IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,294,914
Granted Patent B2
US 12,294,914 · App. 18/754,496 · Granted May 6, 2025

Tracking device location and coordination

Inventors: Omar Leyva (Irvine, CA); Christopher Brooks (Milwaukie, OR); Steven R. Klinkner (Palo Alto, CA); Cihang Yang (Foster City, CA); Eric Chiquillo (Elk Grove, CA); Andre Gatti (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Tile, Inc.
H04W4/029H04M1/2755H04M1/72445H04M3/42008H04W12/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,294,914
App. No.
18/754,496
Granted
May 6, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Communication between an owner of a lost tracking device and a finder of a lost tracking device is established. A tracking system receives an identifier of a tracking device and a request for a web page from a mobile device that has captured an image of a smart code on the tracking device. The smart code is embedded with a URL to the web page. The system displays the web page on the mobile device and prompts the user to provide a location of the mobile device. The location is associated with the identifier of the tracking device. A notification indicating the location of the tracking device is generated for the owner. The owner is prompted to provide information to establish contact with the finder of the device, and the web page is populated with the owner's provided information for display on the finder's mobile device.

Claims (32)

1. A method, comprising:

in response to a mobile device scanning a smart code on a tracking device, generating, by a tracking system, and sending a notification to an owner of the tracking device indicating that the smart code was scanned and including an anonymous message entered by a user of the mobile device;

providing, by the tracking system, a web page for display by the mobile device, the web page configured to prompt a user of the mobile device to provide, via a web browser of the mobile device, a location of the mobile device to the tracking system;

receiving, by the tracking system, the location of the mobile device from the user; and

in response to receiving the location of the mobile device, populating, by the tracking system, the web page with an interface element that provides contact information of the owner of the tracking device to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device does not have an application associated with the tracking system installed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the smart code is a QR code, bar code, or image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the web page enables the user of the mobile device to enable a GPS receiver of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the web page includes a second interface element that enables the user of the mobile device to share the location of the mobile device with the owner of the tracking device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface element enables the user of the mobile device to identify a location at which the tracking device has been left by the user of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tracking device comprises a second mobile device.

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

in response to a mobile device scanning a smart code on a tracking device, generating, by a tracking system, and sending a notification to an owner of the tracking device indicating that the smart code was scanned and including an anonymous message entered by a user of the mobile device;

providing, by the tracking system, a web page for display by the mobile device, the web page configured to prompt a user of the mobile device to provide, via a web browser of the mobile device, a location of the mobile device to the tracking system;

receiving, by the tracking system, the location of the mobile device from the user; and

in response to receiving the location of the mobile device, populating, by the tracking system, the web page with an interface element that provides contact information of the owner of the tracking device to the user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device does not have an application associated with the tracking system installed.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the smart code is a QR code, bar code, or image.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the web page enables the user of the mobile device to enable a GPS receiver of the mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the web page includes a second interface element that enables the user of the mobile device to share the location of the mobile device with the owner of the tracking device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the interface element enables the user of the mobile device to identify a location at which the tracking device has been left by the user of the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the tracking device comprises a second mobile device.

15. A tracking 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 tracking system to perform steps comprising:

in response to a mobile device scanning a smart code on a tracking device, generating, by the tracking system, and sending a notification to an owner of the tracking device indicating that the smart code was scanned and including an anonymous message entered by a user of the mobile device;

providing, by the tracking system, a web page for display by the mobile device, the web page configured to prompt a user of the mobile device to provide, via a web browser of the mobile device, a location of the mobile device to the tracking system;

receiving, by the tracking system, the location of the mobile device from the user; and

in response to receiving the location of the mobile device, populating, by the tracking system, the web page with an interface element that provides contact information of the owner of the tracking device to the user.

16. The tracking system of claim 15 , wherein the mobile device does not have an application associated with the tracking system installed.

17. The tracking system of claim 15 , wherein the smart code is a QR code, bar code, or image.

18. The tracking system of claim 15 , wherein the web page enables the user of the mobile device to enable a GPS receiver of the mobile device.

19. The tracking system of claim 15 , wherein the web page includes a second interface element that enables the user of the mobile device to share the location of the mobile device with the owner of the tracking device.

20. The tracking system of claim 15 , wherein the interface element enables the user of the mobile device to identify a location at which the tracking device has been left by the user of the mobile device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2024
From: LEYVA, OMAR; BROOKS, CHRISTOPHER; KLINKNER, STEVEN R.; YANG, CIHANG; CHIQUILLO, ERIC; GATTI, ANDRE
To: TILE, INC.
Reel/Frame 068851/0727 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 18317262 · May 15, 2023
Continuation 17399069 · Aug 11, 2021
Related Publication 20240349017A1 · Oct 17, 2024
References Cited (13)
US 9848299B1 · Kumar et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10008097B1 · Kumar et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20050035860A1 · Taylor et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20090013060A1 · St Marie · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100261450A1 · Martin-Cocher et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20170064511A1 · McCormick · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170142551A1 · Chapiewski et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180014250A1 · De Barros Chapiewski · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180241489A1 · Daoura et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190103012A1 · Daoura et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210274315A1 · Daoura · 2021 [cited by examiner]
United States Office Action, U.S. Appl. No. 18/317,262, Feb. 16, 2024, 28 pages. [cited by applicant]
United States Office Action, U.S. Appl. No. 18/317,262, Dec. 28, 2023, 21 pages. [cited by applicant]