one example, a first community mobile device 104a within a threshold proximity of a
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`tracking device 106 can identify the tracking device 106 (e.g., using a unique identifier
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`associated with and transmitted by the tracking device 106) and can communicate the
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`identification of the tracking device 106 to the tracking system 100, which in turn can store
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`the association between the community mobile device 104a and the tracking device 106,
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`along with (for example) a timestamp indicating the time that the community mobile device
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`104a detected the tracking device 106, a distance from the community mobile device 104a to
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`the tracking device 106, and the like. This information can be used by the tracking system
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`100 to identify a community mobile device 104 located within a threshold proximity to the
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`tracking device 106. In some embodiments, the tracking system 100 can identify a plurality
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`of community mobile devices 104 located within a threshold proximity to the tracking device
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`106, and can select the community mobile device 104 associated with the most recent time of
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`detecting the tracking device 106, the closest distance to the tracking device 106, or any
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`suitable factor. In some embodiments, the steps performed by the first community mobile
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`device 104a (for instance, the detection of the tracking device 106) can be hidden from the
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`first community user 105a. Accordingly, the first community mobile device 104a can detect
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`and can transmit a tracking device request to the tracking device 106 without bothering and
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`without the knowledge of the first community user 105a, thereby ensuring the privacy of the
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`owner of the tracking device 106 and improving the experience of the user 105a.
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`[0027]
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`As noted above, the tracking system 100 can assist the user 103 in transmitting a
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`tracking device request to the tracking device 106 outside of the range of the mobile device
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`102. The tracking device 106 can be a chip, tile, tag, or other device for housing circuitry and
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`that can be attached to or enclosed within an object such as a wallet, keys, purse, car, pet, or
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`other object that the user 103 may track. Additionally, the tracking device 106 can include a
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`transmitter for broadcasting signals (such as beacon signals), and a receiver for receiving
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`communications (such as tracking device requests). In one configuration, the tracking device
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`106 can periodically or in response to an event (such as a detected motion of the tracking
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`device 106) transmit a beacon signal that can be detected using a nearby mobile device 102
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`and/or community mobile device 104. The strength of the signal emitted from the tracking
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`device 106 can be used to determine a distance between the tracking device 106 and the
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`mobile device 102 or community mobile devices 104 that detects the signal. In some cases,
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`the strength of signal or absence of a signal may be used to indicate that the tracking device
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`106 is not within a threshold proximity of a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 102 and
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`31260/42668/FW/10586597.1
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