Tracking Device Search Parties for Beyond-Range Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tracking devices have limited wireless range, preventing effective location outside their range, and extending power in low-power systems is often not feasible, necessitating a need for a network of users to efficiently locate lost devices.
Innovation Solution
A tracking system coordinates a search party of community users to locate lost devices by leveraging their mobile devices to detect and report the device's location, with the system managing user profiles, search party organization, and rewarding successful finders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the wireless range of the tracking device is extended to enable location outside its range, then the tracking capability is improved, but the power consumption increases beyond what is available in a low-power tracking device system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces community members as intermediaries who use their own mobile devices to detect and locate the lost tracking device. The tracking device itself remains low-power, while community members' devices serve as the detection mechanism, eliminating the need for the tracking device to have extended wireless range or high power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent leverages the existing mobile devices of community members for multiple purposes: these devices serve both as general mobile phones and as detection devices for locating lost tracking devices. This multi-functionality allows the system to extend detection capability without adding dedicated high-power detection hardware to the tracking device.
2Reliability
If a network of users is leveraged to locate the lost tracking device, then the search effectiveness is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where community members automatically detect and report lost tracking devices through their mobile devices. The system uses automated notifications and reporting mechanisms, reducing the need for manual coordination and simplifying the overall system management despite involving multiple users.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving, by a tracking server, and from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices, a request to locate a tracking device associated with the tracking server, establishing a search party for locating the tracking device, determining a goal for the search party and a first criteria for including members into the search party, adding one or more second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices to the search party based on the first criteria, and determining that the goal for the search party is not satisfied. The method includes modifying, by the tracking server, the first criteria to include additional computing devices of the plurality of computing devices to the search party, receiving an indication that the tracking device has been located by the search party, and providing, by the tracking server, a location of the tracking device to the first computing device.