Granted Patent B2

US 8,812,027 · App. 13/586,127 · Granted Aug 19, 2014

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A method for determining the location of a mobile communications device with respect to a geo-fence, comprising:

providing a mobile communications device equipped with an operating system and having a location detection application resident thereon;

providing a server which is in communication with the local detection application over a network, and which maintains a geo-fence database;

querying the operating system for a first data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy;

transmitting the first data set to the server;

receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the first data set, a first set of geo-fences in the proximity of the general location;

receiving, from the operating system, a notification that the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold;

querying the operating system for a second data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy;

transmitting the second data set to the server;

receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the second data set, a second set of geo-fences in the proximity of the general location;

if the location defined in the second data set is within a predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence, then

(a) using the GPS location detection to obtain a third data set comprising the GPS location of the mobile communications device,

(b) comparing the GPS location to the second set of geo-fences, and

(c)(i) if the GPS location is not within the predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence, then using the location defined in the second data set as the location of the mobile communications device,

(ii) if the GPS location is within a new geo-fence distinct from the geo-fence defined in the second data set, then

(1) marking the new geo-fence as having been entered, and

(2) sending a message to the server indicating entry of the new geo-fence,

(iii) if the GPS location is not within the geo-fence defined in the second data set, then sending a message to the server indicating that the geo-fence defined in the second data set has been exited.

2. A method for determining when a mobile communications device has crossed a geo-fence, comprising:

providing a mobile communications device equipped with an operating system and having a location detection application resident thereon, wherein the mobile communications device is in communication with a server over a network, and wherein the server maintains a geo-fence database;

receiving, from the operating system, a notification that (a) the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold, or (b) that a period of time has passed;

querying the operating system for a data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy;

transmitting the data set to the server;

receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the data set, a set of geo-fences proximal to the general location;

wherein, if the location defined in the data set is within a predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence in the set of geo-fences, then

(a) ascertaining the GPS location of the mobile communications device, and

(b) comparing the GPS location to the nearest geo-fence defined by the data set;

wherein, if the GPS location is within a geo-fence that was previously not entered, then

(a) marking the geo-fence as entered, and

(b) sending a message to the server indicating entry of the geo-fence;

wherein, if the GPS location is not within the predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence in the first set of geo-fences, then using the location defined in the data set as the location of the mobile communications device; and

wherein, if the GPS location is within a new geo-fence distinct from the geo-fence indicated by the data set, then

(1) marking the new geo-fence as having been entered, and

(2) sending a message to the server indicating entry of the new geo-fence, and

(iii) if the GPS location is not within the geo-fence indicated by the data set, then sending a message to the server indicating that the geo-fence defined in the data set has been exited.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predefined distance is less than 1000 meters.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predefined distance is less than 500 meters.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predefined distance is less than 200 meters.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location detection application queries the operating system for the data set when the location detection application is first installed.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method is performed in an iterative process.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each iteration of the process is triggered by receiving, from the operating system, a notification that the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein each iteration of the process is triggered by receiving, from the operating system, a notification that a period of time has passed.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein each iteration of the process is triggered by the first event to occur between (a) receiving, from the operating system, a notification that the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold, or (b) receiving, from the operating system, a notification that a period of time has passed.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the server determines the set of geo-fences proximal to the general location by comparing the distance from the center of each geo-fence in the database to the general location, and returning those geo-fences for which the distance is less than a threshold amount.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the threshold amount is less than 1000 meters.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the threshold amount is less than 500 meters.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the threshold amount is less than 200 meters.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location detection application subscribes to location changes from the operating system.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the operating system calls the location detection application when the difference between the general location in the most recent data set and the general location provided by the operating system exceeds a threshold amount.

17. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of querying the operating system for a data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy is repeated each time the location detection application receives a location update event from the operating system.

Assignments (8)