Term of the Moment
field engineer
Redirected from: tracker tile
Definition: Bluetooth tracker
A small device that is attached to items such as a phone, eyeglass case or keyring, which are often misplaced. Trackers can even locate where a car is parked. People insert trackers in the packages they ship as well as in luggage checked at airports. Parents put them in toys toddlers are always losing, and even the family pet can wear one.
The Network Is the Key
A mobile app communicates with the tracker via Bluetooth and records its location the last time it was in range. When the tracker is out of range of the mobile app, the assistance of the user community is enlisted behind the scenes. All users with that tracker's app running in the background become part of the network silently picking up the signals from every tracker in the vicinity. The data are sent to the vendor's cloud in case a user reports one missing. See vehicle tracking.
Popular Trackers
The Network Is the Key
A mobile app communicates with the tracker via Bluetooth and records its location the last time it was in range. When the tracker is out of range of the mobile app, the assistance of the user community is enlisted behind the scenes. All users with that tracker's app running in the background become part of the network silently picking up the signals from every tracker in the vicinity. The data are sent to the vendor's cloud in case a user reports one missing. See vehicle tracking.
The Tile (left) popularized the Bluetooth tracker industry; however, there are several others on the market such as the TrackR Bravo (right). Apple's trackers are also widely used (see AirTag). Using button cell batteries to keep the units small, trackers can be attached to almost anything. See SmartTag and SyncUP Tracker.