Patents by Inventor Steven R. Klinkner

Steven R. Klinkner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11153758
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Tile, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Publication number: 20210314735
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Kevin Refermat
  • Patent number: 11089438
    Abstract: A tracking device uses user-guided trilateration to determine a current location of the tracking device. The tracking device receives a request to locate the tracking device from a user of a mobile device communicatively connected to the tracking device. The tracking device receives a series of locations of the mobile device and corresponding distances between the mobile device and the tracking device at each of the locations. The tracking device provides instructions to the user of the mobile device to move to each of the series of locations to collect location and distance data. The tracking devices performs a trilateration operation on the series of locations and corresponding distances to determine a location of the tracking device and provides the determined location to the mobile device for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Tile, Inc.
    Inventors: Josselin de la Broise, Steven R. Klinkner
  • Publication number: 20210227067
    Abstract: An electronic device with a primary functionality and a tracking functionality can be used in a centralized tracking system. A controller configures the electronic device to operate in one of a set of: an “on” mode, an “off” mode, a first standby mode, and a tracking standby mode. While configured to operate in the “on” mode, the primary and tracking functionality of the electronic device are enabled, and while configured to operate in the “off” mode, both are disabled. While configured to operate in the first standby mode, the tracking functionality is enabled and the primary functionality is limited. While configured to operate in the tracking standby mode, the primary functionality is disabled but the tracking functionality is enabled, enabling the electronic device to be located while the primary functionality is disabled and saving power relative to the first standby mode and the “on” mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise, Michael George Farley
  • Publication number: 20210195379
    Abstract: A tracking system can provide configuration instructions to an electronic device based on user presence. The tracking system can determine a user's location relative to a geographic boundary surrounding a geographic area associated with the user. Depending on the user's location, the tracking system may send instructions to configure an electronic device to send a notification or change the operating mode of the electronic device in response to the user's presence. The electronic device may be a scanning device that is configured to have a higher or lower scanning frequency, depending on the presence or absence of the user relative to the scanning device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Patent number: 10992797
    Abstract: An electronic device with a primary functionality and a tracking functionality can be used in a centralized tracking system. A controller configures the electronic device to operate in one of a set of: an “on” mode, an “off” mode, a first standby mode, and a tracking standby mode. While configured to operate in the “on” mode, the primary and tracking functionality of the electronic device are enabled, and while configured to operate in the “off” mode, both are disabled. While configured to operate in the first standby mode, the tracking functionality is enabled and the primary functionality is limited. While configured to operate in the tracking standby mode, the primary functionality is disabled but the tracking functionality is enabled, enabling the electronic device to be located while the primary functionality is disabled and saving power relative to the first standby mode and the “on” mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Tile, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise, Michael George Farley
  • Publication number: 20210119775
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise, Ian Thomas Meyer
  • Publication number: 20210120371
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Publication number: 20210105580
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Publication number: 20210092607
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Publication number: 20210092599
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin De la Broise
  • Publication number: 20210058255
    Abstract: A tracking device can use a permanent encryption key pair to encrypt one or more temporary encryption key pairs, which can then be provided to a central tracking system. When a community mobile device subsequently detects the tracking device, the central tracking system provides an encrypted temporary encryption key pair to the community mobile device. The community mobile device uses the encrypted temporary encryption key pair 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 location data, and a device of the user can decrypt the encrypted temporary encryption key pair using the permanent encryption key pair, and can decrypt the location data using the decrypted temporary encryption key pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Rafael Marques Martins, Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise, Ian Thomas Meyer
  • Publication number: 20210051440
    Abstract: A tracking device uses user-guided trilateration to determine a current location of the tracking device. The tracking device receives a request to locate the tracking device from a user of a mobile device communicatively connected to the tracking device. The tracking device receives a series of locations of the mobile device and corresponding distances between the mobile device and the tracking device at each of the locations. The tracking device provides instructions to the user of the mobile device to move to each of the series of locations to collect location and distance data. The tracking devices performs a trilateration operation on the series of locations and corresponding distances to determine a location of the tracking device and provides the determined location to the mobile device for display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Josselin de la Broise, Steven R. Klinkner
  • Patent number: 10917754
    Abstract: A tracking system can provide configuration instructions to an electronic device based on user presence. The tracking system can determine a user's location relative to a geographic boundary surrounding a geographic area associated with the user. Depending on the user's location, the tracking system may send instructions to configure an electronic device to send a notification or change the operating mode of the electronic device in response to the user's presence. The electronic device may be a scanning device that is configured to have a higher or lower scanning frequency, depending on the presence or absence of the user relative to the scanning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Tile, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Publication number: 20210037342
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Publication number: 20210037344
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Patent number: 10911904
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Tile, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Patent number: 10904711
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Tile, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise
  • Publication number: 20200404091
    Abstract: An electronic device with a primary functionality and a tracking functionality can be used in a centralized tracking system. A controller configures the electronic device to operate in one of a set of: an “on” mode, an “off” mode, a first standby mode, and a tracking standby mode. While configured to operate in the “on” mode, the primary and tracking functionality of the electronic device are enabled, and while configured to operate in the “off” mode, both are disabled. While configured to operate in the first standby mode, the tracking functionality is enabled and the primary functionality is limited. While configured to operate in the tracking standby mode, the primary functionality is disabled but the tracking functionality is enabled, enabling the electronic device to be located while the primary functionality is disabled and saving power relative to the first standby mode and the “on” mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise, Michael George Farley
  • Patent number: 10812945
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Tile, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Klinkner, Josselin de la Broise