiver, the determined location comprising the location data.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the central tracking system does not have access to the private key.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the central tracking system does not have access to the decrypted private key.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the central tracking system is unable to decrypt the encrypted location data.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the decrypted location data comprises displaying the location of the tracking device within a map interface.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the decrypted location data comprises displaying a notification via an operating system of the owner mobile device.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform steps comprising:

accessing, for a tracking device, a set of diversified public keys that correspond to a private key of an encryption key pair associated with the tracking device;

providing, by a central tracking system to a community mobile device, a diversified public key associated with a hash key used to create a hashed identifier received by the community mobile device from the tracking device, the community mobile device configured to encrypt location data associated with the tracking device using the diversified public key and to provide the encrypted location data to the central tracking system; and

in response to receiving a request for a location of the tracking device, providing, by the central tracking system, an encrypted private key and the encrypted location data to an owner mobile device, the owner mobile device configured to decrypt the encrypted location data using the encrypted private key and a public key of the encryption key pair and display the decrypted location data, the encrypted private key comprising the private key encrypted with the public key.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the community mobile device, in response to receiving the hashed identifier from the tracking device, is configured to activate a GPS receiver of the community mobile device and to determine a location of the community mobile device using the GPS receiver, the determined location comprising the location data.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein displaying the decrypted location data comprises displaying the location of the tracking device within a map interface.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein displaying the decrypted location data comprises displaying a notification via an operating system of the owner mobile device.

20 . A system comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform steps comprising:

accessing, for a tracking device, a set of diversified public keys that correspond to a private key of an encryption key pair associated with the tracking device;

providing, by a central tracking system to a community mobile device, a diversified public key associated with a hash key used to create a hashed identifier received by the community mobile device from the tracking device, the community mobile device configured to encrypt location data associated with the tracking device using the diversified public key and to provide the encrypted location data to the central tracking system; and

in response to receiving a request for a location of the tracking device, providing, by the central tracking system, an encrypted private key and the encrypted location data to an owner mobile device, the owner mobile device configured to decrypt the encrypted location data using the encrypted private key and a public key of the encryption key pair and display the decrypted location data, the encrypted private key comprising the private key encrypted with the public key.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2024
From: KLINKNER, STEVEN R.; BROISE, JOSSELIN DE LA; MEYER, IAN THOMAS
To: TILE, INC.
Reel/Frame 068852/0151 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 18521189 · Nov 28, 2023
Continuation 18185694 · Mar 17, 2023
Continuation 17746975 · May 18, 2022
Continuation 17015859 · Sep 9, 2020
Provisional Application 62923552 · Oct 20, 2019
Related Publication 20240413975A1 · Dec 12, 2024
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