Maintenance of wireless devices

US11736938B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Apple Inc. · US

Inventors

• Kenneth U. Victa · San Jose, US
• Benjamin A. Detwiler · Menlo Park, US
• Nikhil Nilakantan · Eden Prairie, US
• Todd Wheeler · San Jose, US
• Robert Mayor · Rue de l'Église, US
• Brent M. Ledvina · San Francisco, US
• E. Thomas Erdmann, IV · San Francisco, US
• Sriram Hariharan · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 5, 2021
• Grant date: Aug 22, 2023
• Expiry date: Feb 5, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC —): General

Abstract

The presence of a wireless device and/or accessory that cannot maintain an independent network connection can be detected by network connected wireless devices and the location of the detected device and/or accessory can be reported to a device location service. As the wireless devices and/or accessories do not have independent network connections, periodic maintenance is performed on those devices by nearby owner devices to which the wireless devices and/or accessories are paired or associated. Described herein are systems, methods, and associated devices to maintain a locatable wireless device by a set of multiple owner devices for that wireless device.