Tracking Device Location via Community Mobile Relay
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tracking devices face limitations in battery life and require sophisticated circuitry for long-range tracking, making them expensive and power-intensive, while low-power options are restricted to close proximity and limited range.
Innovation Solution
A system that leverages a community of mobile devices to locate a tracking device by associating users with tracking devices, allowing for extended range tracking through community user contributions, even when the user's mobile device is out of range, using a tracking system that sets flags for lost devices and relays location information from nearby community mobile devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If traditional GPS technology is used for long-range tracking, then tracking range is improved, but battery consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces community mobile devices as intermediary elements that relay location information for lost tracking devices. Instead of the lost tracking device continuously transmitting its location (which would drain its battery), nearby mobile devices detect the tracking device's signals and report its location to the owner, enabling long-range tracking without significant battery consumption from the tracking device itself.
2Length of stationary object
If traditional GPS technology is used for long-range tracking, then tracking range is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the universal presence of mobile devices in the community, which already possess GPS capabilities and location services. By utilizing these existing multi-functional devices as intermediaries, the system achieves long-range tracking without requiring the tracking device itself to have complex long-range communication circuitry, thereby reducing device complexity and cost.
3Use of energy by moving object
If low-power tracking options are used, then battery consumption is reduced, but tracking range is limited to close proximity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tracking capabilities of multiple mobile devices in the community to extend the effective tracking range. While each individual mobile device uses low-power local detection, the collective network of these devices combines their coverage areas, enabling the system to track lost devices over long distances without requiring the tracking device to consume high power for long-range transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first computing device from a user of the first computing device, a request to locate a tracking device associated with the first computing device. The method includes sending, by the first computing device to a tracking system server in response to receiving the request to locate the tracking device from the user of the first computing device, a request for a location of the tracking device. The method includes receiving, by the first computing device from the tracking system server, a location of the tracking device, the location of the tracking device being a location associated with the tracking device determined by a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices and provided by the second computing device in response to the second computing device receiving a signal from the tracking device.