Geo-fencing in a building automation system

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program instructs a smart phone having location services to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence associated with a user of the smart phone and assigned to a fixed location of a building;

identify a current location of the smart phone via the location services of the smart phone;

store location data of the smart phone, the location data including at least one of the current location of the smart phone and/or one or more past locations of the smart phone;

determining a current geo-fence state of the smart phone based on the location data, wherein determining the current geo-fence state is triggered by:

(1) a restoration of an ability of the mobile device to communicate with a remote server;

(2) receiving a predetermined user input at a user interface of the smart phone; or

(3) receiving a predetermined signal from a remote location;

wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the smart phone is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the smart phone is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

notify the remote server of the current geo-fence state.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the restoration of the ability to communicate with the remote server comprises one or more of:

a restoration of a cellular service to the smart phone; and

a restoration of an internet service to the smart phone.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein receiving the predetermined user input at the user interface of the smart phone comprises one or more of:

the user logging into the executable program on the smart phone;

the user restarting the executable program after a force close of the executable program;

the user turning off an airplane mode of the smart phone; and

the user turning on geo-fencing;

the user providing information pertaining to an updated geo-fence; and

the user providing information pertaining to a new location and associated geo-fence.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein receiving the predetermined signal from the remote location comprises one or more of:

the smart phone being informed that a suspend mode of the geo-fence has been turned off at the remote location;

the smart phone being informed that the geo-fence has been modified at the remote location;

the smart phone being informed that another user has crossed the geo-fence;

the smart phone being informed that the geo-fence state of another user has changed;

the executable program of the smart phone being activated from the remote location;

the smart phone being informed that geo-fencing was turned on; and

the smart phone receiving a request for the current geo-fence state from the remote location.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein receiving the predetermined signal from the remote location comprises one or more of:

receiving information pertaining to an updated geo-fence from the remote location; and

receiving information pertaining to a new location and associated geo-fence from the remote location.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the executable program instructs the smart phone to further perform the following:

determine if the smart phone has crossed the geo-fence by referencing the geo-fence state over time; and

notify the remote server if it is determined that the smart phone has crossed the geo-fence.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the internal stimuli comprises detecting the smart phone exiting an airplane mode.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program instructs a mobile device having location services to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence associated with a user of the mobile device and assigned to a fixed location of a building;

identify a current location of the mobile device via the location services of the mobile device;

store location data of the mobile device, the location data including at least one of the current location of the mobile device and/or one or more past locations of the mobile device;

determining a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based on the location data triggered by the mobile device detecting activation of a mobile device function, where activation of the mobile device function comprises one or more of a restoration of an ability of the mobile device to communicate with a remote server, a user taking action via a user interface of the mobile device or receiving a signal from a remote location, wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

notify the remote server of the current geo-fence state.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the restoration of the ability of the mobile device to communicate with the remote server comprises a restoration of a cellular service to the mobile device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the restoration of the ability of the mobile device to communicate with the remote server comprises a restoration of an internet service to the mobile device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein detecting restoration of an ability to communicate with a remote server comprises detecting a restoration of the location services of the mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises detecting a user logging into the executable program on the mobile device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises the user restarting the executable program after a force close of the executable program on the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises the user turning off an airplane mode of the mobile device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises the user turning on geo-fencing.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises the user powering on the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device comprises a smart phone.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program instructs a mobile device having location services to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence associated with a user of the mobile device and assigned to a fixed location of a building;

identify a current location of the mobile device via the location services of the mobile device;

store location data of the mobile device, the location data including at least one of the current location of the mobile device and/or one or more past locations of the mobile device;

determine a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based on the location data triggered by the mobile device receiving a request for the current geo-fence state of the mobile device from a remote device, wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

notify a remote server of the current geo-fence state.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the mobile device comprises a smart phone.