Beacon-based geofencing

• US 10,064,003 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Grainger, Morgan, Mayor, Robert, Huang, Ronald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Liton
• Application Number:
  US14/673,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• 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 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile device can monitor a current location using a multi-tier approach. A baseband subsystem can monitor a coarse location of the mobile device using various course location parameters, such as a mobile country code (MCC), a location area code (LAC), or a cell identifier (cell ID), as the mobile device moves closer to the geographic region. Upon determining that the mobile device is in a cell that intersects the geographic region, the baseband subsystem can transfer the monitoring to the application subsystem. The task can be performed when the application subsystem determines that the mobile device is currently located in the geographic region. A beacon network can provide more accurate estimates of mobile device location and advertise location based services available to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a mobile device, comprising:

determining a first location estimate of the mobile device;

determining, based on the first location estimate, that the mobile device has crossed a first boundary defining a first geographical area and has moved into the first geographical area;

responsive to determining that the mobile device has crossed the first boundary and has moved into the first geographical area, detecting a first signal transmitted by a first beacon associated with the first geographical area, the first signal being transmitted in a first protocol, the first beacon having a first transmission range;

determining a second location estimate of the mobile device based on the first signal, the second location estimate being more accurate than the first location estimate;

determining, based on the second location estimate, that the mobile device has a crossed a second boundary defining a second geographical area within the first geographical area and has moved into the second geographical area;

responsive to determining that the mobile device has crossed the second boundary and has moved into the second geographical area, detecting a second signal transmitted from a second beacon associated with the second geographical area, the second beacon having a second transmission range that is shorter than the first transmission range, the second signal being transmitted in a second protocol that is different from the first protocol;

determining a third location estimate based on the second signal;

determining, based on the third location estimate, that the mobile device has crossed a third boundary defining a third geographical area within the second geographical area and has moved into the third geographical area; and

determining services available to the mobile device according to the third geographical area.

2. The method of claim 1, where the second beacon is a short range radio frequency beacon.

3. The method of claim 1, where determining the services comprises:

receiving a web address for communicating with a web site providing or advertising the services for the third geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1, where the first location estimate is determined using two or more radio frequency signals transmitted from two or more radio frequency transmitters.

5. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining a first location estimate of a mobile device;

determining, based on the first location estimate, that the mobile device has crossed a first boundary defining a first geographical area and has moved into the first geographical area;

responsive to determining that the mobile device has crossed the first boundary and has moved into the first geographical area, detecting a first signal transmitted by a first beacon associated with the first geographical area, the first signal being transmitted in a first protocol, the first beacon having a first transmission range;

determining a second location estimate of the mobile device based on the first signal, the second location estimate being more accurate than the first location estimate;

determining, based on the second location estimate, that the mobile device has crossed a second boundary defining a second geographical area within the first geographical area and has moved into the second geographical area;

responsive to determining that the mobile device has crossed the second boundary and has moved into the second geographical area, detecting a second signal transmitted from a second beacon associated with the second geographical area, the second beacon having a second transmission range that is shorter than the first transmission range, the second signal being transmitted in a second protocol that is different from the first protocol;

determining a third location estimate based on the second signal;

determining, based on the third location estimate, that the mobile device has crossed a third boundary defining a third geographical area within the second geographical area and has moved into the third geographical area; and

determining services available to the mobile device according to the third geographical area.

6. The system of claim 5, where the second beacon is a short range radio frequency beacon.

7. The system of claim 5, where the one or more processors perform operations further comprising:

receiving a web address for communicating with a web site providing or advertising the services for the third geographical area.

8. The system of claim 5, where the one or more processors perform operations further comprising:

determining the first location estimate using two or more radio frequency signals transmitted from two or more radio frequency transmitters.

9. A non-transitory storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a first location estimate of the mobile device;

determining, based on the first location estimate, that the mobile device has crossed a first boundary defining a first geographical area and has moved into the first geographical area;

responsive to determining that the mobile device has crossed the first boundary and has moved into the first geographical area, detecting a first signal transmitted by a first beacon associated with the first geographical area, the first signal being transmitted in a first protocol, the first beacon having a first transmission range;

determining a second location estimate of the mobile device based on the first signal, the second location estimate being more accurate than the first location estimate;

determining, based on the second location estimate, that the mobile device has crossed a secondary boundary defining a second geographical area within the first geographical area and has moved into the second geographical area;

responsive to determining that the mobile device has crossed the secondary boundary and has moved into the second geographical area, detecting a second signal transmitted from a second beacon associated with the second geographical area, the second beacon having a second transmission range that is shorter than the first transmission range, the second signal being transmitted in a second protocol that is different from the first protocol;

determining a third location estimate based on the second signal;

determining, based on the third location estimate, that the mobile device has crossed a third boundary defining a third geographical area within the second geographical area and has moved into the third geographical area; and

determining services available to the mobile device according to the third geographical area.

10. The non-transitory storage device of claim 9, where the second beacon is a short range radio frequency beacon.

11. The non-transitory storage device of claim 9, where determining the services comprises:

receiving a web address for communicating with a web site providing or advertising the services for the third geographic area.

12. The non-transitory storage device of claim 9, where the first location estimate is determined using two or more radio frequency signals transmitted from two or more radio frequency transmitters.