IP Library Granted Patent US 11,856,473
Granted Patent B2
US 11,856,473 · App. 17/306,045 · Granted Dec 26, 2023

Intelligent geofence provisioning

Inventors: Nathan A. McIntyre (Meridian, ID); Devin Shively (Mountain View, CA); Joshua Andrew Yundt (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: INTUIT INC.
H04W4/021H04W4/029H04W4/50H04W64/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,856,473
App. No.
17/306,045
Granted
Dec 26, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for efficient location tracking. Embodiments include receiving a device location from a mobile device. Embodiments include identifying a plurality of region definitions and selecting a set of region definitions from the plurality of region definitions based on a proximity of a location of each region definition of the plurality of region definitions to the device location. Embodiments include generating a provisional region definition based on a location of a region definition of the set of region definitions that is farthest from the device location and including the provisional region definition in the set of region definitions. Embodiments include providing the set of region definitions to the mobile device for provisioning and refraining from requesting device locations from the mobile device until receiving a notification from the mobile device that the mobile device has exited a provisional region defined by the provisional region definition.

Claims (69)

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, to a location tracking engine, a geographic location of a mobile device;

receiving, from the location tracking engine, a set of region definitions, wherein at least one region definition in the set of region definitions comprises a provisional regional definition defined based on a region definition in the set of region definitions farthest from the geographic location of the mobile device;

refraining from reporting subsequent geographic locations for the mobile device while the mobile device is located within a region defined by the provisional region definition;

determining that the mobile device has entered a region defined by at least one region definition in the set of region definitions and that the mobile device has exited the region defined by the provisional region definition;

transmitting, to the location tracking engine, an event notification including an identifier in the set of region definitions and an indicator that the mobile device has entered the region defined by at least one region definition in the set of region definitions;

receiving, from the location tracking engine, a request for an updated geographic location of the mobile device; and

transmitting, to the location tracking engine, a response including the updated geographic location of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisional region definition is defined further based on a radius half a distance from the geographic location of the mobile device to the location of the region definition farthest from the geographic location of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the provisional region definition excludes regions further than the radius from the geographic location of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the geographic location of the mobile device comprises a device latitude and a device longitude; and

the provisional region definition is centered on the device latitude and the device longitude.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of region definitions in the set of region definitions is based on a maximum number of region definitions that can be provisioned on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of region definitions comprises region definitions associated with an entity to which a user of the mobile device belongs.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the location tracking engine, an updated set of region definitions,

wherein the updated set of region definitions comprises one or more regions selected based on an updated proximity of a location of each of a plurality of region definitions to the updated geographic location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

recording an entry time at which the mobile device has entered a provisional region defined by the provisional region definition and an exit time at which the mobile device has exited the provisional region; and

committing, to a data repository, a record including a distance traversed between the entry time and the exit time.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a remote service, first content after transmitting, to the location tracking engine, the geographic location of the mobile device; and

receiving, from the remote service, second content after transmitting, to the location tracking engine, the updated geographic location of the mobile device,

wherein the first content comprises location-based content associated with the geographic location of the mobile device, and

wherein the second content comprises location-based content associated with the updated geographic location of the mobile device.

10. A system, comprising:

a memory having executable instructions stored thereon; and

a processor configured to execute the executable instructions to:

transmit, to a location tracking engine, a geographic location of a mobile device;

receive, from the location tracking engine, a set of region definitions, wherein at least one region definition in the set of region definitions comprises a provisional regional definition defined based on a region definition in the set of region definitions farthest from the geographic location of the mobile device;

refrain from reporting subsequent geographic locations for the mobile device while the mobile device is located within a region defined by the provisional region definition;

determine that the mobile device has entered a region defined by at least one region definition in the set of region definitions and that the mobile device has exited the region defined by the provisional region definition;

transmit, to the location tracking engine, an event notification including an identifier in the set of region definitions and an indicator that the mobile device has entered the region defined by at least one region definition in the set of region definitions;

receive, from the location tracking engine, a request for an updated geographic location of the mobile device; and

transmit, to the location tracking engine, a response including the updated geographic location of the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the provisional region definition is defined further based on a radius half a distance from the geographic location of the mobile device to the location of the region definition farthest from the geographic location of the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the provisional region definition excludes regions further than the radius from the geographic location of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the geographic location of the mobile device comprises a device latitude and a device longitude; and

the provisional region definition is centered on the device latitude and the device longitude.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein a number of region definitions in the set of region definitions is based on a maximum number of region definitions that can be provisioned on the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the set of region definitions comprises region definitions associated with an entity to which a user of the mobile device belongs.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the location tracking engine, an updated set of region definitions,

wherein the updated set of region definitions comprises one or more regions selected based on an updated proximity of a location of each of a plurality of region definitions to the updated geographic location of the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

record an entry time at which the mobile device has entered a provisional region defined by the provisional region definition and an exit time at which the mobile device has exited the provisional region; and

commit, to a data repository, a record including a distance traversed between the entry time and the exit time.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from a remote service, first content after transmitting, to the location tracking engine, the geographic location of the mobile device; and

receive, from the remote service, second content after transmitting, to the location tracking engine, the updated geographic location of the mobile device,

wherein the first content comprises location-based content associated with the geographic location of the mobile device, and

wherein the second content comprises location-based content associated with the updated geographic location of the mobile device.

19. A method, comprising:

transmitting, to a location tracking engine, a geographic location of a mobile device;

receiving, from the location tracking engine, a set of region definitions, wherein at least one region definition in the set of region definitions comprises a provisional regional definition defined based on a region definition in the set of region definitions farthest from the geographic location of the mobile device;

refraining from reporting subsequent geographic locations for the mobile device while the mobile device is located within a region defined by the provisional region definition;

determining that the mobile device has entered a region defined by at least one region definition in the set of region definitions and that the mobile device has exited the region defined by the provisional region definition;

transmitting, to the location tracking engine, an event notification including an identifier in the set of region definitions and an indicator that the mobile device has entered the region defined by at least one region definition in the set of region definitions;

receiving, from the location tracking engine, a request for an updated geographic location of the mobile device;

transmitting, to the location tracking engine, a response including the updated geographic location of the mobile device;

recording an entry time at which the mobile device has entered a provisional region defined by the provisional region definition and an exit time at which the mobile device has exited the provisional region; and

committing, to a data repository, a record including a distance traversed between the entry time and the exit time.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

receiving, from a remote service, first content after transmitting, to the location tracking engine, the geographic location of the mobile device; and

receiving, from the remote service, second content after transmitting, to the location tracking engine, the updated geographic location of the mobile device,

wherein the first content comprises location-based content associated with the geographic location of the mobile device, and

wherein the second content comprises location-based content associated with the updated geographic location of the mobile device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2021
From: MCINTYRE, NATHAN A.; SHIVELY, DEVIN; YUNDT, JOSHUA ANDREW
To: INTUIT INC.
Reel/Frame 056114/0406 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16256274 · Jan 24, 2019
Related Publication 20210258723A1 · Aug 19, 2021