Method and system for determining a positioning interval of a mobile terminal

• US 10,038,973 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Jianfei
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Liton
• Application Number:
  US15/164,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20160366552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method and system for determining a positioning interval of a mobile terminal. The method and system include the mobile terminal acquiring current location information, and sending the location information to the server; the mobile terminal receiving, from the server, a distance between the current location of the mobile terminal and a designated geo-fence; the mobile terminal obtaining current motion information; the mobile terminal acquiring, from the server, an active time of a user associated with the mobile terminal; and the mobile terminal determining time interval information on a next positioning according to the received distance, motion information and whether or not the current time is within the active time of the user.

Claims

1. A method for determining a positioning interval of a mobile terminal, comprising:

acquiring, by the mobile terminal, current location information, the current location information comprising a current location;

transmitting, by the mobile terminal, the current location information to a server;

receiving, by the mobile terminal from the server, a distance between the current location of the mobile terminal and a geo-fence closest to the current location within a query region corresponding to location information of the mobile terminal;

acquiring, by the mobile terminal from the server, an active time of a user associated with the mobile terminal, the active time representing a window of time in which the user has previously moved;

determining, by the mobile terminal, time interval information of a next positioning according to the received distance and whether a current time is within the active time of the user;

calculating, by the mobile terminal, an active coefficient of likelihood based on the active time and a current time, the active coefficient of likelihood representing the likelihood of the user being active at the current time; and

modifying, by the mobile terminal, the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a next positioning time interval determined by the mobile terminal is positively associated with the distance.

3. The method of claim 1, the modifying the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood comprising inversely modifying the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the mobile terminal, current motion information; and

determining, by the mobile terminal, the time interval information on the next positioning according to the received distance, the motion information and whether the current time is within the active time of the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the motion information comprises:

a speed of motion of the mobile terminal or a direction of motion of the mobile terminal; and

when the direction of motion of the mobile terminal is associated with the designated geo-fence, a next positioning time interval determined by the mobile terminal is inversely associated with the speed of motion of the mobile terminal.

6. A mobile terminal for determining a positioning interval of the mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable memory storing computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile terminal to;

acquire current location information of the mobile terminal, the current location information comprising a current location;

calculate a distance between the current location of the mobile terminal and a geo-fence closest to the current location within a query region corresponding to location information of the mobile terminal;

acquire an active time of a user associated with the mobile terminal, the active time representing a window of time in which the user has previously moved;

determine time interval information of a next positioning according to the distance obtained by the calculating and whether a current time is within the active time of the user;

calculate an active coefficient of likelihood based on the active time and a current time, the active coefficient of likelihood representing the likelihood of the user being active at the current time; and

modify the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein a next positioning time interval determined by the mobile terminal is positively associated with the distance.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6, the instructions further causing the mobile terminal to:

obtain current motion information; and

determine the time interval information on the next positioning according to the received distance and the motion information.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the motion information comprises:

a speed of motion of the mobile terminal and/or a direction of motion of the mobile terminal; and

when the direction of motion of the mobile terminal is associated with the designated geo-fence, a next positioning time interval determined by the mobile terminal is inversely associated with the speed of motion of the mobile terminal.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 6, the modifying the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood comprising inversely modifying the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood.

11. A server for determining a positioning interval of a mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable memory storing computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to;

acquire current location information of a mobile terminal, the current location information comprising a current location;

calculate a distance between the current location of the mobile terminal and a geo-fence closest to the current location within a query region corresponding to location information of the mobile terminal;

determine an active time of a user associated with the mobile terminal, the active time representing a window of time in which the user has previously moved;

determine time interval information of a next positioning of the mobile terminal according to the distance obtained by the calculating module;

calculate an active coefficient of likelihood based on the active time and a current time, the active coefficient of likelihood representing the likelihood of the user being active at the current time;

modify the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood; and

transmit the determined time interval information of a next positioning to the mobile terminal.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein a next positioning time interval determined by the mobile terminal is positively associated with the distance.

13. The server of claim 11, the instructions further causing the server to:

obtain current motion information; and

determine the time interval information on the next positioning according to the received distance and the motion information.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the motion information comprises:

a speed of motion of the mobile terminal and/or a direction of motion of the mobile terminal; and

when the direction of motion of the mobile terminal is associated with the designated geo-fence, a next positioning time interval determined by the mobile terminal is inversely associated with the speed of motion of the mobile terminal.

15. The server of claim 11, the modifying the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood comprising inversely modifying the time interval information based on the active coefficient of likelihood.