Tile v. Airtag 的專利筆記

本文發想自新聞：
- https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/20/tile-bashes-apples-new-airtag-as-unfair-competition/
- https://www.macrumors.com/2021/04/20/tile-complains-about-airtag-launch/
- https://www.macrumors.com/guide/airtags/

當強大的對手推出與自己相似的產品時，除了義憤填膺外，就來審視自己的「武器」有哪些，如果是經營了一陣子的產品，將可能具有佔有率優勢，如果還有專利權，也表示擁有先發制人的地位，但是所謂「強大的對手」是擁有智慧型手機平台的Apple時，那壓力就變得沈重。

從新聞得知，Tile公司（Tile Inc.）的找物收發器（Tiles）有90%市占率，就是一個設計精良的藍牙收發器，可以附掛在任何怕遺失的物品上，開啟APP或相關程式後，可以循著這些收發器建立的網路定位到物品。而Apple發布最新（今天凌晨）的產品中，有個Airtag，就是類似的東西。

當Apple發表新產品，即便是事前已經可以預料這些產品，還是讓Tile Inc.作出立即反應，包括準備去國會備案，要求國會關注Apple將來的發展可能衍生出不公平競爭的問題。這個問題可能衍生壟斷市場的不公平競爭議題，理由是平台業者若參與競爭，確實會威脅倚賴這個平台生存的企業。（編按，這樣就想到有些賣場、便利商店中可以看到貼他們自己品牌的商品，與其他上架商品競爭的情況）

（圖案截自：https://www.apple.com/airtag/）

（圖案截自：https://www.thetileapp.com/）

這個小小的東西其實應該不是多新的技術，只是商品化，加上商品本身有裝飾性，又很有用，週邊效應所帶出的新穎功效，只要用心布局，仍有機會獲得專利。

Tile Inc.美國專利：我用"Tile Inc."當作專利權人搜尋美國專利，查到173件領證專利。

US10,945,093 Systems and methods for locating a tracking device

1. A method comprising: 
associating, by a tracking system using at least one processor, a user with a tracking device owned by the user;
in response to the tracking device coming within a threshold proximity of a first mobile device of the user, receiving, by the tracking system, a location of the first mobile device, an identity of the tracking device, and an identity of the first mobile device and storing the received location as a last known location of the tracking device; and
in response to the tracking device coming within a threshold proximity of a second mobile device of a second user, receiving, by the tracking system, a location of the second mobile device and the identity of the tracking device and storing the received location as a last known location of the tracking device without storing an identity of the second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device is configured to provide the location of the second mobile device to the tracking system without notifying the second user that the tracking device was detected by the second mobile device and without providing the identity of the second mobile device.

US10,911,904 Tracking device presence detection and reporting by access points

1. A method for locating a tracking device, comprising:
detecting, by an access point, a tracking device within a proximity of the access point;
while the tracking device and the access point are communicatively coupled, providing, by the access point, a location of the access point and an identifier of the tracking device to a tracking server at a first frequency; and
while the tracking device and the access point are not communicatively coupled, providing, by the access point, a location of the access point and an identifier of the tracking device to the tracking server at a second frequency greater than the first frequency.

D881,729 Tracking device

D881,048 Tracking device

D880,320 Tracking device

US10,536,801 Tracking device operation in safety-classified zone

（編按，簡單查Tile Inc.專利，用名稱來看，可以看出非常多的功能布局，從圖式快速瀏覽，可以看出許多專利都是基於相同的概念產出的，加上不少的設計專利，感覺是已經「超前部署」，就看怎麼面對Apple挾強大的平台優勢（幾乎是內建功能）侵蝕Tile Inc.的市占率，以及將來可能的侵權爭議。）

Apple Inc.美國專利：（其實找東西的專利還不少，還蠻有趣的，但Apple的專利太多樣性了，簡單的檢索不容易找到關鍵專利，列兩篇來看看人家怎麼寫的）

US10,410,485 Devices and methods for locating accessories of an electronic device

1. A method comprising: 
playing a media item on an electronic device;
detecting, via the electronic device, disconnection of an accessory from the electronic device, wherein the disconnection of the accessory is detected to have occurred while the media item is playing on the electronic device;
detecting, via the electronic device, a title of the media item;
storing the title on the electronic device;
receiving a request at the electronic device for assistance in locating the accessory; and 
presenting the title on the electronic device in response to the request for assistance in locating the accessory as a reminder of the media item that had been playing when the disconnection of the accessory occurred.

US10,356,553 Precise indoor localization and tracking of electronic devices

1. A method, comprising:
performing, via a first wireless electronic device, indoor localization and tracking of a plurality of other wireless electronic devices within an indoor environment, comprising: performing front-back detection;
performing stationary node detection;
performing angle of arrival (AoA) error correction; and
performing field of view (FOV) filtering;
wherein performing indoor localization and tracking of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices comprises providing an indication of a physical location of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices within the indoor environment, wherein performing front-back detection comprises calculating a range matrix comprising range data of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices with respect to the first wireless electronic device, calculating an angle of arrival (AoA) matrix comprising AoA data of each of the plurality of other wireless electronic devices with respect to the first wireless electronic device, or both

US7552031 Personal items network, and associated methods

1. A personal items network, comprising a plurality of items, each item having:

a wireless communications port for communicating with at least one other item in the personal items network;

a processor for:

determining if the item in the personal items network is no longer communicating with the at least one other item, and

storing at least one of time and location information for the item in memory in response to determining that the item is no longer communicating with the at least one other item; and

an indicator embedded within the item for providing an output informing a user that the item is no longer communicating with the at least one other item based on the time and location information stored in memory, wherein a user may locate the at least one other item from the output provided by the indicator on the item.

Ron