- Number
- 11012967
- Published
- 2021-05-18
- Filed
- 2020-01-31
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- MacLean; Dave, Parron; John R., Egger; James Lee, Patil; Mangesh, Vyas; Megha
- CPC
- H04W64/003; H04W64/006; H04B17/318; H04W4/023; H04W4/029; H04W4/80
- Verdict
- Set aside device location finding, consumer tech, business
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
Abstract
A system for use in locating a sought device such as a smartphone or smart communication device. The system includes a sought device communicatively linked to a communications network. The sought device uses locating technologies to determine an approximate location of the sought device and operates to trigger a locating session and to transmit a message over the communications network including the approximate location. The system includes a seeker device communicatively linked to the communications network operable to receive a message over the communications network including the approximate location of the sought device. The sought device scans for broadcasts from the seeker device, and the seeker device broadcasts a wireless message. The sought device receives the wireless message, determines a signal strength, and transmits the signal strength to the seeker device. The seeker device processes the signal strength to generate an indicator of a location of the sought device.
Background
BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Description (1) The present description relates, in general, to locating technologies in seeker-sought scenarios and to methods and systems for accurately determining a position of a sought device in challenging environments such as an indoors setting. More particularly, the present description relates to a method and system for solving the last mile problem to determine an accurate position or location of a sought device (also called a triggering device herein) even when the sought device is located indoors or in another space limiting accuracy of conventional locating technologies or when the sought device is located in any area lacking infrastructure needed to support accurate positioning by conventional locating technologies. 2. Relevant Background (2) There are many situations in which it is desirable to provide an accurate position of a person in a physical environment or space. This person or “the sought” may be carrying or wearing an electronic device such as a cellular telephone (or cellphone) or a smartphone or other smart device configured with or to support locating technologies, but it may still be difficult in many settings to determine an accurate position for this person. As a specific example, it is desirable for a person in need of assistance, such as a housekeeper in a large facility, to be able to signal for help whether they are indoors or outdoors and for responders (or “the seekers”) to locate this person seeking help with pre
Claims
1. A system for locating a sought device, comprising: a sought device communicatively linked to a communications network, wherein the sought device uses locating technologies to determine an approximate location of the sought device and wherein the sought device operates to trigger a locating session and to transmit a message over the communications network including the approximate location; and a seeker device communicatively linked to the communications network operable to join the locating session and to receive a message over the communications network including the approximate location of the sought device, wherein the sought device scans for broadcasts from the seeker device, wherein the seeker device broadcasts a wireless message, wherein the sought device receives the wireless message from the seeker device, determines a signal strength associated with the wireless message, and transmits the signal strength to the seeker device via the communications network, and wherein the seeker device processes the signal strength to determine a direction from a current location of the seeker device to the sought device and to generate an indicator of a location of the sought device relative to a present location of the seeker device, the indicator of the location including an indication of the direction. ||
11. A system for locating a sought device, comprising: a sought device configured for network communications and for direct wireless communications, wherein the sought device includes first logic detecting a triggering event and for responding to the triggering event by transmitting a message using the network communications to initiate an operating session of the system to find the sought device and wherein the sought device includes second logic transmitting messages with a present location of the sought device as determined by onboard locating technologies; and a seeker device configured for the network communications and for the direct wireless communications, wherein the seeker device broadcasts a beacon signal using the direct wireless communications, wherein the sought device includes third logic for determining a signal strength of the beacon signal received using the direct wireless communications while in a listening mode and for transmitting a message with the signal strength in an additional message using the network communications, wherein the seeker device determines and displays information related to a location of the sought device relative to the seeker device based on the signal strength, wherein the information related to a location of the sought device comprises a distance between the sought and seeker devices, and wherein the distance is computed by logic on the seeker device based on the signal strength and a power level used by the seeker device to broadcast the beacon signal. ||
15. A method of locating a sought device, comprising: with a sought device, triggering initiation of a find-me session; with the sought device, first determining an approximate location of the sought device; with the sought device, transmitting a message with the approximate location and listening for seeker devices within wireless range with a background application and prior to any wireless broadcasting to the seeker devices; with one of the seeker devices positioned with a wireless communication range of the sought device, broadcasting a wireless signal; with the sought device, receiving the wireless signal and determining a signal strength of the wireless signal; and with the one of the seeker devices, second determining data indicative of a present location of the sought device relative to a present location of the one of the seeker devices based on the signal strength.