Abstract: In one embodiment, techniques include a method for preserving battery power in a tracking device that includes a first communication module, a second communication module, and a location determination unit where the first communication module, second communication module, and location determination unit are initially disabled. The method includes determining that lost conditions are satisfied. The method includes enabling the first communication module and determining that a wireless network compatible with the first communication module is not available before disabling the first communication module. The method includes enabling the second communication module and the location determination unit and determining a location of the tracking device based on location information received from the location determination unit.

Abstract: A lost tracking device associated with a tracking system can be located by leveraging one or more community members by inviting these members to join a search party. Search party criteria can be identified and candidate search party members can be selected and invited based on the search party criteria. When invited candidate search party members accept the invitations, they are added to the search party. A last known location of the tracking device can be provided to the search party members, and the search party can remain in effect until the lost tracking device is located. The location of the lost tracking device is provided to the tracking system, which forwards it to the owner of the lost tracking device. A reward can be provided by the owner of the lost tracking device to the tracking system, which releases the reward to the search party member that located the lost tracking device.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a tracking system server, and from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices, a request to locate a tracking device associated with the tracking system server. The request includes reward information for locating the tracking device. The method includes establishing, by the tracking system server, a search party for locating the tracking device in response to the request. The established search party includes one or more second computing devices of the plurality of computing devices. The method includes receiving, by the tracking system server, and from at least one of the one or more second computing devices, location information associated with the tracking device, and in response to receiving the location information associated with the tracking device, transmitting, by the tracking system server, the reward information to the at least one of the one or more second computing devices.

Abstract: A tracking device can securely communicate with a secondary device by generating a hash value based on the identity of the tracking device. If the secondary device cannot resolve the hash value, the hash value can be provided to a tracking server, such as a cloud server, for resolving the hash value. Upon resolving the hash value, the tracking server can store a location of the tracking device in association with the identity of the tracking device. To preserve power, the secondary device can activate location-detection functionality (such as a GPS receive) only in response to the detection of movement of the tracking device, can obtain location information, and can de-activate the location-detection functionality upon providing the location information to the tracking server. The tracking server can associate one or both of a previous location and the current location information based on movement of the tracking device.

Abstract: A tracking device can provide a hashed identifier to a mobile device, for instance within an advertisement packet. The mobile device can query each of a plurality of entities with the hashed identifier to identify an entity associated with the hash key used to generate the hashed identifier. In some embodiments, the mobile device can query a centralized key server, which in turn can query the plurality of entities to identify the entity associated with the hash key. The mobile device can then receive a public key from the identified entity, can determine a location of the mobile device, and can encrypt the location with the public key. The mobile device can then provide the hashed identifier and the encrypted location to the identified entity, which can provide the encrypted location to an owner of the tracking device for decryption using a private key corresponding to the public key.

Abstract: In one embodiment, techniques include a method that includes determining, based at least on historical usage information of a tracking device and tracking device diagnostic information, a length of time the tracking device can continue to operate. The method includes determining that the length of time does not satisfy a first power condition out of one or more power conditions. The method includes determining reconfiguration instructions for the tracking device based at least on the historical usage information, tracking device diagnostic information, and projected usage information of the tracking device. The reconfiguration instructions are selected to cause the tracking device to satisfy the one or more power conditions. The method includes storing the reconfiguration instructions for the tracking device in a database in association with a flag indicating that pending reconfiguration instructions are available for the tracking device.

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.

Abstract: A tracking system determines if a tracking device is located within a safe zone based on whether a set of safe conditions are satisfied. The set of safe conditions includes a geographic boundary or a geographic location and corresponding threshold distance. The set of safe conditions can also include a time window during which a safe zone is active. When a tracking device is within a safe zone (e.g., geographically and temporally), the tracking device is determined to be safe, and notifications associated with the tracking device can be minimized. The safe zones may be user-selected, user-defined, or determined based on data analytics. If a set of safe conditions are not satisfied, the tracking system generates and sends a notification to the user of the tracking device indicating that the tracking device may be lost.

Abstract: A tracking device broadcasts beacon signals that are separated in time by broadcast intervals. The tracking device determines the broadcast intervals based on a behavior model. The behavior model specifies one or more conditions, such as times of day within a 24-hour day, and associates a usage probability with each condition. A higher usage probability causes the tracking device to broadcast beacon signals at shorter broadcast intervals. A mobile device in communication with the tracking device can reconfigure the behavior model, either by modifying portions of the behavior model or by replacing the behavior model with a different behavior model. This allows the behavior model to adapt to different circumstances, such as different usage patterns during weekdays, weekends, and vacations.

Abstract: One or more features of a tracking device can be disabled if the tracking device is lost. A tracking device is associated with a first mobile device, which can remotely control the tracking device via a tracking server. The tracking server receives an instruction from the first mobile device to disable a feature of the tracking device. The tracking server also receives a notification from a second mobile device that the second mobile device is within a communication range of the tracking device. In response to receiving the instruction and the notification, the tracking server transmits the instruction for the tracking device to disable the feature to the second mobile device. The tracking device receives the instruction to disable the feature from the second mobile device. In response to receiving the instruction to disable the feature, the tracking device disables the feature according to the instruction.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of commissioning a third-party electronic device of a user for use with a tracking service includes detecting, by an application executing on the computing device of the user, the third-party electronic device within a communicative range of the computing device of the user. The third-party electronic device is not associated with the tracking service and is not communicatively coupled with the tracking service. The method includes initiating a commissioning exchange with the third-party electronic device. The method includes providing an output of the commissioning exchange to a tracking system server associated with the tracking service. The method includes receiving an acknowledgement that the third-party electronic device has been commissioned for use with the tracking service. The method includes providing, in response to the acknowledgement, a location associated with the third-party electronic device to the tracking system server.

Abstract: Unauthorized tracking devices, including those that change their identification information periodically, are detected to protect an individual's privacy. A mobile device of a user detects a first advertisement signal from an unknown wireless device, the first advertisement signal containing information representative of the unknown device. Multiple advertisement signals may be received as the mobile device moves a distance greater than a broadcast range away from the location where the first signal was detected. Responsive to detecting a second advertisement signal containing the same identity information after the mobile device has moved at least the distance greater than the broadcast range away from the location where the first signal was detected, the system generates an interface on the mobile device. The generated interface indicates to a user of the mobile device the presence of an unknown device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a tracking server, an indication from a first computing device that a tracking device status associated with a tracking device has changed. The method includes accessing a first set of locations associated with the tracking device when it was connected to a second computing device and a second set of locations associated with the tracking device when it was not connected to the second computing device. The method includes providing the first set of locations and the second set of locations to the first computing device for display. The first set of locations and the second set of locations are displayed within a map interface and each location of the first set of locations is visually distinct from each location of the second set of locations.

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.

Abstract: A tracking system determines a location of a tracking device associated with a user using one or more access points at the location. Each access point at the location is configured to detect and couple with the tracking device when the tracking device is within a communicative range of the access point. An access point provides updates on the tracking device's presence, as well as the tracking device's arrival to and departure from the communicative range of the access point, to a tracking server. The tracking server determines, from these updates, whether the tracking device is at the location. The user may be notified, via a mobile device, of the tracking device's location.

Abstract: A tracking system can provide smart alerts based on a user's location. The tracking system can receive a location of a user's mobile device and establish a geographic boundary around the location if the mobile device remains at the location for a threshold amount of time. The tracking system can receive a new location of the mobile device outside of the geographic boundary and configure the mobile device to scan for a tracking device associated with the user for an interval of time. If the tracking system detects the tracking device within the interval, the tracking system stores information indicating that the user possesses the tracking device. Otherwise, the tracking system sends an indication to the mobile device indicating that the user has left behind the tracking device.