Leash Notification for Tracking Device Loss Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tracking devices do not effectively detect when they are out of range from the user, leading to potential loss, and their limited battery life restricts their functionality by preventing them from being leashed to a mobile device.
Innovation Solution
A tracking device is connected to a secondary device via a 'leash' mechanism, which activates a notification if the devices lose communication, using a one-way communication protocol and leveraging a community of mobile devices to determine the tracking device's location and prevent loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tracking devices operate independently without leash mechanism, then device simplicity is maintained, but the device cannot detect when it is out of range from the user leading to potential loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a secondary device as an intermediary that performs the leash function. The tracking device communicates with the secondary device, which then monitors communication status and triggers leash notifications. This intermediary approach allows the tracking device to gain loss prevention capabilities without directly implementing complex leash monitoring logic, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability improvement and device complexity increase.
2Reliability
If tracking device uses continuous communication to detect loss, then loss detection accuracy is improved, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic communication between the tracking device and secondary device rather than continuous communication. The system checks communication status at defined intervals and triggers leash notifications based on missed communication cycles. This periodic approach maintains adequate loss detection accuracy while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy usage.
3Reliability
If tracking device implements two-way communication protocol, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an asymmetric communication protocol where the tracking device transmits data to the secondary device, but the secondary device performs the leash monitoring and notification functions. This asymmetric division of responsibilities allows the tracking device to use a simpler communication implementation while the secondary device handles the more complex leash logic, resolving the contradiction between communication reliability and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The communication between a tracking device and a secondary device that tracks the tracking device can be severed. On detecting a loss of connection, the secondary device retrieves a last known location of the tracking device from the tracking server. On receiving the last known location, the secondary device activates location detection functionality to determine a current location of the secondary device. If the current location is further than a predetermined threshold distance from the last known location of the tracking device, a notification is displayed by the secondary device indicating that the connection to the tracking device is lost. If the secondary device is within the predetermined threshold distance from the tracking device's last known location, the secondary device waits for a predetermined interval of time to elapse, and if the tracking device is not detected during this interval, a notification is displayed by the secondary device.