IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,319,837
Granted Patent B2
US 9,319,837 · App. 14/417,121 · Granted Apr 19, 2016

Creation of a geofence based on movement data and a digital map

Inventors: Frank Josefiak (Bonn, DE); Filip Petkov (Cologne, DE)
Assignee: DEUTSCHE POST AG
H04W4/021G01C21/32G06Q10/08H04W4/022H04W4/046
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,319,837
App. No.
14/417,121
Granted
Apr 19, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a method for automatically creating a geofence ( 1 ), comprising the following steps: detecting a starting position; transferring the starting position to a digital map; automatically creating an area object on the digital map, wherein the area object comprises the starting position; detecting movement data of at least one moveable object in the region of the area object; and automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence ( 1 ), on the basis of the movement data.

Claims (57)

1. A method for automatically creating a geofence, the method comprising:

detecting a starting position;

transferring the starting position to a digital map;

automatically creating an area object on the digital map, wherein the area object comprises the starting position;

detecting movement data of at least one movable object in the region of the area object, wherein the movement data in addition to a position comprise a speed and/or a movement direction of the respective movable object; and

automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence, on the basis of the movement data.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence includes identifying regions that are comprised by the geofence.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence includes identifying regions outside the geofence.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of detecting movement data of at least one movable object in the region of the area object includes generating a movement profile of the at least one movable object, and

wherein the step of automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence on the basis of the movement data includes analysing the movement profile of the at least one movable object.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method comprises the step of detecting a position type for the starting position, and

wherein the step of automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence on the basis of the movement data includes evaluating the movement data depending on the position type.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method includes the step of detecting a position type for the starting position, and

wherein the step of automatically creating an area object on the digital map includes creating the area object depending on the position type.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of detecting a starting position includes receiving a geographical specification.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the step of automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence includes identifying regions outside the geofence.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting movement data of at least one movable object in the region of the area object includes generating a movement profile of the at least one movable object, and

wherein the step of automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence on the basis of the movement data includes analysing the movement profile of the at least one movable object.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the step of detecting a position type for the starting position, and

wherein the step of automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence on the basis of the movement data includes evaluating the movement data depending on the position type.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes the step of detecting a position type for the starting position, and

wherein the step of automatically creating an area object on the digital map includes creating the area object depending on the position type.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting a starting position includes receiving a geographical specification.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the step of receiving a geographical specification includes receiving an abstract map specification and converting the abstract map specification into the starting position.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting a starting position includes selecting a point of interest.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of automatically creating an area object on the digital map includes automatically generating the area object on the map, on the basis of map contents.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the step of automatically generating the area object on the map on the basis of map contents comprises:

detecting a map colour at the starting position;

detecting a first delimitation point of the area object by detecting the change in colour of the map on the basis of the map colour at the starting position;

detecting at least one further delimitation point of the area object by detecting the change in colour of the map on the basis of the map colour at the starting position at a predefined distance from the respective previous delimitation point,

generating the area object by connecting the delimitation points.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of automatically generating the area object on the map on the basis of map contents includes automatically creating a delimitation object on the digital map, wherein the delimitation object comprises the starting position, and

wherein the step of determining a boundary of the area object by extensive detection of the change in colour of the map is limited to the delimitation object.

18. A non-transitory digital storage medium with electronically readable control signals, which can cooperate with a programmable computer system wherein the method according to claim 1 is executed.

19. A computer product comprising:

at least one data processing device; and

one or more computer-readable media including program code, stored on the computer-readable media, for carrying out a method for automatically creating a geofence when the program code is executed on the at least one data processing device, the method comprising:

detecting a starting position:

transferring the starting position to a digital map;

automatically creating an area object on the digital map including automatically generating the area object on the map on the basis of map contents, the area object comprising the starting position, wherein the step of automatically generating the area object on the map on the basis of map contents comprises:

detecting a map colour at the starting position;

detecting a first delimitation point of the area object by detecting the change in colour of the map on the basis of the map colour at the starting position:

detecting at least one further delimitation point of the area object by detecting the change in colour of the map on the basis of the map colour at the starting position at a predefined distance from the respective previous delimitation point, and

generating the area object by connecting the delimitation points;

detecting movement data of at least one movable object in the region of the area object, wherein the movement data in addition to a position comprise a speed and/or a movement direction of the respective movable object; and

automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence, on the basis of the movement data.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising a computer-executable program of instructions including program code for carrying out a method for automatically creating a geofence when the computer-executable program of instructions is executed on at least one data processing device, the method comprising:

detecting a starting position:

transferring the starting position to a digital map;

automatically creating an area object on the digital map including automatically generating the area object on the map on the basis of map contents, the area object comprising the starting position, wherein the step of automatically generating the area object on the map on the basis of map contents comprises:

detecting a map colour at the starting position;

detecting a first delimitation point of the area object by detecting the change in colour of the map on the basis of the map colour at the starting position;

detecting at least one further delimitation point of the area object by detecting the change in colour of the map on the basis of the map colour at the starting position at a Predefined distance from the respective previous delimitation point, and

generating the area object by connecting the delimitation points;

detecting movement data of at least one movable object in the region of the area object, wherein the movement data in addition to a position comprise a speed and/or a movement direction of the respective movable object; and

automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence, on the basis of the movement data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2015
From: JOSEFIAK, FRANK; PETKOV, FILIP
To: DEUTSCHE POST AG
Reel/Frame 035037/0830 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 12177524 · Jul 23, 2012 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150215736A1 · Jul 30, 2015